Spring 2013

spring 2013

red meat

[from the butcher shop to your plate at home]

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seasonal ingredients

make for delicious meals Bon Appétit at Penn Dining is dedicated to providing food that is alive with flavor and prepared from scratch using authentic local and seasonal ingredients, which is why you will never find a rotating menu in our dining cafés. Visit one of our locations, and you’ll sample the innovative cuisine our Executive Chefs provide at every meal, every day.

One of the many foods our chefs make from scratch every day is our soups. Create this delicious Cream of Asparagus soup on your own, or try some at Hill House!

cream of asparagus soup Ingredients

1/4 cup butter 3 stalks celery, chopped 6 cups vegetable stock 1 pound of asparagus, trimmed and chopped salt and pepper to taste

1 onion, chopped 3 tablespoons flour 1 potato, peeled and diced 3/4 cup heavy cream 1 tablespoon soy sauce

Directions

Melt butter in a cooking pot. Add onions and chopped celery; saute until tender.

Stir in flour, mix well and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add vegetable stock, and whisk until smooth.

So the next time you’re hungry for something fresh, authentic and full of flavor, forget that expensive restaurant and see what’s cooking at one of our dining cafés!

Bring to a boil. Add diced potatoes and chopped asparagus.

Reduce heat, and simmer for about 20 minutes. Puree soup in a food processor or blender in batches. Return to pot.

Stir in the heavy cream, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Bring soup just to boil.

Makes approximatley 6 servings.

www.upenn.edu/dining 2 penn appétit

pennappetit.com

editor-in-chief

Chelsea Goldinger

editorial staff

Marisa Denker, Jillian Di Filippo, Katherine Holland, Jenny Lu, Sabrina Mills, Monica Purmalek, Shaye Roseman, Roopa Shankar & Samantha Sharon

creative director Design Editor junior design editors

photo editor Photo STAFF

blog editors blog STAFF

Ellen Amaral Shakeil Greeley Emily Belshaw, Leslie KrivoKaufman, Suzette Wanninkhof & Victor Yoon Divya Prabhakar Maegan Cadet, Maria “Iana” Cristina Feliciano, Nicole Jizhar, Jenny Lu, Evan Robinson, Max Wang & AJ Winkelman Katie Behrman & Nicole Woon Krystal Bonner, Ashlee Burris, Jillian Di Filippo, Kristen Duda, Alexandra Golub, Vatsala Goyal, Shira Hendler, Taylor Karl, Elizabeth Kim, Vera Kirillov, Abigail Koffler, Farrel Levenson, Heejae Lim, Nicole Pollack, Leslie Robledo, Roopa Shankar, Laura Sluyter, Molly Stein, Chelsea Mariah Stellmach & AJ Winkelman

Publicity managers

Rachel Marcus & Samantha Sharon

business managerS

Sabrina Bral & Samantha Meskin

Business STAFF

treasurer Recording & Social media outreach chair events chair culinary director webmaster

Mandy Chow, Colin Feo, Maddie Gee, Nicole Jizhar, Jamie Kent, Andrea Lin, Nicole Malick, Allison Millner, Rosalind Reynolds, Alexis Richards, Laura Ruiz-Colón & Molly Stein Kunal Kochar Abigail Koffler Julia Brownstein Jillian Di Filippo Kimberly Schreiber Karen Man

letter from the editor Many of my friends were shocked to learn I chose red meat as this issue’s theme. But then again, I suppose I surprised myself as well. Given the choice between Chilean sea bass, lentil daal, or a juicy burger, the burger comes in last every time.

But there is more to red meat than the ingredient.

Meat is controversial and can be consumed in a variety of ways. Most of all, it fosters conversation, which is exactly what I hope to achieve with this issue.

With red meat as this spring’s provocative theme, I aim to cut against the grain. You’ll find more in the issue than a list of different ways of cooking steak. Discover red meat in all its glory.

Ditch the grocery store meat section and develop a deeper understanding about where your food comes from. Befriend your local butcher, like Domenick Crimi (p. 20), a third generation butcher who wowed me with his expertise. Or find out exactly where your meat comes from with our informative graphic (p. 22) and learn how to utilize every part of the animal.

And hey, not everyone loves red meat, so we’ve got the story behind some of those alternative relationships with meat, too (p. 28). But for those of you who do enjoy a juicy cut of prime rib, we’ve got you covered. Whether it’s cooking steak on a budget (p. 9, p. 26) or for a fancy dinner party (p. 24), the pages of this magazine are filled with recipes and tips that will help you bring any steak to life.

This year, Penn Appétit is straying from its usual focus on broad themes and is instead tackling the juicy drippings of just one item. Given the controversy that surrounds red meat, it seemed like the perfect choice for the magazine’s first close-up look at one ingredient. Plus red meat is sexy, in that aggressive sort of way.

Did I just refer to red meat as sexy? Perhaps the Kobe beef I ate over spring break has gone to my head.

Cheers to food, and the conversations it creates,

Penn Appétit is the University of Pennysylvania’s innovative, student-run magazine covering all things food. We publish one print issue each semester and have a blog that’s updated daily.

To inquire about advertising, collaborating, or getting involved, e-mail us at pennappetit@gmail.com. We are always looking for new contributors in writing, photo, layout, and business.

Chelsea Goldinger

Cover Photo by Evan Robinson.

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contents spring 2013

elements 7 food 411 Check out recipes for a rich earl grey chocolate tart and refreshing summer sangria. Plus, grilled cheese and the launch of Penn Appétit’s new website 9 Weaknight Meals Cooking red meat on a budget, skirt steak five ways 12 EGG WHITES & copper Myth buster, the science behind the relationship between egg whites and copper bowls 13 farm fresh from the amish What it’s like growing up among the Amish

in the kitchen 14 a twist on toast There’s more to toast than butter and jam

16 let me eat cake Life lessons learned from baking 17 burger types Ever wonder what a hippy burger would look like?

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whole new blend of smoothies Interesting spins on springtime classics

feature 19 redmeat 20 MEET the meat expert Insider look at Cappuccio’s, a third-generation butcher shop in the Italian Market 22 A CLOSE UP ON THE ANIMAL: Find out exactly where on the animal each cut of beef comes from 24 highbrow Fancy red meat recipes to awe and wow your friends 26 lowbrow Cozy and comforting red meat recipes that are easier on your wallet 28 my beef with meat Exploring alternative relationships with meat

in the city 30 a marriage built on love & food Interview with Continental Mid-town chef Steven Petrecca 32 dining in the district The growing food scene in University City 34 the creative team behind chloe Interview with Chlöe chef Dan Grimes 36 rick nichols’ uncommon path to food writing The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Rick Nichols on pursuing a career in food writing 38 rebel ventures Philadelphia students promote sustainability and food justice through their homemade granola bars

out of town 40 la tavole accademiche Interview with Kristen Martin, Fullbright recipient studying food in Bra, Italy 42 dumplings across culture A unique food that exists in different forms in a variety of cultures 43 paris: A tale of two cities A foodie’s take on Midnight in Paris spring 2013

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What’s Cooking in the Penn Appétit Kitchen?

Earl Grey Chocolate Tart Serves 10-12 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 9 tablespoons unsalted butter, very cold and cut into small pieces 1 large egg, lightly beaten 1 1/2 cups heavy cream 1/4 cup Earl Grey tea leaves 12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped 3 tablespoons honey 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces chocolate curls, edible flowers, and/or whipped cream, for serving (optional) Make tart shell: Pulse together flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor until well-combined. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is broken down to pea-sized lumps. Add the egg, and process in long pulses, about 10 seconds each, until the dough becomes

clumpy. Turn the dough out onto a work surface, and knead the dough to thoroughly incorporate all ingredients into a ball. Chill the dough for two hours in the refrigerator.

Butter a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Roll the dough out on a floured work surface to a 12-inch round. Fold the dough over onto the tart shell. Trim the overhang to 1/2-inch, and use the scraps to patch up any cracks in the dough. Fold the overhang under, making double-thick sides. Pierce all over with a fork. Freeze for 30 minutes before pre-baking.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter the shiny side of a piece of aluminum foil and press, buttered-side down, onto the crust.

Put the crust on a baking sheet, and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Carefully remove the foil and, if the crust has puffed up, press down gently. Bake about 10 minutes longer, or until firm and golden brown. Let cool completely before filling.

Make filling: Bring cream to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Remove pan from the heat and add tea leaves.

Let stand for 8 minutes before straining through a mesh sieve. Press on leaves to extract the cream. Reserve liquid and discard leaves. Return cream to the saucepan and bring to a simmer.

Place chocolate in a medium bowl.

Pour cream over the chocolate and whisk until smooth. Whisk in honey and butter.

Pour into tart shell and refrigerate until filling sets, about 1 hour. Slice the tart and serve. Decorate with chocolate curls, edible flowers, or whipped cream.

By Ki mb e rly Sc h re i b e r

TWITTER @pennappetit and FACEBOOK facebook.com/ pennappetit p h oto s b y A n d r ew Braun stei n

Check out our brand new website!

For more on articles and recipes from this issue, or for your daily dose of Penn Appétit, check out our blog at pennappetit.com!

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What we’re eating

SUMMERTIME IN A GLASS ph oto b y d i v ya p r a b h a k a r

By A b i gai l Ko f fle r

Sweet and refreshing, sangria—the Iberian cocktail composed of red wine, chopped fruit, and a hint of brandy—is a long time summer favorite. Its name, “sangria,” comes from this elixir's resemblance to la sangre, meaning blood.

Sangria has fled the Iberian Peninsula and found itself around the globe. The best part of sangria is its celebration of life. The time involved in preparing the fruit, letting it macerate, and gathering with friends to enjoy it represents a concerted investment in quality of beverage and interaction.

Sparkling Sangria Serves 5 to 6 1 bottle dry Prosecco 1 cup seedless green grapes 2 kiwis, diced 1 blood orange, sliced 2 tablespoons superfine sugar 3-5 tablespoons cointreau 1 1/2 cups sparkling water Mix all ingredients except the sparkling water in a large pitcher and refrigerate for 4-5 hours. Add the sparkling water just before serving. Pour into tall glasses over ice.

Garnish with a sprig of mint if you have it handy, and enjoy.

Melt

kraft A wedge of bread; a slab of cheese. I can’t get enough of that combo, not when it comes out of a frying pan, all buttery and inviting. The smell, too—that whiff of cheese-on-griddle and toasty brioche. It’s what I grew up with, and when it wafted my way a few Sundays back on a walk through Reading Terminal, I didn’t bother resisting. I just followed my nose, past the Amish apple dumplings (worth doubling back for) and the flavored olive oils (ditto), right up to the big chalkboards for Valley Shepherd Creamery. There’s a counter to the side, MeltKraft, where creamery folks make grilled cheeses.

Go. And when you do, order a brielle, like I did. It’s the classic, gussied up—with brie, browned onions, and a spot of cranberry chutney.

B y E e sh a S a r d e s a i ph oto b y M a e g a n C a d e t

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1∙2∙3∙4∙5

weeknight meals [skirt steak five ways]

By Kimber ly S ch re i b e r

p h oto s b y A n d r e w Braun stei n

While expensive cuts of beef, such as ribeye, filet mignon, and strip, may engender visions of up-does, candlelit dinners, dry martinis, and baked Alaskas, these dreams are often unattainable on a weeknight and with a tight budget. Turn to the cow’s long neglected diaphragm for an equally indulgent, but a wallet- and time-friendly cut: skirt steak. Easy to prepare and incredibly versatile, skirt steak is a beautiful blank slate for creative marinades and perfect for simple weeknight meals. spring 2013

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Skirt Steak Tacos

Serves 2

For the marinade: 1/4 cup olive oil 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 3 garlic gloves, peeled 1 1/2 tablespoons dark brown sugar 2 teaspoons chili powder 2 teaspoons cumin 1 teaspoon oregano 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped salt and pepper, to taste 3/4 lb skirt steak For the pickled red onions: 1/2 red onion, very thinly sliced 1/2 tablespoon salt 1 tablespoon sugar 1/4 of a small beet 1 handful cilantro 1/2 cup water 1 cup cider vinegar For the tacos: Corn tortillas Avocado slices Cilantro

Marinate the meat and make the pickled red onions the night before: Combine all ingredients in a 1-gallon plastic bag. Add meat, seal, and massage with your hands.

Put in the fridge overnight.

Place the red onions in a microwaveable container. Add the salt, sugar, beet, and cilantro. Cover with water and cider vinegar.

(If the onions are not fully covered, add additional water and vinegar in a ratio of 1 part water, 2 parts vinegar.) Microwave for 2 minutes, taking out to stir at the halfway point. Cool, and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the broiler to high. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and lay the skirt steak out on top, discarding any excess marinade. Broil for 8-10 minutes, flipping the meat once halfway through cooking. Let rest for 3-5 minutes before slicing against the grain of the meat.

Serve on corn tortillas, topped with avocado slices, pickled red onions, and fresh cilantro.

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Skirt Steak Stir-fry Serves 2

3 tablespoons soy sauce, divided 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar 1 tablespoon sesame oil 1 teaspoon honey 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1 heaping teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes salt and pepper, to taste 3/4 lb skirt steak, thinly sliced against the grain 1 small red bell pepper, sliced 1 small yellow bell pepper, sliced 1/2 yellow onion, sliced 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced 1 garlic clove, minced scallions, thinly sliced 3 tablespoons canola or peanut oil cooked white rice or rice noodles, to serve

Combine steak with 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and 1/2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar in a large bowl, and toss to coat. Let marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes, and up to 3 hours.

In the meantime, assemble the mise en place. Combine the remaining soy sauce with the cornstarch and stir with a fork to make a slurry. Add remaining vinegar, sesame oil, honey, and red pepper flakes.

Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

In another bowl, combine the peppers and onion, and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine the ginger, garlic, and scallions, and set aside.

When everything has been assembled, begin the cooking process. Heat one tablespoon oil over high heat until smoking.

Add half of steak and let cook, without stirring, about 1 minute. Continue to cook, stirring continuously for about 1 minute.

The meat should be cooked, but still pink in spots. Remove the steak to a bowl and repeat the process with the remaining steak. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel. Add last tablespoon of oil, and cook the peppers and onions, before adding to the bowl with the steak. Heat the pan again until it is smoking.

Return the steak and vegetables to the pan, and add the ginger, garlic, and scallion mixture. Cook, stirring continuously, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the sauce and cook, stirring constantly until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Transfer to a large bowl or serving platter, and serve with rice or noodles.

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Serves 2

For Butter: 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened 2 teaspoons dijon mustard 1 teaspoon thyme, finely chopped 1 pinch good-quality sea salt 1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled

Chimichurri Skirt Steak Kebabs

For Steak: 2 6-ounce pieces of skirt steak salt and pepper, to taste 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided 2 cups shallots, sliced 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped

Serves 2 3/4 lb skirt steak, cut into 1/2-inch slices across the grain 1 cup flat leaf parsley 1/2 cup baby arugula 2 garlic cloves, peeled 1/2 teaspoon oregano 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste 1/2 cup olive oil 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar juice of 1/2 lemon salt and pepper, to taste 6, 20-inch wooden skewers, soaked in water for 20 minutes 1/2 cup greek yogurt pita rounds cherry tomatoes Combine ingredients for the marinade in a food processor, and pulse until greens are finely chopped and everything is wellcombined. Put 1/4 cup of marinade in a large, 1-gallon plastic bag and add the steak.

Massage the marinade into the steak with your hands. Let marinate at temperature for 30 minutes, and up to 3 hours. Mix 2 tablespoons sauce with greek yogurt and reserve for serving.

Preheat the broiler to high. Thread the pieces of steak, accordion-style onto the wooden skewers. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Lay the skewers out on the baking sheet, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Flip the skewers and cook, watching closely, for another 2 minutes.

Serve with pita, yogurt sauce, and cherry tomatoes. spring 2013

5

elements Pan-Seared Skirt Steak with caramelized shallots and blue cheese compound butter First, make the compound butter. Using a rubber spatula, mash the butter in a large bowl until creamy and smooth. Stir in mustard, thyme, and sea salt. Fold in the blue cheese until well incorporated. Tightly pack the butter into an 8-ounce ramekin.

Place in the freezer until fully hardened, about 1 hour, or in the fridge for at least 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pat steak dry with paper towels. Season liberally with salt. Let rest at room temperature for at least 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the caramelized shallots. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a sautĂŠ pan over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and thyme. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened and golden brown.

Season with salt and pepper.

Heat a large, oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, swirling to coat the bottom of the pan.

When oil is shimmering, add steaks and sear, 30 seconds to 1 minute per side, or until it is nicely browned. Cover the steak with shallots and place in the preheated oven. Cook for about 1 minute, or until medium rare. Remove from the oven and let rest for at least five minutes. Season with pepper. Serve with compound butter and a side of roasted potatoes.

Grilled Skirt Steak Salad with North African Flavors

Serves 2

3/4 lb skirt steak 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1 tablespoon Harissa paste 1 tablespoon preserved lemon, chopped 1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped salt and pepper, to taste arugula cherry tomatoes almonds, sliced

Combine olive oil, garlic, brown sugar, Harissa, preserved lemon, cilantro, salt, and pepper in a large plastic bag. Add the steak.

Let marinate at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, and up to three hours.

Heat grill to high heat. Grill the skirt steak over direct heat, about 2 minutes per side. Let the steak rest for 5 minutes, before slicing against the grain. Serve over a bed of arugula, with cherry tomatoes and sliced almonds. Finish with a drizzle of goodquality olive oil, salt, and pepper. penn appĂŠtit

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elements

N2

N C CH 3

Cu

COPPER & EGG WHITES

CH 3

AN UNDENIABLE CHEMISTRY

B y Ro s a lin d R e y n o ld s ph oto b y I a na F e lic ia n o

When whipping egg whites, be sure to do so in a copper bowl. This advice dates back to 18th century France and remains a rule of thumb for pastry chefs today. Such ancient wisdom may seem outdated, or even ridiculous, especially when a good copper bowl can cost over $100, far more than its enamel or stainless steel counterparts. Why, then, does the practice of using copper continue?

The answer lies in the chemistry of the molecules that form egg white foam, as explained by Harold McGee in On Food and Cooking, his acclaimed kitchen science book. When egg whites are beaten, their proteins denature, or break apart. They then re-coagulate to

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form a thin film that supports the foam. If over-beaten or left to stand for too long, the egg whites will collapse and begin to drain liquid—a mistake that would ruin an otherwise elegant soufflé.

Copper ions, or Cu 2+, solve this problem. By binding to conalbumin, one of the major proteins in egg whites, copper helps stabilize the foam structure. The stabilization occurs because Cu 2+, a positive ion, attracts negatively charged portions of conalbumin, holding them together and forcing the entire protein to maintain its shape. The copper-conalbumin complex is less likely to denature under the force of being beaten or after being left to stand.

The added stability means that egg whites beaten in copper bowls take nearly twice as long to form peaks than those beaten in glass vessels. Once stiff, the copperconalbumin complex also retains its shape and drains much less liquid if left to stand than egg white proteins alone. Restaurants in particular benefit from this science: By beating egg whites in copper bowls, they gain more time and flexibility to complete a table’s order, without compromising the texture of the dish. While the 18th century French chefs may not have known it, it turns out their egg white wisdom was based on a cornerstone of real chemistry.

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Farm Fresh from the Amish

By Ro s al i nd R e y n o ld s

p h oto s by MAx Wa n g

I grew up in Lancaster County, a 10-minute drive from acres of lush farmland, and I spent much of my childhood running barefoot outdoors on the land belonging to our Amish family friends. For those who are unfamiliar, the Amish, particularly those from the communities near my home, are devoted to working the land and tending animals. They often live a life of simplicity: from their lifestyle without electricity, to their dark clothes, to the plain foods they eat.

I grew up neighbor to the Zooks, an Amish family including a daughter, Elizabeth, who is exactly my age. When I was 8, my younger sister and I regularly spent time at the Zooks’ house. We passed the time pestering the chickens for eggs, picking potato beetles from the plants in the garden, and watching the older boys help their father milk the family’s Holstein dairy cows.

As the afternoon shadows lengthened, the Zooks would finish their farm chores and gather in the large kitchen for an early dinner. Elizabeth’s mother and older sisters prepared the meal, which usually consisted of cold baloney; pickles; homemade wheat bread, served with apple butter or honey; applesauce with cayenne pepper; and, something seasonal from the garden. It was a very simple, slightly odd, but immensely satisfying meal. I remember the wheat bread in particular as being thick, soft, and often still warm from the oven.

I still try to incorporate Amish culinary practices into my own eating habits. Firstly, seasonal is always the best option when it comes to fruits and vegetables. The Zooks ate the produce from their gardens as they grew, which meant everything was consumed at the height of ripeness— each vegetable in its proper season, with the rare exception of certain pickled produce. Second, the Amish consume no excess sugars or processed foods; anything they can make on their own, they do. Elizabeth’s mother even discouraged sugar consumption, trading the children a small sum of money for every candy they handed over to her (which she subsequently threw out).

Although living in a city means that it can be especially difficult to find fresh produce, whenever possible, I try to purchase seasonal fruits and vegetables. And when that fails, Lancaster and the Zooks are just an hour-long train ride away.

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elements

a twist on toast

By A my Y u / / p h oto s b y I a na F e lic ia no

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Mon. Banananutter Crunch Toast two thick slices of brioche until golden brown. Spread a generous layer of crunchy peanut butter evenly over the bread and layer banana slices on top. Break up a handful of pretzels and sprinkle over the banana slices. Drizzle with honey, to taste.

Tues.

Wed.

Thur.

Greek Pita “Pizza”

Fancy Schmancy Ham And Cheese

Green Goddess Garden Toast

Toast two round pitas until crisp. Divide ¼ cup shredded mozzarella and ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese between the pitas.

Broil for 2 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

In a medium bowl, toss together a Roma tomato, sliced into 8 wedges; 4 Kalamata olives, halved; a pinch of dried oregano; ¼ cup pickled red onion pickles; and, 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil. Divide tomato mixture between the pitas. Slice into wedges and enjoy.

Slice a Ciabatta roll in half lengthwise. Toast until just crisp. Mix together 2 teaspoons coarse Dijon mustard, 2 teaspoons honey, and 2 tablespoons mayonnaise. Spread evenly on the sliced sides of the roll.

Arrange a layer each of thinly sliced Granny Smith apples and shaved prosciutto over the spread. Top each half with a slice of sharp cheddar cheese. Place on baking sheet and broil until cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

In a small bowl, mash ½ a Hass avocado with a fork. Stir in a pinch of sea salt, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Toast two slices of multigrain bread. Divide the avocado mixture between the two slices and spread evenly. Top with thinly sliced radishes and alfalfa sprouts. Finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and sea salt to taste.

Fri.

Sat.

Sun.

Sweet Pear Turkey Melt

Peachy Bruschetta

Lemon-Raspberry Cake Stack

Toast two slices of country-style honey wheat bread until crisp. Spread with softened butter. Top bread with thin slices of deli turkey and arrange D’ Anjou pear slices in a single layer over the turkey. Place a slice of baby Swiss cheese over each slice. Broil until the cheese is bubbly. Sprinkle with a handful of chopped candied walnuts before digging in.

In a small saucepan, bring ½ cup balsamic vinegar to a boil and let simmer until reduced to a thick syrup. It should end up being about 2 tablespoons. Toast four thick slices of French baguette. Top each with a slice of fresh mozzarella and a fresh peach wedge. Drizzle with the balsamic syrup and garnish with fresh julienned basil.

Cake replaces bread for an extra rich and delicious breakfast treat. Toast generous slices of pound cake until golden brown.

Drizzle each with a spoonful of homemade or store-bought lemon curd. Arrange fresh raspberries on top. Finish each stack with a dollop of whipped cream and a few fresh mint leaves for garnish.

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let me eat cake.

By Me l i ssa D i am o n d a n d K at h e r in e H o l l a n d // photo by m a x wa n g

The menacing void (also known as my oven) begins to emit hellish smoke; my lemon meringues have burned. This apocalyptic scene is a common side effect of my baking obsession. As someone who has spent countless nights scraping cookie sheets clean and forgoing homework to flambé bananas, I can honestly say I’ve learned more than the importance of greasing and fire safety from baking. Here are a few lessons learned from my forays in the kitchen.

Life is like a box of chocolates.

(Thanks for your insightful words, Forrest.) But really, you never do know what “ya gonna get.” When your cake collapses, only your reaction matters. A sunken cake is only a waste if you don’t morph its crumbs into cake pops or save the frosting for tomorrow’s Nutella glazed donuts.

So, go ahead and experiment. Make a mess while you’re at it; the adventure makes it worthwhile.

Stop, and smell the rose (water).

Frosting is fleeting. I’ll have spent over three hours icing a cake, only to destroy my buttercream roses with the swift swipe of a hungry knife. My advice? Make cakes because you enjoy the process. If you bake a cake just to eat it, you’re better off buying one at Costco.

Let them eat cake.

Food should never be eaten alone— it’s meant to be shared. It’s about fidgeting with excitement when you finally pass your friend the wrapped box of homemade peppermint patties you made just for her. Giving food is saying, “I care.”

Man plans meal; God laughs.

Usually, cooking goes smoothly; other times, that extra tablespoon of baking soda leaves a crust of melted meringue on your oven floor. Most things lie beyond your control: the consistency of the oven temperature, the mood of the batter that day, whether or not the Universe is plotting against you. And the Universe will plot against you.

So, accept it, and adapt. Stove isn’t working? Make balsamic strawberry crêpes on the grill outside. Life gives you lemons? Make sorbet.

DON’T BE COOKIE CUTTER Yes, baking is a science, and like physics, it has inflexible laws that command the fate of the Universe. But chefs would still be roasting bison over flames instead of heating crème brûlée in a bain-marie if they refused to experiment. Cookie cutters never change the world—rebels do.

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Stress is nonexistent in the presence of pie.

Baking provides the mindless quiet I need to work through my problems.

Find your escape, ideally through an activity you love. Everyone has a hungry soul. Do something to feed yours. pennappetit.com

elements

burgertypes

By L au ri B o nac o r s i, M a r is a D e n k e r , a n d Shay e Ro sem a n // i l lustrati o n s by el l en amar al

meet the types: 1. Macho: bison patty, mustard-braised caramelized onions, fried egg, bacon, habanero cheddar, brioche bun 2. Sexy: pancetta-gruyere patty, pickled onions, endive, rosemary ciabatta bun 3. Eccentric: turkey-quinoa patty, fig jam, goats milk brie, chard, grilled cornbread bun 4. Hippy: black bean patty, kimchi, sun flower seeds, cucumber, hummus, whole wheat flax seed pita 5. Prim: tuna patty, avocado, sprouts, orange-ginger aioli, sesame bun

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A New Blend of Smoothies B y Ro o pa Sha n ka r // photo by a j Wi n kel man

Sweet Honeydew and Rosemary Honeydew is often overlooked when scouring the kitchen for ingredients to throw into the blender. The sweet melon and savory herbs fuse to form the perfect detox drink—a both glamorous and healthy smoothie.

Wild Blueberry Avocado Green smoothies are the latest fad. Kick it up a notch with a wild blueberry twist. The creamy avocado flavor is mediated by a generous helping of cinnamon-coated berries, creating a surprisingly delectable treat.

1 cup honeydew, cubed ½ cup fresh pineapple, cubed ½ teaspoon minced fresh rosemary 1 tablespoon honey 2 tablespoons coconut milk 1 cup ice cubes

2 cups frozen wild blueberries 1 banana 2 cups organic green oak leaf lettuce 1 small avocado, pitted and peeled 3 cups coconut water 1/8 teaspoon sugar or 2 soft pitted dates ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Crunchy Coffee Almond Coffee lovers rejoice. Here is a way to incorporate coffee into a healthy drink. Celebrate the arrival of spring and summer with this equally refreshing and energizing smoothie.

4 ounces chilled coffee 4 ounces fat-free milk 1 banana, frozen and sliced 2 tablespoons whole almonds 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder

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Strawberry, Banana, and Kale Go bold with this new take on the strawberry smoothie by complementing the fruit with kale. Inspired by spring and summer’s bounty, this drink’s luscious, colorful ingredients are chock-full of vitamins and fiber.

1 cup chopped fresh kale, stems removed 1 frozen banana 1 cup plain yogurt 1 cup crushed ice

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Advice from the Butcher Common Meat Preparation Mistakes -Boiling sausage -Not understanding the difference between a dry rub and a marinade (dry rubs are mixtures of salt, sugar, spices, and/or dried herbs used to season meat or seafood, while a marinade is a sauce used to soak a food before cooking to flavor or soften it) -Searing good quality meat completely and covering it in salt and pepper; this masks the flavor -Using boneless meat; the bones add flavor The Best Way to Cook Your Meat Sear it and then cook over dry heat to medium rare The Best Way to Store Your Meat 1) Wrap the meat in wax paper 2) Place it in a ziplock bag 3) Squeeze out as much air as possible 4) Store in freezer for up to 6 months Quick Fun Facts About the Butcher -He eats steak an average of 1-2 times a week -He usually takes home the off cuts, which are funny angles and shapes (his wife says, “All we get is the weird cuts!” His response, “It’s the life of a butcher!”)

-He takes home the end slices of meat left over from dry aging

photos b y e van ro b in s o n

By Ma risa D e nk e r an d Che l sea G o l d i nge r

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A wary couple wanders in to Cappuccio’s Meats (1019 S. 9th St); their gaze shifts from the sausage hanging in the window to the cured beef behind the counter to the veal shank on the scale by the register. Clearly butcher shop novices, the man and woman hesitantly approach Domenick Crimi, who wears a bloody apron and holds a knife in his hand. He puffs up his chest, with the confidence of a man who has spent his entire life around meat. “Rack of lamb, have it?” asks the woman. “Yup, gotta cut it off.”

The couple’s eyes widen: “What?...” Crimi smiles knowingly, and walks off, plunking an entire animal on the counter. He grabs a knife and begins to deftly carve out the rib from the rest of the body. A swing of the door and another customer enters. “Have another one?” Crimi smirks, ”Yup, gotta cut it off.”

Welcome to Cappuccio’s, a thirdgeneration butcher shop open seven days a week, located in the heart of Philadelphia’s Italian Market. Offering twenty-nine varieties of sausage, as well as an array of different cuts of steak, pork, veal, and lamb, Cappuccio’s is the place where Italian grandmothers and top chefs alike gather for pennappetit.com

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great meat, great conversation, and great advice. The customers come back again and again; “as a third generation butcher,” explains Crimi with a hint of pride, “I help third generation customers.” Entering the shop, one immediately senses the strong history of the place. Family photos line the tops of meat-filled cabinets, harkening back to the beginning of the Italian market in the early 1900s.

Crimi’s grandfather, Domenico Cappuccio, first came to the Italian market in 1905 to find a job. Instead he found a family. The local Italians sponsored him; they gave him a place to live and taught him the “dos” and “don’ts” of the butcher business, and then they sent him off on his own. Along the way, he met his wife, and the two married in their newly acquired store.

Wasting no time, the shop officially opened the next day. It wasn’t long before he opened his own slaughterhouse as well, where he skinned carcasses for the butcher shop until 1950. As his business grew, Cappuccio wanted to repay the community for all it had done for him: He began sponsoring young people and teaching them the tricks of the trade. And then he, too, kicked his apprentices out of his shop. Though seemingly a harsh tradition, such acts have fostered the growth and community feel of the Italian market.

“My mom, who’s always here at the shop, is as high as you get now, unless you count the pope,” Crimi explains while keeping a close eye on an employee cutting a pork shoulder for a customer. “She was born on the steps, literally. Her recess—literally work. No child labors laws back then.”

Looking over at his mother, who is leaning against the counter speaking in quick Italian with another older woman, Crimi adds spring 2013

with a laugh, “Not quite sure if those labor laws are over or not, come to think of it.”

However, he loves the “hard, dirty, handson” work that he has been learning since age five. Crimi explains that as a child, if he butchered the meat incorrectly, he’d face his family’s version of “corporal punishment.”

His father would stab a “Dog Food” sign into the meat, which served as a painful reminder that what should have been filet mignon now amounted to little more than scraps fit for a dog.

Having learned the hard way, Crimi is now an expert on all things meat. Today, customers come from near and far to seek his products and advice. One woman visits the shop every Friday, without fail, for the same order; another couple travels to Cappuccio’s once a month from Chester County. As if on cue, a customer walks through the door and asks,“Hey Dom, what’d I get last time? I can’t remember.”

Without thinking twice, Crimi faithfully grabs the correct cut for the customer.

It is surprising to learn that though he’s a meat-loving butcher, Crimi usually orders grilled salmon or chicken when dining out. And his number one rule? Never order a hamburger at a restaurant—a life lesson closely followed by his father and grandfather alike. He notes that restaurants can easily “camouflage the meat” in a burger and cites this as a reason that customers turn to a butcher shop like Cappuccio’s, where they can watch Crimi grind the meat themselves, and see exactly what they will be taking home with them.

Most people simply “see red and thinks that means good.” At a place like Cappuccio’s, a bloody color does not equate to quality. In fact, the opposite holds true.

Crimi is famous for dry aging his beef,

which to many customers’ surprise, darkens and grays the meat. This process uses a temperature- and humidity-controlled atmosphere to dry and decompose the product, tenderizing and intensifying the flavor in the process. It is for this reason that Crimi recommends only eating at highend steakhouses that cook with dry aged beef. “You pay for the quality,” he justifies, noting that people eat lower end cuts of beef because, “they don’t know the difference.”

A common mistake is to assume that sirloin cuts are high quality cuts. In reality, Crimi says sirloin is a “generic name for any cut of tough cheap meat that [restaurants and supermarkets] can make cost more.”

If you walk into Cappuccio’s, Crimi won’t allow you to make this mistake. He’ll explain to you what sirloin really is—what his family has always referred to as “shoe-leather meat.”

It is only in a family-owned place, laden with history like Cappuccio’s, that a customer encounters this sort of honesty.

Crimi is proud to do more than just guide his customers to the right cuts of meat—he also advises them against common cooking mistakes, illuminating the best way to eat a piece of meat and tailoring his advice to the customers’ wants.

But while Cappuccio’s may be a meat mecca, not all butcher shops are created equal. Crimi warns against “bandsaw butchers who don’t know how to follow the road map.” In order to successfully butcher meat, Crimi, his father, and grandfather all assert that one must follow the “road map,” which means they must follow the guidelines of the meat tissue. It is perhaps their very ability to navigate this map that has led to Cappuccio’s enduring reputation as the best in Philadelphia. penn appétit

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by Pe nn A ppé t i t E d ito r ia l S ta ff

photo s by d i vya pra bha ka r

Cabernet Crostini Serves 4-5 as an appetizer, 3-4 as a main course 1 lb chanterelle mushrooms, diced 2 tablespoons butter ¼ cup red wine salt and pepper, to taste 1 baguette, sliced lengthwise and toasted 16 oz filet mignon ½ cup of red wine 1 tablespoon butter

Melt the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until browned. Add the wine, season with salt and pepper, and let mushrooms simmer for about 5 minutes, or until almost all liquid has evaporated.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees, and place an oven-safe skillet inside.

Carefully take the skillet out and set it on the stovetop. Over high heat, sear the fillet on each side for two minutes, or until nicely browned.

Return the skillet to the oven with the steak for another 3-5 minutes, or until a meat thermometer reaches 125 degrees for a medium rare finish.

Return the skillet to the stove, and add the wine, bringing the liquid to a simmer while scraping up drippings from the skillet. Mix in the butter, and continue cooking until the sauce has fully reduced. Let meat rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.

To assemble the crostini, place several overlapping slices of fillet on each slice of toasted baguette and top with a spoonful of chanterelles.

Finish with a drizzle of wine sauce.

Bresaola Wrapped Arugula Salad Serves 4 as an appetizer, 2 as a main course ½ lb bresaola 1 bunch arugula juice of 1 lemon extra virgin olive oil ½ cup pistachios, shelled and chopped 1 cup pecorino, shaved salt and pepper, to taste Place arugula and pistachios in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Toss and season to taste. Layer two sheets of plastic wrap on a flat surface, place bresaola in overlapping rows, with about 6 pieces per row. Distribute the arugula mixture evenly over the meats. Roll up tightly across the rows, like sushi.

Remove the plastic wrap and place on a serving plate. Finish with the shaved pecorino.

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feature Highbrow Meat Around Philadelphia Dry Aged Steak au Poivre with Courvoisier Cream at Capital Grille This dish consists of a tender sirloin dry rubbed with cracked peppercorns and seared to perfection, forming a peppery crust.

The steak is then topped with a pan sauce of cognac, heavy cream, and shallots to complement the spicy flavor of the peppercorns.

1338 Chestnut Street Philadelphia, PA

Braised Beef Short Ribs and Mascarpone Polenta

Serves 4 as a main course

4, 8-ounce pieces bone-in beef short rib 2 ounces all-purpose flour 1 ounce vegetable oil 1 large onion, diced 1 ounce tomato paste 2 ounces dry red wine 12 ounces beef stock 2 bay leaves 2 sprigs fresh thyme 1.5 ounces red port salt and pepper, to taste Soft Polenta with Mascarpone Cheese: ¾ cup dry polenta 3 cups chicken stock, plus additional if needed 4 ounces mascarpone cheese fresh herbs, to taste spring 2013

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Trim meat of excess fat and season liberally with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a 6 Qt. Dutch Oven. Brown the meat on all sides in batches to avoid crowding the pan. Remove the meat and place on a plate.

Add onion, and cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

Add flour to the pot, stirring continuously until oil and flour are well combined. Add the tomato paste and stir another 2 minutes. Add wine and simmer until reduced by half.

Add stock, bay leaves, and thyme.

Bring to a simmer.

Return the browned meat to the liquid. Only about two thirds of the meat should be covered with liquid.

Cover the pot and place in the oven for two hours, turning the meat halfway through cooking.

To check the meat for doneness, pierce one piece of meat with a fork.

It is ready if the meat slips off the fork. Cook for another 15 minutes and repeat fork test if the meat is not adequately cooked. Remove meat onto a tray, cover with foil. Strain sauce into a saucepan. Bring to a simmer, skimming off excess fat. Add port wine, stirring until combined.

In a saucepan, bring 3 cups chicken stock to a simmer over medium-low heat. Slowly add the polenta, whisking to avoid lumps and scorching. Cook for 35 minutes until smooth and rich. Add additional stock if needed.

To finish, whisk in mascarpone.

Add fresh herbs, such as chopped Italian parsley, chervil, or chives, to taste.

Serve the polenta and short ribs, adding sauce as desired.

Barclay Prime Cheesesteak at Barclay Prime Priced at $100, this cheesesteak is sure to impress. A few notches above the classic Philly cheesesteak, Barclay Prime does it right with wagyu ribeye, foie gras, truffles, and fontina on a ciabatta roll.

237 S 18th St Philadelphia, PA Delmonico Steak at Butcher and Singer The old Hollywood feel of Butcher and Singer creates a glamorous atmosphere to dine on a classic Delmonico steak. The Delmonico consists of two cuts of prime rib-eye tied together with butcher’s twine.

This steak resembles a filet mignon, but it is more moist due to its marbling.

1500 Walnut Street Philadelphia, PA

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by Pe nn A ppé t i t E d ito r ia l S ta ff

photo s by d i vya pra bha ka r

Low & Slow Barbecued Beef Ribs Serves 4 8 ounces baby back ribs

Spicy Beef Satay with Peanut Sauce Serves 4 12 ounces lean Sirloin steak, cut into 1/2-inch thick strips 1 head red leaf lettuce 1 handful cilantro leaves, chopped 1 handful mint leaves, chopped 1 lime 6 lemongrass stalks, cut into 6-inch pieces ¼ cup roasted peanuts, chopped 2 teaspoons garlic, minced 2 teaspoons scallion, minced 2 tablespoons fish sauce 2 tablespoons palm or brown sugar, divided 1/4 teaspoon white pepper Peanut Sauce: ½ cup coconut milk ¼ cup smooth peanut butter 2 teaspoons red Thai curry paste 2 teaspoons hot chili peppers, chopped 1 tablespoon fish sauce 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 26

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Combine garlic, scallion, fish sauce, 1 tablespoon sugar, and white pepper in a large, gallon-sized plastic bag. Add meat and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, and up to 3 hours. Skewer the meat on the lemongrass or substitute 6” bamboo skewers.

In a saucepan, bring coconut milk, peanut butter, curry paste, 1 tablespoon sugar, chili peppers, fish sauce, and lime juice to a simmer. Taste before seasoning with salt and pepper.

Preheat grill to medium-high. Grease with nonstick spray. Grill skewers for about 4 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking.

Serve with lettuce, sprinkled with herbs, peanuts, and lime wedges.

Dry rub: 4 tablespoons Kosher salt 1 tablespoon sugar 1 tablespoon smoked Spanish paprika 2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1 teaspoon mustard powder 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper Barbecue sauce: 1 cup ketchup 1/2 cup minced onions 2 tablespoons minced garlic 3/4 cup cider vinegar 1/4 cup brown sugar 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon yellow mustard 1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce Mix together all ingredients for the dry rub. Remove the thick membrane from the back of the ribs, then rub thoroughly with spice mix. Place on a baking sheet and place the pan, uncovered, in the refrigerator overnight.

To make sauce, sauté onions and garlic in oil until tender. Add the remaining ingredients and let simmer for half an hour. Adjust thickness with water, if needed.

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

To cook the ribs, pat off excess seasoning, cook approximately 2-3 hours. The ribs should be tender.

Baste with sauce and cook 15-20 minutes to form a glaze. pennappetit.com

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Grilled Raspberry Hanger Steak Pasta Salad Serves 6-8 1 lb hanger steak 2 cups cooked bow-tie pasta 1/2 cup good quality feta, crumbled 1 cup snap peas, cut into 1 inch pieces 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped 1/4 cup fresh basil, finely chopped 1 cup raspberry preserves 1 cup red wine vinegar 4 tablespoons dijon mustard 4 tablespoons good quality extra virgin olive oil

Lowbrow Meat Around Philadelphia Bistek Tacos at El Zarape El Zarape adds Mexican flare to your average steak, served taco-style on a warm flour tortilla and topped with cilantro, salsa, onions, cheese, sour cream, and lettuce.

1848 East Passyunk Avenue, Philadelphia, PA Whiskey King Burger at Village Whiskey For your burger fix, try the Whiskey King burger at Village Whiskey, topped with maple bourbon glazed cipollini, bleu cheese, applewood bacon, and foie gras. Pair it with assorted pickled vegetables and duck fat french fries to complete your meal.

118 South 20th Street, Philadelphia, PA

Begin by making the raspberry dressing and marinade. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan on low heat and bring to a simmer, whisking constantly, until combined, about 3-5 minutes.

Remove the mixture from the pot and allow it to cool completely.

Once completely cool, use one half of the mixture to marinate the steak for a minimum of 30 minutes, or a maximum of 24 hours. Reserve the remaining half of the mixture to use as dressing.

Preheat a grill to high heat and cook the steak 5-7 minutes on each side, or until medium rare. Let rest at least 5 minutes before cutting against the grain in 1/2-inch thick slices.

Meanwhile, begin assembling the pasta salad. Combine the pasta, feta, and snap peas in a bowl. Divide among 8 serving bowls or plates.

Place 5-6 slices of steak on each portion. Garnish each serving with a handful of mint. To finish, drizzle remaining dressing on each serving.

Smoked Brisket at Percy Street Barbecue Percy Street BBQ knows how to smoke meats, especially when it comes to brisket. The smoked brisket at Percy Street Barbecue is served with onion jam and grilled potato bread. Be sure to finish off your meal with a slice of pecan pie.

900 South Street, Philadelphia, PA spring 2013

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photo by d i vya prab hakar

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feature B y S a m a n t h a S h a ro n

I was crossing my fingers the whole time, hanging on to a small glimmer of hope that the chef wasn’t going to serve us meat. There were so many other things he could serve: buttery salmon, truffled mushroom risotto, crispy fried artichokes, or woodroasted root vegetables. I convinced myself that meat was too much trouble anyway—the thawing, the deboning—so there was no way Chef Eli Kulp of Fork Restaurant was going to expend that energy for a group of food journalism students from Penn.

But that’s where I was wrong.

When my food writing class went to Fork last semester to enjoy some special treats from the resaurant’s new chef, I didn’t end up getting to eat one bite of food. This isn’t because I’m a vegetarian, a vegan, or on some crazy cabbage soup diet. It’s because I keep kosher.

Even with this dietary restriction, I have never felt like I was missing out on much. Without ever having tasted

lobster, pork, or chicken Parmesan, I have never had a chance to really long for these foods. At times, I even rejoice when over half of a menu contains meat or seafood items I cannot eat, because it helps narrow down my choices.

Yet on this cold, rainy day in December, when my class was treated to a feast of duck prepared five different ways by Chef Kulp, I felt a pang in my stomach I had never felt before. I wanted the crispy duck bacon over wilted greens and pickled onions, the duck meatballs with the rich, hearty tomato sauce, and the perfectly pink slices of duck breast served over celery root puree.

The aromas filled the air around me, and my peers had looks of joy and contentment on their faces after each bite. I sat on my hands and tried to hide the expressions of bliss coming from the ten mouths around me.

When we left Fork, my peers were all full and warm, while I was

hungry and cold. I decided I needed to do something to ease the envy. I followed my instincts and skipped the rest of my classes that day to find a kosher butcher in Philadelphia— not an easy task—and I purchased a kosher duck. Next, I bought tomatoes, onions, celery root, and mustard greens and headed straight to my kitchen. I butchered the duck, reserving one thigh to make the bacon and the rest of the dark meat for the meatballs. I took the breasts and seared them skin side down in a hot pan with rosemary and garlic, while I pureed the celery root. I made myself the kosher version of the feast that Kulp prepared, and while I missed out on tasting a master chef ’s food, I got to go through the process of making a gourmet meal for myself.

When I was finished, the pang in my stomach from earlier that day was long forgotten, and what I had now was my own memory, my own island, and my own contentment.

Well, technically a pescatarian, though I stick to the “v-word” to avoid sounding pretentious.

I’ve learned that the only thing worse than going out to eat with a vegetarian is going out to eat with a pretentious vegetarian: those who confirm with the waiter that there will be no meat in their food with the same intonation and facial expression they would use if they were picking up a rancid, dirty sock. They’re rude, and I dislike dining with them just as much as any carnivore does.

Dining out, after all, is one of my favorite pastimes. I research restaurant menus and keep a running list of spots I want to try. So for me, being a vegetarian is about being flexible. It’s about being okay with becoming a tortilla Española connoisseur while studying abroad.

It’s also about picking the chorizo off a manchego cheese flatbread at Amada during restaurant week.

I appreciate the technique and

flavors that go into preparing meat, and I still taste it from time to time.

But when I do, I tend to take a bite and then realize I don’t want to eat it.

The meatball subs of my childhood are still among my favorite memories, but they’re just not for me anymore.

I’m still working on my family— my mom stresses about what to cook when I’m home, my dad has yet to notice (or chooses not to notice) the change and continues serving me meat, and my grandfather lets out a loud, judgmental “hmrph” when we sit down to Sunday dinner.

But the most enlightening reaction was that of my picky younger brother, who recently told me that I “have to eat meat” for protein. I replied, “If I have to eat meat, you have to eat vegetables.” He widened his eyes for a second before letting out a pouty, defeated huff. Being a vegetarian is a food preference just like any other— to each his own.

B y J i l lia n D i F ilip p o

Being a vegetarian was never in the cards for me; my Italian family practically revolves around meat. I grew up slurping my grandfather’s gravy (a marinara sauce that is stewed with a dubious mix of meat) with gusto, and sans pasta. My grandfather grew up in Italy; though today it is easy for him to go to the local grocery store, every once in a while, he’ll find an unlucky deer on the highway, throw it in the back of his truck, and cook it for dinner.

Having been raised as a food snob accustomed to high quality food, I was less than thrilled with the dining options that came along with my freshman meal plan. So slowly, and without really noticing, I cut meat out of my diet, only to replace it with ice cream and a surplus of carbs in various forms. More than a year and a half later, I’ve finally ditched the resulting freshman five. I am now a well-adjusted vegetarian without a meal plan, and I couldn’t be happier. spring 2013

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in the city

A MARRIAGE BUILT ON

LOVE & FOOD B y Kat ie B e h r m an a n d Ji l l i a n Di Fi l i ppo p h oto s b y ia na Fel i ci a n o

“Food unites us,” Jennifer Lea Cohan says. She doesn’t mean this in a strictly romantic sense, but rather in reference to lifestyle.

However, the former rings true for her and her husband, Steven Petrecca, the head chef at Continental Mid-town, 1801 Chestnut St. Fourteen years ago, Cohan worked in New York’s Upper East Side as a publicist for the American Society of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

She developed a crush on a tall, skinny line cook at the nearby Vinegar Factory, where she would buy a bagel and coffee every morning. Cohan once even tried to flirt with him, but insists, “He was awkward!” Petrecca shrugs, “I was busy.” A year later, Cohan 30

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saw him out one night and approached him, “Shouldn’t you be prepping vegetables?” Petrecca replied, “You’re the coffee girl.”

The pair has been together ever since.

Aside from their heights—they both stand above 5’10’—Cohan and Petrecca have little in common. Cohan is an ex-Cali girl with an enviable eclecticchic style and a degree from the Fashion Institute of Design and Management. She runs her own food-centric public relations firm, Savory PR, and never lets a dull moment sneak into a conversation. Petrecca, lanky and reserved, lets his wife do most of the talking, but he is quick to throw in the occasional teasing comment and wry smile. It’s

easy to understand why Cohan initiated the relationship. Petrecca claims that he thought she was “out of his league,” to which she asserts with a confident grin, “You still are.”

Plenty of banter and two kids later, Cohan and Petrecca’s roots in food not only ground their relationship, but also their family.

Although he’s busy, Petrecca finds time to demo fresh pasta for his children’s classmates. The couple prohibits picky eating habits in the house and insists their kids “eat the way we eat since day one.”

Barbuzzo, not Burger King, is a common request heard from the back seat of the family’s car.

When not eating veal tongue from Amis or slurping duck noodle soup in Chinatown, the pennappetit.com

family feasts on Mexican dishes inspired by Cohan’s California childhood. Petrecca is known to “save himself ” from eating at work to leave room for his wife’s famous tortilla soup.

Raised in an Italian family, Petrecca has always been surrounded by a love of food.

“From the minute you wake up; to the minute you go to sleep, everything revolves around food,” he explains. Cohan raves about her mother-in-law’s meatballs and has even used the recipe as a building block for one of her own—a gooey meatball grilled cheese requested frequently by her children.

Cohan doesn’t just develop recipes for her own kitchen. She has inspired many restaurant spring 2013

dishes, including a jambalaya dish at Jones restaurant, where Petrecca used to be executive chef, as well as zucchini cakes, a recent addition to Continental’s menu.

Enamored by the restaurant industry as a whole, Cohan especially adores the quirky people it attracts and the “camaraderie and nuttiness” of the kitchen. Petrecca prefers order in his kitchen and believes “everything falls into place” with effective preparation and management.

He also insists that “Everything you need to know about cooking you probably learn in your first week or two of cooking school.” Basic skills “don’t vary much from cuisine

to cuisine.” The ingredients and spices change, but “whether you’re doing a frutti del misto or tempura, it’s kind of the same principle.” Technique remains of the utmost importance.

Food forms a sturdy base for the Petrecca family.

Whether roaming the streets of Philadelphia or planting a garden in Princeton, the family continues to build upon its connections with food. After all, food began their relationship, has led to a variety of careers, and to a shared family interest. With a pensive smile Cohan muses, “It’s all related. There are no lines anymore anyway, it’s all lifestyle.”

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Dining District in the

B y N ic o le Wo o n / / p hoto by n i co l e Ji zha r

Stepping off the Amtrak train at 30th Street Station, I make my way towards the building’s exit to return to Penn’s campus. I’m met with a block-long verdant parking lot with an urban farmers market in full swing. “Sweet apple butter and cider for sale!” “Try samples of our spicy black bean hummus!” “Pick up a slice of pie or quiche for lunch!” An hour later, I happily head back to campus laden with a couple extra bags full of fresh produce.

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Known as The Porch at 30th and Market Street, the small park was built in November 2011, transforming the barren sidewalk.

The new use of public space, complete with abundant seating and vibrant plantings, is a promising solution that accounts for the transient population by striving to build a stronger University City community.

During its first full season in summer 2012, programming included the aforementioned farmers market, miniature golf, food truck rallies, musical performances, and pop-up beer gardens. Future improvements such as food kiosks and Wi-Fi availability are in the works for the 2013 summer season.

The Porch is but one of many projects that University City District (UCD) spearheads throughout the year. The organization laid down its roots in 1997, when merchants, developers, university officials, and civic groups came together with the goal of revitalizing University City. Spanning 2.4 square miles, and stretching from the Schuykill River to 50th Street, Spring Garden Street to Woodland Avenue, the neighborhood offers a wealth of diversity in a concentrated area. For the past sixteen years, UCD has worked towards improving the district. UCD’s strategic initiatives—often termed “creative place-making”—concentrate on cultivating environments where people want to live, work, play, and learn.

One of the most critical factors to this spring 2013

urban development is food. University City is home to nearly 250 restaurants, cafes, bakeries, and bars. The promising neighborhood lures not only students and homeowners, but also small-scale food purveyors. Jeanne Chang of Lil’ Pop Shop, the popsicle store that opened its doors on 44th Street in May 2012, loves the “diversity of residents, from students to young professionals to families, one-year-olds to senior citizens. People in the neighborhood like food and are very open to unique flavors and combinations.”

Longtime owners agree with Chang’s sentiments. Roger Harmon, a neighborhood resident since the late 1970s and owner of The Gold Standard Café on Baltimore Avenue, cherishes those times when “people who worked with [him] at The Gold Standard twenty years ago come in and say hello.” He has also experienced firsthand the dramatically changing food landscape over the decades. “People eat out all the time now; going out for a meal isn’t reserved for dinner, birthdays, and anniversaries anymore,” he observes.

This overwhelming appreciation for food manifests itself in signature promotions such as University City Dining Days.

Celebrating its ninth season this summer, the “Restaurant Week of University City” has expanded tremendously. It began as a one week event with 18 participating restaurants; today, the event spans two

weeks and includes over 34 participants.

The promotion uses a tiered pricing strategy to ensure that the event is as inclusive as possible for both restaurants and patrons.

As Jose Garces, owner of Distrito and J.G. Domestic in University City, explains, “We’re providing a service that no one else in the city is providing during that time of year… it’s a win-win for the restaurateur and for the customer.”

The University City District further highlights the variety of food offerings in the neighborhood through social community events like the Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll. A riff on the traditional street fair, the evening block party is entering its third year this summer. Each item sold that evening, from tofu skewers to mango lassi to one-ingredient banana “ice cream,” goes for just $1. The event provides a valuable opportunity to raise awareness and attract new clientele from the greater Philadelphia community.

According to Lori Brennan, UCD’s Director of Marketing and Communications, momentum from various projects will continue to spur neighborhood growth and community vitality. From the opening of Shake Shack at Chestnut Square (slated for summer 2013), to a greater influx of mobile dining, to the sustained success of UCD’s current initiatives, University City has become not just a district, but a destination. penn appétit

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in the city

The Creative Team Behind Chlöe

By Ro sal i nd R e y n o ld s p h oto s b y d i v ya p r a b h a k a r

Written in multicolored chalk on a small blackboard, the specials menu at Chlöe (232 Arch St.) includes potato gnocchi with mushroom stroganoff, slow braised short ribs, and black truffle oil; roasted cauliflower with chick peas, tiny grape tomatoes, and a charred lemon vinaigrette; and, oyster chowder served with vegetables and 34

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potatoes, topped with croutons and bacon in a thyme cream. These clever flavor combinations quickly pique the hungry diner’s appetite.

Dan Grimes owns and operates Chlöe with his wife Mary Anne Ferrie, and he takes pride in the restaurant’s variety. Cheerful, talkative and eager to share a good story, Grimes makes it pennappetit.com

clear that he loves food, and he wants to instill that love in his customers. Menu items are creative: ranging from foie gras-stuffed quail to pumpkin ravioli with dried cranberries.

Grimes owes his creativity to his time working at the White Dog Cafe in the late 1980s, under the tutelage of head chef Kevin Klause. He tells stories of frantic energy and a shifting host of line cooks, bus boys, small farm delivery trucks, and an incoming slew of patrons. Prep work began at noon, and the evening was a nonstop race to plate the constant orders. In addition to the high energy, he encountered an array of restaurant talent while working at White Dog: Klause, who was head of the kitchen, now runs Farmicia; James Barrett, White Dog’s pastry chef, started Metropolitan Bakery; and, line cook Ellen Yin cofounded Fork.

These chefs pushed Grimes to learn and create. As he remembers, routine was not an option, and there was no opportunity to “stay in my comfort zone and not think outside the box.” spring 2013

If the success of Chlöe is any indication, Grimes took the challenge of invention and ran with it. He finds inspiration everywhere: going out to eat, reading magazines, and looking at cookbooks. Often, he says, when new recipes come to him, he’s “just sitting on the couch and thinking,” which he explains is how the idea for his gnocchi stroganoff, a current crowd favorite, was born.

While a creative recipe may be born while sitting at home, he tests few of his recipes in his home kitchen, which he comments is very small. If Grimes needs to test an ingredient, he does so in the industrial, stainless steel kitchen at Chlöe. He added that his home cooking is nothing out of the ordinary. Despite his modesty, Grimes is clearly a creative chef in any environment. He says a common home favorite is “upscale meatloaf,” and with a chef like Grimes, one can be sure it’s a bit different from an average loaf of tomatoe paste and ground beef.

“

As he remembers, routine was not an option, and there was no opportunity to ‘stay in my comfort zone and not think outside the box.”

”

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in the city

Rick Nichols’ Uncommon Path to Food Writing

By Je s s i ca C h u n g p h oto b y m a e g a n Ca d et

Walking around Reading Terminal Market with Rick Nichols was like walking around LA with Justin Timberlake. He is well known; he joked around with vendors, got free samples, and caught up with people shopping at the market.

Others who didn’t know him personally recognized him either from the pictures on the walls in “The Rick Nichols Room” or from his articles in The Philadelphia Inquirer. “Excuse me,” a woman asks him, pointing to his picture on the wall, “is that you?”

Writing as a food columnist for The Inquirer for fifteen years, Nichols has developed a number of favorite eats at Reading Terminal Market. For lunch, we split a gourmet grilled cheese from Valley Shepherd Creamery’s MeltKraft Grilled Cheese, filled with tender beef brisket, homemade mac ’n cheese, and melted Valley Thunder cheddar. As we waited for our sandwich, we sampled a piece of the cheddar straight from the wheel. Later, Nichols insisted I try a sample of Dinic’s Italian pulled pork: The meat was juicy, soaked through with gravy and fresh rosemary blended into each bite. He smiled contently, having introduced me to Dinic’s hidden gem. I had been to Reading before, but by Nichols’ side, I felt like a VIP. 36

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Nichols has accomplished what many foodies only dream of doing: He has become a respected food writer. However, when Nichols began his journalism career, food writing was not on his mind. He joined his high school newspaper and worked at the local paper to make some money during the summer, but he describes it as, “something I could do, not necessarily something I was planning to do in the future.”

At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he wrote for The Daily Tar Heel and the town paper. Later, he became a Nieman Fellow at Harvard, where he enriched his journalistic expertise before finally landing at The Inquirer. While his past journalism experiences did not prepare Nichols for food writing specifically, they gave him “a certain discipline and grasp of real-world expectations.”

At The Inquirer, Nichols wrote a variety of editorials, none related to food. He commented that food wasn’t “fashionable” when he began his career. “Writing about food was reserved for the so-called, lightweight ‘Women’s Pages.’ It tended to be safely drab or laudatory, praising this or that hum-drum restaurant; giving tips for Saturday night entertaining,” Nichols pennappetit.com

explained. However, when the opportunity arose to write for the food column in the Sunday edition of The Inquirer, Nichols took it. While he had no culinary training or food writing experience, he was intrigued by the idea of weaving his interests in cooking and food politics together.

When writing about food, Nichols stressed the importance of context, such as where the food comes from, why it’s eaten, and what politics are involved. “The trick is to find the way to tell these stories with narrative threads or color or characters that make them fun stories to read but with a little more protein than the latest cat fight on Top Chef,” Nichols explained. He went on to compare it to the extra elements making up a “cultural stew,” demanding, “Do you want just the pork or the pork after it absorbs all the flavors of the stew?”

At the end of my visit with Nichols, we ran into a farmer friend of his who told us about a rare colony of American chestnut trees on a secret island in upstate Pennsylvania.

Nichols immediately grabbed his pad of paper and started writing. In the most unexpected moment, he had found his next lead. spring 2013

trick is to find the “ The way to tell these stories with narrative threads or color or characters that make them fun stories to read but with a little more protein than the latest cat fight on Top Chef.

”

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“ We’re bringing healthy back onto the streets.”

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in the city

Rebel

Ventures

By Jen n y Lu // photo s b y jenny lu

It’s 4 o’clock on a Tuesday afternoon in West Philadelphia, and the kitchen at the Center for Culinary Enterprises on 48th and Spruce is buzzing with activity. Teenagers are hard at work producing granola bars for Rebel Ventures, a nonprofit business run by local high school students. The granola bars, known as Rebel Bars, are handmade by the crew following a simple recipe.

Just six ingredients—oats, pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, salt, honey, and cinnamon—result in a bar that’s chewy, sweet, crunchy, and tart. It’s delicious, but also nutritious. The latter is important to the youths behind the business. Rebel Ventures, as they hope their name suggests, uses its business model to inspire healthy food choices.

Rebel Ventures works to spread this revolution throughout the community. A Rebel Bar provides a healthy alternative to the preservative-filled processed foods at the corner store. Rebel Bars are sold for profit, but the profits are used to subsidize the bar’s price. It’s Rebel Ventures’ goal to make people think about the food choices they make spring 2013

on a day-to-day basis and to opt for healthier, more sustainable ones.

Rebel Ventures carries out its mission based on three pillars: food justice, transparency, and sustainability. Food justice is the right to know what the food contains and how it’s prepared. Linked to that is transparency, like a window for the customer to see into the business.

Rebel Ventures makes it clear on the label of the Rebel Bar that only six ingredients are used. These ingredients are local and organic, which supports the third pillar: sustainability. By buying from local farms, Rebel Ventures gives back to small, local businesses like itself and guarantees that its ingredients are more likely to be fresh and high quality.

The business was created in the fall of 2012 as a program under the Agatston Urban Nutrition Initiative (AUNI) to supplement the current USDA-operated food services in local schools. “[The current system is] really not what we would consider to be promoting a just and sustainable food system,” notes Jarrett Stein, the Student Engagement Coordinator

at AUNI. Miguel Huerta, the Rebel Ventures team leader and a graduate student at Penn’s School of Social Policy & Practice, agrees, “[We’re] challenging the status quo.”

Back in the kitchen, the crew is still making granola bars. They measure out ingredients bought in bulk and stored in big plastic bins on a kitchen scale before mixing them together. Crew members then go to work, packing down the sticky batter into molds before placing the trays into the oven. They work efficiently and the kitchen space is often filled with chatter and laughter. All close friends, this team creates something more than just a tasty snack. “[We’re] a group…working together to send out a message,” 15-year-old Tiffany explains.

Rebel Ventures is “a space for exceptional youths to leave a mark on the community,” Huerta reflects during a pause from the loud whirring of the stand mixer.

Jaquanda, also 15, grins and agrees, “We’re bringing healthy back onto the streets.”

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Le Tavole Accademiche

{the academic tables}

B y Krystal B o nne r ph otos b y k ri st e n m a rt in

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out of town

U

niversity of Pennsylvania and Penn Appétit alum Kristen Martin received a Fullbright grant to complete her Masters degree in “Food Culture: Media, Representation, and High Quality Food” at the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Bra, Italy. Penn Appétit catches up with her here.

Penn Appétit: How did you get interested in food studies?

Kristen Martin: I’ve always loved to eat, and I’ve been interested in food since I was a child. I grew up in an Italian-American family, and there is a great sense of carrying on traditions in the kitchen.

I got interested in food studies when I read Michael Pollan’s book The Omnivore's Dilemma for my freshman Penn Reading Project. It got me thinking about food culture, specifically American food culture and our lack thereof.

Then the fall semester of my junior year, I went abroad to Italy and lived with a host family there. That is when I really experienced what Italian food culture is: How much they appreciate food and how much they love to talk about food. People are very proud of their regional food cultures and products. I was really taken by that.

PA: What are you studying with your Fulbright?

KM: The grant is linked to the Slow Food movement, which was started in 1989 by Carlo Petrini...and aims to fight against fast food and consumerism and reshape [food’s] value. I’m most interested in comparing Italian and American food cultures. Italians have this kind of innate knowledge of what is good to eat, and it’s because they have these regional dishes that they value very highly. Like, if you’re a child growing up in the Piedmont region of Italy, it’s really common to eat a dish called bagna caude, which is basically full of anchovies and garlic. It’s nothing that an American child would eat, but if you’re a Piedmontese child, it’s totally normal to accept these flavors and understand that it’s part of your food culture. In America, we’re all drawn to these processed foods, and everything is based on convenience, low price, and health claims.... I think Italians value pleasure in food, and Americans have spring 2013

more anxiety about eating.

PA: How is the Masters program structured?

KM: It’s basically a multidisciplinary survey of all different topics. There are some courses that fall under communications—food writing, food publishing, food television, marketing.

Then there are classes that fall under representation, and those are more like philosophy courses.... We also get first-hand experience with high quality products in tasting classes. Then there are other courses about culture and sociology...like anthropology of food, social history of food, food and popular culture. Then, once a month, we also have a study trip where we spend a week in a specific region of Italy or Europe and visit producers in that region.

PA: Tell me about one of the study trips.

KM: We went to this really interesting farm in Veneto called Nonno Andrea where they make radicchio rosso di treviso. It’s an IGP, which in English means a “protected geographical indication,” and you can only call it radicchio rosso if you grow it in the Treviso province. We got to see pretty much every step of the growing process, and then at the end, we had a tasting of all different dishes made with radicchio....

KM: There’s a lot of eating, especially on study trips. They feed you so much food, because at every restaurant [you visit]...they want to make sure... you try everything. Everyone in the program also likes to cook their regional dishes for everyone else—it’s really international. There are 28 people in the program, and we come from countries like Puerto Rico, India, and Korea. Some of the people in the program are trained chefs, so that’s really nice.

They also just opened up a new school cafeteria called “Le Tavole Accademiche,” which in English means “The Academic Tables,” where they invite a new famous chef to cook every week. The chefs are supposed to minimize food waste and have the cost be less than five euro per meal. So we’ve had Davide Scabin, who’s a twoMichelin-star Italian chef, working at our school cafeteria. That is wild.

PA: What are some great dishes you’ve been introduced to?

KM: In Piedmont, one of the most popular pastas is agnolotti dal plin, which is basically small ravioli stuffed with braised meat. It’s so delicious.

Usually it’s done with brown butter, sage, and cheese on top, so that’s lovely.

And then there’s a kind of salami they make in Veneto called soppressa. It’s a very delicate flavor, compared to most salami; the texture is softer.

PA: What about the tasting classes?

PA: Has the program changed how you view food?

KM: We did a beer tasting that was six hours, and we tasted 20 different beers.

We had an olive oil tasting too, and there’s…a really bizarre way that you’re supposed to taste olive oil where you put a little in your mouth and then you close your teeth and draw in air.

KM: I think of eating more as a cultural experience now. Traveling to different parts of Italy, the first thing that I want to do is taste what the regional product is. I think that you can’t really understand how people live in a place until you eat their food.

PA: It sounds like you do a lot of eating with the program. penn appétit

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out of town

dumplings across cultures

By Kimb e rly S ch r e ib e r p h oto b y AJ W i nk e lm a n

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We call it The Blue Place—an unmarked restaurant hidden in an obscure alleyway, so named for its cerulean awning, which stretches out over the street attempting to contain the plastic stools that spill haphazardly onto the pavement. From nine in the morning until long after midnight, people pack into the restaurant, hastily knocking elbows with a warm indifference to the idea of personal space. Yet, the edible attraction at this anonymous dive in Southern China is deceptively simple: pork and chive dumplings.

The entire operation is devoted to these dumplings, from the woman pounding dough behind the glass window to the man singing to the precious morsel as they cook. Here there is no fanfare, no tips, no polite hand gestures to call your server, and certainly no “Hi, my name is Chad, and I’ll be taking care of you this evening.” Instead, two words: guotie or shuijiao, “pan-fried” or “boiled.” Pay up front. Eat while sitting on a stool. Eat while squatting on the curb. Reach across your two neighbors for a splash of vinegar; just eat.

After enjoying many rounds of homemade dumplings at The Blue Place, I’ve realized the allure and sheer fun of popping those tiny bundles into my mouth never fades. The pure joy that comes with eating something that has been individually wrapped and packaged just for you is overwhelming, and people all over have reaffirmed this small pleasure for centuries. Of all the dumpling joints in all the towns in all the world, I happened to walk into The Blue Place. It could easily have been The Green Place that served me pirogues in Poland or The Yellow Place that offered me a plate of mandu in Seoul—it would have sparked the same satisfaction.

Eating dumplings around the world has led me to realize it’s less about the place than about the specific culinary form. Instead of noting differences and distinctions in an attempt to reveal what one culture has and another lacks, I’ve learned to seek out the commonalities that link seemingly disparate gastronomic traditions.

The dumpling is one such link—it graces our plates in countless countries but always in the same fundamental form. These small purses are carefully wrapped and packaged (by hand, if you’re lucky). Their intricate preparation, however, is made worthwhile by the rewarding burst of flavor hidden within. Whether it’s a mother in India rolling out homemade dough for a spicy chickpea samosa, or a father in Mexico twisting the edge of an empanada, the reactions are the same. Dumplings have cropped up in cultures the world over for the convenience and personal warmth of their form, and the sheer joy of eating them. pennappetit.com

S

ince the moment my nineyear old self spotted the Arc de Triomphe for the first time, Paris has been my favorite city.

It occupies a great deal of my mental space, with visions of the buildings and boulevards floating into my thoughts and coloring the monotony of daily life. However, there are two versions of this city that occupy my memory. First is the Paris of my own experience: the Paris of my childhood.

A Paris comprised of Ladurée macarons, miniature sailboats at the Jardin du Luxemburg, and the ferris wheel at the Tuilleries. As I grew up, it became the Paris of Louis Vuitton store windows, first sips of rosé, and the playful catcalls of teenage boys on Vespas.

However, there is another Paris I can’t push out of my mind. It’s the black and white Paris of a world between wars, chain smoking flappers, and literary cafés. It’s the Paris that leaps off of the pages of Hemmingway, that echoes through the voice of Edith Piaf, and that is reduced to cubes on Picasso’s canvas. Like the protagonist of Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris, I nurture a crippling nostalgia for Paris in the 1920s that tints the lens

spring 2013

By Sa bri na Mi l l s

i l lustrati o n by el len amar al

through which I see the city today.

There is one place, however, where the Paris of my memory and fantasy collide: the brasserie La Coupole.

Located in the heart of Montparnasse, the brasserie has been a watering hole for the city’s cultural elite—and a favorite of my family’s—since it opened its doors in 1927. It is the self-professed “temple of Art Deco”; the mirrored interior of the large dining room pulses with the aesthetic of the avant-garde. This past winter, my family ended a weeklong stay in Paris with a dinner at La Coupole. For our first course, we ordered fruit de la mer, a platter of raw and cooked shellfish that served as an amuse-bouche to both my appetite and imagination.

I began to long for the Paris of the 1920’s, when champagne sloshed over saucers not flutes and women wore beaded dresses rather than bulky sweaters.

As my mind wandered, my eyes were pulled towards the elaborately painted rectangular columns decorated by the likes of Brancusi and Chagall. I anxiously awaited my main course, le curry d’angeau 1927, named for the year it was added to

the menu. From the first bite, it was apparent why this dish was a culinary octogenarian. The lamb melted apart at the touch of my fork and the rice was delicately buttered. The spices— curry, paprika, and garlic—melded with hints of coconut, apples, and bananas to create a uniquely French flavor. Sugary mango chutney and crisp pickled cauliflower, served on the side, accented each bite. I enjoyed the dish in near silence, neglecting my dining companions so I could focus all of my attention on the gastronomic experience. The last bite was an aching reminder of the early morning flight that would pull me away from my magical city of lights, leaving me to wonder when I would next get to eat my lamb curry. I think Hemmingway perfectly captured the way the city moves through time and space when he reflected, “If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.” Le curry d’angeau is my moveable feast, as it bridges the tenuous space between my present and the city’s bewitching past. penn appétit

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40TH STREET SUMMER SERIES

FAMILY-FRIENDLY OUTDOOR CONCERT SERIES

SATURDAY

May 25 • June 29 • July 27 August 31 • September 28

At the greenspace at 40th and Walnut streets, just behind the Walnut West Free Library.

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FREE

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