Your Dose of Food Links

Another collection of food related links (articles, recipes, trends, etc).  Enjoy!

1. Jose Garces on Nightline:  Famous Philly Iron Chef Jose Garces is profiled on Nightline.  Jose talks about his family  history, opening his first restuarant and a variety of other topics.  
2. Reducing food waste: Article from Slate on 10 ways to reduce your food waste.  As this article explains 40 percent of our food is lost in the food supply chain.  

3. No corkscrew?  Here’s how to open a wine bottle with a shoe!  I haven’t tried, but if you do let us know if it works.

4. Grilled Corn, Indoors. I love grilled corn in the summer.  Here’s how to grill corn indoors with fall and summer upon us.  

5. Philly Food Blogging Wars.  Despite leaving out 22nd & Philly, this is an excellent Philadelphia Mag article on the restaurant and foodie scene in Philly and the bloggers who battle it out for scoops and information.

6. Frozen food from big names.  Frozen foods coming to a grocery story near you from PF Chang’s, Jamba Juice and others.  A big trend - household names makes deals with giant food distributors to put their name and brand behind frozen food.  Do yourself a favor and leave it in freezer.  Take another 15 minutes and make it from scratch.

Photos: A Night out in Chinatown

A night out in Chinatown must start with a walk through the Friendship Gate at 10th and Arch Streets.

We ate at Sang Kee Peking Duck House at 238 North 9th Street. Say hello to the dragon on your way in (not really, he is Photoshop'd in... part of a grad school project I took these photos for.)

Watch the chefs at work while waiting for a spot among Sang Kee’s two floors of coveted tables.

Choose from an extensive menu of appetizers, meat and vegetarian options, stir fry, noodle soups, and smoothies. Craig Le Ban picked Sang Kee out as a top spot for noodle soups.

Enjoy a complimentary cup of Chinese tea before dinner.

Mmmmm dumplings and egg rolls. Always a favorite. Add a very generous pour of house red wine, check your blackberry, and dinner is off to a great start.

My friend Laurel tried Sang Kee’s signature dish, peking duck – available in soup, with noodles, without noodles, with rice, or on its own. I believe she got it with noodles in soup.

For something different, sample Sang Kee’s stir fry noodle dishes. I had Pork and Shrimp Needle Noodle, seen here. It was very good - a hearty portion of meat/fish, plus more noodles and veggies than I could finish. Texture was a little funny though, kind of like gummy worms.

Sang Kee is an ideal place to share a variety of new dishes with friends – such as Beef & Pickle Mustard Green Stir Fried Rice Noodle – or satisfy a craving for traditional favorites, like General Tso’s Chicken.

Say goodbye on your way out of Chinatown. Come back for a Fresh Coconut Drink.

Q&A with an Urban Beekeeper in Philly

A few weeks ago I reached out to the Philadelphia Beekeepers Guild since none of my tomatoes were producing any fruit - only flowers. I thought this was due to the lack of bees in our yard so I was curious if you could purchase bees.

I quickly found out several things.  First, tomatoes self-pollinate so the lack of fruit was not due to the lack of bees. Second, it is not easy to simply purchase bees for your garden.  And third there is a significant group of people in Philly devoted to beekeeping.

One local beekeeper I spoke with is Adam Schreiber. Adam is a member of the Philadelphia Beekeepers Guild and has his own blog, For the Time Beeing, about urban, rooftop beekeeping in Philadelphia (and other bee related topics).  Sounded interesting so I asked Adam if he would answer a few questions about bees and their importance to the food chain for 22nd and Philly.

What follows is a short Q&A. I think you’ll find that there is more than meets the eye when it comes to bees and honey.   Thanks to Adam for taking the time to respond.  In case you missed it, the 2010 Philadelphia Honey Festival took place September 10 – 12.  Look for the festival next year!

1. What roles do bees have in the farming process and why are they important?

For better or worse, bees have come to have a very large role in modern agriculture.  The commonly cited statistic is that honeybees are responsible for 1 out of every 3 bites of food we eat, but I don’t have a citation for that figure. Honey bees pollinate 90 commercial crops including blueberries, cranberries, almonds, citrus fruits to name just a few.  Thousands of bee hives are moved around the country in order to provide pollination services to large farms at the appropriate times for the food they are growing.  In general, my personal feeling is that this kind of beekeeping is not very healthy for the bees, but that's a bit of a separate issue.

    2. What is the state of the bee industry?

I am far from an expert on the state of commercial beekeeping, but I do know that it is not in great shape.  Due to unhealthy management practices (in my opinion), migratory pollinating and other factors, there is a shortage of bees such that in California for example, bees had to be imported from Australia to pollinate almonds because of a lack of available bees in the US. Two years ago 60 Minutes featured a segment on the disappearance of bees.  And the US Department of Agriculture has a good Q&A about colony collapse disorder.

3. What should we know about honey - types, organic, what to buy, etc.

There are as many different types of honey as there are wines or cheese for example.  There are seasonal honeys, varietal honeys and wildflower honeys (wildflower basically meaning that we don't know exactly what the bees were foraging when they made the honey).  It seems that people are just starting to appreciate the diversity of honeys available for consumption.

In terms of organic honey, there is no organic honey standard in the USA.  If you go into a store and see a honey labeled "Organic", it was likely produced outside of this country in a place where they may have their own organic standards.  Additionally, a lot of honey that you see on grocery store shelves, and even in health food stores, is adulterated or cut with things like corn syrup or rice syrup.  Honey that is adulterated is still labeled "Pure Honey."  There is virtually no oversight in regards to this, which is why it is best to buy honey directly from a beekeeper so you can speak to them about their management practices and ensure their honey is unadulterated.  Adulterated honey is all done in the name of making money.

Most importantly cutting honey with additives completely changes the flavor for the worse - this is why many store bought honeys taste like pure sweetness or sugar without the flavors present in unadulterated honeys. There is also the problem of imported honey (often from China) having high levels of antibiotics and other chemicals in it.  See my blog for links to articles o this issue.   

Resources for purchasing hyper-local honey: the Philadelphia Beekeepers Guild, Milk and Honey Market in West Philly, the Fair Food Farm Stand in Reading Terminal Market has some honey in stock and Bee Natural in Reading Terminal Market has tons of honey produced in Delaware and other locales.

     4. What can the average person do to nurture or protect bees in the garden?

If you are a gardener you can support bees by planting bee friendly plants (search for bee friendly plants).  You can also encourage other native pollinators by generally planting lots of flowers in your garden.  If you ever hear of someone who has bees living in their house or if you happen to be lucky enough to spot a honeybee swarm, make sure that you contact a beekeeper (me for example!) who will preserve/rescue the bees as opposed to an exterminator who will kill the bees.

5. How and why should someone get involved with bees?

Beekeeping is certainly not for everyone, but people who like to be outside, who like to connect with and learn from nature, people who like to do things to help the environment and people who are just maybe a little crazy (in the best possible way!), might like beekeeping.  And of course there is the honey - people who love honey might like to keep their own bees because there is nothing like honey straight from the hives of your own bees!

6. How did you get interested in bees?

I have a friend who has been keeping bees for 10+ years.  About two years ago we were hanging out and talking about his bees and that got me interested.  He gave me a bunch of equipment and bee books and advice and then I was on my way.  I have also always been into gardening and outdoorsy type stuff, so beekeeping seemed like a natural interest for me.

Adam was also kind enough to offer some pictures of his hives and bees. See below.

"If more of us valued food..."

"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world." - J.R.R. Tolkien

That's one example of the quote cards that get slipped under your check at Pub & Kitchen.

One of our favorite spots in Philly, Pub & Kitchen is great example of the gastropub craze - upscale pub feeling, good imported beers (Old Speckled Hen is a fav) and excellent food. The menu changes often, so while you can always get their burger, mussels, and delish metal bucket of fries, the restaurant also rotates entrees. Last year I had some of the best scallops of my life at Pub & Kitchen.

It also has fun little bar snacks and outdoor seating. Might get a little cool for that soon, but that won't stop us from going. Also helps that its right down the street ;-).

What I Did This Summer

On a warm Sunday night in early May, Bradd and I found ourselves sitting in our little backyard pondering what Summer 2010 would bring us. For the most part, summer was an open book – no major vacation, no huge plans, and no idea it would be 97 degrees day after day... after day. I was just about to finish the most demanding class I'd ever had (graduate or undergrad) and was settled well into my new-ish job, so the prospects for summer were pretty sweet.

But what made this summer exceedingly important for me was that it would be last summer before I turn 30. I know that in reality 30 won't be any different than 29, but I've had a bit of a tough time accepting the inevitable.

And so the “Summer of Kristy” was born. As I explained to Bradd that I wanted needed this summer to be one of the best ever, he coined the phrase that would define my summer's mission – to get out and see more awesome people and do more awesome things than ever before, living every moment however I wanted to and like it was the last.

How did I do?

This is at least what I can remember, tweeted, twitpic'd, or had written down in my planner.

-Sacrificed good hair for driving with the sun roof open every day.
-Wandered aimlessly around the Philadelphia Free Library because I'd never been in there.
-Watched the bike race from the Art Museum steps.
-Danced enough to make my calves hurt the next day.
-Saw my grandmother turn 90 and look better than ever.
-Watched 5 straight hours of Lost on finale night and cried about once every 15 minutes.
-Made new friends who introduced me to new perspectives.
-Caught up with (lots and lots) of old ones.
-Discovered the most awesome name tag ever.
-Met a real live viking Norwegian brewer at Philly Beer Week.
-Saw Sugarland and Something Corporate in concert, and got to meet Jake Owen.
-Played in my first golf tournament.
-Helped send off the U.S. Men's Soccer Team to the World Cup.
-Shrieked out loud in my cube when Donovan scored in the 91st minute to beat Algeria.
-Ran the Media 5-Mile and discovered how obnoxiously hilly Media is.
-Celebrated (other people's) new homes, new babies and new marriages.
-Finished a book. If you know me well, you know that's an accomplishment. ("Try" - read it. Awesomely honest and steamy cowboy romance novel)
-Spent more time on the beach or in the sun than I have since my teenage lifeguarding day and got a wicked tan to show for it.
-Watched my dad body surf hurricane-influenced waves on his 65th birthday.
-Helped Bradd go Three Sheets in Philly.
-Met the founder of Yards Brewery.
-Stalked out Manchester United at the Four Seasons til the entire team walked past 10 ft. in front of us.
-Balanced bittersweet goodbyes with exciting hellos.
-Got paid to go to the beach for a day with my awesome coworkers.
-Got up at 7am to cheer Bradd's cousin on in the Philly Tri.
-Saw Jersey Boys. For free.
-Ate real New York City pizza (annual craving) 
-Got pelted by flying Twinkies at Bastille Day.
-Stayed out til 2am. Ok maybe only twice but still that's pretty good for being nearly 30.
-Discovered Seacrets, one of my new favorite places on earth, and saw Trent Cole there taking shots.
-Celebrated 2 years of marriage to my best friend with a picnic and a nap in the park.
-Built a princess castle on the beach.
-Got my company in the Wall Street Journal. Twice.
-Didn't freak out when my car got hit with random acts of violence. Twice.
-Watched Bradd make the most awesome five-course birthday dinner ever.
-Sat in LOVE Park on a Saturday night by myself to watch the fountain.
-Never missed a chance to acknowledge the sunlight coming through the trees while commuting up Lincoln Drive.
-Ate ice cream for lunch.
-Spent a cool weekend in the mountains taking cool pictures of the campfire and roasting marshmallows.
-Biked the Valley Green trail AND got Bradd to stop in Manayunk for a healthy brunch with me.

How do I feel about it?

Amazing. I don't think I could have possibly squeezed more good times and thoughtful experiences into one summer without getting fired, fat or broke, or permanently damaging my liver. For someone that's always struggled to focus on the fun in front of me, instead of wondering if something better is going on around the corner, this summer reminded me that life isn't a Katy Perry music video. We aren't all perfect people who look perfect in every picture. But me, the people and the city around me are perfect for each other, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

And a special shout out must be sent to Bradd, not only for coming up with the Summer of Kristy, but for encouraging me, picking me up when I fell down, and never once threatening to divorce me while I steadfastly carried it out, whether he was invited or not :-).

I hope this list doesn't sound like bragging, because I bet if you stopped and thought about all the things that made your summer, yours would be just as long. And the best parts would be free.

So what now? Well, I still have 47 days til the big birthday. Maybe this will end up the Fall of Kristy, too... although I'm looking forward to getting back into a work-school-run pattern, with some fun times - and of course good food - tossed in between.

Til then... the pictures.

Amis is for Friends

Marc Vetri had us at the wild boar ragu. But he continues to top himself with each new venture in Philly (err.. each new Vetri place we eat at...).

Amis was on my Best of Philly to-do list, so when friends who read the post promtly suggest we try it the following Friday night, we didn't think twice. I was glad my friend Erin asked the host how you actually pronounce the restaurant name, as my boss (another big Vetri fan) and I have debated over it for a few weeks. Truth is - its "ah-meece." Not like the french word for "friends" - "ah-mee." This one is Italian for friends.

I liked the ambiance of Amis immediately. Relatively small, wooden tables and chairs close together, and an inviting bar with a few 8-person high top tables nearby for sharing. There's also a little 4-person shelf-ish thing in front of the 13th Street window with stools that looks like it would be fun to grab a quick meal/drink at. There were a handful of tables outside, but it was a now-typical 97 degree Friday night so inside was much more desirable.

I'll start with my drink, since I got that first. Deeee-lish and super fun. I got the Granita, which is prosecco and... you guessed it... red wine granita (flavored, sugary, shaved ice). What was fun is that the waiter brings you a glass of prosecco and then a little bowl of the granita, explaining that some people like it sweeter than others, so you can put the granita in yourself. I know some people would complain that they didn't pay $11 to mix their own drink, but I thought it was fun. And of course we took and action shot.

Everyone else liked their drinks too, there was a smattering of Amis Punch, Limontello, and I don't remember what else.

The food at Amis was downright fantastic. It's Marc Vetri - what else would you expect?

Between four people we got one bruschetta (bufala ricotta, good), one salumi (salami), one antipasti di pesce (octopus, my least favorite), and two antipasti di carne (charred prosciutto wrapped figs with ricotta, great, and Sal's old school meatballs with tomato potato, also great). That was plenty to start. Then we each got one main pasta or meat dish, except hungry Bradd who ordered one extra pasta.

And thank god he did. I got a bite or two of the tonnarelli "cacio e pepe" with pecorino and black pepper, but definitely could have housed the plate myself. Erin and I both got the fettuccine with pork ragu and stone fruit, which was also great, but the tonnarelli was the star. Bradd already looked up a recipe to try and make it himself. Yesssss. He also ordered the abbacchio con patate (roasted lamb with potatoes) which was also absolutely amazing. Again, I only had a bite but it literally melted in my mouth. If I go back, I'd order the lamb for myself.

Fantastic food, great friends, good conversation, what more could top off the evening? Oh how about Marc Vetri himself chillin' at the table next to us? My uneducated assumption is that the woman and young girl at the table were the wife and daughter of one of his cooks because Vetri and a guy in a white uniform came out from the back to stand there and chat for a while, then sit down and chat some more. Can't resist playing local paparazzi when the iPhone is sitting right there...

Oh! I almost forgot dessert. A close rival to Daniel Stern's Breakfast at the now-closed Gayle, Amis' belgian style waffles with nutella, vanilla semifreddo and toasted hazelnuts was completely to-die-for. You must save room for this. One is enough to share among 3-4 people.

Amis was definitely awesome all around. If you want to have a couple drinks and eat a good-sized meal, it is going to cost you, but that's what happens at Vetri spots. However, I could also see us stopping in another time for a small meal and glass of wine, which wouldn't run up the tab too much.

The Vetri Trifecta is now complete!