Food & Drink
Bienvenidos a Distrito Federal
Chef Jose Garces’s most recent incarnation in the Hub building on 40th and Chestnut strays from his more romantic Philadelphia Spanish restaurants — Amada and Tinto — to focus on the color, spice and vibrancy of Mexico’s capital city.
Drink of the Week
With or without the tremendous boost Miracle Fruit gives to stout beer, the drink still stands on its own as a worldwide favorite.
Ingredient of the Week
Chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans, aka chana) should not remain relegated to the vegetarians among us. In fact, chickpeas are so versatile and nutritious that they were adopted by two major good food regions, the Middle East and South Asia.
Dawn of a New Empire: Philly and Beyond
Street: At Penn there has been a lot of buzz about Distrito. Did the proximity to the surrounding college campuses have any impact on the style of your newest restaurant? Jose Garces: Distrito was always going to be the way it is — the concept was not necessarily tailored for the university.
Can I Get An Amen?
When something is published in The New York Times, it’s safe to assume its legitimacy. But when 20 so-called “Miracle Fruit” arrived in my mailbox two weeks ago, the Times article seemed more like a nutty fairytale.
Upcoming Philly Food Events
Oct. 3 Independence Visitor Center's Battle of the Soft Pretzels 1 N. Independence Mall West FREE Philly pretzel fanatics compete for the Best Traditional Soft Pretzel, Most Interesting Shape and Best Pretzel Topping, among other awards.
Philly-Yo
Pinkberry. Yogurtland. Yo-Yo Ga-Ga. Fro-Yo A-Go-Go. Yoforia. If you've never been to one of these frozen yogurt spots, you've probably heard of their breed: tarty, healthy, fruit-on-top dessert meccas with flavors like green tea and pucker-inducing original.
Recipe of the Week
With Rosh Hashanah behind us and only self-imposed starvation and repentance in our future, we can all take advantage of the holiday's ubiquitous leftovers: apples and honey.
Casablanca Food Cart
Although my love affair with Hemo's chicken cheese steak will never cease, sometimes my stomach demands a break.
Bringing Down the House
Ellen Yin, co-owner of Fork restaurant in Old City and author of the cookbook/memoir Forklore: Recipes and Tales From an American Bistro, remembers being a freshman at Penn.
Haiku
You are round and red but not when you're liquidy. Transformed: applesauce.
Fork: etc.
Looking to escape from the oh-so-tiresome food offerings on campus this weekend? Here's a tasty suggestion that definitely beats the selections on 40th Street: hop on the Blue line, zip down to Penn's Landing and sink your teeth into something new at Fork:etc.
Ingredient Spotlight
While most of us have trouble spelling it, almost all of us are underusing it. No, we're not talking about that foreign protein mix you bought in Mexico - it's all about the Worcestershire sauce.
Community Supported Agriculture
As I return my box to Farmer Don, I contemplate the list of items I'm scheduled to receive that week: rat-tailed radishes, baking zucchini, dragon tongue beans, cucumbers, salad mix and kale.
Fresh From The Punkin Patch
Philadelphia isn't necessarily well-known for its healthy foodstuffs (gooey cheesesteak, anyone?), but fortunately, organic aficionados are no longer relegated to wandering the aisles of Whole Foods.
Recipe of the Week: Challah French Toast
For centuries, Shabbat has been thought of as a day of spiritual rejuvenation for the People of the Book.
A Haiku on Quinoa
You are round and small And almost look like couscous But translucent you are.
Drinks of the Week
What better way to beat the Reds than to drink them under the table? Here are a few twists on some of your favorite CCCs (Classic Communist Cocktails). Pink Russian 1 oz Tequila Rose « oz strawberry cream liqueur « oz Smirnoff strawberry vodka 1 oz Kahlua Milk or cream Pour liquor into a highball glass.
A Stroll Through The Parc
As an aspiring Philadelphia foodie, I tend to embrace the inherent superiority of BYOs over their liquor-laden counterparts.
