Well, maybe it's both. But, I thought this article was interesting nonetheless. It was printed in the New York Times on December 15, 2009, and written by Ron Lieber. I can't figure out how to post a link, so the entire article is below:
The Wedding? I'm Here For The Cookies
LIKE brides and bridegrooms the world over, the ones in this city and nearby towns bask in the glory of the white dress, the big kiss and the first dance.
But then, a large number of them happily cede the spotlight to a cookie. Or a few thousand of them.
For as long as anyone here can remember, wedding receptions in Pittsburgh have featured cookie tables, laden with dozens of homemade old-fashioned offerings like lady locks, pizzelles and buckeyes. For weeks ahead — sometimes months — mothers and aunts and grandmas and in-laws hunker down in the kitchen baking and freezing. Then, on the big day, hungry guests ravage the buffet, piling plates high and packing more in takeout containers so they can have them for breakfast the next day.
No one knows for sure who started the tradition, or why it hasn’t exactly taken hold outside this region. Many people credit Italian and Eastern European immigrants who wanted to bring a bit of the Old Country to the big day in the New World. Given that many of them were already well practiced at laying out a Christmas spread, baking 8 to 10 times as many treats for a few hundred special friends and relatives may not have seemed like such a stretch.
But even amid the increasing professionalization of the wedding, with florists mimicking slick arrangements ripped from Martha Stewart’s magazines and wedding planners scheduling each event down to the minute, the descendants of those Pittsburgh settlers continue to haul their homemade cookies into the fanciest hotels and wedding venues around the city. For many families today, it would be bordering on sacrilege to do without the table.
So on a rainy Saturday in early autumn, Laura Gerrero, her mother, her mother-in-law and two aunts gathered to bake in preparation for Ms. Gerrero’s wedding to Luke Wiehagen. Her mother, Pat, used to make apple and cherry pies for local stores, and her aunt Elaine Ford had recently overseen the creation of over 6,000 cookies for the 180 guests at her own daughter’s wedding.
And presiding over the initial steering-committee meeting was Laura herself, a 26-year-old retail manager. The bride (and the bridegroom, if he’s interested) can veto recipe selections. Ms. Gerrero is not a huge fan of liquor or certain fruits in her sweets, so the peach cookies and rum balls fell off the list.
Some family recipes were a must, however, like peanut butter blossoms, Italian wedding cookies and biscotti. They use a biscotti recipe that Laura’s great aunt, Genevieve Raczkowski, had painstakingly recorded decades ago in her own mother’s kitchen. “She got her board that she used to make spaghetti and noodles, and she would say ‘This much flour,’ ” said Ms. Raczkowski, 74, recalling the unmeasured mountains of ingredients that would grow on the work surface. “I had to pour the flour back into cups. Twenty-four cups of flour. Eighteen eggs. So then I had to cut the recipes.”
Pizzelles, a waffle-like Italian cookie, are also essentially mandatory. The Gerrero wedding was to feature both chocolate and anise pizzelles, made two at a time on an electric press manufactured specifically for this confection.
The work spread over every inch of Pat Gerrero’s kitchen and dining room, as the women filled the lady locks — log-shaped shells — with cream, pressed out spritz butter cookies, and kept an eye on the pizzelle iron. They pored over the working list of cookies. The range of flavors was important, they explained, but so was appearance. They soon realized there were no squares, so lemon bars were added.
Even as the number of cookies grew, there was never any question about whether to skimp on more traditional wedding sweets. “We’re having wedding cake, served with ice cream,” said Pat Gerrero. “My family believes in a little bit of dinner and a lot of dessert. Which is actually an Irish thing. They love sweets.”
They’re clearly not alone in that, for the debate over which immigrant group deserves credit for coming up with the cookie table continues unabated. “I hear the Italians, the Eastern Europeans, but I wouldn’t say that to a Greek person, because I don’t think they would buy it,” said Laura Magone, a filmmaker from Pittsburgh who is working on a documentary about the tradition. “Part of the reason I wanted to do it was because it captures the rich ethnic heritage this area has.”
Pittsburgh doesn’t have an ironclad claim to the cookie table; there are some people in Youngstown, Ohio, who believe it started there. So the tale of the table may be more legend than documented history.
“One theory goes that it got a jump start during the Depression, when elaborate wedding cakes were not as common,” said Andrew Masich, the president and chief executive officer of the Senator John Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh. “Cookies filled in the need because so many people could contribute, so the expense didn’t fall on one family. But even that is not certain.”
Not every community adopted the tradition, either. Rabbis around town, for instance, note that they rarely see cookie tables. Assimilation, too, has taken its toll, with some families writing off the table as too ethnic or somehow common.
But that’s not how the Gerreros saw it. Pat, the mother of the bride, comes from one of the city’s well-known families, the Rooneys, who own a controlling stake in the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. “Without a cookie table, there might have been a revolt,” she said.
So the family was left instead to debate the finer points of cookie table etiquette. For instance, just how encouraging should the hosts be of those who want to pack a few dozen for later?
A generation ago, grown-ups would discreetly slip a few cookies from a plate into a purse. The younger set didn’t bother to hide what they were doing. “When I was a kid, you’d get whatever paper napkins you could,” said Ms. Magone, the filmmaker. “Or if you could find a paper plate, that was gold.”
As guests became more shameless, bringing in their own Baggies, host families adapted. The Gerreros decided to supply Chinese-food takeout boxes.
Another key question involves whether the cookies should be on display when the party starts or saved for a big reveal. The problem with the former approach: it may encourage people to move shamelessly from the canapés straight to dessert. Children, in particular, have made a ritual of this.
The bride’s sister, Nina Gerrero, thinks hosts ought to be tolerant of the behavior. “Eating cookies before you’re really supposed to is one of the most fun parts of a wedding,” she said. “I don’t consider it a dessert, though. The cake is the dessert, and the cookies are out there all day. That’s how it is on the holidays, too.” At her sister’s wedding, alas, the cookies were not to appear until the dinner hour.
Finally, there is the bake-or-buy question. Some families cater the whole thing (and lie about it to the guests), while others will turn to professionals only for more labor-intensive cookies like pizzelles or lady locks.
“They give us the recipe, and we make it just like grandma did,” said Sandi Heil, owner of the Pittsburgh Cookie Company in Midway, Pa., who’s catered about 400 weddings while also helping customers with Christmas and other more-everyday needs. “So they can still have grandma’s cookies, and grandma doesn’t have to kill herself making a hundred dozen.”
Wedding regulars in Pittsburgh have an eye for such things and whisper to other guests about it. But there was no such talk when Laura Gerrero’s wedding weekend arrived. On Friday, the various friends and relatives who had been baking pulled their cookies from tins and freezers around town and brought them to LeMont, her wedding site. There, a staff member spends much of Friday coordinating cookie arrivals, set-up and storage.
On Saturday, Ms. Gerreros’s wedding planner, Simone Hudson, and her assistant spent about 90 minutes arranging the 2,000 or so cookies in various tiers. The florist came over to dress things up a bit. Then, they draped tablecloths over the 12-foot display to make sure no one nibbled or knocked anything over.
After dinner was served, the covers came off and word spread among the 166 guests that the moment had arrived. Everyone lined up, and many grazed with the approach of an epicurean anthropologist. “People always talk about the new kind of cookie that they’ve never seen before,” said Nina, the bride’s sister. “My aunts and that generation of women, they say `Did you see that peach cookie?’ And everyone is freaking out.”
“I look for color,” said Scott Gibbons, a Pittsburgh area native who now lives in Cincinnati but was back in the city for the Gerrero wedding. He piled his plate with at least half of the 26 offerings. “I look for unique colors that should not belong in a cookie. And if they’re soft. And chocolate and peanut butter. This is what makes or breaks the wedding. If it wasn’t here, I’d leave.”
Given that the die-hards come to eat and pack more for later, the host family always frets. “The biggest fear is that you’ll run out of cookies,” said Ms. Ford, Laura’s aunt.
Instead, at the Gerrero wedding there was a different problem. So many people wanted to take the leftovers home that the family ran out of boxes.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Ravioli Lessons Learned
As with most others, part of my family's Christmas traditions center around the food we eat to celebrate the holiday. With that being the measuring stick, I went on a ravioli bender unparalleled in previous years. I made raviolis three different times the week before Christmas - once with a friend, so that we could have some to give for Christmas gifts, once with my extended family, so that we could have them to eat for Christmas dinner, and once with my husband's extended family, so that they could have them to eat for Christmas Eve dinner. I paid closer attention to the process this year with the intent of this post in mind. Here are some lessons I learned:
1. The quality of the ingredients does matter. At a basic level,I knew this was the case. But, I had the opportunity to taste the difference within a few days of using the different quality ingredients, and to reflect on that difference immediately after tasting it. For example, on one occasion, homemade breadcrumbs were used in the filling, and I could feel and taste the difference. The filling was firmer with the homemade breadcrumb, and the taste difference was more a lack of taste. I could taste the bread in the other (non-homemade) fillings, and that is not what it is meant for. The cheese and other ingredients should shine. The crumbs are meant for texture, not taste. Another example came when my friend managed to get us some homemade ricotta (from some guy in Altoona, PA) and I decided that, done properly, the plain cheese filling, as opposed to the veal and spinach or the sausage and cheese we also traditionally make, are my favorite.
2. Neither of my grandma's are totally right about the dough recipe. (If you know my grandmas, please do not tell them I said this, and please do not print this and show it to them, as I plan to lie through my teeth if ever questioned about it.) My mom's mom uses two eggs to every one cup of flour, and my dad's mom uses one egg to every one cup of flour. The former is too wet to hold up to the filling, and the latter too dry. I basically split the difference, erring a little more on the dry side.
3. Low boil = less broken raviolis.
4. Raisin raviolis are wonderful. I don't particularly care for raisins, usually opting to leave them out of recipes or substitute. But, my neighbor, whom I trust when it comes to food issues, insisted that I try a filling with ricotta and raisins. That was basically the only instruction he gave me, and my friend and I ran with it. We added some Parmesan, eggs, a bit of sugar (less than 1/4 c for 3 lbs ricotta), and some nutmeg. We even ate them with tomato sauce, as instructed. They were fabulous! The raisins were a pleasant surprise in an otherwise mundane ravioli. And, the sugar and nutmeg didn't bother me when paired with the sauce. Who knew?
5. Eat them fresh! They are quite good when boiled from frozen, but they are unparalleled with taken from the ravioli form to the water.
Here is my basic recipe (revised...sorry Grandmas)
dough:
1.25 eggs to every 1 cup flour
dash salt
olive oil, if needed to moisten
basic cheese filling:
ricotta
grated Parm/Romano
breadcrumb
egg yolks
parsley
fresh ground pepper
Base the amounts on the lbs of ricotta you start with, using the following ratios:
lbs ricotta to grated cheese 2:1
lbs ricotta to breadcrumb 2:1
lbs ricotta to egg yolk 1:1
parsley and pepper to taste
We have tried lots of other filling combinations, with honorable mentions going to seafood and sun dried tomato. But, we always make a ground veal and spinach filling (those ingredients mixed with enough of the above ricotta filling to bind) and a ground sausage filling (same method as the veal and spinach) as they have proven to be crowd pleasers time and time again.
I need to recover from this over-1,000-made ravioli bender. While I avoid the process, I wish you happy ravioli-ing
1. The quality of the ingredients does matter. At a basic level,I knew this was the case. But, I had the opportunity to taste the difference within a few days of using the different quality ingredients, and to reflect on that difference immediately after tasting it. For example, on one occasion, homemade breadcrumbs were used in the filling, and I could feel and taste the difference. The filling was firmer with the homemade breadcrumb, and the taste difference was more a lack of taste. I could taste the bread in the other (non-homemade) fillings, and that is not what it is meant for. The cheese and other ingredients should shine. The crumbs are meant for texture, not taste. Another example came when my friend managed to get us some homemade ricotta (from some guy in Altoona, PA) and I decided that, done properly, the plain cheese filling, as opposed to the veal and spinach or the sausage and cheese we also traditionally make, are my favorite.
2. Neither of my grandma's are totally right about the dough recipe. (If you know my grandmas, please do not tell them I said this, and please do not print this and show it to them, as I plan to lie through my teeth if ever questioned about it.) My mom's mom uses two eggs to every one cup of flour, and my dad's mom uses one egg to every one cup of flour. The former is too wet to hold up to the filling, and the latter too dry. I basically split the difference, erring a little more on the dry side.
3. Low boil = less broken raviolis.
4. Raisin raviolis are wonderful. I don't particularly care for raisins, usually opting to leave them out of recipes or substitute. But, my neighbor, whom I trust when it comes to food issues, insisted that I try a filling with ricotta and raisins. That was basically the only instruction he gave me, and my friend and I ran with it. We added some Parmesan, eggs, a bit of sugar (less than 1/4 c for 3 lbs ricotta), and some nutmeg. We even ate them with tomato sauce, as instructed. They were fabulous! The raisins were a pleasant surprise in an otherwise mundane ravioli. And, the sugar and nutmeg didn't bother me when paired with the sauce. Who knew?
5. Eat them fresh! They are quite good when boiled from frozen, but they are unparalleled with taken from the ravioli form to the water.
Here is my basic recipe (revised...sorry Grandmas)
dough:
1.25 eggs to every 1 cup flour
dash salt
olive oil, if needed to moisten
basic cheese filling:
ricotta
grated Parm/Romano
breadcrumb
egg yolks
parsley
fresh ground pepper
Base the amounts on the lbs of ricotta you start with, using the following ratios:
lbs ricotta to grated cheese 2:1
lbs ricotta to breadcrumb 2:1
lbs ricotta to egg yolk 1:1
parsley and pepper to taste
We have tried lots of other filling combinations, with honorable mentions going to seafood and sun dried tomato. But, we always make a ground veal and spinach filling (those ingredients mixed with enough of the above ricotta filling to bind) and a ground sausage filling (same method as the veal and spinach) as they have proven to be crowd pleasers time and time again.
I need to recover from this over-1,000-made ravioli bender. While I avoid the process, I wish you happy ravioli-ing
Saturday, November 28, 2009
15090, A Melting Pot Of Sorts
Ethnic food in certain suburbs of Pittsburgh can be hard to come by. If you know much about Wexford, you probably wouldn't think of it as a gastronomic melting pot. Look closer, and you'll find some descent ethnic fare.
The Thai Place
Pine Tree Shoppes
Sister restaurant of the Shadyside and Fox Chapel Thai Place, The Thai Place in Wexford has wonderful, authentic food. The steamed dumplings are homemade and are not to be missed. They are filled with ground chicken, are light and balanced, and always served piping hot. The Pad-Se-Ew, Chile Fried Rice, and Crispy Duck are some of my favorites. Depending on which chef you get, the spice level can be aggressively wonderful if you ask for a 7 or better out of ten. (My husband and I have been trying to "one up" each other in this category for years. We started at a 5and have lately been ordering a 9 or 10. I think we both secretly prefer a 7/8, but we have our pride to consider, of course.) Dinner can get pricey, and the staff seemed offended one time when we arrived to dine within an hour and a half of closing time, but other than that The Thai Place is highly recommended.
Ichiban
Village At Pine
One in the chain of Ichiban restaurants, the Wexford location joins the Waterworks, Cranberry, and Robinson locations. There are hibachi tables as well as a sushi bar, a drink bar, and non-hibachi tables. The sushi is fresh and wonderful. Some of the rolls are a bit overdone (lots of heavy sauces) but many simple, wonderful rolls are available along with other sushi dishes. The miso soup is very good as well. The drink list is fun and lengthy, and the wine list is descent. The restaurant is closed at odd times between lunch and dinner, so be sure to call ahead if you want to go around then.
My Big Fat Greet Gyro
Pine Tree Shoppes
My Big Fat Greek Gyro, though cheesily-named, serves fresh, tasty Greek fare. The food comes fast and hot and is pretty authentic. The gyros are solid, and the stuffed grape leaves are some of the best I have had. Can't speak much to the non-Greek fare on the menu, and there is lots of it, but the Greek food is very good.
Azzeria
Village At Pine
With the original on Banksville Road, the Wexford Azzeria is the second location. Azzeria serves breakfast, lunch/dinner, and dessert. They woodfire many ingredients and dishes (even LaPrima coffee beans) and serve great food. The pizzas are available in wheat and white crusts, and both are very good. The pizzas aren't actually woodfired at this location - that is done at the Banksville location and the crusts are flash frozen and delivered to the Wexford location. However, the are surprisingly fresh. The pizzas are available in white, red, and vodka sauce options, and a plethora of ingredients, many woodfired at the Wexford location, are available as toppings. We love the greens and beans pizza. Other than a few overly oily pizzas, we have yet to dislike anything about the pizzas there. Pizzas are available by the slice or the pie. Azzeria also offers paninis and salads, as well as homemade soups. I will have to do a post on Azzeria at some time in the future, because there is a lot to talk about, but for now, it suffices to say go there - eat the woodfired wings (which taste more like roasted chicken), the pizza, or a breakfast panini. If you are lucky enough to be there on a day when chili is one of the special soups, order some for there and some to bring home. Don't miss the gelato for a real treat. FYI - Azzeria is BYOB.
Patron
Perry Highway
Patron is a Mexican restaurant on Perry Highway. I have to admit, I am partial to El Campesino, so I didn't give this place much of a chance at first. Then I heard about Monday night taco night. Patron serves beef or chicken tacos on Monday night for $.95. They are hearty tacos - filled with meat (the beef has just enough fat and is ground thin, the chicken is mostly white meat and is shredded, served with stewed tomatoes and onions), shredded queso, and shredded lettuce. The shells are crispy and fresh - so good! Salsa and chips come with the meal as well. The salsa is inconsistent but usually wonderful. Occasionally, someone I am with on a Monday will order something other than a taco (if you can believe it), and when they do their meal is also very good. I have tried the fajitas Azteca (pork chunks, chorizo, chicken, and steak) and they are an interesting, tasty twist on the ordinary fajita.
Adding to the Melting Pot are Mama Lucia's (Village At Pine), China House (Pine Tree Shoppes), and Pierogies by Forgotten Taste (Perry Highway).
The Thai Place
Pine Tree Shoppes
Sister restaurant of the Shadyside and Fox Chapel Thai Place, The Thai Place in Wexford has wonderful, authentic food. The steamed dumplings are homemade and are not to be missed. They are filled with ground chicken, are light and balanced, and always served piping hot. The Pad-Se-Ew, Chile Fried Rice, and Crispy Duck are some of my favorites. Depending on which chef you get, the spice level can be aggressively wonderful if you ask for a 7 or better out of ten. (My husband and I have been trying to "one up" each other in this category for years. We started at a 5and have lately been ordering a 9 or 10. I think we both secretly prefer a 7/8, but we have our pride to consider, of course.) Dinner can get pricey, and the staff seemed offended one time when we arrived to dine within an hour and a half of closing time, but other than that The Thai Place is highly recommended.
Ichiban
Village At Pine
One in the chain of Ichiban restaurants, the Wexford location joins the Waterworks, Cranberry, and Robinson locations. There are hibachi tables as well as a sushi bar, a drink bar, and non-hibachi tables. The sushi is fresh and wonderful. Some of the rolls are a bit overdone (lots of heavy sauces) but many simple, wonderful rolls are available along with other sushi dishes. The miso soup is very good as well. The drink list is fun and lengthy, and the wine list is descent. The restaurant is closed at odd times between lunch and dinner, so be sure to call ahead if you want to go around then.
My Big Fat Greet Gyro
Pine Tree Shoppes
My Big Fat Greek Gyro, though cheesily-named, serves fresh, tasty Greek fare. The food comes fast and hot and is pretty authentic. The gyros are solid, and the stuffed grape leaves are some of the best I have had. Can't speak much to the non-Greek fare on the menu, and there is lots of it, but the Greek food is very good.
Azzeria
Village At Pine
With the original on Banksville Road, the Wexford Azzeria is the second location. Azzeria serves breakfast, lunch/dinner, and dessert. They woodfire many ingredients and dishes (even LaPrima coffee beans) and serve great food. The pizzas are available in wheat and white crusts, and both are very good. The pizzas aren't actually woodfired at this location - that is done at the Banksville location and the crusts are flash frozen and delivered to the Wexford location. However, the are surprisingly fresh. The pizzas are available in white, red, and vodka sauce options, and a plethora of ingredients, many woodfired at the Wexford location, are available as toppings. We love the greens and beans pizza. Other than a few overly oily pizzas, we have yet to dislike anything about the pizzas there. Pizzas are available by the slice or the pie. Azzeria also offers paninis and salads, as well as homemade soups. I will have to do a post on Azzeria at some time in the future, because there is a lot to talk about, but for now, it suffices to say go there - eat the woodfired wings (which taste more like roasted chicken), the pizza, or a breakfast panini. If you are lucky enough to be there on a day when chili is one of the special soups, order some for there and some to bring home. Don't miss the gelato for a real treat. FYI - Azzeria is BYOB.
Patron
Perry Highway
Patron is a Mexican restaurant on Perry Highway. I have to admit, I am partial to El Campesino, so I didn't give this place much of a chance at first. Then I heard about Monday night taco night. Patron serves beef or chicken tacos on Monday night for $.95. They are hearty tacos - filled with meat (the beef has just enough fat and is ground thin, the chicken is mostly white meat and is shredded, served with stewed tomatoes and onions), shredded queso, and shredded lettuce. The shells are crispy and fresh - so good! Salsa and chips come with the meal as well. The salsa is inconsistent but usually wonderful. Occasionally, someone I am with on a Monday will order something other than a taco (if you can believe it), and when they do their meal is also very good. I have tried the fajitas Azteca (pork chunks, chorizo, chicken, and steak) and they are an interesting, tasty twist on the ordinary fajita.
Adding to the Melting Pot are Mama Lucia's (Village At Pine), China House (Pine Tree Shoppes), and Pierogies by Forgotten Taste (Perry Highway).
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Chili and Cheese
What a blessed combination. Best showcased, in my opinion, on a hot dog. Some of my favorite places to get a chili and cheese dog are:
Red Hot Restaurant
219 6th Street
Ellwood City, PA
Red Hot is a small, not too clean, diner-like restaurant in Ellwood City. The staff can be indifferent, at best. But, the chili and cheese anything are fantastic. The chili is spicy but not overpowering, and the beef is finely ground and not too greasy. The cheese used, whether on a dog, burger, or fries, is sliced American. No room temp bottles of squeeze cheese here - take note, Brighton Hot Dog Shop. The dogs are run of the mill pork dogs, and the buns are steamed, I think. The combination of all is not to be missed. Also not to be missed are the chili and cheese fries. They are fresh cut fries, covered with American cheese slices, ladled with hot chili. So very good. I am a big fan of the (surprise!) chili and cheeseburger as well. Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The prices are Red Hot are another attraction. We got a large chili cheese fry (which filled two large square to-go Styrofoam containers), 3 chili cheeseburgers, and 8 chili cheese hot dogs (yes, there were other people besides the two of us eating) for under $20. Quarts and pints of the chili are available as well. Additional bonus: Cherokee Red available by the can.
Eddie's Footlong Hot dogs
16306 Conneaut Lake Road
Meadville, PA
Eddie's has been serving footlong hot dogs since 1947. I have been enjoying them, with chili and cheese, since I can remember. Eddie's chili (aka sauce at Eddie's) is, appropriately, saucy. It is mild so far as spice goes. The cheese is shredded cheddar and adds a nice bit of sharpness to to the chili. The dogs are Smith's, made in Erie, PA. I try to eat local whenever I can, so the fact that the dogs are made and the company is headquartered 20 miles to the north is a big plus for me. The fact that they are wonderful is more important, though.
The only seating available is outdoor : picnic tables. Eddie's is open seasonally, so be sure to call ahead and make sure they haven't closed for the winter.
(If you are at Eddie's, you need to go right down the road to Hank's Custard Stand and get dessert - custard, specifically. Maybe the best I have ever had.)
Basilone's
708 Roemer Blvd
Farrell, PA
MARGIE DOG - that's what you need to eat here. It is a chili cheese dog with sliced hot pepper rings. I was in a food coma when I ate this dog, so I can't be sure of the details. But, what I can remember of the dog, besides the overall heavenly deliciousness, is the tangy heat the peppers added to the dog. The chili is chunky with beans and and the cheese is shredded cheddar. The buns are buttered and grilled. Can't say much about the dog itself - I don't remember. I am going to be diligent in getting back there soon and trying another Margie Dog, this time paying attention to the dog itself. It's a sacrifice I am willing to make.
Another sacrifice I am willing to make is a trip to D's Six Pax and Dogz in Regent Square for one of their chili dogs. I hope to do so soon and get back to you. I ate a Legume recently and wanted to try a dog after, but I didn't have the room. It's tough getting old.
Red Hot Restaurant
219 6th Street
Ellwood City, PA
Red Hot is a small, not too clean, diner-like restaurant in Ellwood City. The staff can be indifferent, at best. But, the chili and cheese anything are fantastic. The chili is spicy but not overpowering, and the beef is finely ground and not too greasy. The cheese used, whether on a dog, burger, or fries, is sliced American. No room temp bottles of squeeze cheese here - take note, Brighton Hot Dog Shop. The dogs are run of the mill pork dogs, and the buns are steamed, I think. The combination of all is not to be missed. Also not to be missed are the chili and cheese fries. They are fresh cut fries, covered with American cheese slices, ladled with hot chili. So very good. I am a big fan of the (surprise!) chili and cheeseburger as well. Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The prices are Red Hot are another attraction. We got a large chili cheese fry (which filled two large square to-go Styrofoam containers), 3 chili cheeseburgers, and 8 chili cheese hot dogs (yes, there were other people besides the two of us eating) for under $20. Quarts and pints of the chili are available as well. Additional bonus: Cherokee Red available by the can.
Eddie's Footlong Hot dogs
16306 Conneaut Lake Road
Meadville, PA
Eddie's has been serving footlong hot dogs since 1947. I have been enjoying them, with chili and cheese, since I can remember. Eddie's chili (aka sauce at Eddie's) is, appropriately, saucy. It is mild so far as spice goes. The cheese is shredded cheddar and adds a nice bit of sharpness to to the chili. The dogs are Smith's, made in Erie, PA. I try to eat local whenever I can, so the fact that the dogs are made and the company is headquartered 20 miles to the north is a big plus for me. The fact that they are wonderful is more important, though.
The only seating available is outdoor : picnic tables. Eddie's is open seasonally, so be sure to call ahead and make sure they haven't closed for the winter.
(If you are at Eddie's, you need to go right down the road to Hank's Custard Stand and get dessert - custard, specifically. Maybe the best I have ever had.)
Basilone's
708 Roemer Blvd
Farrell, PA
MARGIE DOG - that's what you need to eat here. It is a chili cheese dog with sliced hot pepper rings. I was in a food coma when I ate this dog, so I can't be sure of the details. But, what I can remember of the dog, besides the overall heavenly deliciousness, is the tangy heat the peppers added to the dog. The chili is chunky with beans and and the cheese is shredded cheddar. The buns are buttered and grilled. Can't say much about the dog itself - I don't remember. I am going to be diligent in getting back there soon and trying another Margie Dog, this time paying attention to the dog itself. It's a sacrifice I am willing to make.
Another sacrifice I am willing to make is a trip to D's Six Pax and Dogz in Regent Square for one of their chili dogs. I hope to do so soon and get back to you. I ate a Legume recently and wanted to try a dog after, but I didn't have the room. It's tough getting old.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Omakase at Umi: Money Well Spent
Umi
5849 Ellsworth Avenue
Shadyside
We had the chance to do experience the omakase at Umi in Shadyside. My sister and brother in law bought us gift cards for Christmas, and two of them were for Big Burrito restaurants. After 9 months of debating where to use them, we decided on Umi, and on the tasting.
After climbing three sets of narrow, steep stairs (note to self: do NOT drink too much alcohol and fall down these stairs), we arrived in the tiny restaurant upstairs of Soba, another Big Burrito restaurant. We were seated at our table, and our waiter, Drew arrived shortly thereafter. We were struggling with our drink order, and Drew recommended a bottle of Sake that was reasonably priced ($22) and would pair well with the meal and our taste (we like our wines on the dryer side.)
While we were waiting for our first course, Drew brought a bowl of edamame for us to nibble on while we waited. He apologized for the wait, which we had not realized had been, as we were busy watching a table of four try to get into their seats at the in-floor seating. (Note to self: do NOT drink too much alcohol and attempt to climb into one of those tables.)
The omakase started, and the first course was a toro tartare. It was presented beautifully – in a small ramekin on top of a banana leaf on a bed of crushed ice. The tartare was chopped with wasabi and onion, there was a wasabi soy sauce on the bottom and some sturgeon caviar on the top. It was amazing – spicy but balanced, hearty but light.
Round 2 was sawara (Spanish mackerel) seared in hot sesame oil. There were four, thin pieces on each of our plates. The searing was the most delicate I have seen – the fish was so thin, but the outsides were seared without browning and the inside was raw. It was served with a delicate ponzu (citrus based) sauce and some chives.
Next came the new style fluke sashimi. Sashimi is thin, raw fish. The fluke was prepared as such, and was served with a soy-based sauce and Japanese ginger. It was tender and wonderful.
Round 4 was served the same style as the fluke, but with white tuna instead. Drew promised it would be more tender and buttery than the last dishes, and he is a man of his word. Like buttah! It was served with a dot of wasabi on top. The wasabi was not a hot as some I am used too, but the milder version did well to not overpower the fish.
Next up: tempura rock shrimp. My past experiences with rock shrimp left me concerned about this dish, but apparently I had been served the spam of the rock shrimp world and Umi introduced me to prosciutto di parma. The shrimp itself was meaty in texture but delicate in flavor. It was lightly tempura dipped and fried. Under the shrimp was a thin soy-based sauce, and coated onto the shrimp was a thicker, spicy orange sauce. This was the classiest (and more impressively the most delicious) form of buffalo shrimp I have ever tasted. This dish was such a contrast to the fresh, simple courses that preceded, but it was just as unique and wonderful.
Black cod with miso was the next dish. It was marinated in miso and oven roasted. The skin was crispy and delicious and the meat was tender. There was a miso glaze on the bottom that was sweet but not overpowering. We both loved this course.
The next course was the sushi course. Not to be confused with sashimi, sushi is vinegar rice topped with fish. The rice was less dense than other sushi rice I have had. We received a piece of toro, snapper, salmon, tuna, and sawara, each with its own sauce. The toro and tuna were served with a light soy, the snapper with mint (yes, mint, and it was perfect), the salmon with tomato and sour cream, and the sawara with sesame.
At this point in the meal, we got a little panicky. My husband had told Drew that we were “in his hands” when he asked if we had any special requests for the omakase. We hadn’t expected to get so many courses, and the menu had set the omakase price at “$75 and up”. The table next to us, who arrived after us, also ordered the omakase, and they had gone from what had been our second course to the cod. As my husband and I were trying to figure out exactly how many more courses we had and how much more money that might mean, we heard the waiter explain to them that their raw dishes were delayed because Sidney Crosby had been at the sushi bar, which seats six, and had ordered some extra courses which were putting the sushi chef behind. The table beside us was going to get their cooked courses while the sushi chef caught up, then return to their raw courses. We, on the other had, were going to be able to exhale and to stop worrying about how many dishes we had to clean to pay off our “in your hands” statement.
Dessert arrived next. Drew explained it as a monkfish liver frozen pate, then smirked as he set it down and awaited our response. We dug in, not thinking entirely about what he had said, and he explained that he was kidding – dessert was a frozen cashew mousse with a chocolate ganache icing. I am not a dessert connoisseur, and I wasn’t expecting to love this course anywhere near what I had the last seven. I was pleasantly surprised. The mousse was light and slightly sweet, the icing was dense and rich, and the mango and raspberry sauces were tart. The combination was wonderful.
Our bill came to $184 ($75 each for the tasting and $22 for the wine, plus tax). I am not going to try to convince anyone that this was a bargain meal by any means. I am also not ignorant of the fact that we had received a generous gift card to help us with this meal, and that we had been watching our food budget in preparation for the meal. Having said that, I do want to suggest that this was a “good deal” in relative terms. The fish was the most fresh available in Pittsburgh (flown in daily) and was expertly prepared (Mr. Shu is well renown). The courses, ordered separately from the menu, would well exceed the $75 price. The wine was good and moderately priced. The meal took us about an hour and a half to eat, and it was such great food that we spent most of that time staring at each other with “I can’t believe how F-ing great this is” grins on our faces. We were full when we left. In our books, it was money well spent.
5849 Ellsworth Avenue
Shadyside
We had the chance to do experience the omakase at Umi in Shadyside. My sister and brother in law bought us gift cards for Christmas, and two of them were for Big Burrito restaurants. After 9 months of debating where to use them, we decided on Umi, and on the tasting.
After climbing three sets of narrow, steep stairs (note to self: do NOT drink too much alcohol and fall down these stairs), we arrived in the tiny restaurant upstairs of Soba, another Big Burrito restaurant. We were seated at our table, and our waiter, Drew arrived shortly thereafter. We were struggling with our drink order, and Drew recommended a bottle of Sake that was reasonably priced ($22) and would pair well with the meal and our taste (we like our wines on the dryer side.)
While we were waiting for our first course, Drew brought a bowl of edamame for us to nibble on while we waited. He apologized for the wait, which we had not realized had been, as we were busy watching a table of four try to get into their seats at the in-floor seating. (Note to self: do NOT drink too much alcohol and attempt to climb into one of those tables.)
The omakase started, and the first course was a toro tartare. It was presented beautifully – in a small ramekin on top of a banana leaf on a bed of crushed ice. The tartare was chopped with wasabi and onion, there was a wasabi soy sauce on the bottom and some sturgeon caviar on the top. It was amazing – spicy but balanced, hearty but light.
Round 2 was sawara (Spanish mackerel) seared in hot sesame oil. There were four, thin pieces on each of our plates. The searing was the most delicate I have seen – the fish was so thin, but the outsides were seared without browning and the inside was raw. It was served with a delicate ponzu (citrus based) sauce and some chives.
Next came the new style fluke sashimi. Sashimi is thin, raw fish. The fluke was prepared as such, and was served with a soy-based sauce and Japanese ginger. It was tender and wonderful.
Round 4 was served the same style as the fluke, but with white tuna instead. Drew promised it would be more tender and buttery than the last dishes, and he is a man of his word. Like buttah! It was served with a dot of wasabi on top. The wasabi was not a hot as some I am used too, but the milder version did well to not overpower the fish.
Next up: tempura rock shrimp. My past experiences with rock shrimp left me concerned about this dish, but apparently I had been served the spam of the rock shrimp world and Umi introduced me to prosciutto di parma. The shrimp itself was meaty in texture but delicate in flavor. It was lightly tempura dipped and fried. Under the shrimp was a thin soy-based sauce, and coated onto the shrimp was a thicker, spicy orange sauce. This was the classiest (and more impressively the most delicious) form of buffalo shrimp I have ever tasted. This dish was such a contrast to the fresh, simple courses that preceded, but it was just as unique and wonderful.
Black cod with miso was the next dish. It was marinated in miso and oven roasted. The skin was crispy and delicious and the meat was tender. There was a miso glaze on the bottom that was sweet but not overpowering. We both loved this course.
The next course was the sushi course. Not to be confused with sashimi, sushi is vinegar rice topped with fish. The rice was less dense than other sushi rice I have had. We received a piece of toro, snapper, salmon, tuna, and sawara, each with its own sauce. The toro and tuna were served with a light soy, the snapper with mint (yes, mint, and it was perfect), the salmon with tomato and sour cream, and the sawara with sesame.
At this point in the meal, we got a little panicky. My husband had told Drew that we were “in his hands” when he asked if we had any special requests for the omakase. We hadn’t expected to get so many courses, and the menu had set the omakase price at “$75 and up”. The table next to us, who arrived after us, also ordered the omakase, and they had gone from what had been our second course to the cod. As my husband and I were trying to figure out exactly how many more courses we had and how much more money that might mean, we heard the waiter explain to them that their raw dishes were delayed because Sidney Crosby had been at the sushi bar, which seats six, and had ordered some extra courses which were putting the sushi chef behind. The table beside us was going to get their cooked courses while the sushi chef caught up, then return to their raw courses. We, on the other had, were going to be able to exhale and to stop worrying about how many dishes we had to clean to pay off our “in your hands” statement.
Dessert arrived next. Drew explained it as a monkfish liver frozen pate, then smirked as he set it down and awaited our response. We dug in, not thinking entirely about what he had said, and he explained that he was kidding – dessert was a frozen cashew mousse with a chocolate ganache icing. I am not a dessert connoisseur, and I wasn’t expecting to love this course anywhere near what I had the last seven. I was pleasantly surprised. The mousse was light and slightly sweet, the icing was dense and rich, and the mango and raspberry sauces were tart. The combination was wonderful.
Our bill came to $184 ($75 each for the tasting and $22 for the wine, plus tax). I am not going to try to convince anyone that this was a bargain meal by any means. I am also not ignorant of the fact that we had received a generous gift card to help us with this meal, and that we had been watching our food budget in preparation for the meal. Having said that, I do want to suggest that this was a “good deal” in relative terms. The fish was the most fresh available in Pittsburgh (flown in daily) and was expertly prepared (Mr. Shu is well renown). The courses, ordered separately from the menu, would well exceed the $75 price. The wine was good and moderately priced. The meal took us about an hour and a half to eat, and it was such great food that we spent most of that time staring at each other with “I can’t believe how F-ing great this is” grins on our faces. We were full when we left. In our books, it was money well spent.
Friday, August 21, 2009
A Morning at the Market, A Weekend of Joy
So, we went to the Farmers' Market at the Firehouse in the Strip District (http://www.slowfoodpgh.com/farmers.html)and we got a little carried away. Between the goodies we got there and the vegetables we got from our crop share through Kretschmann Farm (http://www.kretschmannfarm.com/) - which is awesome, by the way - we made some wonderful meals.
One of the vendors at the market had rabbit. We had never had rabbit, and we were feeling adventuresome, so we bought a whole, quartered rabbit. It came frozen. My husband was expecting (and hoping) for dark, gamey meat. To our surprise, it looked very white. We decided to do some research, and found out that rabbit is an all white meat that’s lower in cholesterol than chicken or turkey (164 mg of cholesterol in rabbit vs. 220 mg in chicken), has just 795 calories per pound (chicken has 810 calories per pound), and has the highest percentage of protein and the lowest percentage of fat of any meat. In short, meat doesn’t get any healthier. We found a recipe in "The Silver Spoon" for stewed rabbit with some tomatoes and white wine. We browned the rabbit in some oil first, then added the liquid and spices like you would do with chicken. We served it with some bread from Mediterra (also purchased at the market - by far the best bread in the 'burgh), and it was fabulous.
We served the rabbit with a roasted beet salad with olive croutons. The beets and greens were from Kretschmann Farm, and the cheese was purchased from the market. The beets were amazing - simply roasted, cooled, and tossed with the other ingredients. So good! The croutons were made using the olive bread from Mediterra (again, from the market) and were the perfect compliment to the salad. This recipe was definitely a keeper!
With Saturday dinner under our belt, we began planning our Sunday meal. We have yet to master a whole roasted chicken. We bought a whole chicken at the market from Liberty Farms. It was definitely more expensive than any chicken I've ever bought (it was around $20 for a 6-7 lb chicken) but it was so worth it. The chicken are free range, organic chicken. That translated into a more flavorful chicken with lots of natural juices to make some sauce to serve the chicken with. It was juicy, tender, and delicious. By the way, pan juice into sauce was the key to making this chicken wonderful. (Sidenote: we also purchased some fresh chicken livers - one of my husband's favorite snacks. I floured and fried them, and he raved so much that I had to taste them. They were by far the most edible livers I have ever tried. That is a compliment coming from me. The typical strong, harsh flavor was a mild, slight hint. Also, the texture was smoother than any others I have had. If you are a chicken liver lover, try these!)
We served the chicken with a lemon kale soup. The kale was again from our crop share. This soup was amazing - bursting with fresh, lemon flavor that played so well off of the kale and sausage - which we bought at Parma - so good. The recipe was included in the weekly email I receive from Kretchmann farm, so I don't know where it originated. But, it was so good, I feel compelled to share:
Lemon Kale Soup: Cut up half pound sausage links into rounds. Saute in olive oil in pot adding 1 c. chopped onion near the end. Add 5 c. water, 2 c. broth, and 1 c. wine and bring to boil. Add half cup quinoa or brown rice, 1 bunch chopped kale, one third c. lemon juice 1 tbs. lemon zest and 1 c. precooked chick peas and pepper to taste. Simmer 30 min until quinoa is cooked.
We also had some Greek lemon potatoes on the side. The potatoes were part of our crop share as well, and they were so tender and new that the skin brushed off with our fingers - no need for a peeler!
We were so happy to have shared so much time together in the kitchen and to make a whole weekend of dinners from food grown locally and fairly. Make a point to check out your local market - who knows what you'll find and what meal it may translate into!
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Happy Birthday to Legume
I had the opportunity to dine at Legume (www.legumebistro.com) for the celebration of the restaurant's second birthday on June 28, 2009. It was amazing - fresh, seasonal food, cooked well and seasoned perfectly.
The menu was seven courses:
-American White Sturgeon Caviar with Blini and Butter
-Chilled Beet Soup with Dill, Creme Fraiche, and Croutons
-Seared Scallop with Fava Beans, Jowl Bacon, and Spring Onion Vinaigrette
-Jamison Lamb Rib Chop with Polenta Cake, Peas, and Herbs
-Fresh Fig with Buttermilk-Honey Sorbet and Lavender Shortbread
-Three Cheeses with Apples and Maple Walnuts
-Chocolate Chocolate-Mint Truffle
Besides the indulgent and assumed stars (who doesn't like caviar and butter on a blini?), some of my favorites were sides and sauces. The spring onion vinaigrette was my absolute favorite component of any of the courses. It was delicate and smooth and wonderful! That entire course (the scallop)was my favorite overall, so I may be biased. The polenta cake was another highlight for me. It was crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside, and sweet all the way around. The lavender shortbread, which was the size of a quarter, was a bite of heaven - hint of lavender, very short. I wanted more! The cheese course included a cloth bound cheddar by Cabot, a Pleasant Ridge Reserve, and a Couple by Vermont Butter and Cheese Company. They were all special, but the reserve was amazing : sweet and firm with some of those calcium lactate crystals to give it a little crunch at times. Can't say enough about this restaurant and this meal. Here's to many more happy, healthy years!
FYI: Legume is doing some other "special" dinners this summer, including a corn dinner, a tomato dinner, and a lobster dinner.
The menu was seven courses:
-American White Sturgeon Caviar with Blini and Butter
-Chilled Beet Soup with Dill, Creme Fraiche, and Croutons
-Seared Scallop with Fava Beans, Jowl Bacon, and Spring Onion Vinaigrette
-Jamison Lamb Rib Chop with Polenta Cake, Peas, and Herbs
-Fresh Fig with Buttermilk-Honey Sorbet and Lavender Shortbread
-Three Cheeses with Apples and Maple Walnuts
-Chocolate Chocolate-Mint Truffle
Besides the indulgent and assumed stars (who doesn't like caviar and butter on a blini?), some of my favorites were sides and sauces. The spring onion vinaigrette was my absolute favorite component of any of the courses. It was delicate and smooth and wonderful! That entire course (the scallop)was my favorite overall, so I may be biased. The polenta cake was another highlight for me. It was crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside, and sweet all the way around. The lavender shortbread, which was the size of a quarter, was a bite of heaven - hint of lavender, very short. I wanted more! The cheese course included a cloth bound cheddar by Cabot, a Pleasant Ridge Reserve, and a Couple by Vermont Butter and Cheese Company. They were all special, but the reserve was amazing : sweet and firm with some of those calcium lactate crystals to give it a little crunch at times. Can't say enough about this restaurant and this meal. Here's to many more happy, healthy years!
FYI: Legume is doing some other "special" dinners this summer, including a corn dinner, a tomato dinner, and a lobster dinner.
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