Tempeh Salad

One of the only meat dishes I crave is chicken salad. I like my chicken salad with lots of pepper and celery. The tiny containers of vegetarian chicken salad are way too expensive, so I usually grate seitan to make my own.

I’ve never made a veggie chicken salad with tempeh, but I saw this the other day and decided to give it a go since I already had a fresh baked olive roll from Fork:etc. The olive roll, by the way, was perfect - crusty on the outside, soft in the middle and had large hunks of olives.

Tempeh Salad
adapted from Yoga Kitchen: Recipes from the Shoshoni Yoga Retreat
serves 4

2 tablespoons sunflower oil
4 cups cubed tempeh(the smaller you dice the tempeh, the better it stays on the roll)
3 tablespoons Bragg Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce)
1 to 2 cups mayonnaise (regular or vegan)
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1/2 cup diced red bell peppers
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup diced celery
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
salt and pepper

• Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the tempeh and fry until golden. Sprinkle the Bragg Liquid Aminos over the tempeh and sauté for 1 minute longer.
• Transfer to a serving bowl and stir in the mayonnaise, scallions, bell peppers, carrots, celery, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. (I also added garlic powder and lemon juice to make it a little zippier.) Mix thoroughly.
• Let marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour before serving. Use more or less mayonnaise depending on your taste.

Fork it Over

Fork:etc. went unnoticed by my eyes until a few weeks ago, even though it has been in existence since 2004 and I have peered into it’s neighboring and mother restaurant, Fork.

Fork:etc. is a prepared foods offshoot of Fork. It’s sort of like a deli where you can order pre-made sides and sandwiches from the counter or snag a prepackaged salad, wrap or dessert from the refrigerated display. Take home the sides and serve them like you made it yourself or sit and eat a quick bite at their minimal, yet homey, chic digs.

Since the weather was so nice this weekend, I decided to grab a sandwich to go and eat it in a park. I ordered the standard one vegetarian sandwich option. That day they were offering a fried eggplant sandwich on their homemade focaccia. At least it wasn't the usual non-meat option of hummus or portabello - great friends, but a bit overdone.

They slid the pre-made sandwich out of the deli case and grilled it to warm it up. The sandwich was good, if not a bit greasy, but we’ll blame that on the ingredients – fried eggplant and focaccia. They could have skipped the leaf of bitter endive, but the sandwich hit the spot and quelled my mid-afternoon hunger.

Here’s my rant: Where’s the sauce?

I’ve always been a proponent of “special sauce” or “secret sauce.” A sauce so good you just want to sop every drop up with your bread can turn a sandwich made with every day ingredients like lettuce and tomato into something divine.

Don’t put enough sauce on a sandwich and, I don’t care how good it is, it will get lost amongst the bread and filling. Of course, a sandwich with no sauce is hard to swallow. Glass of water, please.

This sandwich did have sauce, but since it was pre-made the sauce soaked into the bread. Not putting a lot of sauce on a sandwich that may sit a while is a good idea, since soggy bread in unpalatable. I’ll give them credit for thinking ahead on that construction detail, but could they have not thrown a little sauce on the sandwich to revive the flavors before they gave it to me.

I realize this is an absurd request for pre-made sandwiches at gas stations, busy delis and grocers, but Fork Etc. is essentially an upscale deli/sandwich shop. They did go through the trouble of heating, cutting and wrapping the sandwich for me, so maybe they could have a little ramekin of sauce to throw on the sandwich before it passes across the counter.

Rant aside, the sandwich was good, all of their offerings looked appetizing, their prices are reasonable and their baked breads are soft and yummy.

See what I did with their olive loaf on the next post.

Fork:etc.
308 Market St., Philadelphia, PA, 19106
215-625-9425

Found...Veggie Hot Dog Street Vendor

I once asked my seemingly understanding, local hot dog street vendor if she would consider selling veggie hot dogs. She looked up from her knitting and scowled, “That’s a novel idea.”

From that moment on – about 10 years ago - I’ve been on a quest to find a street vendor peddling veggie hot dogs. I never researched or specifically hunted for a vendor, but made a point to check any vendor that I passed.

How novel could this idea be? I thought for sure there would be a veggie hot dog street vendor in New York city. How could there not be…millions of people and corners to park a cart? Nope. I did not find one in my wanderings of NY.

After more than a decade with this novel idea rattling in the back of my head, by some silly chance I found a veggie hot dog street vendor in Lawrence, Kansas, of all places! Actually, it was a veggie bratwurst, but that’s close enough

I was so ecstatic, I sat down and chatted with the vendor and told him how he had made one of my dreams come true. I’m sure he talks to lots of freaks.

Sadly, he told me that selling the veggie brats is not lucrative for him. Some days no one is interested and he throws them out with the dog water. Other days, he sells out and disappoints potential customers when he has no more to offer.

Even though I wasn’t hungry, I ordered my long sought after veggie hot dog. Thank you Mr. Hot-dog-vendor-on-Massachusetts-St.-in-Lawrence. I forget his name, but I won’t forget his help in the realization of my novel idea.

Now if that dreams-do-come-true story doesn’t stop you from killing yourself, I don’t know what kind of hope there is.

If you know of any veggie hot dog street vendors, let me know.

Keep the dream alive.

Deviled Eggs

My last dining experience reminded me of my love for deviled eggs. I tried a few recipes this week and now I’m deviled egg-ed out.

I tried the standard mayo, mustard, vinegar recipe. This is the base to any variation you want to make, and there are lots. I made one with garam masala and one with bits of pickled mushrooms. They were both good.

I also tried one recipe with no mayo, but olive oil and vinegar. The flavor was good, but I found the filling to be too dense. I prefer the fluffiness that mayo gives the yolks.

There are some tricks to know, though. Don’t boil the eggs too long or the whites turn rubbery. Ten minutes of gently boiling water always works for me. Also, cool the eggs off after cooking by setting the eggs in cold water to avoid a green yolk.

Some people do all sorts or crazy steps to center the yolk or avoid air bubbles and cracking, but it’s just not that hard. Follow those steps if you have lots of time and are a control freak.

Bring a tray of these retro hors d’oervres to the next party and make Brini proud!

Deviled Eggs
adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book
serves 12

6 hard-cooked eggs
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1 teaspoon vinegar
paprika or parsley sprigs (optional)

• Halve hard-cooked eggs lengthwise and remove yolks.
• Place yolks in a bowl; mash with a fork.
• Add mayonnaise, mustard, and vinegar to yolks; mix well. If desired, season with salt and pepper.
• Stuff egg-white halves with yolk mixture.
• If desired, garnish with paprika or parsley.

Deviled Eggs sans Mayo
serves 12

12 hard-cooked eggs
1/2 cup olive oil
1/8 cup vinegar
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
paprika
salt and pepper

• Halve hard-cooked eggs lengthwise and remove yolks.
• Place yolks in a bowl; mash with a fork.
  
• In a cup to the side mix olive oil, vinegar, and lemon juice.
  
• By tablespoons full, add the liquid mixture to egg yokes and mix. If you do it by tablespoons full you can control the consistency of the yokes. You may use just a little less, or add a little more. Add salt and pepper.
  
• Stuff egg-white halves with yolk mixture and garnish with paprika.

Jones - Comfort Food

Photo by City Life Philadelphia

I have heard of Jones - it’s comfort food served with 70’s décor - but never desired to dine there. If I have a hankering for home cooked food, I’ll cook it at home. One of the reasons I go out to eat is to have food that I can’t replicate in my own kitchen.

Unwilling to wait an hour and a half at another restaurant, I found myself around the corner from Jones and now ready to give it a try. We waited about fifteen minutes for a table – not bad for a busy Friday evening at a Stephen Starr or any other popular restaurant.

While waiting I gazed around at the space – a large open floor plan with a sunken middle dining area, an overlooking upstairs dining room, a bar with a large backing image of a famous NJ shore, rough stone walls, a transparent fireplace, mod chairs and light fixtures, and shag carpet. I feel sorry for the person that has to vacuum! The décor is not your grandmothers house, but rather sophisticated and sleek with obvious allusion to the 70’s.

The drink menu has wine, beer, champagne and many froofy, sweet cocktails and martinis. I’m a froofy, sweet drinker so I order something with a ridiculous name – pink elephant revenge, maybe? It had champagne, vodka, and cranberry juice with a pink sugared rim. Perfectly unserious for my evening at hand.

The menu was comfy and familiar with Thanksgiving dinner, grilled cheese and tomato soup, macaroni and cheese, meatloaf, and fried chicken with waffles, and other food typically served by moms. They also have fancier dishes that mom may have never served or only served on Sundays such as pistachio crusted tilapia, beef brisket, and fillet mignon.

For the vegetarian, they offer vegetarian Shepard’s pie, veggie burger, ALT sandwich – avocado, lettuce and tomato, and a portabello sandwich. A few of the salads and appetizers are vegetarian, as well as all of the sides. They had a surprisingly large vegetarian menu for an upscale and mainstream restaurant.

To start, I ordered mac and cheese. I had heard good things about the mac and cheese, but found it bland and creamy in a Velveeta sort of way. I’m sure many moms made Velveeta, so maybe they’re right on the mark. This wasn’t my mom or my mark.

I loooove deviled eggs and give them props for putting this maligned appetizer on the menu. I was hesitant to order due to my quirky fear of eggs that have not been prepared im-me-di-ate-ly before consumption. Still, I had to try them.

Four egg halves came out with beautifully piped filling sprinkled with the traditional paprika. The filling was perfectly creamy and tangy. They nailed the filling. Unfortunately, the egg whites were overcooked making them a little rubbery. Perhaps they’re not always so and the cooks just left them in the hot water too long that night.

I opted for the veggie hamburger with cheese in hopes of a nice bun – seeded, thick buns can elevate a mundane burger. The burger came out with a very nice bun, but what I liked most about the burger was that they caramelized the onions. You would not believe how rare it is to get a burger or sandwich served with caramelized onions. They always come out with large, honking slices of raw onions that are much too pungent to consume. It really is one of my bigger food pet peeves. The burger at Jones was one of the best veggie burger’s I’ve had out. Kudos.

I had to pass on dessert, due to a full belly – I ended up taking half of my sandwich home with me. Again they played up the comfort food theme by offering desserts like Duncan Hines chocolate cake with a glass of milk and apple pie. The Jones-wich – peanut butter ice cream sandwiched between two chocolate chip cookies – looked like fun in the summer time. The butterscotch and banana cake with caramel sauce looked like a family reunion star.

The service was excellent. We were seated in a timely manner and our server was there at all the right moments. My only complaint would be the noise level. I had to shout to talk to my companion, but that’s generally the case at packed restaurants on the weekend.

I think the comfort food gimmick is great for those with an occasional hankering or for those who don’t like to step out of their familiar box yet want the procession of fine dining.

I’m sorry I dismissed Jones. I hear they have a good brunch. Maybe I’ll give it a try.

Jones, 700 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19106, (215-223-5663)
Mon.-Thu. 11:30AM-midnight
Fri. 11:30-1AM
Sat. 10:30AM-3PM, 5PM-1AM
Sun. 10:30AM-3PM, 4-11PM
Bar until 2AM Mon.-Sat., 1AM Sun.
No Reservations accepted

Wine Appreciation Class III

Photo by Pixelcore
The last installment of my Introduction to Wine Appreciation class covered sparkling wines and dessert wines.

I like dry Champagne, but find most dessert wines cloying with all their sweetness. I was afraid I was not going to be able to fully partake and I certainly did not want to appear to be a lightweight.

I was actually surprised with liking most of what we sampled. I only passed on finishing one glass and that was only because I wanted to make it to the port that topped the evening off.

The process of making sparkling and dessert wines and their differences gets complicated, so click away and study up.

What we sampled:
Gruet Brut, New Mexico
Villa Jolanda Prosecco, Italy
Cascinetta Vietti Moscato d’Asti, Italy
Coteaux du Layon Saint-Aubin, France
Moscatel Ainzon, Spain
Graham’s Six Grapes Port, Portugal

-I liked the Gruet Brut better than the Prosecco because it was the drier of the two sparkling wines and had a better bubble due to the fact that it was produced using the traditional method.

-At first I didn’t like Cascinetta Vietti Moscato d’Asti because it was lightly sweet and reminded me of Champagne and I don’t like sweet Champagne, but I came around to it.

-The Coteaux du Layon Saint-Aubin had a distinct and interesting flavor imparted by fungus – Botrytis.

-The Moscatel Ainzon was very sweet and due to its high, 15% alcohol content, very thick. I made my partner down this one so I could continue sampling.

-Graham’s Six Grapes Port is slow sippin’ – very sweet and 19.5% alcohol.

Favorite Wine of the Night – Cascinetta Vietti Moscato d’Asti has floral and melon overtones and is slightly fizzy so is reminiscent of Champagne - it’s actually a frizzante. Move over mimosa! With 5.5% alcohol, this will go well with French toast for breakfast.

Favorite Event – Finding myself, once again, in the men’s bathroom!

That was my last wine class. Now I’m left cold turkey jonesin’ for some alc and higher ed.

Honey's Sit n'Eat

Honey’s Sit n’ Eat is a casual breakfast and lunch spot in Northern Liberties with a Jewish and Southern influenced menu. Seemingly an odd combination, but I was excited as I’m from the South and my partner is Jewish. It’s a great combination, if you ask me and the owners of Honey’s Sit n’ Eat – also similarly coupled.

Grits and latkes unite!

The interior is charming and homey with pine floors and massive I-steel beams overhead strung with dried herbs. Large windows open up to the street in the warmer months. Old wooden hutches line the wall behind a rough plank-topped lunch counter with yellow gingham-covered stools. Hipster staff gives it a cool, bohemian vibe.

Jewish and Southern menu offerings include: matzo ball soup, Reuben’s, lox, green bean casserole, potato pancakes with apples, biscuits, bagels, brisket, chicken fried steak, and mac and cheese. There are standard breakfast and lunch choices like breakfast burritos, pancakes, and tuna melts.

I visited for Sunday brunch on two occasions. The first time I ordered off the menu. I had the vegetarian chicken-fried steak, which comes with a biscuit and gravy. The veggie-fried steak was a crispy latke covered in a thick and bland white gravy – nothing some pepper and salt wouldn’t cure. I was expecting seitan or tofu, but the latke was a pleasant surprise. The biscuit was pretty good – a bit heavy, but baking a light biscuit is a difficult science.

What I had was plenty, but I couldn’t resist ordering a side of mac and cheese - sides will cost you, but seconds are free. The mac and cheese was made with a mixture of cheeses, but I prefer sharp cheddar. It was also topped with crumbles of fishes – the cheesy cracker snack. Very odd. Not bad, but nothing to repeat.

The second time I ordered off their daily special menu. I had a tofu po' boy with bbq mayo. Cubed and fried tofu came on a long crusty roll with a smidge of lettuce and sauce. A small side of health salad – pickled cabbage, carrots, cucumbers and green tomato - accompanied the sandwich along with the standard dill pickle wedge. Fries were extra.

Why does tofu always have to be cubed? I wish people were more creative with tofu. Thinly sliced tofu would have worked well. I also thought there should have been more sauce on the sandwich, which leads to my only complaint about the restaurant – the service.

I’m not sure what service system they have. Is it communal or do I have one server? The person who seemed to be our server was very pleasant, but not around that often. The person who seated us was tending to tables as well. Someone working in the kitchen delivered our food.

In an attempt to get a side of bbq mayo, I tried to make eye contact with any one walking past our table. The person who seated us was most present, but she never made eye contact with our table. After I had finished everything on my plate except for the sandwich, I finally had to blurt out, “Excuse me.” She apathetically came to the table and barely grunted when I asked for a side of bbq sauce. She came back not with a side of the bbq mayo that comes with the sandwich, but with some other bbq sauce. Perhaps that was my fault for not specifying, but I just assumed that she would bring the accompanying sauce. I gave up and just ate my otherwise delicious tofu po' boy.

I like the fact that Honey’s offers vegetarian and even vegan options. The last time I went they had two vegan soup specials. I do wish that there were more vegetarian options, but I realize they’re not catering only to vegetarians. If only they made the matzo ball soup from the menu vegetarian. Maybe it will make the specials board.

I also like the fact that owner Ellen Mogell and her partner Jeb Woody try to use high quality ingredients like local, organic produce and locally made foods when possible. Many items like jam, pancakes, and sausage are made from scratch.

Service is lackadaisical but the food is good. I’ll definitely be back. I can deal with moody service from hip kids. I liked the nice server better, though.

Honey's Sit n' Eat
800 N. 4^th St., Philadelphia, PA 19123
215-925-1150
Tues.-Sun. 8a.m.-4p.m.
Cash only