Earlier this week I saw Frankie for the first time in a couple months. I grilled him on what to expect this fall when I enter the CIA, we talked about his time in new york, he promised to teach me how to sharpen knives, and I filled him in on the details of the restaurant I work at now, where he worked last summer. It was great to see him and catch up!
Our plan for the evening was to cook dinner for our friends. We ended up making pasta with vodka sauce and roasted veggies.
The vodka sauce is one of my favorite recipes ever. You start with sauteed shallots, add some vodka and let it cook down. Then you put a can of crushed tomatoes in the pan and let that simmer for 15 minutes. Add some cream, some basil, some salt and pepper, and you have the most delicious pasta sauce in the world. Normally I add some peas and asparagus, but to make everyone happy, we left them out.
For the roasted veggies, we took brussels sprouts, asparagus, and zucchini and cut them to semi-uniform sizes. Then we tossed them in balsamic vinegar, oil, salt and pepper, and a little bit of honey. We roasted them at 375 till they were caramelized and delicious.
Everyone loved the dinner and it was so fun to finally cook with Frankie. I love cooking for people, especially my friends, and it's so great when I get to sit down and eat dinner with them all. I see this happening many more times in my future.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Monday, August 10, 2009
Just a taste
The past few weeks have been busy for me. I've been working five days a week, dancing two, and trying to get ready for school in the middle. Yet somehow, I've found time to cook and eat some great food.
I found a restaurant in Philadelphia called Tria - it's a wine, beer, and cheese bar with excellent food. I went with my boyfriend, and we tasted several cheeses. We had a Caprino Capra goat cheese with crostini, an heirloom tomato salad with Pecorino Marzolino cheese, and tuscan white bean spread with baguette. Everything was absolutely delicious, and the whole atmosphere of the restaurant was great. We came at the tail end of their Sunday night service and everyone who worked there was still very nice and patient, and the food came out quickly and was wonderful. We finished with a flourless chocolate cake, which was rich and decadent. It was topped with Marscarpone and strawberry jam. You can find their website at Triacafe.com, or go to their restaurant at either 18th & Sansom Streets or 12th & Spruce Streets. If you are of age, they also serve wine and beer, and on Sundays offer what they call "Sunday School" where they pair a wine, a cheese, and a beer, all served at 50% of the regular price.
I also made spicy mango pulled pork this past week. My sister and I had made this last summer, but the end product was so incredibly spicy it nearly ruined it for us. I made it again this year, and cut all the spices in half. This left it being still surpringly spicy, but definitely tolerable and incredibly enjoyable. I served it on soft vienna rolls with classic potato salad, and it was great. The recipe I used is from Coconut & Lime. You can follow their directions, or mine posted below. The recipe here is with the adjusted spices and several other small changes.
Spiced Mango Pulled Pork
3 lb boneless pork shoulder or boneless pork ribs
2 T chili sauce
1/4 C pomegranate infused balsamic vinegar
1/2 T chipotle hot sauce
1 t cracked black pepper
2 t kosher salt
1 t liquid smoke
1 t hot chili powder
1 1/2 t paprika
3/4 t chipotle chili powder
1/2 t cayenne pepper
Juice and zest of one lime
1 large mango, cubed
1 medium onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic
Olive oil
Spice rub:
1 t hot chili powder
1 1/2 t chipotle
1 t cracked black pepper
1 t cayenne pepper
To start, mix the spice rub together, and rub it on all sides of the pork. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat and brown the pork on all sides. Place the roast and all over ingredients in the slow cooker. Cook on high for 6 hours, or low for 8-9 hours. When done, shred with two forks, mash any mango pieces, and serve on soft rolls.
I've had other great food experiences lately, but they'll have to wait for another entry. Enjoy!
I found a restaurant in Philadelphia called Tria - it's a wine, beer, and cheese bar with excellent food. I went with my boyfriend, and we tasted several cheeses. We had a Caprino Capra goat cheese with crostini, an heirloom tomato salad with Pecorino Marzolino cheese, and tuscan white bean spread with baguette. Everything was absolutely delicious, and the whole atmosphere of the restaurant was great. We came at the tail end of their Sunday night service and everyone who worked there was still very nice and patient, and the food came out quickly and was wonderful. We finished with a flourless chocolate cake, which was rich and decadent. It was topped with Marscarpone and strawberry jam. You can find their website at Triacafe.com, or go to their restaurant at either 18th & Sansom Streets or 12th & Spruce Streets. If you are of age, they also serve wine and beer, and on Sundays offer what they call "Sunday School" where they pair a wine, a cheese, and a beer, all served at 50% of the regular price.
I also made spicy mango pulled pork this past week. My sister and I had made this last summer, but the end product was so incredibly spicy it nearly ruined it for us. I made it again this year, and cut all the spices in half. This left it being still surpringly spicy, but definitely tolerable and incredibly enjoyable. I served it on soft vienna rolls with classic potato salad, and it was great. The recipe I used is from Coconut & Lime. You can follow their directions, or mine posted below. The recipe here is with the adjusted spices and several other small changes.
Spiced Mango Pulled Pork
3 lb boneless pork shoulder or boneless pork ribs
2 T chili sauce
1/4 C pomegranate infused balsamic vinegar
1/2 T chipotle hot sauce
1 t cracked black pepper
2 t kosher salt
1 t liquid smoke
1 t hot chili powder
1 1/2 t paprika
3/4 t chipotle chili powder
1/2 t cayenne pepper
Juice and zest of one lime
1 large mango, cubed
1 medium onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic
Olive oil
Spice rub:
1 t hot chili powder
1 1/2 t chipotle
1 t cracked black pepper
1 t cayenne pepper
To start, mix the spice rub together, and rub it on all sides of the pork. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat and brown the pork on all sides. Place the roast and all over ingredients in the slow cooker. Cook on high for 6 hours, or low for 8-9 hours. When done, shred with two forks, mash any mango pieces, and serve on soft rolls.
I've had other great food experiences lately, but they'll have to wait for another entry. Enjoy!
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