Category Archives: Eat

Art auction benefits Habitat for Humanity

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I like art. I certainly enjoy a party. And I’m passionate about the good work done by Habitat for Humanity of New Castle County.

unnamedOn April 8, Habitat is hosting its second live auction and art show to raise money to help people who need homes. The event is in memory of longtime Habitat supporter and art lover Judy McCabe, who worked tirelessly to plan last year’s successful auction of paintings donated by Dick Poole, a lawyer and collector with terminal cancer who made this event part of his considerable legacy to the community.

A year later, both Judy and Dick are gone. But their dedication to helping others lives on.

This year’s event, aptly titled There is no pARTy without ART, will be held at Christ Church Christiana Hundred in Greenville, 6-8:30 p.m. It’s co-chaired by ardent art patrons Cindy Pettinaro Wilkinson and Stephen Mottola. Tickets are $80 for couples, $50 for individuals.

I’ll be there. Hope you will be, too!

 

Cocktail of the hour: A Sip of Spring

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It’s spring, a glorious day and my sister Roni and I are hiking on the Delaware Greenways Trail.

How can life get any better? Some wine, perhaps.

moscato1After our trek, we uncork a bottle of Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi Moscato, which had arrived earlier that day, sent by the nice folks from the winemaker. Roni has graciously agreed to quaff a glass or two with me so that we might advise others on the wines they might share with their kinfolk for Easter. Our mother raised us to be helpful.

We like the slightly fizzy quality of the pour. The bubbles and hints of citrus, floral and figs make it a festive choice to serve with dessert after Easter dinner.

We pour the moscato after it has been chilling for several hours and recommend that you serve a nippy nip, as well. Take it from the Smith sisters.

unnamed-1This spring arrives with exuberant stirrings in the garden, which remind us that moscato also plays nicely in cocktails. After all, this is National Cocktail Day. (Although I confess I’m  at a loss as to why a boozy, made-up holiday shares the calendar with Maundy Thursday. Better to celebrate cocktails whenever you feel the calling.)
Here’s a moscato cocktail recipe to try a few weeks from now when mint overtakes your herb garden:

Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi Cool Melon-Mint

Yield: 1 cocktail

 

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 honeydew melon, cut into small cubes
  • 1/4 cup elderflower cordial
  • 3/4 cup Woodbridge by Robert MondaviMoscato, chilled
  • 1 cup crushed ice
  • Seltzer water, to finish and to taste
  • Fresh mint, for garnish

 

Directions:

  1. In a food processor or blender, combine melon cubes and elderflower cordial.
  2. Process or blend until pureed smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Add the Moscato and ice; process or blend until fully smooth.
  3. Finish by adding seltzer water to taste. Garnish with fresh mint or melon wedges. Rim serving glasses with ginger sugar if desired.

Call your sister. And serve.

Wasting away again in Dallabridaville

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Midway through February, Veganuary is so over. But it is not a distant memory.

People ask me: What did I learn from a month without refined sugar, alcohol and meat of any kind? Do I feel different? And what did I eat and drink when it was all over?

The last question is the easiest. I went to Eighth and Union Kitchen in Wilmington with a few friends, intent on ordering wine and some sort of non-plant-based protein.

Unknown-2Before the main course, we ordered appetizers to share, among them a plate of spicy cauliflower. Along with a few florets of cauliflower, I picked up a small, dense cube with my chopsticks, hoping for a nibble of cheese.

But instead of a dairy product stolen from an exploited cow, I tucked into tofu, the much-loathed bean curd that was my culinary nemesis throughout Veganuary. Yes, TOFU. (TO, pronounced “TOW,” and FU as in “F-U, lady! Take that, you carnivore!”)

My first foray into flesh and booze was a nicely grilled salmon served with a glass of pinot noir. Make that two glasses.

The sole physical difference I perceived after a month-long cleanse was that I lost four pounds. Weight loss was not one of my goals, but I’m OK with it. Since then I’ve lost two more pounds, likely because I gave up sweets for Lent. (Although it could be argued that I should have gotten 31 days’ credit for Veganuary.)

I also saved money. Tofu costs about $1.50 a pound, about one-third the price of fish and one-quarter the cost of beef. My wine and spirits tab was zero. And since I am firmly off the wagon, I’ve enjoyed several rounds on friends who had waited an entire month to buy me a drink.

So what did I get out of giving up things I enjoy for a month? I truly believe that challenges are good for us. That setting a goal and sticking to it is an exercise in character building. It’s also helped me to recalibrate. I’m more thoughtful about what I eat and drink. I’m consuming far less sugar, meat only sparingly and a little less wine.

Veganuary reminds me of the great wit Dorothy Parker’s observation on writing: “I hate writing. I love having written.”

I hate Veganuary. I love having Veganuary-ed.

Like a red, red…wine

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Red wine and romance: a time-honored pairing.

13498So, on Valentine’s Day, let us consider the aptly named Loveblock Pinot Noir 2012, which hails from a small vineyard in New Zealand, aptly named Someone’s Darling. It’s imported by Terlato Wines, who forwarded me a bottle to taste.

I often think of Pinot Noir in a classic pairing, pinot and pork. But it’s also a successful match with salmon, especially served on a velvety bed of mashed potatoes.

With Loveblock, expect lots of fruit: berries and cherries, tempered with herbal tones of sage and white pepper. It’s exceptionally food friendly, with a sleek, silken texture–and more ardor than found in many pinots. The tannic finish shows this wine is a serious suitor.

Expect to pay about $30 for Loveblock Pinot Noir. If you haven’t already, consider making pinots a staple in your own personal wine bar.

 

 

Last-minute Super Bowl snacks

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As a lifelong Philadelphia fan, I don’t care who wins Super Bowl 50. Panthers? Broncos? What’s an Eagles fan to do?

radish-onion-dip-ictcrop_galDrink beer and chow down, that’s what a good sport does on Game Day. I’m heading to a Super Bowl party, where the hosts have planned a yummy menu that includes Colorado Pork Green Chile soup, Carolina Sweet Potato and Bacon soup and second half Mile High Brownies.

We are hoping for Philly cheesesteaks and soft pretzels next year.

It’s not too late to put together your own Game Day repast. Here’s a quick-and-easy recipe from the folks at Real Simple, Spinach and Carmelized Onion Dip. Serve it with crunchy broccoli, cauliflower and radishes.

Here’s the recipe:

INGREDIENTS

  1. 3 tablespoons olive oil
  2. 2 medium onions, chopped
  3. kosher salt and black pepper
  4. 116-ounce container sour cream
  5. 110-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed of excess liquid
  6. 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  7. broccoli and cauliflower florets, endive spears, and radishes, for serving

DIRECTIONS

  1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and let cool.
  2. Add the sour cream, spinach, vinegar, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper to the onions and mix to combine. Serve with the veggies.

 

Happy Chinese New Year from P.F. Chang

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pf-chang-s P.F. Chang’s is celebrating Chinese New Year throughout February, spreading good fortune by treating five patrons to free meals for a year, plus raising money for  Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

Making wishes and giving to children are two Chinese New Year traditions. Diners can participate in the monthlong celebration and help kids through social media.

  • In restaurants: Order an item off the P.F. Chang’s Chinese New Year menu, which features symbolically lucky options. The restaurant will donate $1 to Boys & Girls Clubs of America each time a guest orders from the limited-time menu, which includes handmade-from-scratch Butternut Squash Dumplings, Sichuan Chili Garlic Chicken, Hong Kong Style Sea Bass, Long Life Noodles & Prawns and the Monkey Mule, a unique twist on the traditional Moscow Mule featuring Monkey Shoulder whisky and house-made ginger beer,.
  • On social media: Share a Chinese New Year wish on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #PFChangsWish to trigger a $1 donation to Boys & Girls Clubs of America. P.F. Chang’s will randomly select and grant customer wishes throughout the month.

 

The wishing tree tradition began in Hong Kong centuries ago, when villagers traveled for miles during Chinese New Year to visit the sacred wishing trees and hang New Year’s wishes, written on red tags, among the branches. On Feb. 8, P.F. Chang’s will adorn trees near its restaurants with traditional red envelopes that contain P.F. Chang’s Preferred loyalty points, redeemable for free entrees and other menu items. Five lucky winners will receive an envelope with enough points to dine free P.F. Chang’s for a year.

Veganuary: The final hours

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There are 31 days in January.

Veganuary, a month with no refined sugar, alcohol or meat of any kind, feels a lot longer.

red-apple-bite-300x299In these final hours, I’m taking orders. Food orders. Drink orders. What should I eat and what should I drink when all the edibles and beverages I have denied myself are back on the table?

The arrival of February brings more than the opportunity to fall off the wagon and into a vat of beef, bourbon and brownies. I will reflect on what I’ve learned during the month of Veganuary and report back to you. What did I miss the most? What does my body tell me? What does my soul have to say?

Meanwhile, I’m looking forward to breaking the fast.

Crunchies, the freeze-dried fruit snack

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I think I know why people can’t stop eating potato chips.

Sure, salt and fat contribute to the attraction. But the big lure is the crunch.

Crunchies is a simple fruit snack that deliveries the crunch we typically associate with savory nibbles. In addition to giving fruit a novel texture, freeze-drying locks in the nutritional value while extending shelf life.

Blueberries_frontThe folks from Crunchies sent me a big box of snacks to sample. The treats arrived at an auspicious time, as I’ve sworn off refined sugar and other goodies for the month of January.

Crunchies contain no added sugar and no artificial flavors or coloring. They are non-GMO, gluten-free, vegan, and kosher- and-halal certified. A serving is only 40 calories. In short, Crunchies offend no one.

Strawberry quickly emerged as my favorite variety. Unlike strawberries that are picked long before they ripen, Crunchies are intensely flavorful, with the sweetness of just-plucked natural fruit. I eat them straight out of the bag. They liven up a bowl of oatmeal, too.

The line also includes mango, pineapple, blueberry, raspberry, grape, cinnamon apple, strawberry banana and mixed fruit. You can find Crunchies in stores nationwide for an SRP of $4.99 – 5.99 for resealable pouches and $1.25 for single-serve bags.

Veganuary: Week Three

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For the past three weeks, I’ve abstained from meat, refined sugar and alcohol. Call it going cold tofurky.

In winters past, the stove would be bubbling with braised lamb shanks, coq au vin or cod and leek chowder. And each blizzard was followed by a hike to Trolley Square to gather with friends at a neighborhood bar.

These days, it’s bean burritos, barley and veggie soup, and quinoa with a medley of yellow, red and orange tomatoes. A handful of dates for dessert. And water, water and more water.

So, has it been difficult maintaining my commitment? Yes, at times.

Have I stuck with the deal? Yes, absolutely.

But the question I hear the most is: How do you feel?

Other folks who have embraced a plant-based diet say they are bursting with energy. They sleep better. They are more focused. Their skin is smooth and dewy.

1222006Truth to tell, I already felt pretty darn good when I took the Veganuary pledge. I have noticed a slight increase in my energy level, especially in the evenings, when I traditionally wound down with a nice dinner–usually including poultry, beef or seafood–and a glass or two of wine.

It’s also easier to stay on track with other disciplined tasks. I’m exercising and practicing the piano every day.

With 22 days under my belt, I am heading into the home stretch with hopes that I soon will be sleeping like a log, completing tasks with laser accuracy and sporting a radiant complexion.

If I don’t realize those or any other benefits by the end of Veganuary, I am OK with it. I took on the challenge as an exercise in mindfulness, a time of eating and drinking thoughtfully. (Which brings me to another question. What will I eat and drink on Feb. 1?)

After three weeks, doing without meat, sweets and booze is a bit easier.

That said, I’m well aware that I need to keep my eyes on the prize, whatever that might be, as I enter the home stretch. I don’t want to be the figure skater who jumps and spins throughout 4 1/2 minutes of a 5-minute program, only to fall on my fanny on that last triple lutz.

Nine days to go.

 

The secret to deviled eggs: Britcoms

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My friend Diana tells me I have an obligation to share the remedy for a dilemma that has long confounded hosts.

img_9724-version-3-version-2-1“How do you make five dozen deviled eggs without going out of your mind?” she asks.

She is referring to the dishes I made for a holiday gathering, which included two rib roasts, a turkey, a ham, five pounds of brussels sprouts with figs, five pounds of shrimp,  roasted red peppers, other assorted goodies and 120 deviled egg halves.

Truly, it’s not a chore. I enjoy cooking for friends and making the food myself shook loose enough cash to hire a server.

Still, Diana makes a good point. Deviled eggs can be devilishly labor intensive.

detectorists-poster_thumbnail-37c948So here’s my secret: Binge watch Britcoms while you do the work and the time will fly. Also, so be sure to make the eggs the day before the party, before your schedule gets truly crushed.

I barreled through a season of the BBC series Detectorists on Netflix, a hilarious romp about two eccentrics armed with metal detectors who seek a king’s fortune in the remote English countryside.

Here’s the recipe:

Turn on Episode One.

Put 60 eggs in three large pots (that’s 20 in each pot, you math wiz you)

Add enough water to cover the eggs by about an inch. As soon as the water starts to boil, turn off the heat, cover and let sit for 13 minutes exactly. (I saw chef Anne Burrell do this on the Food Channel. Because there are lots of eggs, I give them 15 minutes and they are perfect.)

Put on Episode Two:

Peel eggs under running water. (Pour  glass of wine.)

Put on Episode Three:

Keep peeling eggs. (Pour another glass of wine.)

eggs-2-jpg1Put on Episode Four:

Slice all the eggs in half. Scoop out the yolks. Add 2 1/2 cups of mayonnaise, 2/3 cup Dijon mustard, and all the pickle relish you can scrape out of the jar. Pour in a little white vinegar. Glug. Glug.

Put on Episode Five:

With a fork, mash up all the ingredients. Do a thorough job so the ingredients are dispersed evenly throughout the yolks.

Put on Episode Six:

Keep mashing. When you have the consistency just right, take an ice tea spoon and start mounding the filling into the halved eggs. (My friend Vince tells me it’s lots easier to pack the filling in a plastic storage bag, snip the corner and pipe it out. I will try that next time.)

Sprinkle on paprika. Use the expensive smoked variety. It’s worth it.

Season One of Detectorists is complete. And so are the eggs.

One last tip for home entertainers: Make sure you station all the booze at the bar before the festivities get underway. I tore through hostess gifts in search of red wine when I thought the supply was running dry. The next day I discovered an errant case of merlot, neatly tucked in the garage.