Hefty.

Food competitions based on geographical area are always entertaining. For starters, we all know Philadelphia is the only place on the planet you can get a real-deal, authentic cheesesteak. Imposters in other cities selling “Philadelphia-style” cheesesteaks are frauds and true Philadelphians know better than to even think of ordering the sandwich outside the area, otherwise you’re up for disappointment. New York claims their bagels are something special and even attempts to participate in the soft pretzel category. Personally, I don’t think that’s even worth arguing; Philly’s perfected soft pretzels, too.

We even have a good shot at the best pizza outside of Italy. Fishtown alone has some of the city’s best spots – from Pizza Brain, to Pizzeria Beddia, to the handful of other small shops the neighborhood has been home to forever –  I would say we are lucky enough to never have trouble finding a place close enough that they’ll deliver a quality pie to your door. Until recently, though, our city was not typically thrown into the mix when it came to the great pizza debate.  Read More…

When I was growing up, breakfast for dinner was always reliable when my mom was overdue for a trip to the grocery store. I knew it meant that we probably didn’t have another meal option, but I never minded. Bacon and eggs, pancakes, or French toast at any P.M. hour felt like breaking the rules, and I always considered it a special occasion.  Read More…

We are now days away from Christmas and I am as ready as I’ll ever be. Sure, I’ve got a menu of items to make for our big “Eve” party this weekend, but I’ve at least finalized what I’ll be serving and need to only make one more trip to the grocery store for our fresh ingredients. Anything else in my pantry, though, has dwindled down to next to nothing, including my compartment of baking ingredients. Only last week it was overflowing with chocolate morsels, flour, granulated and brown sugar and various other things needed to open my home bakery for the holidays.

I was oh-so-proud of my baking cabinet and the sweets it helped me produce: the chocolate chips I had stocked up on to coat my Oreo truffles, the loads of granulated sugar it felt like I used with my candied orange peel, and the various other Christmas treats that remind me why I love to bake. My favorite holiday dessert, which has become a tradition since I first made it years ago, is considered my “pièce de résistance,” and I like to think my family is anticipating its big reveal this Saturday. The classic French Yule log is no joke – if, like me, you soak up every single complement thrown your way regarding any of your dishes, make a Bûche de Noël. You will be the talk of your family holiday party well into 2012. Read More…

I’m not an expert on relationships, but if anyone were to ask me advice I would recommend lots of delicious, home cooked meals for a great partnership. Believe me, I’m not preaching the archaic “a woman’s place is in the kitchen” outlook on life (though it is my dream to be locked away in a fully stocked, state-of-the-art, industrial kitchen all day and coincidentally get paid for it). Simply put: the way to a man’s heart is, without a doubt, through his stomach.

Ever since the start of my relationship, I’ve been feeding Joe the best possible dishes I can think of. In the beginning, it was fun to discover what his favorite foods were. On the same token, I learned very quickly what he couldn’t stand; since 2007, my “Chicken Parm” has been “Parm-less”. Parties, birthdays and holidays have been marked with memorable recipes like pastor-style tacos, chocolate bread pudding and apple cider brined turkey. We have also made it through some kitchen disasters, like the Valentine’s Day 2009 homemade lobster ravioli that took us five continuous hours to make; by the time it was ready, we were uninterested.

Just as I win Joe’s affections through my meals, he never fails to tell me how great my food is and he constantly brags about my skills in the kitchen. Plus, his dishwashing skills are on point, even after a four-course meal. Now that we are engaged, I feel even more responsibility to produce amazing dishes and am making it a point to create recipes with his favorite ingredients.

On a regular basis, I catch him with a spoonful of peanut butter, straight from the jar. He could eat peanut butter and jelly every day and be perfectly happy, and all of the desserts he flocks to include the thick, salty spread. This recipe for peanut butter pie might be one of the reasons he asked me to marry him.  Read More…