Perfect for sharing.

Have you ever had trouble deciding between multiple menu items at a restaurant? I’m constantly stuck between two or three entrees, so much so that I attempt to manipulate my dinner companions into ordering the items I’m choosing from, just so I can have a bite. Occasionally, my persuasion backfires and I wind up with a serious case of “food envy,” not as impressed as I had hoped with my selection and wishing I had ordered what someone else has.

The easiest way to avoid the dreaded “food envy” is to order and entire meal of small plates or appetizers to share. I’m never more satisfied than when I can have a little bit of everything on the table. This recipe for a homemade, healthier version of a favorite finger food is so tasty, you may not want to share. Read More…

Tuesday is, by far, one of the busiest days of the week. It’s still the beginning of the week so, not only do I feel like the day runs in slow-motion, it’s filled with activity too. I wake up early to head to work, try to cross things off my ‘to-do’ list at my desk, and head to French class at the Alliance Française at the end of the day. I get picked up at 7:30 p.m. and head home, my stomach growling in anger that I’ve neglected it since lunchtime. Typically I get home to a fridge that’s been emptied from weekend activity, and often wish there was a machine that existed that could have somehow prepare dinner for me while I was gone all day. By the time I remember there is, it’s too late and I have to settle for take-out.

Slow cooker to the rescue.

I’ve suffered too many Tuesday nights hungry or unsatisfied to forget any longer that the answer to my prayers is my trusty slow-cooker. It sits in a cabinet under my counter tops, so sometimes I forget it’s there to help me. Recently, though, it’s taken a more permanent role in my weekly meals and allows me to now let my busy Tuesdays get the best of me. This recipe takes very little preparation time and combines practical ingredients to make a diverse dish. Read More…

August, a petite, Italian BYOB at 8th and Wharton in South Philly, is one of the city’s hidden gems. Though I have a handful of friends that frequent the restaurant and, when dining there, it’s apparent many other tables are filled with locals who eat there weekly, it doesn’t receive a deserving fanfare that establishments created by an Iron Chef or tri-state restaurateur would.  It hits the mark on characteristics many great and lasting restaurants have: the ambiance is romantic, it’s small without feeling exclusive, the chef and staff are friendly and warm, and the food is quite memorable.

Beets are too pretty to not like.

Read More…

We all eat and drink with our eyes first – I drool as soon as I see the cover of Philadelphia Magazine’s “Top 50 Restaurants” issue every year. Elite chefs learn the art of skillfully plating dishes, ensuring the sensation that something is delicious before you even bite into it. Companies secure clientele with ads I sometimes wish were scratch-and-sniff, or by renting billboards on I-95 with the exact number of miles to the next location of their fast-food restaurant. And have you ever attempted to watch a cooking show on an empty stomach? I’d rather do 100 sit ups.

Read More…