Lost and Found: Wings to Go?

Philadelphia is known for many things: Rocky Balboa, Cheeseteaks, South Street...and wings? Yes. Wings. I'm not going to spend time on the infamous and trashy Wing Bowl that occurs every year at the Sports Complex in South Philly (how fitting, really), but instead on Hot Wings. Or more precisely, this plastic bowl of hot wings that someone left on The Inky's newsstand at 22nd & Arch. Interestingly enough, I smelled it before I saw it, so these were fairly fresh and recently left behind. Perhaps by a conscientious SEPTA passenger, though I personally surmise it was more forgetfulness than thoughtfulness which led me to my strange discovery.

Without question, I felt a picture was in order. Later, after contemplating just how often the staggering number and variety of chicken wings (and those remnants of what once were said chicken wings) which I stumble upon in Philly - i.e, on the bus, in the street, sometimes hanging out of the mouths of and being gnawed on by pedestrians, in the gutter, on sidewalks, being eaten by pigeons on sidewalks - in places that have been listed, yet are not limited to, I decided a short ode for entertainment's sake was in order.

Salmon and Spaghetti Limone with Brussel Sprouts

We stumbled upon a great tiny Italian restaurant in the Lower East Side last winter and one of the dishes we ate was a simple Spaghetti Limone, which we loved and then realized we could easily make to accompany some of our dishes.

This is a quick and easy delicious after-the-gym-after-a-long-day meal that is filling and flavorful and doesn't take too much time at all to prepare. We took the salmon fillets, laid a couple tablets of butter under and on top of the fish in glass cookware and squeezed the juice of one or two lemons, depending on the size of the fillets. Bake.

Boil water and cook your pasta. Drain. Dump the pasta back in the bowl and add a half of a stick of butter with two to three lemons (again, according to the amount of pasta) and stir, mixing evening, tossing the pasta over to ensure even distribution.

The fish will take about thirty minutes at 375 degrees. Generally it's done and ready within 25, but I like a nice crisp on the top and edges, so I leave it in the oven a little longer before pulling to cool. As the fish is cooling, you should be nearly done or done with both your spaghetti limone and your steamed sprouts, which you can start once your pasta water begins to boil.

Plate. A dash of oregano on the pasta and Buon Appetito!

A is for Arugula

Arugula is an annual green, a member of the Brassicaceae family. It's great for salads and actually fairly easy to grow from seed. I got two bags of Baby Arugula last Saturday at the Fair Food Farm Stand and we munched on it all week in simple side salads.

This bunch from Paradise Organics in Lancaster, PA was wild, which gave it a slight spicy kick, which I love. The wild arugula paired with a simple vinaigrette (extra virgin olive oil and juice of fresh lemons) was a great side to some of our dinners this past week. As a standalone, I added some dried cranberries and some leftover chicken breast to be heartier and tossed it all together with some fresh parmesan.

Arugula is a great source of Vitamins A and C, rich in potassium, and even considered be an aphrodisiac (!). Though its origins trace way back to the Roman Empire, it was all but adopted as the USofA's official salad green in the mid 1990's. Generally used as a salad green, it has limitless possibilities - cooked, added to pasta sauces and meats, pizza, and even made into pesto...

For Arugula Pesto, take a bunch of arugula and remove the stems. Pan brown three or four large garlic cloves in olive oil. Finely chop the arugula and add the garlic cloves, a 1/2 cup of fresh parmesan and chopped arugula to a blender or food processor, and on a low setting, blend while adding 1/2 a cup of olive oil. Remember to taste the sauce frequently as you add more of one ingredient or another.

The Garlic Plate: Baked Mashed Blue Potatoes with Parmesan and Mozzarella, Green Beans, and Chicken

I truly love my garlic press and cook with fresh garlic whenever possible. With this dish, I indulged my love of Allium sativum. I took a few locally produced blue potatoes and boiled them until tender. In a bowl I added milk, some parmesan and mozzarella, a dash of rosemary, a couple of tablespoons of butter and then, using a hand mixer, mashed them.

However, the mozzarella posed a bit of a problem with it's taffy like consistency so I decided to hand mash and then bake the potatoes at 375 degrees for about twenty minutes, sprinkling the top with some fresh grated parmesan. The result was an almost casserole like potato pie. The mozzarella softened and spread and the parmesan hardened and formed a nice crisp on top.

I sauteed the chicken breast in garlic, olive oil, italian herbs, rosemary, lemon and white wine while the fresh and local greens were sauteeing in olive oil and fresh garlic. Once plated, I tossed a dash of rock salt on the green beans and the chicken and Voila! My garlic glands were ready to be sated.

K is for Kale

Inspired by a question from a food lover and good friend, I'm posting about this delicious and versatile green. Kale is one of the healthiest greens you can find, a member of the Brassica family of plants and high in phytochemicals (they help you live longer!), Vitamins A, B, and C, as well as bunches of other vitamin goodness. Roast it, saute it, bake it, may your preference be simple or glamorous, this leafy cabbage-like plant comes in several different varieties for you to choose: Curly kale is ruffled and deep green with a strong smell and a peppery, sharp taste; Ornamental kale or salad savory, can be white, purple, or green and has a more subtle taste; and Dinosaur kale is dark blue or green and is slightly sweeter than Curly kale.

Though technically a winter vegetable, you can find it at Farmer Markets almost year round (at least at some of the farms here in the Philadelphia area). It should be kept in cool temperatures when purchases as the heat may cause it to wilt. It's also worth noting that the longer its stored the more bitter it grows.

I have found that kale responds really well to being paired with one really strong flavor; my preference is a little red chile and some garlic but yours may differ depending on palate and plate. Other suggestions for a pop on your plate are tamarind, peanut sauce, even onion will complement well depending of course, on your entree.

In response to the initial request for direction on cooking with kale, I suggested a simple, yet delicious Tuscan Variation. Take your kale and blanche it in salted boiling water for about three minutes before chopping. Add 1/4 cup of olive oil, some salt, 1/2 a sprig of rosemary, a small red dried chile, 2 cloves of garlic, and 1/2 of a white onion to a frying pan over medium heat.

Once your onions are translucent, add your kale. The kale will take about 30 minutes in the pan. You'll want to stir it often so as to keep things moist and even. As it cooks, it will turn a deep green (almost black) as it softens. It will crisp a little (which you do want) after it softens, but if the greens get too dry, you can add some vegetable or chicken stock (no more than 1/4 cup).

Once it's slightly crisp and a deep, dark color, voila!