Vending Machines

Vending machines have been around since the 1880's when the first coin-operated machine was invented in London to dispense post cards. Since then, they have dispensed everything from cigarettes to candy to ice cream to souvenirs to contraceptives to feminine hygiene products to toiletries to comic books to art and the list only grows longer.

The most common offering  of vending machines is junk food. So when I was killing time in an Atlantic City Casino a few weeks ago waiting for the bus back to Philly after a lovely beach trip, I wasn't surprised by the cookies, cheese doodles, and chips but what did catch my eye was the bottom row. In addition to the usual junk food to fuel their hunger, patrons may also take their pick of Alka-Seltzer, Advil, or Extra Strength Tylenol.

Oh Atlantic City, New Jersey, how I love you so.

Salmon with Cilantro-Yogurt Sauce, Red Pepper Basmati Rice, Summer Squash and Zucchini

We recently subscribed to Cooking Light magazine and when I came across a variation of this dish, I decided to try it out. Am I ever glad I did - it is simple, light, and mouthwatering. The original recipe called for Arctic Char and coconut jasmine rice, but since I'm a real rebel, I used salmon, made some basmati rice and sauteed summer vegetables. 

For the cilantro-yogurt sauce, combine 1/2 cup of 2% Greek Yogurt, 1/4 cup of finely chopped and peeled cucumber, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, the juice of one lime, and a bit of salt. Chill.

 Bring 1 cup of basmati rice, a dash of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of crushed red peppers to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Dice one red bell pepper and set aside; once the rice has finished cooking, mix this pepper into the rice and stir before plating.

While the rice cooks, heat a smidge of olive oil in a medium sized frying pan. Add garlic, salt and pepper in a  and toss 1 sliced summer squash and 1 sliced zucchini, stirring  frequently. Heat a large frying pan and add the salmon fillets, seasoned with salt, pepper, and the juice of 1 lime each. I squeezed the remainder of the limes into my vegetables just for fun.

After dishing the fish, vegetables, and rice with diced bell pepper, spoon the cilantro-yogurt sauce on the fish and rice. Serve and devour.

An Ode to New Orleans: BBQ Shrimp

No, I didn't make BBQ Shrimp, but since I have been so insanely busy with an upcoming art exhibit whose central theme is New Orleans, I thought it would be lovely to put up a tale about my experience with the quintessential plate of New Orleans, BBQ Shrimp.

In March of 2007 I spent almost two weeks in New Orleans, living and working in the Lower Ninth Ward at Common Ground headquarters, St Mary's School of the Angels, tearing down and rebuilding the lower nine that had been absolutely ravaged by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. Much of the lower nine was a ghost town resembling a war torn country in a time capsule that took you back to August 29, 2005 and I was there to offer myself to assist in the rebuilding. My camera came along for the ride and as a means of honoring the recently passed 5 Anniversary of Katrina, some of the black and white photographs will be on display until the end of October.

One evening, a friend of mine who lives in New Orleans took me out for a hearty, traditional, New Orleans dinner. The drinks were flowing, the conversation was loud and bawdy and full of laughter, and my dinner arrived with their faces still on. Yes, you heard me correctly - the shrimp were staring up at me out of a mouthwatering sauce of garlic, butter, lemon, herbs, and spices, spices, spices! Served alongside crusty french bread for dipping, this hands-on creole dish is said to have been created by Pascale Manale in 1913, and contrary to its name, contains no BBQ sauce. Why it's called BBQ shrimp, this Yankee will never know, but I do know that it was absolutely delicious - that is of course, after one of my dinner companions seated to my immediate left very kindly offered to peel my shrimp for me :)

Apple and Sage Pork Chops

This photo and recipe come from McCormick, the American food company specializing in spices. My Librarian and I stumbled upon a few of these pre-packaged meal spice packs while cruising through the supermarket one night. Generally the spices we use are fresh, save for a few dry spices we buy at one of the markets, but this recipe card really intrigued us, not least of all because the pork looked absolutely divine. These things come with a recipe card that you can keep handy for future dishes and the pre-measured spices necessary for the dish on said card. We figured what the hell, right?

The package included 1 1/2 teaspoons of Rubbed Sage, 1 teaspoon of Minced Garlic, 1 teaspoon of Thyme, 1/2 teaspoon of ground All-Spice, and 1/2 teaspoon of paprika. There were a few things we would need to add so we made a note of the things we had at home, that which we would need to grab, and headed over to the meat section to select our boneless pork chops.

Later that week, we were ready. Per the instructions, we mixed 1 tablespoon of flour with the entire spice packet and 1 teaspoon of salt in a bowl. The recipe asks you to sprinkle - honey, I don't really sprinkle - so I took each of my 4 pork chops and lightly dredged into the mixture.

In a large skillet, I cooked the pork chops on medium heat until browned on both sides and promptly removed and put them on a plate tented with foil. Next, 1 medium thinly sliced onion was cooked for about 3 minutes (or until tender), followed by 2 thinly sliced red apples. Cook for a few more minutes, stirring occasionally.

Finally, stir in 1/2 cup of apple juice, 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, and the rest of the seasoned flour until well mixed. Return the pork chops and any collected juices to the pan and bring it all to a boil. Reduce to low, and simmer for about 5 minutes or until done.

We served with a side of apple mashed potatoes and it was delightful.

Happy Birthday, Julia!

I adore this photo of Julia Child - I picked it because I feel it really sums up the chef and the woman behind the apron. Julia died two days shy of her 90th birthday in 2004, but is far from forgotten. A revolutionary force in the field of cooking and in American culture, Julia published a shit ton of cookbooks, conquered the world of PBS with more than 20 years of her own cooking show, loved to eat, loved to cook, loved her husband Paul dearly, and even worked as a spy for the CIA (then the OSS) after graduating from Smith. Never one to shun butter, Julia lives on in our arteries and our kitchens.To Julia!

"Lipstic on my belly-button and music in the air - thaat's Paris, son.


What a lovely city! What grenouilles a la provencale. What Chateauneuf-du-Pape, what white poodles and white chimneys, what charming waiters, and poules de luxe, and maitres d'hotel, what gardens and bridges and streets! How fascinating the crowds before one's cafe table, how quaint and charming and hidden the little courtyards with they wells and statues. Those garlic-filled belches! Those silk-stockinged legs! Those mascara's eyelashes! Those electric switches and toilet chains that never work! Hola! Dites donc! Bouillbase! Au revoir!"
-from My Life in France

The Pennsylvania Dutch Festival: Donuts!

 So clearly it's not all about donuts, but I found they are by far the tastiest part of the whole festival. Starting today and running through the 14th, The Pennsylvania Dutch Festival takes center court at the Reading Terminal Market with handmade quilts, woodwork, and other goods right alongside the food. Oh and the food: Delicious fresh sausage grilled alongside fresh peppers, homemade ice cream, brittle and fudge and what seems to be the main attraction - the donuts. How can you resist these freshly made baked goods? At 85 cents a pop, you simply can't. At least I couldn't and upon arriving this am, I snagged a tasty powdery treat to accompany my coffee.

Fond Summer Memories: Peaches on the Beach

One of my fondest summer memories involve fresh Jersey peaches and the beach. My grandmother had a house in Ocean City, NJ and during the summer, my father would often spend his weekend visits with my brother and I 'down the shore.'

New Jersey is ripe with farms that offer mouth-watering goods in the warmer months - driving south on the Garden State Parkway you couldn't go more than 1 mile marker without passing homemade signs advertising fresh Jersey corn, peaches, tomatoes, peppers, alongside other varieties of locally grown fruit and vegetables. We would stop at any one (at least one - more often than not we would stop at multiple) of these stands and purchase enough fruit and vegetables to feed a tiny army. My favorite were the peaches. Soft and juicy treasures, warmed by the sun, these gems made my mouth water.  The best way to savor these is on the beach, fresh from a cool dip in the Atlantic.

We'd arrive in Ocean City and bustle into my grandmother's, a whirlwind of hugs, kisses, bags, and groceries. In a few hours time we'd be off the beach a few blocks away, a cooler always alongside the towels and chairs. The peaches would have been sitting in a brown paper bag, warmed by the sun and ripened in the farmer's orchard. Reaching in, you'd pull one of these deliciously plump fruits out of the bag. The warm sweet juice would mix with the salt on your face from the ocean and it would be pure heaven.

About a week ago, I took a day trip to the beach and packed along a few peaches from Kauffman's, a farmer we patronize fairly often. The sun was hot, the water was cold, and when I bit into that peach I smiled.

So dear readers pray tell, what are your fondest summer food memories?