Philadelphia Marathon Eve Dinner Specials

As a new "runner", which I say loosely as I am nowhere near the ranks of those getting ready to run the Philadelphia Marathon next Sunday, November 20th, I am super excited that Phila Marathon has teamed up with local restaurants to offer pre-fixe dinner menus designed to get runners fueled for the big race. This is such a great concept especially knowing that so many will be traveling to our great city for the weekend.

Getting nervous for the 26.2 miles, then click on this link http://www.philadelphiamarathon.com/pasta-dinner-dine-and-explore to check out the many dining options you will have for Saturday night. Hopefully, imagining the delicious meals you could have the night before the race will help take your mind away from the enormity of it all. On this list, you have your pick of locations with some Center City, Old City and Fairmount restaurants. As a Fairmount resident, I must elaborate on the special offered at a local favorite - London Grill, located at the corner of 23rd Street and Fairmount Avenue. For $35, your "Night Before" Marathon Dinner starts with a cocktail or mocktail (your choice), Ribolita Soup, your choice of House Made Uova Raviol0, House Whole Wheat Fetticini or 'Best of Philly' Potato Pizza, and last but certainly not least, Dark Bittersweet Chocolate Souffle Cake.

The cocktail is called "Sweet Tart 'Drinking Vinegar' Soda". Vinegar has many health benefits, so why not create a healthy runner's cocktail out of it. Sounds a bit odd but I have faith in the skilled bartenders of London Grill to make a fabulous cocktail or mocktail. The appetizer of Ribolita Soup is a Tuscan bread soup packed with vegetables, beans, Tuscan kale, cabbage, tomatoes and herbs. After this vitamin-packed starter, you will be good and ready to continue loading on the carbs. It will be difficult to decide between these three entrees, each one with its own character and wow factor.

The first option, House Made Uova Raviol0, is filled with fresh ricotta cheese, Parmesan Reggiano and an egg served with brown butter and truffle. This dish will make all of that training and running worth it. House Whole Wheat Fetticini tossed with chicken, bread crumbs, goat cheese, pine nuts, herbs and extra virgin olive oil is your second entree choice, which will give you the perfect combination of carbs, protein and robust flavor. Finally, the 'Best of Philly' Potato Pizza is a thin crust pizza topped with sliced potatoes, Fontina cheese, Mozzarella, rosemary and truffle oil. With its 'Best of Philly' label, I really don't need to say much more. The only thing I will say is truffle oil. Sold!

While celebrating in the elation of courses one and two, the happiness will only continue with the finale of this marathoner's dream meal - a Dark Bittersweet Chocolate Souffle Cake. My only advice is to make reservations now and reserve for early in the evening to allow for plenty of time to digest before getting a good night's sleep. I am hoping it is not required to be a marathon registrant to get this deal because I am ready for London Grill's "Night Before" Marathon Dinner this Saturday. Or in my case, "Night Before" Sunday Dinner.

Apple-Cranberry Baked Brie

Last weekend I had the pleasure of co-hosting with my husband a Halloween Housewarming gathering. The gathering was lovely despite the rain, sleet and snow from a much too soon Nor'easter. The menu, my favorite aspect to any gathering, was in the works for quite some time. Inspiration came from an annual gift from my parents, our New Orleans Calendar. What makes this calendar so wonderful is that it not only shows a beautiful scene from my favorite city each month but it also has a recipe to along with it. September's recipe for Autumn Brie was the most intriguing yet. Ever since catching a glimpse of that recipe, I knew it would be the perfect addition for the Halloween Housewarming.

When shopping for the party, inevitably there were a few ingredients that I could not locate or did not have the time to locate. I decided I would just wing it and make my recipes work with a few substitutes and some creativity. The original recipe called for apple cider but instead I used a crisp white wine in its place. I also replaced the golden raisins with dried cranberries. To make up for the lack of sweetness, I just used more brown sugar than the recipe called for. In cooking, a hobby that I adore, there is nothing more gratifying than creating a new recipe that is a hit with your friends or family. I never tried the original recipe but I am sure it is just as good as my interpretation. I highly suggest giving this heavenly recipe for Apple-Cranberry Baked Brie a try for your next gathering. Serve this hot and bubbly with fresh baked bread such as a buttery Challah or a simple baguette. As soon as your guests taste this, thoughts of icy, frigid weather will melt away.

Ingredients:

(1) 4" Round Wheel of Brie Cheese
1-1/2 cups dry white wine such as a Pinot Grigio
1 Red Delicious apple, sliced thin into bite size triangles
(2) 2 oz. snack size boxes of Dried Cranberries
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, divided into two
Pinch of salt


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large circular baking dish, place the Brie wheel in the center. Allow to sit at room temperature for up to one hour before cooking.

2. In a saucepan, combine white wine, apples, dried cranberries, and a 1/4 cup of the dark brown sugar and a pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes or until apples are slightly tender.

3. Set saucepan aside to cool down for about 5 minutes. Drain off only half of the liquid from the saucepan. Then pour apple-cranberry mixture over the Brie wheel. Arrange some fruit on top of the Brie as well as around the Brie for a beautiful presentation. Sprinkle the remaining dark brown sugar and another tiny pinch of salt all over the Brie and fruit mixture. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden and bubbly.

4. Serve with hot bread or crackers and enjoy!

My guests and I loved this recipe so much that I cannot wait to make it again. I have faith that you will feel this way and be making Apple-Cranberry Baked Brie for your friends and family again and again. The weather might be getting colder but the bright side to that news is all of the warm and delightfully scrumptious recipes that you can savor this season. Get in the kitchen with your loved ones and a glass of red wine or a cup of steamy cider and get cooking.

Corn and Kielbasa Chili

Are you tired of using that same old chili recipe? As much as I love my classic chili recipes, typically made with ground beef, it is nice to change it up with something out of the ordinary. In fact, something extraordinary happened in my kitchen this Monday when I whipped up a stew now referred to as Corn and Kielbasa Chili. My initial concept for this dinner was not meant to become chili-like but this is how great recipes are born-by accident.

The concept originated with the giant bag of frozen corn ears leftover from our CSA summer farm share. If you are like me with summer corn in the freezer that needs to be used, then this is a great way to go. The other ingredients I had on hand were the basic items like beef and chicken broth, spices, Rotel (canned tomatoes and chiles), onion and red pepper. I picked up a fresh link of uncooked pork kielbasa from Whole Foods.

This dish came together quickly-simmering away on the stove while my husband and I enjoyed a mild fall evening in Philadelphia after a long weekend away. Along with fresh bread and butter, we indulged in this hearty stew, which is sure to please anyone who enjoys chili and a bit of spice.

Corn and Kielbasa Chili

Ingredients:

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Dash crushed red pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
Sea salt Freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, grated
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp paprika
Pinch of cayenne
2 large ears of corn, corn removed from cob
*Hold corn on its end and gently use a knife to scrape off all corn kernels.
3 tbsp tomato paste
2 cups beef stock or broth
2 cups chicken stock or broth
1 can RO*TEL (canned tomatoes and green chiles)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tbsp liquid smoke
4 shakes of Cholula hot sauce or Tabasco
1/2 lb Kielbasa or Chorizo
*If sausage is not cooked, then simply place in stew once all other ingredients are in the pot and allow to cook all the way through. Remove from stew and let is rest for a 3 minutes. Peel away casing and dice up the sausage. Return the chopped sausage to the stew to continue cooking. If you use cooked or smoked sausage, then simply chop sausage and add to the soup at the same time as the corn.


Directions:

1. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil at the bottom of a large pot over medium heat. Add a dash of crushed red pepper and allow to heat through for 30 seconds.

2. Add onions, red pepper, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mix ingredients and cook for 5 minutes.

3. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, paprika and cayenne. Mix well and cook for another two minutes.

4. Place corn and tomato paste into the pot. Stir well and cook for 3 minutes.

5. Next, add all liquids to the pot (beef and chicken broth, RO*TEL, red wine vinegar, liquid smoke and hot sauce). Mix the stew together well. Cover with lid and simmer on low for 5 minutes.

6. Add uncooked sausage link and continue to simmer with the lid on until sausage is firm and cooked through, approximately 12 minutes.

7. Remove sausage from pot and let it rest for a couple of minutes. Remove the casing and chop the Kielbasa. Place the chopped Kielbasa back in the stew. Continue simmering on low for 10-15 minutes.

Enjoy this Corn and Kielbasa Chili on a cool, crisp fall evening. Serve with crusty bread or cornbread and butter. Go vegetarian by omitting the sausage and using a vegetable based stock or broth and extra veggies. Chorizo, shredded chicken or smoked sausage would be excellent substitutes for Kielbasa. For seafood lovers, replace the sausage with jumbo shrimp and mussels toward the end of the cooking time. No matter how you do it, you will love the warmth and spice that this dish will bring you and your family.

Po Po Restaurant

During a recent visit to Boerne, TX, the home of my parents who relocated from New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina as well as the home of my sister and her family, I was introduced to a Texas classic family restaurant, Po Po Restaurant. Every time my husband and I visit, my family says we should to Po Po's, as they call it. Often on the phone with one of my Texas-residing family members, I hear, "we just got back from another great dinner at Po Po's". Then they will say, "you've been there, right?" Again and again I had to remind them that they had not ever taken us to Po Po's, so finally on this trip we had our special evening at this historic place.


In 1929, this structure was originally built as a dance hall, called the Nelson Dance Hall after the owner Edwin Nelson, a rancher and dairyman. During those days this establishment provided cheap burgers, moonshine during the Prohibition and a place for folks to dance and be entertained even during the Great Depression. During such hard economic times, people hardly had enough money for gasoline to get anywhere let alone to cut loose at the Nelson Dance Hall. Eventually Nelson sold the property in 1932 to Ned Houston, a rancher and exporter to locations such as Mexico, Cuba and Dominican Republic. Houston decided to make Nelson Dance Hall into a restaurant. Wanting a memorable and simple name, he named his restaurant Po Po after the Mexican volcano called Popocatepetl. Houston's name choice has certainly withstood the test of time.

In 1934, Houston sold Po Po's and the restaurant had various owners until 1950 when Luther and Marie Burgon bought the place. This is when Po Po's truly became a family establishment where prominent families would come to dine. The Burgon's, a well-traveled family, decorated their restaurant with plates collected from every new place they visited. Po Po Restaurant currently has over 2,000 plates displayed on its walls. Current owners, Sam Bounias and Mark Admire, plan to continue the traditions of Po Po Restaurant in the Texas Hill Country.


Located in Boerne, Texas, approximately 30 miles from the San Antonio area, Po Po Restaurant stands proud serving customers authentic Southern cuisine from chicken fried steak to a dynamite seafood platter. Po Po's is not a place for dieting, cares or worries; this is a place to sit back and enjoy the laid back atmosphere while enjoying comfort food with family and friends. That is just what my husband and I did during our Po Po's visit with my parents and sister.


On a hot, bone-dry summer evening followed by a day spent at the pool, we relaxed with cocktails while reading over this traditional Southern menu. Being from New Orleans, we were all very comfortable and delighted with all of our meal options. While getting into the basket of Captain's Wafers crackers, a staple at Southern spots and seafood restaurants alike, I spotted okra on the menu immediately and ordered Fried Okra for the table. My mom ordered her favorite-Chicken Livers or Gizzards w' Gravy. With these two items on the table along with a few house salads to make us feel better about the fried food, we indulged and enjoyed good conversation. Getting slightly stuffed already, we prepared ourselves for what was to come. On its way to our table was a Seafood Platter-Jumbo Shrimp, Boiled Shrimp, Fried Oysters and a Catfish Fillet, a Chopped Steak with Grilled Mushrooms, French Fries and Gravy, Chicken Fried Steak with Gravy and, finally, a plate of Homemade Biscuits.


We had our work cut out for us but truly had a memorable meal. Po Po's frying techniques come from 1950's owner, "Ma" Burgon's original, award-winning recipes. Menu options at this spot are endless starting with Po Po's Famous Fried Chicken menu with a side note that says, "1987 winner, San Antonio Restaurant Assocation's Taste's of the Town-Best America Taste. Ma Burgon's Original Recipe! Fried the way Ma Burgon taught us". Po Po's continues to please with items like hamburgers, ribs, turkey, and a full steak and seafood menu. Dessert at Po Po's does not disappoint with Homemade Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce, Popocatepetl Special Dessert-homemade chocolate brownie with pecans topped with Blue Bell Ice Cream, Chocolate Topping, Whipped Cream and a Cherry, and Home Baked Cobbler-Blackberry or Peach.


Spend a day in the Texas Hill Country and end it with a satisfying, comforting meal at Po Po's. Do not miss Po Po's welcome sign out front, which reads:

"WE ARE NOT FAST! We try hard to be good, cheerful and courteous, but, we are not fast! For fast go to New York. Here we are South of the 'Tension Line' --- So relax. Take time to smell the flowers and give us the time to prepare your order with tender loving care."


Po Po Restaurant
829 FM 289
Boerne, TX 78006
830-537-4194

Cheesy Chicken Chorizo and Potato Stuffed Peppers

As summer sadly comes to an end, we are also facing the end of our vegetable farm-share. After a full summer of delicious recipes inspired by the fresh vegetables from the local farm, there are many that I must share. My favorite creation this summer was by far the Cheesy Chicken Chorizo and Potato Stuffed Peppers. This recipe developed from an overabundance of both peppers and potatoes. Beautiful, dark green bell peppers were just sitting in the fridge drawer with no purpose until I hit a chicken sausage sale at Whole Foods. I like to stock up on a variety of chicken sausages. I find that one large link is the perfect portion for my husband and I to have for a dinner with veggies and rice or pasta. Examining the contents of my fridge and freezer, I eyed up the chicken chorizo I had bought along with the peppers and thought this combination could be a match made in heaven. With the surplus of Yukon gold potatoes and red potatoes, I added those in the mix.

The recipe was very organic, meaning completely unplanned (as well as the other kind of organic). Not knowing exactly how to incorporate the potatoes, I began with dicing one large Yukon gold into small chunks and then boiling the diced potato pieces for just a couple of minutes. After caramelizing Vidalia onion slices, I added the chicken chorizo to the saute pan. I decided to throw the diced potatoes in the pan as well. As the onions, chorizo and potatoes cooked together, a hash formed, which turned out to be the perfect consistency for a stuffing. With a punch from some chili powder, cumin and cilantro and the satisfying creaminess of cheddar cheese, this hash was stuffed into each bell pepper.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
Dash crushed red pepper
1/2 Vidalia onion, diced
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, grated
1 link Chorizo sausage-chicken or pork, removed from casing (Half link per person)
1 large Yukon gold potato, diced
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
Juice of half of a lime
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 large green bell pepper, cut in half and seeded (Half large bell pepper per person)

Directions:

1. On a preheated grill, place the bell pepper halves face up in a glass or metal baking dish. Place dish in center of grill not directly over an open flame. Cook in closed grill for 10-15 minutes or until slightly tender.

2. While the pepper cooks, bring a pot of water to boil on the stove top. Once water boils, add a dash of salt and the diced potatoes. Boil potatoes for about 3-5 minutes. Drain well and set aside.

3. While the potatoes are boiling. On a stove top, heat 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil over medium to low heat. Add a dash of crushed red pepper, diced onions, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mix ingredients together well, cover pan and allow onions to caramelize for about 10 minutes.

4. In the saute pan, grate the garlic clove with a microplane and mix in well. Also, crumble the chicken Chorizo into the pan. Break up well and cook for about 5-7 minutes or until about done.

5. Add the diced boiled potatoes, chili powder, cumin and another pinch of salt and pepper into the Chorizo mixture. Cook on medium heat and stir frequently. Once potatoes start to break down and mixture turns into a hash, add the the lime, cilantro and half of the shredded cheese. Mix well.

6. Stuff the Chorizo and potato hash into each bell pepper. Return peppers to grill and cook for about 10 minutes. Top each pepper with the remaining shredded cheese. Cook for another 7-10 minutes or until cheese is golden and bubbly.

Serve this beautiful dish with a vibrant green salad and corn on the cob or freshly baked corn bread. You will love the smokey flavor brought to this dish by utilizing the grill. Use this method of creating a potato hash with any ingredients you have on hand to create an amazing stuffed bell pepper. Try potato, ham and cheddar stuffed peppers or a "baked potato" stuffed pepper by using potato, bacon, chives and cheddar. I think I will try that one next. Enjoy!