Mom's Makes it Best...

Mom's Food Truck that is - aka Mom's - A Philadelphia institution located on the Northeast corner of 6th and Chestnut.  Mom's has been a fixture of the Philly food scene now for 26 years, and Harriet "Mom" Antanasiadis is still working the cook-top, along with her daughter Nicole and Alfonso (Mom's tag-team grill cook).  Her customers call her 'Mom' and she serves up the love, the way only a Mother can. 

Mom's, of course has many great food offerings, though for me it's all about the Bacon, Egg, and Cheese!  That's how it's ordered, and that's the way it is.  For $2.25 you will buy yourself a warm 'good morning', a nudge towards a brighter day, and a better tomorrow.

It's simple, and simply perfect.  It's bacon, egg, and cheese on a long roll, with salt, pepper and ketchup (the ketchup is the game changer).  It may sound plain, or even a bit strange with the ketchup, but trust me, when you pull that warm, shimmering, silver foil torpedo out of the small brown paper bag it all starts to make sense.  And once you open it, the aroma hits and it's just a matter of a few minutes until you are staring down at the empty foil mirror below you, now reflecting the satisfied smirk growing on your face.

Now, I work in Old City, so Mom's is only about 2 blocks from my office - which makes it a very easy decision if I need that extra boost in the morning.  However, if you are not as lucky to be within nose-shot of this Institution, it is still very much worth a leisurely morning stroll to sink your teeth into a Mom's.   

The Shrine - Mom's Food Truck on the northeast corner of 6th and Chestnut.

Nicole & Mom (Alfonso had the day off)

Peek-a-boo...

A silver bullet of Goodness...

Oh, the anticipation

Wait for it...

Good morning to ME!

...less than 2 minutes later...

There's always tomorrow.  Or LUNCH!

Pop it Up! Pancake

RECIPE: Pineapple 'Pop-up' Pancake w/ Pineapple-Tangerine Syrup

How's that for alliteration?! Here is is again - Pineapple Pop-up (German-Style) Pancake w/ Pineapple Tangerine Syrup - and, oh yeah...BACON.

Great Tip! - Add bacon to ANYTHING...that's all.

Now this is a new twist on a dish I have eaten too many times to count - though I have only made it a few times myself.

The heart of the recipe is straight out of my Mother's kitchen. A staple of her weekend breakfast repertoire. I have many fond memories of Saturday mornings past, where the only thing that could rip my attention away from Saturday morning cartoons was the incredible smells of this pancake puffing up in the oven.

Now, like I said in a previous post (because there have been sooo many) - I like to be spontaneous and try and use what ingredients I have at hand. Today I happened to have a fresh pineapple and tangerines - so I decided to add pineapple to the pancake and try and make a syrup with them. When I say 'try and make' I mean this syrup is something I have never made, nor had any foundation of a recipe for. That being said - it turned out great - tasting like a breakfast version of a pineapple upside down cake.

** Most of what I cook is 'make-it-up-as-I-go-along'. So even though I have a basic plan in my head, the final product is always somewhat of a surprise. That's my favorite way to cook. So I suggest you do the same - take these recipes and dishes and get creative. If you don't have the exact ingredients, try improvising with what you DO have in your kitchen. Don't be afraid to screw up either. I have made some really great dishes using some funky ingredients and methods. Though, my 'creativity' has also resulted in some pretty inedible things too - but that's how you learn. So if I screw up while making any of the dishes I post on this blog, I will tell you what went wrong and why, and hopefully how I fixed it.

So Let's POP IT UP!

Pancake:

• 6 eggs
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup milk
• 2/3 tsp. salt
• 4 Tbsp. Butter
• 1 cup thinly sliced pineapple pieces

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Mix eggs, flour, milk and salt together in a bowl with a mixer
3. Melt butter in 13X9 baking pan and pour in pineapple pieces, and then pour in egg mixture
4. Put into the oven and cook at 425 for 15 minutes - then - DO NOT OPEN OVEN - and reduce oven temp to 350 and cook for another 10 minutes

That's it - it makes enough for about 4 people - or two people if really hungry

Note: The base of this recipe doesn't call for any fruit so if you want something more basic just don't include fruit, and just cover the finished pancake in maple syrup or your favorite jam. It's a nice alternative to your more traditional egg and/or pancake dishes. I have also made it with apples and pears, which turned out nicely - so try some other versions too.

Syrup:

• 1 cup fresh pineapple juice (if you don't have fresh pineapple, use store bought. Just make sure it doesn't have added sugar, or else reduce the amount of added brown sugar accordingly to taste)
• 2/3 cup tangerine juice about 4 or 5 tangerines (or sub with fresh orange juice)
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter

1. Cut pineapple into large pieces and put into food processor - cut tangerines in half and squeeze out juice. Mix all in food processor until liquid.
2. Strain juice mix into saucepan and then heat on high.
3. Bring to boil and add brown sugar and butter - stir constantly to prevent burning and sticking to bottom of the pan
4. After a minute or two reduce heat to medium/low and simmer still stirring frequently
5. Keep reducing until you start getting a syrup consistency. If it's not reducing fast enough turn up the heat, but be sure to keep a very close eye on it and stir constantly to keep from burning.

NOTE: Taste it as you go and make sure you are happy with it (though be careful, because it's molten hot). Then depending on taste, you can always add more sugar if it's too bitter and more juice if it's too sweet - because when dealing with fresh fruit the ripeness/sweetness can vary greatly.

PANCAKE: Beat eggs, flour, salt and milk

Toss the pineapple pieces in bowl with brown sugar and a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg

Pour egg mixture into 16X9 baking dish - to which the butter and pineapple chunks have already been added and coating the bottom of the dish. Now POP it in the oven.

SYRUP: Squeeze tangerines into food processor with cut pineapple (this isn't all the pineapple I used)

Gratuitous fruit pic

Process the JUICE out of it!

Strain juice into sauce pan. Because the pineapple is so fibrous it tends to clog the strainer, so you may need to do it in batches, rinsing the pulp out of the strainer in between batches.

Strained pineapple and tangerine juice

Juice mixture reducing down with brown sugar and butter

Finished baking. This batch didn't rise as much as it usually does - plus it fell a little bit as it tends to do when the oven is opened. I also think it could have been because of the moisture from the pineapple. Otherwise it can raise far above the edges of the pan and create quite the show. Either way it still turned out and tasted incredible.

No frills. Delicious.

Try it out and let me know how yours turns out!

Stuff it...Stuff it Good...

This is a dish that I have made a number of different ways. It is very versatile, because you can get creative and add whatever you like to your stuffing mixture. So don't feel you need to have every ingredient on hand to make this dish - just be sure to be liberal with your seasoning, because there are few things more boring than an under seasoned boneless chicken breast.

It's also a great recipe to make for company, because you can prepare the chicken ahead of time and have it ready in your fridge to cook whenever you want. Plus it's a crowd pleaser.

Recipe: Stuffed Chicken Breast & Vegetable Fried Rice

*This may seem like a lot of ingredients and steps, but it actually comes together pretty quickly.


Stuffed Chicken Breast (this recipe is for 2 - so just double accordingly if making more):

• Boneless chicken breast - 1 per person
• 1 Cup - Panko (Japanese Bread Crumbs)
• 1 Egg
• 1/2 Cup - Milk
• Flour - to dust chicken breasts
• 1/2 Tsp. - Onion Powder
• 1/2 Tsp. - Garlic Powder
• 2 Tbsp. - Mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp. - Sour Cream (greek yogurt subs well)
• 2 Tsp. - Brown Mustard
• 2 Tbsp. - Red Onion (minced)
• 1 Clove of garlic - minced
• 2 Green Onions (just the green part)
• Pinch Salt
• Pinch Ground Black Pepper
• 1/2 Cup - Shredded Parmesan Cheese - not grated (Feta or other sharp flavored cheese work great too)
• 1/2 Tsp. - Herbs of Provence (Italian seasoning works too)

1. Take out your chicken breasts to bring to room temperature
2. In shallow container make the egg mixture - whisk together egg and milk
3. In another shallow container make the breading - Add panko, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper - mix together
4. Stuffing - Add mayo, onions (red and green), garlic, Parmesan, brown mustard, and pinch of salt and herbs of Provence. Stir together and that's it.
5. Now to make the pocket in the chicken breast (images below) to add stuffing mixture - take a smallish, sharp knife and insert it into a thick part on the side of the breast. Now carefully, hold the chicken against your cutting board with knife inserted and while maintaining only a small opening, cut through the inside of the chicken breast, making sure not poke through the sides (think of it as cutting the breast in half from the inside out - just don't cut though the sides of the breast - the only opening should be the one you first inserted your knife into).
6. Once you have a nice pocket made - take your mixture and start stuffing it into the chicken breast. I just use my fingers and a spoon - it's a bit messy but it does the trick.
7. Once you have the breasts stuffed now it's time to coat with the breading. First, lightly coat the breast in flour, then immediately dip into the egg mixture. Remove from egg mixture allowing excess to drip off before transferring to the panko. Coat the breast evenly with the panko, making sure it sticks well.
8. Once you have your breasts well coated - transfer to refrigerator for 30-60 mins (you'll find this gives you a better crust).
9. Preheat oven to 375
10. Heat a skillet on high until almost smoking- add 2 tbsp. olive oil - now add chicken to skillet and brown each side (about 3-4 minutes per side).
11. Once nicely browned transfer to oven to finish - how long depends on size of chicken breasts - mine were pretty large so I let them go about 10 minutes per side. Using a oven safe meat thermometer works nicely too - you want to achieve a temp of 160.
12. Once cooked thoroughly - remove from oven, let cool slightly and serve!

Vegetable Fried Rice (use whatever veggies you prefer):

• 1 Cup White Rice - make according to directions on product package
• 1 small Red Onion (about 1 cup) - large dice
• 1 Cup - Porcini Mushrooms (baby portabellas) - chopped
• 1 Small Zucchini - Chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1. Start Rice - cook as directed on product packaging
2. Heat large skillet on high heat - pour in olive oil - then add all veggies at once. It's essentially a stir fry when cooking at this heat, so be sure to stir frequently so it cooks evenly. After about 5 minutes, add garlic and turn down heat to medium/low - still keep an eye on it and stir occasionally.
3. Once rice is done, turn the veggie pan back to high and once the pan is again very hot add the rice and mix in with the vegetables and cook for a few more minutes stirring frequently. That's it. Turn off heat and serve it up.

Chicken in the egg and milk mixture - and panko mixture

I misstepped and coated the chicken prior to stuffing - it works fine this way, it's just a bit messier when stuffing it. The opening should only be as wide as it takes to stuff in the mixture (about the width of two fingers) - the smaller the opening the less likely it will be that your mixture will leak out

After the breast has been stuffed

Wrap in plastic wrap and put in fridge

Pan fry in skillet to get nice brown crust

Finish in oven to make sure it's cooked thoroughly. Any filling that comes out can just be put on top of chicken.

Veggies for the fried rice

Slice and serve! Enjoy!

**NOTE** If you prefer to make it a bit healthier you can just skip the breading portion on the chicken- but be sure to season the breast itself. And try using brown rice instead of white and don't toss the rice with the veggies in the pan, just scoop the veggies on top of the rice when plating.

The Weekend Egg - Greatest Hits!

Ahhh...the weekend.  Time to turn you work brain to the off position, pour yourself a cup of fresh coffee and sink into your couch for some much deserved channel surfing.

After my first cup of coffee (one is never enough), once i have sufficiently woken up, well...at least enough to operate a chef's knife and a gas stove, I start to concoct my plan for breakfast - though truth be told, I rarely ever have a plan.  I typically cook with what's at hand and build from there.  Leftovers from the week can be great to use in your breakfast dish (try forcing yourself to use leftovers that you might not otherwise use for breakfast). Plus, since leftovers are typically already cooked you can put together something delicious even faster.  It doesn't have to be anything fancy, but if you present it in an appealing way you can make it even more irresistible.

Here are some breakfast dishes I have made in the past.  None very difficult...all delicious.

Southwestern Benedict - Sunny side eggs over a toasted everything bagel with melted cheddar cheese and fresh, thick sliced tomatoes - all topped with sauteed peppers, onions and jalapenos...oh, and a dollop of sour cream. 

Mixed Veggie Frittata - Red Onion, Porcini Mushrooms, Asparagus, Broccoli, Fresh Garlic, Eggs and Pecorino Romano

Fritatta (essentially a puffy, baked omelet) - use an oven safe skillet  - *preheat oven to 400 degrees* - on your cook-top heat some olive oil in the skillet over medium/high heat and toss in your chopped veggies (whatever you want to include) and saute until just about done. 

Now turn your burner down to medium - medium/low.  Then depending on the size of your skillet pour in 4-8 eggs that have been whisked aggressively (for fluffier eggs add a few tablespoons of water to the whisked eggs and stir again).  Let the egg mixture coat the whole pan evenly.  Slowly cook the egg, pushing the cooked edges away from the sides letting the runny eggs fill up the edges again. Keep doing this until just a thin layer of uncooked egg remains.

Now move the pan to the oven and close the door. Let cook for roughly 30 minutes (depending on number of eggs used) - though keep an eye on it to make sure the top doesn't burn.  When you have about 15 minutes of cooking time left, sprinkle some shredded cheese (if you like) to melt while it finishes up.  The finished product should be puffy and slightly browned on the top.  Pull the pan out of the oven and let cool a bit.  Then dig in and enjoy!

NOTE:  Please remember that the pan stays VERY hot long after pulling it from the oven.  The above frittata narrowly escaped a brush with death as I absent mindedly grabbed the pan barehanded and dropped it on the floor. It was like something straight out of a cartoon.  I knew I had made a mistake once I grabbed it, however it still took several seconds for the heat signal to reach my brain and say "you better drop that, Sucka, if you ever want to use that hand again ".  So I dropped it in the most dramatic of fashions - with a satisfying scream and then a loud crash of the pan as it hit the hardwood.  (the above picture was post drop...so pretty good recovery, eh?! - also why it is not as fluffy). 

Nice and Simple - Eggs over easy, french toast and fresh fruit

 

German Benedict - Toasted bagel, eggs over easy, melted cheddar cheese, grilled bratwurst and sauteed onions

Leftovers from Maggiano's -  Spaghetti and meatballs, some alfredo sauce and spinach and artichoke dip.  I loaded it all into a single serve baking dish and threw it in the oven until it looked like this.  But is this breakfast...?...wait for it....

Kablamo! - Add an egg and it's a goddamn breakfast!

Simple Omelet - ham and sauteed onions - topped with fresh diced tomatoes, sour cream, and sprigs of green onions

Leftovers  Fajitas re purposed with scrambled eggs and cheese to make some tasty breakfast burritos!  This is prior to making into burritos and browning them on a skillet.  Technically, it's a breakfast taco at this point...but one crafty step and Chapow!...burritos.



See....burrito, of the breakfast variety



The Perfect Steak Made Easy

*Let me preface things by saying that there will be a sort of archival string of postings for dishes that preceded the birth of this blog.

That being said...

The perfect steak is easier than you think.

All you need is:
- A nice steak (I prefer a nicely marbled ribeye)
- Good Olive Oil
- Basic spices: Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, and Onion Powder
- Skillet (Cast Iron is best)





First, take out your steaks and let them come to room temperature ( just leave them in the butcher paper).  Take the steaks and give them a light drizzle of olive oil, making sure to rub it in and coat meat evenly.  Then take the spices and apply desired amounts to each side of steak, once again rubbing in the spices to make sure they stick well to the meat.

Next, heat skillet on high until it just starts to smoke.  Then add a tablespoon or two of olive oil onto heated skillet and make to coat evenly.  Now drop those steaks and watch them sizzle.  Turn heat to medium high and be patient. This part is important:  DON'T F-ING TOUCH THEM.  Just let them cook.  For medium rare on a steak that's about 1 inch thick I would let it go for about 3-4 minutes a side.  That way you are getting a nice crispy sear on the meat, and keeping it nice and moist inside.

Once you've reached your desired temperature, pull those babies off and let them rest.  Now, when I say let your steaks rest, I mean don't even look at them or speak their name.  Rest time of 5 minutes is fair, but I would let it go 10.  I know it's hard, but it is worth every agonizing minute.

My preferred way to serve for a group is to slice the steaks on the bias and liberally cover with crumbled bleu cheese (Maytag is my all time favorite).  Then your diners can just heap slices of steak onto their plates along side all the other entries for the evening.  Now sit back and watch everyone as they take their first bites and their eyes roll into the back of their heads.

*My final plate consisted of the sliced ribeye, sauteed asparagus with fresh garlic, red bliss potato salad, and baguette with shredded romano, asiago, and fontina.

A Toast to Tasty Beginnings!

CHEERS! 

I thought it appropriate to kick off my inaugural post by raising a glass to YOU for finding your way to Blade & Shutter.

I will work hard to keep things fresh, interesting, and delicious.  I hope to grow this site and build upon it with what you the readers want to see, taste and experience. 

Also, I would like to offer a special tip of the glass to my good friend Alea Giordano for her reluctant and persuasive efforts to get me to start this blog. 

Cheers, Alea!

Picture: A glass of Oban 14 at Positano Coast, Philadelphia, PA