Philly Phood Phind & Phlowers

Sandy doesn't have to convince me to go to the yearly Philadelphia Flower Show. I really like the displays and it smells nice...especially in Spring. Kinda primes you for the warmth coming. The last time we went together, the theme was Britain. Ahhh, glorious England! The Beatles were even represented. As the show mug stated, "BRILLIANT"!

Each year the theme is different and captivating for what is touted to be the best flower show in the land with its huge colorful displays. This year's theme was "Explore America", a celebration of our historic  National Parks.We particularly enjoyed the Redwoods exhibit for this show and I actually left wondering how I was going to make a table out of a cross section of one of those magnificent trees for this summer. Check out some of these pics! 

                                                            The Liberty Bell

Hawaii

The Redwoods

Oh yeah...and sponsored by Su-ba-rooooooo

Next up...and part of the reason why I love this flower show so much!

Dinner Time!

Now that we've covered the flower show, I have to wonder out loud why in the world do we not have a food oasis like this in New York.

We have the best of everything (one exception*) all over the place, however all in one place like this is something that is worthy of a a blog entry as a true find.

Right across from the flower show on Chestnut Street exists, in my opinion, the most exciting food court I have ever seen. It's the Reading Terminal Market.

All of these food selections are subject to one's own interpretation as to what is good and good for you...however there are so many food choices here in every category that there  has to be more than one something for everyone.

Hands down, our favorites were the absolutely phenomenal beef pastrami sandwich from Herschel's East Side.

I grew up in the heyday of the Stage Deli in NYC and still love the Carnegie Deli right down the street from where the Stage used to be. Most folks would consider the sandwiches at the Carnegie to be the gold standard by which all others are gauged. That is, until you taste the pastrami at Herschel's in Philadelphia.

How do they do it?  I met the owner Steve (last name withheld), who just happens to be part of the family that owns Katz's Deli in NYC.

No surprise anymore.

What you also have to consider is that the cost of his sandwiches are $10.88 or almost 1/2 of what they are in NYC at Katz's or Carnegie.

THE BEST PASTRAMI SANDWICH ANYWHERE!

That' right...anywhere!

(This IS the one exception*)

Nuff said Steve. Thanks for a great sandwich and a truly happy staff.

You know what they say about a happy staff, don't you?

Herschel's Pastrami Sandwich

Muffalettas too!

The crowd

Next up: Another favorite and a definite stop for a fresh sliced turkey with stuffing, cranberry sauce and gravy on sourdough at The Original Turkey! I missed my personal pic here...Sorry...next time.

There really is sooo much more turkey on this sandwich...

Want more?

Famous?...Yes!

Well...that's about it folks. The pics I took best represented what Sandy and I would have liked to eat...however that will have to be over the next visit or ten.

There was soooo much more...Bar-B-Q...more bakeries...Butcher Shops, More Chinese food and so on.

 I think you get the drift. Where is something like this all in one place in NY?

Please let me know.

Oh yeah...how could we forget?

We were quite full and couldn't eat anymore when we left...however about an hour later after driving around Philly and taking in the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall sights, we decided to stop for coffee in "Olde Town" Philly.

Right across the street from our coffee stop...and it couldn't have been anymore convenient...was The Olde Creamery Cellar ice cream shop featuring...you guessed it... Bassett's Famous...which we missed at the Reading Market from being stuffed!

Inside was a genuinely gracious fellow by the name Dane.

It was the beginning of the ice cream season and not all of his flavors were available yet, however there were still about 10 choices.

Our pick...Peanut Butter and Vanilla. Sooo goood!

Dane

Thanks for your fine reception Dane and the Bassett's Ice Cream Container too!. Sooo Coool!

We'll be back!

Oh yeaahhhhh...One More Pic!

Ready?

Moody Blue Cheese

A tip guys: If you go, make sure you have a cooler with an ice pack in your car with which to take home goodies and food you may not have been able to finish

Mangia Baby!

It's Happening! Many Un-Enriched Italian Pastas Are Finally Here!

      phoodographsandfinds July 7th, 2014 segment from The Fancy Food Show...NYC

A quick word about pasta that I feel must be emphasized and was discussed with the many pasta experts we met. There is a flavor and texture that comes from Italian pasta produced for consumption in Italy that simply doesn't exist to the same extent when exported.

Many exported pastas are enriched based on the laws of the country to which they are being exported.

                         
"Enriched Macaroni Product" is what you will see on the packages of most brands of pasta. These enrichment's include niacin, ferrous lactate, thiamine mono nitrate (Vitamin B1), riboflavin and folic acid.

There is no doubt these additions can change the flavor of pasta and a reason we, in the USA, cover our pastas with way too much sauce. We're looking for flavor!
The Italian tradition teaches from a very young age to enjoy the taste of pasta and it's the main reason you don't see heavy sauce applications in Italy.
Their ingredients: durum wheat semolina and water, or as it says on the packages of Fabbri  pasta and Di Martino, semolina di grano duro and acqua.  "Now that's Italian"!

             Bert & Francesca from Pastificio Di Martino / Pic from my July 7th, 2014 Fancy Food Show

These laws are now becoming a bit more relaxed, however if you want the true taste packaged Italian pasta the way it was meant to be, you'll have to do some searching for the products that don't say "enriched macaroni product" on the box. According to some I spoke with at the show, they are coming.
We shall see!

                                                Follow up today, March 12th, 2016

At the NYC Fancy Food Show in 2014, I learned that the pasta manufacturers in Italy were making a push, along with the importers, to get the Un-enriched pastas into the USA.
See July 7th, 2014 Fancy Food Show entry.

For many years, the top names like DeCecco and Barilla were importing enriched pastas...and still do. Most of what you are buying right now in stores is the enriched version.

You now don't have to buy them as the un-enriched pastas from many of the top importers are now here.

Just today I purchased at Uncle Giuseppe's 3 lbs. of Di Martino pasta for 5.00!

The price is right and you should now be making a change to a healthier and more tasty pasta.

It's there. All you have to do is look for it and pay a little bit more.

In some cases, they are actually less $.

Bottom line...Sooooo many other products we buy that are not pastas are enriched with the same vitamins. Although these vitamins individually are good for you in moderation...they become not good for you if  all these other products we buy are 'enriched' the same way!

Today...March, 12th, 2016...and you don't see the words "ENRICHED MACARONI PRODUCT" on these packages!

                                                                         Mangia Baby!

Our Phabulous Phood Phinds at The 2016 NYC International Restaurant Show

 

Chef David and I cruised The 2016 International Restaurant Show at The Jacob Javits Convention Center in NYC today and discovered some wonderful new products!
There are so many new innovations in the world of food today because people are tired of all the crap ingredients food manufacturers have been using over the years.
Corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup and genetically modified corn based products that we find in multitudes of products today are literally killing us. Bad sugars are the main culprit and has overtaken fat as the main health concern.
Good fats found in foods like fatty fish, extra virgin olive oil and organic peanut butter are being promoted like never before. As 'fattening' as they may be, they are not killers like loads of products containing bad trans-fats
I'll go on to emphasize again my decades long fight against trans-fats. Simply spotting the words "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated" oils on food labels should make one run the other way.

Now...getting back to the fun part of the show was discovering some new products that we absolutely  loved!
As we entered, we stopped off at Prova Gourmet and were treated by 'Victor' to a wonderful selection of  pure Madagascar, Mexican and Tahitian vanilla extracts.

Victor of www.provagourmet.us

The Tahitian vanilla really impressed us and the samples he promised to send are going to my cousin Mitchell, Executive Chef down south at Gilbert's Resort in Key Largo along with some other products coming right up. 

Next stop: Bruce Julian Heritage Foods and the best Bloody Mary mix ever..and with wonderfully healthy ingredients. We ordered on the spot!

                                                        www.brucejulianbloodymary.com



                                                A Happy Bonnie, Melanie, Paul & Chef Dave

Loved the small individual size bottle of the Bruce Julian Bloody Mary mix wrapped with a nice ribbon around a small bottle of Tito's Made in America Vodka

For what else but...

Ahhhhh...Check out the names of these preserves!

Next up:

 Ice Berry Frozen Yogurt featuring a flavor we've never heard of.

Get this: Taro Yogurt.What is Taro you ask? Taro is a large perennial herbaceous plant that has a cultural identification with many Asia-pacific cultures.

Each year in April, Hawaii celebrates the annual taro festival.

Want to know more...just ask Alex or Jay at info@fyberry.com and tell them Chef Bert sent you!

I bet they'll even invite you to the new location they are planning to open up very soon in downtown Hollywood, Florida, USA

Tell them you read about them here, and you can have all the yogurt you can eat on your inaugural visit.

Alex, Chef Bert and Jay

                                                                  www.fyberry.com

A Happy customer who preferred to remain anonymous

Next up:

 

The best cooked salmon we have ever eaten...and right out of a package!!!

The 5 choices...Original, Chipotle & Lime,Cajun (my favorite), Cracked Pepper and Lemon Pepper are 99% boneless, certified Kosher, gluten free, AND...there are no preservatives, coloring, artificial flavors, nitrates or MSG.

The genius behind this extremely healthy is product is Mr. Kevin Mason of Colorado, USA!

The happy fellow behind Kevin just finished lunch. Can't you tell?

 

Wanna know more about The Honey Smoked Salmon Company? Simply log onto www.honeysmokedfish.com  

Next up:

Preface:

I've had a real dilemma for many years now and I have a confession to make.

I know most of us have grown up loving the revered Heinz Ketchup....Right?

Well here's the dilemma and the confession. Two of the main ingredients are high fructose corn syrup  AND corn syrup which, besides being the same thing, are just awful from a health standpoint. What compounds the bad health factor is that the corn was and still is genetically modified. It's just so unbelievable that I'd look the other way for so many years, however what was one to do? Most, if not all other ketchup's were made with the same ingredients and it simply came down to this was the best tasting of the worst formula. At this point, most ketchup manufacturers have figured out how to make their's taste like Heinz. If you look at the contents, they are virtually the same.

Then, recently, Heinz decided to create a version of their Ketchup...sans high fructose corn syrup called "Simply Heinz"...made instead with sugar and no corn syrup of any kind. Many now also make organic ketchup. Both better? Yes...but still not nutritious....until today!

We've found a new product and we want to share it with you.

Let me introduce you to  Kevin of True Made Foods. What a  phabulous phriggin' phood phind!

Organic Tomatoes...however no real nutritional value

Wanna know more?
Go to:
www.truemadefoods.com
or
kevin@truemadefoods.com
or
abraham@truemadefoods.com

...and tell them Chef Bert sent ya!

Thank you Kevin & Abraham!





I'd like to say we've saved the best for last, however I'd rather say this is the last of the best!
A new and exciting product like this we have never seen before and I cannot imagine a kitchen of the future without some of these. Such fun too!



Check out these flavors! Basil...Rose...Mint...Habanero...Fennel...Cilantro...Hibiscus...and OOPS!

 Herb Crystals...Flower Crystals...& Fruit Crystals. Wow!
"Gourmet Sweet Botanical's" is how this product is described and marketed. We've yet to deteremine what concentration of sugar is in these products, however the concept is brilliant and we will be doing a follow up. Want to know more? Simple... www.gourmetsweetbotanicals.com



That' it for now folks. Keep your eyes open 'cos these are Our Phabulous Phood Phinds so far in 2016!
See you at The Javits Center  this June for the NYC Fancy Food Show!

Oh yeah...

Mangia Baby!
Chef Bert

Carciofi Ravioli con Fresh Dragoncello Burro ie Artichoke Ravioli with Fresh Tarragon Butter

My favorite restaurant while in college was a restaurant by the name of  The Ambry in
Fort Lauderdale, Florida. More than any other dish off of their 9 only main course menu choices, they were famous for their Teriyaki Sirloin. Their recipe was a blend of red burgundy wine, fresh ginger, soy sauce and pineapple juice. The chef's were my buddies in and out of the restaurant and gladly shared with me as we did with them. Yummy for us all.
I think I'm the only one left who knows this secret recipe, although now you know.

Actual wooden menu from the Ambry circa 1969

The Ambry is still there, however new owners totally revamped the menu and there is no Teriyaki steak anymore.
For my side dish I would always order the jumbo artichoke. The recipe couldn't have been simpler.
Boil these always big fat artichokes in salted water with fresh tarragon and serve with a side of melted butter.
A quick aside. They offered only 3 side dishes (one was the artichoke) and you gotta love this...
one dessert;their famous homemade cheesecake.

My inspiration for the artichoke ravioli with tarragon butter comes directly from the flavors I remember from the Ambry's artichoke. As well, the recipe couldn't be simpler.
I probably would not even be writing this recipe had I not inadvertently found this ravioli seeking out some fresh made pasta in the city one evening.
We had our friends Lesley and Nigel visiting us from the UK and I wanted to serve fresh pasta in my lasagna and "BOOM"...there was Raffetto's on Houston Street. While there, I picked up the artichoke ravioli with the thought of possibly duplicating to some degree the flavor I remember from the Ambry.
Guest what? It worked!
So...here it is...

Ingredients (Serves 2)

-8 Artichoke & cheese filled raviolis (wherever you can find it)
-Heavy 2 Tbsp Sweet Butter (don't be shy)
-Fresh Tarragon
-Kosher Salt (1.5 tsp)
-Fresh Mill White Pepper (black works, however make sure the grind is fine)

Technique

-On low heat, warm fresh tarragon in sweet butter (about 10 minutes)
-Bring water to boil (reduce to medium high after boiling) and add raviolis and 1 tsp salt. Add a couple of sprigs of fresh tarragon until raviolis are plump and afloat. Try to time it so the raviolis are finished at the end of the tarragon and butter warming process
-Immediately drain (reserve and equivalent of 1 Tbsp starched water per ravioli) and pour raviolis and starched water into the tarragon/butter blend. Add small amounts of kosher salt and pepper. Raise temp to medium and cook for a few minutes until most of the starched water is cooked off and absorbed into the raviolis. Kosher salt and pepper to taste.
-Grate fresh Parmigiano Reggiano over the top and serve immediately

Arrrggghhhhh! I was out of my Parmigiano Reggiano for this pic...Saawwwwy...


As usual, please feel free to comment. All are always appreciated!

Mangia Baby!

Bert

Il Villagio Trattoria Italiana...A Hidden Gem in Malverne, N.Y., USA!

Hi folks...
I'm baaaaaack...and what better way to come back but with a phabulous phood phind in
 Malverne, N.Y. named Il Villagio.

Sandy and I were introduced to the cozy & intimate "Trattoria Italiana" by our perpetual phood buds Sharyn & Joel, and for a first time visit we were extremely pleased with the food choices we made.

In these times, we usually find ourselves in restaurants where the service can be perfunctory or over the top and with very little attention paid to the true meaning of service with a smile as was such with our waiter Victor. Our Saturday night reservation was for 7:30 and before we knew it, it was 11:00. Wow!
The atmosphere was simply cozy. With the intimate dark wood bar as you entered and the museum worthy paintings of Venice on the walls, you were transported away...that is until Victor came out and described many chef specials in English which included selections of European seabass...ie Branzino and salmon along with their tenderloin steaks and chops nicely displayed as seen here.         Either way, a distinct European feel.

                                     

                                                                         Venezia

Ahhhhh..Black Sambuca

 Venetian Canal 

Next...and the reason we are here...the food.

Since rarely write anything negative, I usually need two or three visits to a restaurant/ristorante in order to taste enough to write about since there is the possibility I might find myself not in love with everything,
In this case, everything I tasted told me only one visit to Il Villagio would be necessary.
Yup, a rarity...and not only that...writing about it in record time.
So let's get it on!
Sharyn & Joel had been to the restaurant and knew what they liked. It wasn't an easy choice to make as virtually every special Victor described sounded quite appetizing.
Sharyn ordered the appetizers/antipasti which consisted of a beet salad she loves, baked whole clams, and jumbo lump crab salad with avocado.

Beet Salad/Special

Baked Whole Clams

Jumbo Lump Crab Meat & Avocado

They also ordered  a simple grilled salmon dish with sauteed veggies and roasted potatoes as well as a chicken dish with a lemon vermouth sauce named 'Poll Martini'.

Veal Chop  Osso Bucco!

Grilled Salmon

 Since it was our first time, we went with the dishes we knew. Sandy loves Veal Francese' and I went with Linguine alal Vognole. Traditionally, a dish with clams is rather wet because it's made with clam juice. As a result, the pasta MUST be prepared al dente or it will turn to mush in minutes.

Not only was it prepared perfectly, they used 'fini' linguine...my favorite cut! Compliments to the chef and compliments to Marco for making his chef delivers as requested.

Veal Francese'

You know what they say about Happy People...Yes?

Although we missed tasting everything, what we did have was wonderful and enhanced by excellent service from above and a casual non-rushed dining experience.

Let's not forget the truly exceptional 'home-made' tiramisu with 4 forks.

Tiramisu

I'm not sure what we did to deserve after dinner drinks, however the owner Marco came over to the table and graciously offered them to us. An extreme rarity nowadays that we graciously accepted.

Bert & Host with the Most, Marco

In closing, we've learned not to eat too many appetizers and bread and a main course as that can be overwhelming. Leaving a restaurant unstuffed is also kind of refreshing.
Sleeping through the night well without feeling the effects of your dinner is an added plus for this fabulous food find in the most unlikely of places in Malverne, N.Y., USA!

Marco ...
Grazie a te, Victor e il personale per una serata meravigliosa.
Torneremo!

                                                          Joel, Sandy, Bert & Sharyn


                                                                   Mangia Baby!
                                                                      Chef Bert



As usual, please feel free to comment!