The Perky Pear

Wish You Ate Here

I never had the opportunity to go to summer camp. The closest I got was a week at camp for an environmental studies class I took my freshman year of high school. I had just begun at a new school and didn't know any of the kids. With all the social discomfort, I looked forward to the walk from our lodging around a lake to the dining hall. I vaguely remember the food being a step above school cafeteria fare. Sitting there with all the other students eating, I felt like I belonged for a little while before everyone split off into their groups again for archery, wall climbing and hiking. I did make one very good friend that year, Michael. He's my longest running pal and served as bridesguy at my wedding.

When I came across this postcard at the Culinary Archives Museum in Providence, RI, I just gasped to myself. If I ever have a dining establishment of my own, I'd like to base it on this image. Imagine bright natural light, clean mountain air wafting through open windows, bird calls for music, mismatched heavy china and the world's most comforting food being passed along the table in seemingly bottomless bowls. There would be a garden just outside the door where I would wander about in the morning with a basket and a notebook to jot down recipe ideas.Wild flowers arranged in tin cans would decorate the  tables.

Imaginarymenus dance in my mind like flames flickering in the camp fire.

We love Julia!

In preparation for the release of Julia & Julia starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams, I've been boning up on all things Julia.

Julia Child! America's Favorite Chef is a PBS documentary released in 2004. With interviews with Julia and commentary by Judith Jones, Jacques Pepin and Ruth Reichl it provides a nice peek into how Miss Julia McWilliams from Pasadena, CA became the French Chef we all knew and loved. 

Coming in at one hour, it's short enough to pop in and watch with a glass of wine while you're waiting for dinner to finish in the oven.

We Love Julia!: Countdown to Julie & Julia

The movie I am most looking forward to seeing this summer is Julie & Julia, of course. Starring two of my favorite actresses, Meryl Streep and Amy Adams, I am hoping it will be terrific.

To get amped up even further for the film opening on Friday August 8th, I'm going to post a Julia Child related post every Friday until then. Until August, Bon Appetit!

Feast Your Eyes: Third annual NYC Food Film Festival

Ah, food and film, two of my favorite subjects mesh together perfectly like a peanut butter and banana sandwich.

The 2009 NYC Food Film Festival runs from June 13-19.

Twenty six feature length and short films abound with topics as wildly varied as sandwich thieves, a love letter to buttermilk, Malaysian street food, New Jersey cranberries, hypnosis vs. junk food, mutton bbq,  wild mushroom hunting, Peeps, Argentinian beef and truffles. Peruse the complete film list and schedule.

Big Night, one of my all time favorite films, is playing on June 18th at the South Street Seaport Water Taxi Beach (Pier 17). After I saw that Big Night, I became obsessed with making timpano. I eventually  did make it for a holiday party and it was incredible. Instead of spending the better part of a day making your own, you can swing by and sample some while you watch the movie.

For all you mycology fans out there, the feature length film, Know Your Mushrooms, looks very cool. With music by the Flaming Lips it sounds great, too. It screens on June 14.

Would you believe admission to most of the events is free?

And that free samples of food relating to the films will be served?

What is not to like about this festival?

Wish You Ate Here

First harvest of the season

I made a little pledge to myself at the end of the season last year, that I wouldn't buy any strawberries, blueberries or tomatoes until they were back in season locally.

Honestly, It was a looooong wait. 

One of my friends gave me a good scolding a few months ago telling me that we live in a modern world now. We don't need to deprive ourselves and wait for food to be in season locally. This, of course, is quite true but I am a stubborn little mule and once I set my mind to something, I'm all in.

The other morning, Sweets and I went out into our garden and harvested our very first strawberries of the season. Plucked just steps from our front door, it doesn't get much more local than this. And of my goodness, they were such perfection! Fragrant, juicy and sweet; they required absolutely no adornment. After waiting for so many months, we were quite happy to eat them one at a time, slowly, all by themselves. 

The waiting was totally worth it.

Now I'm waiting for those heirloom tomatoes we planted to hurry up and start producing. I've just boldly used up all the sundried tomatoes I put up in the fall in anticipation of a new crop.

Good Morning, Granola heads

I'm usually useless in the morning before my first cup of coffee and some nice quiet time to warm up for for the day. Yesterday, for some reason, I was ready to go as soon as I got up. Before the coffee was even brewed, I had set up what I needed for some nice toasty granola for breakfast.

This recipe is loosely based on one from Everyday Food. I've been tinkering it with it every time I make a new batch. Today's flavor combo is apple cranberry.

Apple Cranberry Granola

Ingredients
2 cups of quick oats
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup sweetened dried coconut
1/2 cup dried apple slices, roughly chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries
3 T honey
2 T vegetable oil

Procedure
Set oven to 350 degrees F
Combine oats, coconut, almonds and apple slices on sheet pan
Mix honey and oil together in small bowl
Drizzle honey mixture over oat mixture
Toss with your hands to distribute
Pop into oven for 15-20 minutes
Give it a stir 2-3 times
Remove from oven and toss in dried cranberries

 

Let your nose and help you decide when it's ready. The oats should begin to smell toasty and take on a nice golden color.

I like to sprinkle on a teensy tiny  pinch of sea salt when it is done baking.

I store the latest batch of granola on the counter top in a heavy glass canister. It's convenient to leave a scoop in the jar. I like to eat it dry for an afternoon snack. Sweets will eat a bowl with milk as an after work snack. It's also great sprinkled over yogurt, ricotta or ice cream.

Wish You Ate Here

Ladies Dining Room in the Hotel Vendig, Philadelphia, Pa. This hotel was once  located at Filbert and 13th St.

There was a time when respectable women simply did not dine in public. Things loosened up slightly and hotels would often have separate ladies entrances, drawing rooms and dining rooms. Unaccompanied women were not allowed to dine in main dining rooms or to check into rooms of hotels. Only gentleman were allowed to frequent the hotel bar.

I'm thankful that crap is over and done with.

Fridge Challenge: Mushroom & Clam Chowder

On Mondays I like to tidy up the fridge and make use of any thing still lurking about in there from the week before. A few nights ago, I scored a bag of fifty clams for $7. That night, my husband, Sweets, and I feasted on a few dozen of them deliciously and steamed with shallots, parsley, sun dried tomatoes and beer. That and some crusty french bread made for a tasty and easy late supper.

Not wanting to do the same dish within a few days time, I contemplated the remaining two dozen clams I had on ice in the fridge. After noticing some heavy cream left from an ice cream making session a quick peek into the produce supply; I started to develop a plan.

Mushroom & Clam Chowder

Serves: 4
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:
2 dozen clams
1 small white onion, diced
3-4 parsley sprigs, roughly chopped
1 bay leaf
3 scallions, slice and seperate white and green portions
8 oz baby bella or white button mushrooms, sliced
2 medium potatoes, scrubbed and cut in 1/2 inch dice
1 can chicken broth
1/2 cup dried porcini mushrooms
1 bottle beer (I used Honeymoon summer ale)
1/2 cup cream
2 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Equipment: stock pot with lid, saute pan, sauce pan, wooden spoon, tongs, ladle, knife, cutting board.

Procedure:

• Put on liberally salted water to boil in sauce pan large enough to hold the potatoes.
• Rinse clams in cool water for about five minutes to remove any sand. Clams should be tightly closed. If they are open slightly, try lightly tapping them. They should close. If they don't, discard the clam.
• Chop potatoes, onions, parsley, fresh mushrooms and scallions.
• When water comes to boil, add potatoes and cook until easily pierced with the tip of a knife. Drain and rinse in cool water.
• While the potatoes are cooking, Heat stock pot and add about one tablespoon of oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion and cook until  translucent. Add the bottle of beer. Use a wooden spoon, to gently release any yummy browned bits on the bottom of the pan from cooking the onion. Add the dried mushrooms and chopped parsley.
• Bring the beer to a simmer and add the clams. Cover the pot.
• Heat up the saute pan, add the remaining tablespoon of oil, the white portion from the scallions and the fresh mushrooms. Saute until they release their juices and get dry again. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Once the clams open up, remove them from the pan with your tongs to a bowl. Also remove the dried mushrooms.
• Add the chicken broth to the liquid in the stock pot and bring to a simmer.
• Remove the clam meat and discard the shells. Any juice left in the bowl can be returned to the stock pot.
• Chop the clams and the dried mushrooms which will now be nice and plump.
• Add the cooked, drained potatoes to the stock pot.
• Add the clams and dried mushrooms.
• Give it a stir and cook on low for 5-10 minutes.
• Warm the cream. (Putting it in the microwave for a minute is fine.)
• Stir in the cream.
• Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
• Remove and discard bay leaf.
• Ladle into bowls, garnish with the sauteed mushrooms and  green scallions.

Feast Your Eyes: Pressure Cooker

 A documentary film, Pressure Cooker, follows three Philadelphia high school students competing for culinary scholarships. The culinary arts instructor, Wilma Stephenson, is tougher than an over cooked steak but is legendary for getting her inner city students elevated to the world of fine dining.

Screening until June 4 at the IFC Center in New York City, Pressure Cooker will be opening in other selected cities across the U.S. over the next few weeks. View the screening schedule.

The following  IFC Center screenings will include a Q&A session with the directors.

Mon 6/1:
5:30 Directors Jennifer Grausman and Mark Becker
7:45 Directors Jennifer Grausman and Mark Becker - Q&A with Jason Guerrasio, presented by IndieGoGo and Filmmaker Magazine @ Internet Week NY

Tue 6/2:
7:45 Directors Jennifer Grausman and Mark Becker

IFC Center : 323 Sixth Avenue at West Third Street, (212) 924-7771

Bonus: They serve organic popcorn at this theater!