The Skinny Fat Kid

Moved

2011-06-09T10:01:00.000-07:00

I have moved. Please come by and visit.

theskinniestfatkid.com

"She Keeps On Passing Me By"......Meritage Restaurant

2011-03-22T22:27:00.000-07:00

Anybody remember The Bermuda Triangle? It was the "boogieman" of my childhood. It didn't matter what you were riding in back then, that was an area you wanted to avoid. Ships, planes, and people went missing. And the stories of the Triangle went missing. I miss the Bermuda Triangle. I remembered the "unexplained phenomena" of the Triangle, because I think I might have experienced a interesting phenomena. On the corner of 20th and Lombard there is a restaurant that can sense me coming. After it senses me coming it unleashes mystical powers to keep me from eating there. It heard I wanted a Thursday Night special of Korean Fried Chicken a few months ago. It knew I worked Thursdays. It probably called my boss to ensure I would never get the night off or be able to leave early.
It has recently heard of my fascination with foie gras. It knew its foie gras dumplings would lure me in. And for 3 weeks it kept me away. I believe the Adjustment Bureau was trying to keep me from meeting my dream girl. I wonder if my Elise was a Latina redhead. After all of Meritage's methods failed and I made it through the doors, it ran out of the dumplings. The two dishes I had at the bar were amazing. It made me realize what a gifted kitchen would be able to do with those elusive dumplings. Instead I leave unfulfilled. I guess I know what all those people who kept watching Lost (after I warned them not too) felt like.

The Skinny Fat Kid

500 S 20th St
Philadelphia, PA 19146-1302
(215) 985-1922
www.meritagephiladelphia.com/

"Everybody look at you strange, say you changed Uhh! Like you work that hard to stay the same"........Eleven Madison Park

2011-03-22T10:32:00.000-07:00

You can eat anywhere. The streets of New York are littered with places to fill your belly. Dining however is something different. There has been talk lately of the supposed death of fine dining. I get why people can feel this way. The public seems to have lost interest in dressing up. They have lost perspective of cost due to economic concerns. Casual and affordable are attractive, yet we need to remember how important dining out can be. Eating out can satisfy your appetite. Dining out can satisfy more.

After my tour of Hudson valley Foie Gras I headed into to NYC to dine at Eleven Madison Park. I went for foie gras, but left with much more. I remember holding the application for Eleven Madison in my hand during my job search in New York years ago. I could tell from the questions on the application that this place was serious. The accolades they have received in the years since are well deserved. They aimed for excellence and have achieved it. I found myself wondering what might have been if I didn't take another job offer back then.

Eleven Madison has moved away from a la carte dining and now offers just two choices of tasting menus. They have made cosmetic changes as well. They removed tables, moved server stations to lessen noise in the dining room and even repositioned the host stand. All these in an effort to make the dining room more comfortable for guest. The menu is now a 4 x 4 “grid” which just lists the main components of the dishes the chef is offering that evening. A four course tasting ($125) allows one choice from each of four rows. The top being cold preperations of first course apps. The second row is hot appetizers, third is your main course and fourth dessert. My selections for the evening were Foie Gras (first), Snapper (second), Pork (third) and Lemon (fourth).

Some may think $125 for dinner is expensive. It is in theory, but after dinner at EMP I felt it was a steal. The four courses you choose are not the only dishes you receive for the cost. There are several courses of amuse bouche that awaken every part of your palate. The rich flavor of the uni panna cotta, and earthy black truffle beignets. The simple clean flavors of fingerling potatoes and the salty sturgeon zabayon. Before my first course arrived I was blown away by the effort and execution of the culinary team. I was also impressed with how effortlessly our server guided our experience and made wonderful cocktail suggestions for my dining companion. I knew early on that I was in for a meal I would never forget and was already planning my next visit.

The first course was foie gras torchon. It was served over a quince gelee and accompanied with a chocolate brioche. I really would love to be able to make torchon this good. I would also love to see what the $195 tasting menu holds if dinner was this good for $125. Dinner at EMP did more than provide me with sustenance. It made me think about who I would like to share the experience with in the future. It made me remember lost loved ones I will not be able to share it with. It made me want to be a better cook. It made remember why I love the restaurant business. That is something that eating can never do.

The Skinny Fat Kid

Eleven Madison Park

11 Madison Avenue
NY 10010
(212) 889-0905

www.elevenmadisonpark.com

"I’m really too young to be feelin this old".......The Fat Kid and The Farm

2011-03-15T09:39:00.000-07:00

   I sometimes forget the disconnect. The packages that contain our store brought sustenance don’t tell the whole story. The butcher at the supermarket is just a guy behind the glass case. The animal could have been butchered anywhere. The “organic” label has a list of qualifications that change daily. The misinformation age is full of citizens who now get their facts from Wikipedias and Urban Dictionaries.
I tire of seeing articles about foie gras bans turn into discussion of ducks nailed to the floor and force fed. I am sure there are horrible farmers out there. There are also farmers who still care about the animals and the earth that provide our food.
   The words “Hudson Valley Foie Gras” have appeared on many menus at restaurants I have visited over the years. I never knew much more about them except that they are held in high regard for their quality. In order to learn more about the process of producing foie , I wanted to go to the source.
Just over three and a half hours away in Ferndale, NY HVFG is a 200 acre farm that raises Moulard ducks. They sell not only foie gras, but duck breast and other assorted duck products. I was lead on my tour of the farm by HVFG’s Marketing Director Rick Bishop. This was not a ‘white glove tour”. There were no parts of production hidden from us. I saw it all from the adorable little ducks roaming around the barns to the gavage process. I stood in the room where the ducks are butchered for meat and also in the packing area of the facilities.There were no nailed feet. When Hudson Valley says they have “cage free” foie gras you can believe them. In addition to the work that HVFG had been doing on there own there has also been outside help.
    There has been continued work with the help of a humane auditor to continue making the raising of these ducks as natural as possible. If you do not meat I am sure you can find issue with animals being killed for food. If you do eat meat I think it is important to think about where your food comes from. I personally like to buy from farmers markets as much as possible and to buy from producers who run operations where respect for the animals is of utmost importance.
   Visits to HVFG have even been successful in converting some former opponents of foie gras. Several supporters of bills to ban foie in different cities and states across America have changed their minds. A few have even changed sides and become allied with HVFG. I left with a further respect for farmers in general and desire to visit more farms in the future. I also though about having a pet duck because the little ones were so cute. I now am going to follow my food to one of its many destinations, a restaurant in Manhattan.

The Skinny Fat Kid

Hudson Valley Foie Gras
80 Brooks Road, Ferndale, NY
(845) 292-2500

2011-03-01T08:28:00.000-08:00

Stephen Starr gets ambience right. Visiting any of his restaurants can be like walking into another world. I have walked past Parc on Rittenhouse Square and gotten the feeling any moment the cafe would explode. Tables would start to fly through the air, cardboard boxes would be launched skyward. Leonardo Dicaprio would then rise and walk toward me to give me my $12 back and apologize for stealing almost 3 hours of my life. I live in the real world not the dream world, so I just eat food.
Starr's latest The Dandelion recreates the English pub. The design team once again did an amazing job and the culinary team delivered as well. The chicken and duck liver parfait was great. A large fist-sized portion came served with grape chutney, cornichons, and brioche. In the future I will definitely share this with someone else especially when it my second foie gras of the day. I was also impressed by the aroma of the fish and chips, but will save trying that for fish and chips month.

The Skinny Fat Kid

The Dandelion
124 S. 18th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 558-2500

"Get me on the court and I'm trouble"..... Meme

2011-02-24T21:34:00.000-08:00

When you start your day and you want to make the most of it start with the breakfast of champions. If you just took a few beatings on the basketball court, start with two. Your breakfast of champions can be anything you want it to be. Some days for me it is a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich on a cinnamon raisin bagel. On other days it is fried fish with collards and yams. This past Sunday it was griddle cakes with shaved foie gras.
Meme is a restaurant with a my kind of menu. If I have difficulty deciding because it is all tempting you have done a great job. Chef David Katz has designed such a menu. He also provided me with some great fried chicken a few months back. This month and this brunch was about foie gras and he delivered again. A side of Benton's bacon, and a cup of my favorite coffee, Illy, almost helped me forget my 0% shooting. I was tempted to have a second order to help ease the pain of loss, but I had more foie to eat.

The Skinny Fat Kid

Mémé Restaurant
2201 Spruce Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: 215-735-4900
www.memerestaurant.com

"Pimp C the wings on the Undeground King"...... Barbuzzo

2011-02-19T09:10:00.001-08:00

While the big dogs in Philly compete for real estate and market share, two ladies took a different route. They hustled the old fashioned way. Start on a corner, take over the block. I always wonder when they will start to get the magazine covers. They most certainly have the followers. Since the opening of Barbuzzo the accolades have come pouring in. There has of course been talk of the pizzas and pastas. The salted caramel budino has probably made a few "Turney fiends" contemplate selling toasters in order to afford more. Lunch for me was about another addictive dish in a jar; chicken liver and foie gras mousse.
I am happy to say that I can now echo the adoration. They foie gras mousse was a wonderful start to my day. I even found joy in the pickled beets. One of my least favorite foods was the perfect compliment to a new found favorite dish. I also enjoyed the pizza with brussel sprout leaves and farm egg. I have long lived by the mantra "put an egg on it" to solve all flavor problems. I will now add "put it in a jar" inspired by the ladies of 13th street. (I would say put it in a glass but this is a family blog)

The Skinny Fat Kid

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"Ain't no other kings of this rap thing"....Village Whiskey

2011-02-17T04:42:00.000-08:00

Last spring I attempted burger induced suicide. Sounds dramatic right. I really don't know how else to describe it. In Summer of 2009 Grub Street posted a list of 22 notable burgers. I probably should have taken it for what it was; a list. I took it as a challenge. In spring of 2010 I tried them all as well as a few new comers in about two and a half weeks. 25 burgers in two and a half weeks. There was one adjustment I made to the list. I only had tried the regular Village Whiskey burger, not its big brother the Whiskey King. With the craving for burgers finally returning I decided it was time.
The Whiskey King should not be as good as it is. It should be an example of trying to do to much and something getting lost in the process. I went in thinking it would be like the first times I was allowed to dress myself as a kid. I wore all of my favorite things. They just did not go together. If I had kept those outfits until a year ago and got a fixed speed bike, I'd be killing it right now. Every bite of this burger was heaven. The cipollinis, the bacon and the blue cheese alone would make it great. The foie gras put it over the top. This hands down the best burger I think I have ever had. If I did not have to work I might have the best nap I ever had.

The Skinny Fat Kid

Village Whiskey
118 South 20th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103

Quack History Month.............. (Foie Gras and the Fat Kid)

2011-02-09T03:45:00.000-08:00

With the glow of an episode of the Boondocks in the background, the resilient remains of the flu in my head and chest, and dreams of fattened liver in my mind, I stare in disbelief. Am I really doing this???? I remember when I got the idea for this blog last summer, one of the months I though about was dedicated to Foie Gras. I realized the insanity of it. Foie Gras after all is something I and many others order as a luxury. It isn't intended, I believe as something to eat almost every day for a month. It is also one of the most expensive months of eating I will probably experience.
   Foie Gras quite simply is the fattened liver of a duck or goose. It is generally served seared or in a torchon and also makes it way into mousse, parfaits and pates. While it has been considered an item of luxury in restaurants around the world it has also been at the center of controversy. The process in which it is created (gavage) has been the center of debate although some places have been attempting more "humane" ways of producing it.
   I will stay out of the debate. I will stay in the restaurants and my kitchen. In the next weeks I will try some of the classic representations as well as explore some of the more interesting dishes I have come across. At home I plan on attempting dishes that range from charcuterie to dessert. I hope to recreate a dish that is no longer on the menu at one of Philadelphia's best restaurants. I also am planning a field trip to the farm of one our largest domestic producers.
   This should get interesting. If you have any suggestions for places to visit or know any chefs that would like to be interviewed let me know.

The Skinny Fat Kid

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My First Interview............Tim Spinner Chef/Owner Cantina Feliz

2011-02-04T09:29:00.000-08:00

One of the things that I have always wanted to do when I started this blog was to talk to people about food. I am interested in what makes the things I obsess about great. I also cook at home and always like to experiment and see what works. I am excited to have my first interview on record fro my blog. I first met Chef Spinner over 5 years ago when he was a sous chef at Amada. I did not know at the time that we grew up not to far from each other and knew a lot of the same people. I also did not know at the time that Rex Ryan would take Chef Spinner's victory-challenged Jets to 2 consecutive AFC Championship games while my victory- challenged Bills sat at the bottom of the AFC East.
I feel honored to have watched Tim Spinner grow as a chef and to see him finally see one of his life dreams accomplished, his first restaurant. below is a short interview i conducted with him about Mole and his passion in cooking.

What made you gravitate toward cooking Mexican cuisine?
Chef Tim Spinner: I fell in love with not only the food of Mexico but also the culture and the people-which in turn made me love the cuisine even more. I started working at El Vez back in 2003. There was fairly many Mexicans who worked there. They taught me so much about their food and they taught me the proper way of cooking it as well. The food is also so festive, What better to celebrate a special occasion than with tacos and margaritas.

What was your first experience eating mole? What was your first experience cooking it and how successful were you?

Chef Tim Spinner: There was a great mole coloradito on the menu when I first started at El Vez. They served it with turkey. I'll never forget that moment because up until then I never knew what mole was or how it was made. I remember making mole for the first time with Chef Mike Isabella when he worked at El Vez as the Executive Sous Chef. There were so many different ingredients. It tasted amazing.

What types of moles do you have on the menu for Cantina Feliz? Do you have plans to do others in the future?

Chef Tim Spinner: We have a mole poblano on the menu at Cantina Feliz that we serve with an organic airline chicken breat, rice and plantains. It is turning out to be a huge hit. I can't keep up with the chicken. We get whole birds in that are broken down, brined and then sous-vide. We plan on doing a Mole Verde as well that we want to serve with some Kansas City ribs.

Is there any advice that you would give to home cooks in making their moles better?
Chef Tim Spinner: For the home cook I would say take your time and be creative. make the mole your own-experiment with different chiles, nuts and fruits. It is also very important that when you refry your mole to make sure that lard is very hot (you don't want to break the mole sauce). Stir quickly because if the mole splashes on your arms it tends to burn like hot tar.

Side Note: I had gotten the don't burn yourself making mole advice from another chef as well. since I had already successfully made 2 moles, I didn't think much about it. I later burned myself while refrying my mole. that is why I do this folks. I want to keep arms safe across America.

I again would like to thank Chef Tim Spinner for his time. I recently had the opportunity to have dinner at Cantina Feliz in Fort Washington. The Mole Poblano was great as was the sweet plantain rice it was served with. I was aslo a big fan of the Ceviche Verde and I cannot wait to go back for the Strip Steak with Bone Marrow.

Cantina Feliz

424 S Bethlehem Pike
Fort Washington, PA 19034
cantinafeliz.com

It is easy to get to on regional rail. An express will get you there in 20 minutes. When you get off the train turn left and walk up the hill. Then order a maragrita; you deserve it.

Who's House?,,,,,,,,,,,,(Mole at home part 2. From the jar)

2011-02-04T08:48:00.000-08:00

   For the home cook on a budget or who just isn't interested in the amount of cooking or cleaning necessary to do it for real there are options. I have often walked past the jars of Don Maria mole paste on the shelves of my local bodega. Quite honestly they scare me. I think it is the layer of oil that separates from the paste due to the amount of time they sit. The instructions are pretty simple. You add 1 part paste to 4 parts stock and allow to simmer in a pot. The real test shall be how the taste compares to the real thing.
   The first thing I notice about the Don Maria Paste after I pour off the oil is that they are quite solid paste. It takes a bit of stirring and pressing to get all the chunks to combine with the stock. I was able to, with some adjustments, get the paste to resemble mole sauces. Taste is a whole different story. I could see with further tweaking being able to get the darker mole to a passable flavor, the verde was hopeless. I highly recommend making your own Mole Verde. First it is the simplest to make. Second the flavor of a sauce made with tomatillos you just got from the store as opposed to this travesty is infinitely better.
My next test was using mole paste I purchased from the Puebla Market on 9th street. these paste are kept in a refrigerated case in small deli cups with lids. They were around $6 and had none of that oily layer the mole in jars had. They also had no instructions or claims that they would be great until June 2012. The flavor was so much better in the Oaxacan Mole and the Mole Poblano. I could definitely see using them in a pinch for time. the flavor was pretty close to some restaurant moles I have had. I have also seen people Latin people buying these and have read of some restaurants that buy similar paste from Mexico.
   If you must buy paste my advice would be to get them at a Mexican grocery where they are refrigerated and fresher. there are also some places online that sell them as well. If you get them in the Italian Market, you can also grab some fresh tortillas from Tortilleria y San Roman.

The Skinny Fat Kid

Who's House?,,,,,,,,,,,,(Mole at home part 1. From Scratch)

2011-02-04T08:01:00.000-08:00

   In my part one of my attempts at making mole at home I will cook from two different recipes. The first is a recipe for Mole Poblano and the second a Mole Negro. I found the Poblano in a cookbook called Mod Mex. The book contains recipes from Chef Scott Linquist of NYC’s Dos Caminos. The second is from author Susana Trilling a recipe that I found online with a quick search.
   My first advice for the home cook making mole is be prepared for some hard work and lots of dishes. Although this is as satisfying as making your own stock, or the first baked bread you made from scratch, it is way more time consuming. I made the task of shopping a bit easier by making a spreadsheet listing all the ingredients I would need for both recipes and it summed up the total amounts. I also spent an hour going through my cupboards and checking what ingredients I had in house. I have a horrible habit of buying things only to come home and already have three of them. I found most of the things I needed in the Mexican grocery stores in the Italian Market. I was also able to get a good amount of things from Iovine Brothers produce in Reading Terminal Market. One observation though, while I was able to get a good amount in the Reading Terminal, it is difficult to find all the dried chiles you will need there.
   The Mole Poblano turned out very good. It received high marks from some friends who are chefs in a Mexican restaurant. It also went over well at a dinner party. There are a few things that i would do differently however. First the recipe in the books serves eight. I was cooking for myself to test the recipe and made about a gallon of mole. Luckily it freezes well so I froze three quarts of it. Second I recommend straining your mole through a mesh strainer a few times before you do the final heating to serve. My blender did an admirable job of pureeing but was clearly over matched for the amount of work this one sauce gave it. I also used duck fat instead of lard because I still had a half gallon left from a sandwich battle I did recently.
   The Mole Negro was less successful. The flavor was still great, but I had a hard time getting the color as black I have seen them. According to some recipes I have found most of this comes from the charring of the seeds. A chef recently told me that her black mole is darker because of the amount of stone fruit she uses. I also believe I used too much stock, because at one point my mole was darker than the final, but I may have thinned it too much. If you have vents in your kitchen please use them when frying or toasting your chiles. I basically tear gassed a friend while making a batch.
All in all succesful test with some hard learned lessons. Next up, mole off the shelf.

The Skinny Fat Kid

"Lupe steal like Lupin the Third"....(La Lupe)

2011-02-03T06:04:00.000-08:00

South of the Market Street Mason-Dixon in the heart of The Italian Market lies a Mexican restaurant with a reputation. A reputation of authenticity and excellence. It is often difficult to separate a neighborhood from its reputation, especially when your neighbors have so much neon signage. La Lupe is a simple Mexican restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner and serving some of the better Mexican in Philadelphia.
On a rainy afternoon I settled into the restaurant for a plate of chicken in Mole Poblano. The spice level on this mole was a standout. The cooks at la Lupe did not settle into the too sweet or chocolate heavy failings of some renditions. The portion size was the most generous of any place I visited. there was one thing that I did not like about this mole. It was very thin. I am not sure if this was intentional, but it is definitely not my preference.The chicken was served bone in with rice and refried beans and fresh tortillas. This is the way you see it in Mexico, so prepare to get your hand dirty. the tortilla should be your fork and spoon anyway. I look forward to trying some more of La Lupe’s menu when I have time in the future.
The Skinny Fat Kid

La Lupe
1201 S 9th St, (At Federal St)
Philadelphia, PA

"Back when they though pink Polo's would hurt the ROC"....... (Distrito)

2011-02-03T05:55:00.000-08:00

Early in the expansion of the Graces empire Jose turned his eyes westward. While looking to expand into new territory, he also wanted to settle unfinished business. Garces, before setting out on his own was the mind behind El Vez, a Mexican restaurant in the Starr organization. He was finishing what he started for another and bringing many, including my skinny-fat self a new restaurant to love.
In Philadelphia it is easy to find cuisine from Puebla, Mexico. Most of the Mexican population in Philadelphia and the restaurant industry at large hails from the region. Bad news is you see Mole Poblano almost exclusively. Distrito is one of the places that has variety in its mole offerings and its small plate menu allows you to do what I love the most; eat as many things as possible.
Distrito’s Mole offerings are Mole Poblano with duck breast, Mole Verde with pork belly and Mole Amarillo with rabbit. I decided to do all 3.
The Mole Poblano was one of my favorite renditions that I've had this month. The texture was great and the flavor beautifully complemented the duck breast. Mole Amarillo made with yellow peppers and tomatoes was served over rabbit loin and garnished with diced grilled pineapple. The sauce itself was beautiful and the pineapple added just a touch of sweetness. For those afraid to try rabbit I say to you this is the one you should do to ease your way in. The Mole Verde was served with braised Berkshire pork belly. The garnish of pumpkin seeds added the one thing i find lacking in most Mole Verde, texture.
A truly special dish was in order this night as well. In February, Distrito’s Chef De Cuisine Maria Schmidt is offering a special tasting menu on Wednesday nights. the menu is Oaxacan themed and the 4th course is Mole Negro with roasted pheasant and pomegranate . This dish stole the show like a whistling Omar Little. Other highlights on the tasting were the Cocido Verde and Banana and Cajete empanandas.
If you are looking to try the most moles in one place Distrito should be on your list.

The Skinny Fat Kid

Distrito
3945 Chestnut Street (entrance on 40th
www.distritorestaurant.com/

Window Shopper.... (Grocery Shopping in the Italian Market)

2011-02-02T08:24:00.000-08:00

Lupita Grocery

Tepeyac

In order the task of making molé at home, you first need to be able to find supplies. While there is great quality and shopping variety to be found for most things in traditional supermarkets, this requires specialized shopping. The benefit of living in ethnically diverse cities is the ability to find the ingredients necessary in cooking these dishes. Though I have been able to find pockets of Latin residents throughout Philadelphia, I will limit most of my shopping to the Italian Market area .

Puebla Meat Market

Tortilleria y San Roman

The Italian market has been the center of the “gravy belt” in Philly for a very long time. in recent years because of the low cost of housing the surrounding areas have began to attract an influx of Asian and Hispanic immigrants. With the influx of new residents, various entrepreneurs have opened stores which carry the items necessary to give these immigrants a taste of home. These store fronts have provided the rest of Philadelphia’s residents with the opportunity to share in these authentic flavors. I for one am excited by this although one local businessman doesn’t like the languages in which some of the new residents order their cheese steaks. FTG (fuck that guy).

All along 9th street you will find restaurants and non-descript bodegas that will carry everything for your molé making needs. From produce, nuts, seeds and dried chilés to a selection of paste from Mexico that just need the addition of stock. . I was also lucky enough to find a place in Philadelphia that makes fresh tortillas daily. There is also a bakery that makes fresh churros a.k.a the breakfast of champions.

Enjoy your shopping!

The Skinny Fat Kid

I swear I am alive.

2011-02-01T20:55:00.001-08:00

I know that my posting this month has been sporadic and quite lean. I apologize. This month has been more difficult than expected due to my arch nemisis , Mother Nature. As a restaurant employee who works evenings I do not often find myself able to get to restaurants before closing time in most kitchens. Add to the fact a lot of the places that serve moles only do so at night and you have a lot of day-off eating. When your days off coincide with winter storms it makes you wonder. Is eating my Sunday night football game with Michael Nutter and Roger Godell playing spoiler? Why is it getting harder to be a fat kid? Alas mole month is done...almost. I have one more to try tomorrow and all post will be up in the next 2 days. Then I am getting ready to unleash a special February.

Thanks for your patience
The Skinny Fat Kid

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Around The Way Girl (Las Cazuelas)

2011-01-21T11:00:00.000-08:00

Girard Avenue will not be the new Restaurant Row. The aromas and flavors of Ekta and Tiffin do intoxicate. Quince market still is a favorite of mine for a quick sandwich or some cheese and charcuterie. If I get started on the original Paesano's I will lose track of what I am supposed to be talking about. And the thing I am talking is a Mexican restaurant.
Las Cazuelas is a restaurant born of the love of two communities. The owner was born in Puebla, Mexico and was raised here in Philadelphia. You can tell the pride he has in his history and accomplishments as soon as you step inside. I always know what type of restaurant I am in when I read anything on the menu described as award winning. The award winner in this case is a Molé Poblano served over chicken enchiladas. The molé was incredibly smooth and had a nice balance to it although I would have liked to have a bit more spice come through. My lunch visit left me with appreciation for another neighborhood place I have often overlooked. This is no frills Mexican cooking that is well executed and served by one of the friendliest (and cutest) servers I have had in a long while. The prices are very reasonable and the guacamole and flan were both pleasant additions to my meal. I look forward to grabbing lunch or dinner here again soon, but I have a lot more molé to eat before the end of January.

The Skinny Fat Kid

Las Cazuelas
426 W Girard Ave # 28
Philadelphia, PA 19123-1425
(215) 351-9144
http://www.lascazuelas.net/

A Month of Molé

2011-01-05T18:47:00.000-08:00

I have been meaning to get back to this but the holidays and work have kept me quite busy. To start the new year I decided to focus on molé. My first interest in molé started from working in a Mexican restaurant. It was further piqued by watching Rick Bayliss talk about it before he won Top Chef Masters. My trip last winter to Oaxaca for Day of the Dead was also an inspirational journey. In December I actually made my first to molé sauces at home and then decided it was worth the devotion of a month. For those just joining us here on the blog I offer you a glimpse into my thinking. Each month I focus on one dish to eat and learn about. It is part a journey to eat, which I love to do. It is also a way to get me back to cooking and to develop more of a base understanding that will allow me to experiment with more confidence in the future.
Molé can be called many things. I prefer to thing of it as a cross between a sauce and a stew. They are incredibly complex in flavor and technique using typically over 20 different ingredients. The blending of these flavors helps to create a dish that is at the same time sweet, spicy. The flavor is quite complex and really difficult to describe or compare to anything else. There are a few places in Mexico that claim to have invented it the most notable being Puebla and Oaxaca (sometimes called the Land of the Seven Moles.) Finding Molé in Philadelphia shouldn't be to difficult because of the large Pueblan population. In am planning to eat out quite a bit. I will also be cooking at home using a variety of recipes and trying to get a few recipes from some of the people I know who are Mexican. I will also taste test a few products that are available on the market for the home cook who does not have the time or doesn't want to dirty the dishes necessary to make it from scratch. During the month I will be also conducting a few interviews with some chefs who are not only doing great Mexican food , but have experience in making molés. I look forward to giving you all a great month of blog post to read and getting ready for a truly gluttonous February.

The Skinny Fat Kid

Can I Live?...(Four Loko Dinner at Adsum part 2....The Food)

2010-12-13T19:47:00.000-08:00

Bravery is a rare commodity. I applaud Chef Matt Levin for doing this dinner and also for doing it well. Before you read further, if you have an issue with the idea of a Four Loko dinner please read my response here. There are not many places in Philadelphia where you can get a 3 course dinner with 4 drinks for $35. Definitely one this good. I make no claims that Four Loko is a tasty beverage. There are some flavors better than others, but I think this taste test sums it up.

The meal started with a welcome drink, a Four Loko cocktail. The combination of Malibu rum, Blue Raspberry Loko and blue curacao proved to be tasty. I was skeptical, mostly skeptical of my own skepticism. All that was put to bed with the taste of Orange Loko. If someone can finish a whole can of that stuff, they might have superpowers. 50 cent might hire you as a shield. The dish of house made lamb sausage and peppers was stunning. It reminded me that one of my next goals in home cooking is to start making my own sausage.
   Second course brought a barbecue platter. Barbecued pork shoulder with baked beans, fried chicken and coleslaw. This was paired with my favorite of the Loko beverages, Lemonade. I could see being able to drink many cold cans of this on a hot day. I could also feel the buzz beginning and understand how drunk you could potentially get off these drinks.
   Dessert was pain perdu with berries. It was accompanied with a Loko slushee and mixed berries and Friut Punch Loko. Fruit Punch Loko wasn't to bad, but the dish did bring back a memory. It reminded me of the first time I mixed alcohol and dairy. Please do not ever drink 2 pitchers of Mad Elf and eat 2 bowls of cereal right after, but that is a story for another day.
   I had a wonderful meal. It was a great value and now I am off to head home and drink tequila. Thanks again Chef.

The Skinny Fat Kid

Some People Hate.... (Adsum Four Loko Dinner part 1. The Rant)

2010-12-13T18:35:00.000-08:00

The Menu

   Al Gore did not invent the internet. I am glad because I kinda like the dude. He would be as upset with the amount of hate on the internet as he is with some of my light bulb choices. One of the unfortunate results of the immediate access to breaking news is the immediate ability to tell someone how you feel about it. Whether they care or not.
   When Chef Levin mentioned on twitter that he was going to do a Four Loko dinner I was immediately interested. I wanted in. I did not know at the time that he was joking. I had never had the displeasure of consuming Four Loko. I wasn't the slightest bit interested. When Four Loko caught national attention I was not surprised. Every few years liquor companies create a new way to sell malt liquor to areas outside of urban communities. I can still clearly recall suburbia's fascination with ZIMA. "It taste like Sprite"
   The recent hysteria and moves to ban the beverage really did nothing to peak my interest. It only became appealing because a local chef decided to do something with it. I was not drawn by the lure of the now forbidden elixir nor solely for the quality of food coming from Adsum's kitchen. I was drawn because of a smile. Chef Matt Levin was having fun.
   I work in the restaurant business. I know all to well the lifestyle, the stress, the hours and the feeling of being under appreciated. I have often felt the sensation in your hamstrings, calves and shins after a 14 plus hour day. I know the 'hangover' feeling the day after such a shift whether or not you have enjoyed some well deserved cocktails. I do not have to entirely imagine the exhaustion felt after spending months without a day off during an opening. I have worked through 7 restaurant openings. I am familiar with what happens after the major reviews come out and you are back to working and praying for a light at the end of the tunnel.
I always try to tell my nephews to find work you can make a living off of, but also be sure to find something you love. There are many moments during a restaurant's hours of operation that are grueling. There are times of intense stress. One of the reasons most of us do it however is because of the moments of joy. The hilarious line cook you work with who always says funny and most times inappropriate things. The server who always brings in chocolate for everyone. The bartender who gets drunk and can't remember his behavior the following day. One of the greatest moments is when someone in the restaurant business is doing something that you know they are enjoying as much as you. Hats off to the Sixpoint pop-ups, The Han Dynasty tastings and the Four Loko dinners.
   To those who feel the need to believe such a dinner is below a chef of Matt Levin's caliber please do me and your friends who are to afraid to challenge you a favor. GET OVER YOURSELVES. What ever happened to fun? A chef in this business has one responsibility; to put out good food. Someone who works as many hours as a chef can do what he wants. If Matt Levin wants to host a Mad Dog 20/20 dinner, I say go for it. I would only ask for partial credit since I wrote it here first. A cut of the money is unnecessary. Just buy me a beer. Schwarzbier preferred since I did not get one for Black History Month. I had an excellent meal. It was an unbelievable value. I left with a smile and a buzz. Mission Accomplished Chef.

Long winded opinion over.

The Skinny Fat Kid

I have not forgotten you

2010-12-07T13:41:00.000-08:00

   I know I have not updated in the last few weeks. I really should have. I not only wanted to give you a strong finish for Pasta Month but to announce Decembers focus. A busy schedule in and outside of work saw to it that such was not the case. I have decided to finish up my pasta post in the next few weeks. There are some exciting tales of Osteria and Garces Trading Company which both inspired as well as amazed me. I also wanted to travel to the Italian Market and South Philadelphia. So the next few weeks will finish out a pasta focus. I will be kind of busy recipe testing for a culinary suicide mission at the end of the month.
   On Christmas Day I will be hosting a brunch for my family and the following day I will take over Festivus responsibilities for what I am calling The Feast of the Seven Fat Kids. I know I am crazy to do back to back parties at home, but I am excited. The initial focus for December will now be tackled in January. Hint it will be part of The Feast of the Seven Fat Kids. February is my planned Foie Gras Month and I have some exciting things in mind for 2010 as a whole.
   Be patient in the coming days and weeks. I will reward you with good stuff. Speaking of good stuff and the holiday season; I wanted to send the gift of thanks. Yes Virginia; there is a Santa Claus. Two of them in fact. within days of my letter to Santa. I received an offer from a friend and a delivery from Amazon. special thanks to "Pony Boy" and "The Thorns" for making this a great holiday season.

The Skinny Fat Kid

All Black Everything .....(Black Friday at home)

2010-12-02T08:10:00.000-08:00

I typically spend Black Friday in one of two ways. The first is harassing my co-workers by pointing out that they forgot to get me anything. It never seems to work, I can’t even get those people to buy me a Schwarzbier. The longest tradition for me has been hitting the shopping areas. I have zero interest in shopping, but I do like to play a little game with the sheep who get up so early to shop for bargains. My game is played in the parking lots. I have always been extremely annoyed when people follow me and wait for my parking spot. I am especially annoyed when there is another just ten feet away. So in past years on Black Friday I slowly stroll through parking lots at busy store and wait until people follow me to my spot. I then like to get into the car and pretend like I am going to start it only to then get out and walk back toward the store. A jackass move I know, but I like to think I am helping the president in his battle against obesity by making people park further away and walk.

After several warnings from a friend that I will eventually get shot, I decided it was time for new tradition. This years tradition was inspired by pasta month and the color black. A special dinner at home I call “All Black Everything”. I started my dinner with a home made Black Kale and Ricotta Ravioli which i cooked in a Black Garlic Cream Sauce. And then posed the age old question WWJD? (What Would Jigga Do?) . I realized that after scoring even more cash with a new book release, Jay-Z would head down to Di Bruno’s for some fresh Black Truffle to finish this pasta. I started off dinner in a wonderful way and cannot wait to make this dish again.

Second course continued the pasta theme but this time with a store brought product. I had initially wanted to make my own squid ink pasta, but had difficulty finding a place to buy squid ink. This pasta I did in a simple sauce of olive oil and garlic( AGLIO E OLIO) with shrimp, spinach. and confit tomato. Simple but delicious. The slight difference in the flavor of the squid ink pasta brought a great contrast to the spinach and tomatoes while heightening the flavor of the shrimp. A great option for a quick dinner. maybe next time I will add some toasted pine nuts for a texture difference.

Third course brought a Blackberry-Marscarpone Ravioli with Whipped Cream and Lemon Zest. I stuffed the ravioli with a blackberry, roasted apple and marscarpone cheese filling. I cooked them like I would any other pasta after I froze them for a few hours to set. I finished it with some powdered sugar, whipped cream, lemon zest and a blackberry syrup.
I finished with a blackberry custard. I cooked the custard in ramekins in a water bath. I garnished the dish with a black garlic-honey tuile. All in all I think it was a successful attempt on all dishes. I had hoped to do a 5th course but was pretty tired after a long night at work. I think I have started a new Black Friday tradition and I look forward to next year.

The Skinny Fat Kid

3 Course Meal, Spaghetti, Fettuccine and Veal ( Bri-Bar)

2010-11-26T10:53:00.000-08:00

Building Blocks

After securing a victory in the 2nd annual Turkey Bowl I decide to come home and make pasta. I have done this a few times before and learned some valuable lessons along the way. My first attempts were done with out my Imperia Pasta Machine. They involved a lot of time spent with a rolling pin and an overall increase in forearm strength. Unfortunately I am no Lincoln Hawk and the hat on my head is just a hat, not a "switch". Thank heavens for its just a hat abilities which came in handy during the snowfall.
Another tip for those that have never made pasta at home is use a mixing bowl if employing the "well method". Your counters will thanks you. For the task at hand I turned to two books only. The amount of recipes out there are endless. I only focused on Marc Vetri's and Michael Rhulman's. I made one batch of each and primarily cut only spaghetti and fettuccine. I also played with a few other shapes and made some ravioli for later uses.

Rhulman vs Vetri

The most notable difference in the two batches is the richer color in the Vetri batch. This is due to the amount of eggs (yolks only) used in the recipe. Both batches turned out delicious pasta in the past and I am expecting great results as I get ready for my new Black Friday tradition. Stay Tuned

ready to cut

The Skinny Fat Kid

Triskaidekaphobia Lyrics (Barbuzzo Part 2.)

2010-11-25T04:12:00.000-08:00

My second lunch at Barbuzzo brought a nice dish of pasta and the biggest surprise of the year for me dining so far.The legend of how Strozzapreti pasta got its name has many variations. Stories of gluttonous priest and suspicions of adultery abound. The "Priest Choker" pasta is simply an elongated Cavatelli. At Barbuzzo it receives a simple toss in olive oil with hen of the woods mushrooms, arugula and a lemon-walnut pesto. It is finished with a dollop of fresh ricotta and is really good. The play of all the ingredients complimented each other in every bite. The true star of Barbuzzo however was on the dessert menu. I decided to try the Salted Caramel Budino on the recommendation of my server. I have not only developed a new "Fat Kid Food Crush", but found my favorite dessert in Philadelphia I have been hearing whispers of a standout ravioli dish on the dinner menu, so I may need another stop at Barbuzzo.

The Skinny Fat Kid

Barbuzzo
110 South 13th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107-4532
(215) 546-9300
www.barbuzzo.com

Veni, Vidi, ITIS...I came, I saw, I need a nap. (Maggiano's Little Italy)

2010-11-23T03:14:00.000-08:00


Chicken Pesto Linguini

I would love to have spent this entire month eating pasta at the 'holy trinity' of Vetri, Osteria , and Amis, but there are a few problems with that. First there is the idea that I would be missing out on some hidden gems and second the average person does not only eat at those restaurants. I ran into a lot of people, a wall of people in fact already on a wait list while just a short half hour into being open at Maggiano's Little Italy.
Maggiano's is everything I expected. It is a large restaurant that does what it does well. I quickly see why the lines are large, the large portions are the draw. My Chicken Pesto Linguine was huge even by Skinny Fat Kid standards. Even if it had not been my second pasta for lunch that day, it may have done me in. The biggest problem however was not the size, it was the flavor. Flat is probably the best way to describe it. There is nothing about this dish that tasted as if there was any amount of love put into it. It just served as a reminder of why I first wanted to make my own pasta. I hope I have better luck in South Philly and the Italian Market.

The Skinny Fat Kid

Maggiano's Little Italy
1201 Filbert Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 567-2020

http://www.maggianos.com