Thursday, September 15, 2011

Potato Pancakes


As a child of a polish mother, potato pancakes were a staple in my diet, especially around Easter for lent. This past weekend my mother and I made them together and it brought back a lot of memories. My mom to this date makes the best potato pancakes in this world.

Potato Pancakes with Applesauce

4 Large Potatoes shredded
¼ to ½ grated or diced onion
2-3 tablespoons of flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
Salt and pepper to taste
1 egg
Enough oil to coat the bottom of your frying pan

First peel and shred your potatoes. According to my mom, this must be done by hand because they taste better that way. If you are busy a food processor will suffice. Another tip, use fresh potatoes because they are better with fresh potatoes. Either grate or dice your onion and add to the mix to a large bowl. Then add 2-3 tablespoons of flour, depending on the water content of the potatoes. You really do not want to add a lot of flour to this recipe because you want to taste the fresh potatoes. If you add too much flour it will taste like paste, trust me it happened the first time I ever made them. Then add your baking powder, egg, salt and pepper and mix to combine. Bring your oil up to frying temp and place the potato mixture in the pan. You may need to flatten it a bit with a spatula. Cook until golden brown on both sides, flipping it halfway through. Drain on a paper towel. These are best served right out of the frying pan so try to make them on the spot. My mother grew up eating them with applesauce so that is the way we eat them, but there are plenty of other options. You can eat with sour cream, ketchup, or even maple syrup. My dad eats them with maple syrup, I’m actually a bit repulsed by it but I have to admit there was a time I used to eat them like that. If you are feeling fancy, make them bite sized and top with sour cream and caviar, when I ate caviar, I thoroughly enjoyed them like that.


This is what the mixture should look like

Thursday, September 8, 2011

One Last Lemonade

You know the old saying when life gives you lemons you make lemonade? Well it’s more like life has been chucking them at me, in the face and then laughing at me. Since that is a bit more dramatic I figured spicing up some homemade lemonade with herbs, fruit and spirits, would be appropriate.

As anyone from Philadelphia knows, Art in the Age RHUBY has hit shelves and bars and has been the talk of the town. I was one of the unfortunate souls that have not tried RHUBY yet. The anticipation was killing me especially since SNAP and ROOT are some of my favorites.

Being that it is the end of summer I thought that one last lemonade would help ease me into the pumpkin frenzy that is fall and RHUBY would be the perfect addition to my lemonade.

Strawberry RHUBY lemonade
3 Strawberries
4 basil leaves
1 shot of RHUBY
Homemade lemonade (recipe below)
A bit of sparkling water to top it off

First muddle your strawberries and basil then add RHUBY and top off with homemade lemonade and sparkling water or club soda. Pass back and forth in a glass with ice to ensure your drink is refreshingly cold.

Homemade lemonade
1 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice
¾ cup simple syrup (1/2 natural sugar, ½ water brought to a boil)
4 cups of sparkling water

You can add more simple sugar and or more or less water if you’d like. It is all your taste preference.

I have to say I absolutely love this drink creation and I cannot wait to drink more RHUBY! It is a true gem! Thank you Art in the Age for another beautiful spirit.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Foodspotting Hot Dog Crawl

Stuffing my face with The Big Kahuna
A vegetarian on crutches in Philly on a hot dog crawl…can it get much more outrageous? No probably not!
My fellow foodspotters and I ventured out on a fine Tuesday night in Philly to taste some of the finest dogs we could find. Obviously I opted out of most of the tastings. Sorry Brauhaus and Supper, your dogs looked and smelled amazing, but the whole reason I went on the crawl was for Hot Diggity! They offer vegetarian Worthington Linketts dogs! I haven't been able to chow down on a veggie dog outside of my home or Citizens Bank Park in awhile and guess what I am hooked! 

I did have potato pancake from Brauhaus and I must say it was pretty tasty!
kasewurst from Brauhaus Schmitzs
Mitch the chef and owner of Supper made the Supper dogs that day from scratch!

 The Big Kahuna dog was my favorite hot dog of all time. The sweetness and the spiciness was absolutely perfect!

The Big Kahuna from Hot Diggity
 The Seattle Grunge was a close second! I never thought of putting cream cheese on a hot dog! 
The Seattle Grunge
I cannot wait to try the other dogs I saw!

The Saigon Fusion
The Windy City
I’m so excited that I found a place with delicious veggie dogs and delicious toppings that my meat eaters friends can enjoy too!