Patrons that head to any area Iron Hill get a Burger Month Bonus, when they eat any five of the 31 burgers of the month. If you eat five, you get $15 off your next purchase. Click here for the full list of burgers — there’s a different sandwich featured for every day of the month.

The first one that caught our eye was May 1, the Chip Kelly Burger. The new Eagles coach already has his own meat monster. The Chip Kelly Burger boasts Oregon blue cheese, red onion confit, crushed potato chips and mushroom spread.

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With so many bars turning their attention to the craft of the quality cocktail, it can be easy to assume that the concept has saturated the bar market. That’s not true, sadly, and — depending on where you live — it can be hard to track down a well-made cocktail in your neighborhood. There’s no reason why you have to actually leave the house to drink in style, however. A new online teaching program called Drink Skool, created by some of the most respected names in the beverage industry, cuts out the middle-man and gives you the basics on how to turn your own bar into a craft cocktail haven. And unlike most DIY home-improvement projects, the worst that can happen here if you screw up is you get to make another cocktail. Sounds like a win-win.

Drink Skool is “definitely for consumers who have some enthusiasm and have some base knowledge about spirits and cocktails, or bartenders that are getting started, but not anything above that,” one of the partners, Doug Frost (also of the industry standard advanced training program Beverage Alcohol Resource — and one of the more renowned wine experts in the world) explains. “What we’ve tried to do, is distill it — sorry for the pun — into bite-sized chunks so people can go, ‘Ok I got that.’” As Frost points out, mixing a perfect cocktail isn’t exactly rocket science; it’s all about following a recipe and locking down a few standard techniques, all of which the — totally free — course walks users through online with a sense of fun and a sense of humor. “I would hope the outcome of what we’re doing is someone will go, ‘This isn’t that hard,’  buy a few a things and start making their own cocktails,” says Frost. “There’s no reason they can’t.”

Among the program’s lessons are the basics of mixing a cocktail, learning how to taste and appreciate the differences between types of spirits, and important bar techniques like muddling.

It’s an attempt to demystify the concept of mixology, Frost says. “I’m hoping that people will take some time to try a couple of techniques, at least for their favorite cocktails, and end up recognizing that there’s no great mystery in this,” he explains. “Instead it’s about measuring, buying better quality products, and using fresh ingredients. You don’t cook with canned stuff and expect it to taste wonderful.”

Get Skooled:

Right off the bat, there are two crucial things home cocktail enthusiasts need to learn, Frost says. First is the difference between shaking and stirring. Get a stirrer, he says, anything will do, but a nice long-handled spoon is best. “Learn to stir so you don’t break the ice up, and all you do is chill down the drink.” Shaking is for when you want a cocktail to be light and airy because it has bubbles in it; learning to know which recipe works best with either technique is a fundamental place to start. Also of primary importance, he says, is freshness — what he calls “the foundation of what has changed mixology in the U.S.” There’s no substitute for fresh juice, he asserts. “If somebody’s squeezing fresh juice, it’s mind-blowing what happens to flavor of that cocktail as opposed to a mix.”

The post THURSTY: Home Remedy: Drink Skool raises the bar for boozing in sweats appeared first on Metro.us.

Last April, for just one day, the Pennsylvania Convention Center Annex became a crowded, buzzing farmers market.

It was the inaugural Philly Food and Farm Fest, hosted by the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture and Fair Food Philly, featuring nearby farms, new city spots like Little Baby’s Ice Cream and artisanal cheesemakers. There were also workshops, lectures and, for the brave, a demo on beekeeping.

The event brought farmers and foodies together to share knowledge and techniques and, of course, sample some fresher-than-fresh wares. “It’s a fun event, and it speaks to the mission of Fair Food and PASA,” says Ann Karlan, executive director at Fair Food Philly. That mission is to support farmers and help introduce them to small businesses, wholesale buyers and individuals.

In addition to the vendors returning for this year’s Food and Farm Fest on Sunday, there are about 40 new merchants — that’s about 130 total. “We purposely invited everybody who sold last year because they were willing to take a chance with us,” says Marilyn Anthony, eastern region director at PASA. “We’re utilizing every square inch of that place.”

So you’ll want to bring more than one canvas tote bag to carry home your treasures.

Check out the delicate desserts from Market Day Canele, wholesome popsicles from Mom Pops, fresh cheese from Amazing Acres Goat Dairy and fermented deliciousness from Cobblestone Krautery. “Some people think that it’s just fruits and vegetables that you can buy from farmers, but we want to show them that you can get so much more,” Anthony says.

The success of the first Food and Farm Fest was greater than organizers could have imagined. This year estimations have surged even higher. According to Anthony, there were roughly 3,000 people in attendance in 2012, and they’re aiming for 5,000 this year.

“One thing we learned is not to underestimate the amount of people that want to come, which makes us happy,” says Karlan.

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A month after food bloggers Vani Hari and Lisa Leake launched a Change.org petition calling on Kraft Foods to remove artificial dyes Yellow #5 and Yellow #6 from Macaroni & Cheese products, the petition is in the hands of Kraft representatives.

Hari, the popular food blogger also known as Food Babe, delivered a petition with more than 270,000 signatures to Kraft’s headquarters in Chicago.

Hari met with Kraft representatives, and following the meeting expressed hope that Kraft would remove the controversial dyes from products sold in the United States.

“In a one-hour meeting with me and Lisa, Kraft told us they ‘can’t predict the future’ of dyes in Macaroni & Cheese,” she wrote in a press release. “I can give them a preview. If Kraft is anything like the hundreds of other companies facing consumer uprising online, they’ll eventually start listening to their customers and work with us to ensure the health and safety of all Kraft Macaroni & Cheese products.”

Hari added that she hopes Kraft will make products sold in the United States as safe as those sold in Europe. Kraft Macaroni & Cheese in other countries such as the United Kingdom do not contain the disputed ingredients.

In Europe, it is mandatory for foods that contain these ingredients to carry a warning label on the packaging. In some countries, such as Austria and Norway, the ingredients have been entirely banned.

“When we started our petition, we knew we wouldn’t be able to change Kraft’s position overnight,” Leake said. “The campaign is one piece of a large-scale food revolutions. People are just starting to learn more about what’s in their food and they don’t like finding out that products they feed to their children contain chemical dyes that Kraft could easily replace with natural substitutes.”

Follow Mary Ann Georgantopoulos on Twitter @marygeorgant

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Sure those mini pastel Cadbury eggs are delicious, but this Easter step it up at your holiday get-together with these adorable handmade chocolate lollipops from Jacques Torres. And chocolate on a stick hopefully means less messy hands.

The post Editor’s pick: Egg lollipops appeared first on Metro.us.

Kids meals in restaurant chains fail nutrition tests according to a new study

The menus offered to children by most U.S. restaurant chains have too many calories, too much salt or fat, and often not a hint of vegetables or fruit, according to a study by the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

The group, which has agitated for everything from healthier popcorn at the movies to calorie labeling in supermarkets, found that among almost 3,500 combinations surveyed, kids’ meals failed to meet nutritional standards 97 percent of the time.

That was a marginal improvement over 2008 when such meals failed to meet standards 99 percent of the time.

Every children’s meal offered at popular chains such as Chipotle Mexican Grill, Dairy Queen, Hardee’s, McDonald’s, Panda Express, Perkins Family Restaurants and Popeyes fell short of standards adopted by the center from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s nutritional recommendations.

The meals also fell short of standards set by the National Restaurant Association’s Kids LiveWell Program, said the CSPI, which titled its study, “Kids’ Meals: Obesity on the Menu.”

“Most chains seem stuck in a time warp, serving up the same old meals based on chicken nuggets, burgers, macaroni and cheese, fries, and soda,” said Margo Wootan, CSPI nutrition policy director. “It’s like the restaurant industry didn’t get the memo that there’s a childhood obesity crisis.”

Among the meals singled out was Applebees’ grilled cheese sandwich on sourdough bread, fries and two percent chocolate milk, which has 1,210 calories, 62 grams of fat and 2,340 milligrams of sodium.

The combo meal had nearly three times as many calories as the CSPI’s criteria for four- to- eight-year-olds suggest.

At Ruby Tuesday, the macaroni and cheese, white cheddar mashed potatoes and fruit punch combo has 870 calories, 46 grams of fat and 1700 milligrams of sodium, said Wootan.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that children eat no more than 2,300 milligrams of salt each day to avoid high blood pressure, which can lead to coronary disease, stroke and other ailments.

Being overweight as a child leaves a person vulnerable to heart disease, diabetes and a shortened life span. About one-third of American children are now considered overweight and 17 percent are considered obese, according to USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

The CSPI cited Subway restaurants’ Fresh Fit For Kids meal combinations as exceptions to the salty, fatty norm.

Subway serves apple slices with its kid-sized sub sandwiches and offers low-fat milk or bottled water instead of soda. All eight of its children’s meals met CSPI’s nutrition criteria.

A few other establishments have begun to offer side dishes beyond French fries. In fact, every child’s meal at Longhorn Steakhouse now comes with fruit or a vegetable.

“More chains are adding fruit, like apple slices, to their menus, but practically every chain could be adding more vegetable and whole grain options,” said Ameena Batada, an assistant professor in the Department of Health and Wellness at the University of North Carolina Asheville.

Labeling can be a potent tool. The report cited two studies that indicated customers who are provided with calorie counts on the menu sometimes gravitate toward healthier choices.

To produce its study, the CSPI looked at 50 top U.S. chain restaurants, finding 34 of them had meals designed for children and were willing to provide nutritional data. It analyzed those meals and meal combinations.

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“A Feast of Ice and Fire,” the official “Game of Thrones” cookbook, recreates some of the mouthwatering recipes featured in the novels, including Dothraki Blood Pie and Hen on the Wall. Co-author and chef Chelsea Monroe-Cassel talks us through how to throw a premiere party, Westeros style.

Setting the scene: Rich, romantic and grandiose
“We don’t all live in castles, so it can be tough to transform a regular apartment into something that looks the part. One thing you can do is to set up some kind of entrance. Try to find a brocade or velvet throw from a thrift store. Split it down the middle and tie it to either side of a door using gold cord to make a grander entryway. Illuminate the room by lighting candles everywhere. I’d avoid using scents that are too overpowering, such as rose or patchouli, as the heavy smell
could clash with the flavours of the food. Simple beeswax is best.”

Table etiquette: Finger licking is OK
“There’s something awesome about being dressed up in a cloak and sat around a table eating chicken with your fingers by candlelight. Most of your guests will be hardcore fans and think it’s awesome. But others may be a little more reluctant. So if you take away their forks, leaving just knives and napkins, they’ll have to play along like everyone else. Put in the extra effort to find medieval looking dishes and silverware; anything made from wood or pewter works.”

The feast: Dig in  
“People think medieval food is gross, but recipes that sound weird are delicious once made. … Seeing an opulent spread of food is really satisfying. So once everything is ready, lay it all out on the table at once. The only course that should be saved for later is the dessert. Serve it once your guests have settled down to watch the show in the lounge. Lastly, don’t forget to quench your guests’ thirst. Make sure you have plenty of red wine and apple cider to get you through the night.”

Top 3 party tips

1. The invite: “In a day and age where people just send out invites on Facebook or text, a physical invitation is incredibly important. Plus, having something mysteriously delivered to your doorstep is so much cooler than an online notification.”

2. The dress code: “Request everyone come wearing a cloak (or a baggy coat). If you don’t own one, wrap an old skirt around your shoulders and
use a pin to clasp it around your neck.”

3. The music: The American pop duo MS MR’s hauntingly beautiful song “Bones’” is featured in the Season 3 trailer. The Hold Steady’s lyrics “The Bear and the Maiden Fair” were actually written by “Game of Thrones” author George R.R. Martin. But as it won’t be out in time for your party (it will be heard in an upcoming episode,) we recommend you have their latest album, “Heaven is Whenever,” on repeat.

Recipes

The starter: Simple Dornish fare
• hummus
• pita bread
• Feta cheese
• purple olives

“We haven’t gotten to this in the show yet, but the Dornish have some of the best finger food. Take a platter and heap it with purple olives, flatbread, hummus and feta cheese.”

1.Place the hummus, olives, pita bread and feta cheese on a platter and serve.

Main course: Honeyed Chicken
• 1 whole chicken for roasting
• olive oil
• salt
Sauce:
• ½ cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 tsp. fresh mint
• small handful of raisins
• butter

“This is essentially just a roast chicken with a good sauce, but it’s great because it’s straight out of the halls of Winterfell. Plus, if you deny your guests silverware, they have to tear into it with their bare hands, and everything tastes better eaten that way.”

1. Rub the chicken down with olive oil and salt. This will ensure the skin is ultra crispy once cooked. Heat the oven at 450°F and leave to roast for approximately one hour.

2. In the meantime, combine all the ingredients for the sauce in a pan and leave to simmer until the raisins look plump and the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and when the chicken is done, coat it with the honey sauce.

Dessert:  Lemon cakes
• 3 tbs. butter, softened
• ¼ heaping cup sugar
• 3 egg yolks
• zest from one lemon
• ½ tsp. baking soda dissolved
• ¼ tsp. each salt, cloves and mace
• pinch saffron
• 1 ¼ cup sifted all-purpose flour
• juice from one lemon
• 1 tbs. honey

“This is the quintessential ‘GoT’ dessert because it represents everything that’s good about living in that world … and because of how mouthwatering they’re made to sound in the books.”

1. Cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg yolks. Blend in the baking soda, lemon zest, salt and spices. Stir in the flour and work until a ball of dough is formed. Knead gently until smooth.

2. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to a ¼” thickness. With a floured butter knife, cut the dough into small squares. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

3. Bake the cakes in a preheated 300°F oven for 15 minutes. Make sure they don’t brown on the bottom. Place them on a wire rack. While they are cooling, mix the lemon juice and honey together in a pan on the stove over low heat. Let cool slightly before brushing onto cakes.

The post Dig in! ‘Game of Thrones’ cookbook appeared first on Metro.us.

When chef Todd Gray, an Episcopalian by birth, married his Jewish wife, Ellen Kassoff Gray, their union in the kitchen — combining his passion for farm-to-table cooking with her family’s traditional recipes — led to the opening of their acclaimed Equinox Restaurant in Washington, D.C. Now the two have gathered 125 of their favorite recipes in “The New Jewish Table.” And what better time to roadtest them than at Passover seder?

Matzo-Stuffed Cornish
Game Hens
Serves 4

Stuffing:
1    cup chicken livers (about 7 ounces)
¼    cup canola oil
1    large yellow onion, cut into ¼-inch dice
3    celery ribs, cut into ¼-inch dice
3    garlic cloves, minced
2    teaspoons chopped fresh sage
½    teaspoon salt
⅛    teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3    matzo crackers (full sheets), crushed into pieces

Hens:
4    Cornish game hens
2    tablespoons olive oil
4    tablespoons unsalted butter (½ stick), cut into small pieces
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2    carrots, coarsely chopped
2    celery ribs, coarsely chopped
1    medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1    cup Roasted Chicken Jus (recipe in Chef’s Appendix)
Braised Cabbage for serving (recipe page 134)

Directions:
1Make the meat. Dot the hens with margarine instead of butter, or brush them with canola or olive oil.

2Make the stuffing. Clean the livers (see page nine), then coarsely chop them into half inch pieces. Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, and garlic, cook for two minutes; lower the heat to medium-low and continue to cook until the vegetables are translucent and begin to soften — six to eight minutes. Add the livers, sage, salt, and pepper; saute until the livers are cooked — about five minutes. Transfer the mixture to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Place the crushed matzos in a medium bowl; add the liver mixture and mix well with a wooden spoon. Taste the stuffing and add more salt or pepper if you wish.
3Clean the hens. Trim any excess fat from the hens; wash them under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Set aside.

4Mix a mirepoix. Mix the carrots, celery, and onions in the bottom of a roasting pan large enough to hold all four hens.

5Stuff the hens. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Loosely fill the cavity of each hen with stuffing. Drizzle one and a half teaspoons oil over each hen and rub into skin. Sprinkle each hen with salt and pepper. Truss the hens with twine (tie the legs together, tuck the wings under the backs). Place the hens, breast up, in the roasting pan, on the mirepoix. Dot each with the butter, dividing equally. (If there is extra stuffing, place it in an appropriate size casserole or ramekin; add it to the oven with the hens about halfway through the roasting time.)

6Roast the hens. Place the pan in the oven and roast for 10 minutes, lower the heat to 325°F. Roast for 40 minutes more, until done (the internal temperature of the thigh should register 160° on an instant read thermometer),—checking from time to time that the hens are browning evenly and rotating the pan 180 degrees about halfway through the cooking time.

7Make the sauce. Transfer the hens to a cutting board and cover with foil to keep warm. Transfer the mirepoix and pan juices to a small saucepan and add the Roasted Chicken Jus. Bring to simmering over medium heat; simmer for 10 minutes. Strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer into another pan or serving pitcher; discard the mirepoix and keep the sauce warm.

8Carve the hens for serving. Slice the thighs, legs, and breast meat from each hen—as you would when carving a turkey. Carefully spoon the stuffing from inside each hen and place on individual plates. Spoon some Braised Cabbage next to the stuffing. Arrange the meat from one hen on top of the stuffing and cabbage on each plate. Spoon the sauce over the top and serve.

The post Modern Passover recipe appeared first on Metro.us.

Spring has finally arrived, but due to the 40 degree temperature on the thermometer, some of us are still dealing with the winter blues. Never fear, we’ve got just the activity to insert a little spring cheer into everyone’s lives: baking! Author Marian Keyes introduces plenty of delicious recipes and describes how baking saved her from depression in her book, “Saved By Cake.” One recipe in particular caught our eye: Lemon Curd and Pistachio pinwheels. Sound delicious? It’s because they are. Perfect for breakfast or a quick snack, these homemade pastries are sure to put a smile on your face and make you forget about the arctic temperatures outside.

Check out the full recipe featured in “Saved By Cake” below!

Ingredients (Makes 16):
1. A packet of 2 sheets of frozen prepared puff pastry, total weight 1 pound.
2. 6 ounces of lemon curd
3. 1 ½ cups pistachios, chopped roughly

Instructions:
1. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Spread half of the lemon curd onto the pastry—it should be a very thin covering, a mere scraping—then scatter over half of the pistachios. Take the short end of the pastry, lift it slightly, and start rolling it inward and over onto itself, as tightly as possible, but not so tightly that the filling starts to squeeze out the sides. (This gets easier with practice, I promise.) Proceed with patience but confidence, making sure that the rolling is happening evenly across the width of the pastry. Very soon it will all be rolled up and you will have a little log.
3. Repeat the whole process with the second sheet of pastry and the rest of the lemon curd and pistachios.
4. Use a serrated knife to cut each log into eight equal pieces. You might have to dip the knife in water occasionally because the lemon curd filling may stick to it and make the cutting difficult. Carefully lay each pinwheel flat on your baking sheets. Leave plenty of room between them because the pastry will puff and expand.
5. Bake for about 20 minutes. There might be mild filling leakage from some of the pinwheels, but don’t let that bother you. Do watch though that they don’t burn on the bottom.
6. When you take the pinwheels out of the oven, prepare to be amazed. They will look so professional and impressive and totally different from the last time you saw them.
7. Let them stay on their sheets while they cool.

You can recreate this with a million different fillings—morello cherry jam and chopped hazelnuts, for example. Or lime curd—have you ever had the pleasure? Very hard to get hold of, but oh my God, SO delicious, far nicer than lemon, if you ask me—teamed with chopped macadamia nuts. Let your imagination run wild! But never lie about the pastry being store-bought.

The post How to Make Lemon Curd and Pistachio Pinwheels appeared first on Metro.us.

Women Against Abuse is hosting its fifth delicious Dish It Up event to raise funds and awareness about domestic violence. The organization has rounded up 13 of the area’s most talented female chefs, including three fierce pastry chefs, to pit them against each other in two culinary battles: one savory and one sweet. Expect an eclectic range of food to sample, with each competitor bringing her own cooking background while also representing the restaurant she works for.

Each chef will need to make between 350 and 400 samples for judges and attendees, so the heat is on. Only one of these women will take home the top Purple Dish Award, though two other winners will be crowned as well.

The Purple Dish Award: It wouldn’t be a food competition without an expert panel of judges ready to dissect every bite. For this round, the rules are simple: Incorporate something purple — the designated color of domestic violence awareness — into the food. “There have been times when they put purple things in the dish that I had never even heard of,” jokes Katie Young-Wildes, the director of fund development and communications at Women Against Abuse.

The Purple Cupcake Award: This award is a chance for the people to be heard. Three pastry chefs will create mini purple cupcakes, with the winner decided by sugar-loving attendees.

The Purple Style Award: Naturally an event like this can’t have a red carpet. It needs — you guessed it — a purple carpet. NBC10’s Bill Henley and stylist and fashion correspondent Jen Abrams will be covering the purple carpet and snapping photos with the night’s best-dressed attendees. If you want to earn yourself the style award, may we suggest donning something in the aubergine or lilac families?

If you go
Dish It Up
March 19, 5:30
WHYY Studios
Independence Mall West, 150 N. Sixth St.
$100,
www.womenagainstabuse.org

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In Chestnut Hill, restaurant and brewery Iron Hill is switching up the brunch menu weekly. It not only entices brunch-goers, it also keeps chef Jared Cannon on his toes. But  weekend meals aren’t a big enough challenge for Cannon, which is why he’s creating special event menus all spring long. Spoiler alert: Baseball’s opening day will be delicious.

Is it difficult to come up with a brunch menu that changes each week?
No, it’s actually really fun. It keeps me in step and invigorated. Plus it’s another avenue to be creative. I like to take what people know and put a twist on it.

How much booze is too much booze at brunch?
I think two beverages at brunch is good. There is an exception to that, though: our Father’s Day Beer Brunch. That’s a five-course food and beer pairing.

Do you live in Chestnut Hill?
I live in West Chester.

What do you do in West Chester on your days off?
I try to venture into Philly when I can. I’m really excited about the food scene there. I grew up in north Delaware, but I’ve been living in Miami and I only moved back to this area about a year ago. So I like to go into the city and see what other chefs are doing. I went to Distrito and thought it was great. I’m a prior chef of Mexican cuisine, so it was cool to see how they interpret food.

You guys are doing a “Mexican Beer Dinner” in April. Did you help with the menu?
Of course! This is my chance to kind of flex my muscles. The beer dinners are a cool opportunity to sit down with the brewer and make something that a lot of people aren’t used to.

So the “Phightin’ Phils Pils Release” is another chance to do that, just with hot dogs?
Yeah. It’s another chance to take what people love and add a twist. I get to correlate baseball with hot dogs and beer. Coming up with the names [The Chili Choooooch Dog, The Chase Utley, You are the Man Dog, et al.] was the funnest part.

The post Jared Cannon likes a challenge in the kitchen appeared first on Metro.us.

St. Patrick’s Day may be known for green-colored beer and shamrocks, but it’s also an opportunity to indulge in some authentic Irish cuisine. We asked chef Clodagh McKenna — dubbed “Ireland’s answer to Rachael Ray” — what we should cook up this Sunday. Her pick? “Definitely a stew,” she says, like her bacon and cabbage recipe (“something to warm your cockles”) or her Guinness and beef stew (see below) from her new book, “Clodagh’s Kitchen Diaries.”

Guinness and beef stew
“The longer and the lower temperature that you cook this stew, the better the flavor,” McKenna says.
(Serves eight)
INGREDIENTS
2     tablespoons butter
14     bacon slices, chopped
10½ oz. shallots, left whole
2 ¼     lb. stewing beef, cubed
14     oz. mixed wild mushrooms
1     quart Guinness
1     bouquet garni
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
1 Preheat the oven to 325˚F.

2 Put the butter in a frying pan over medium heat. When the butter has melted add the bacon, followed by the shallots. Cook until golden brown and transfer to a large baking dish.

3 Add the beef to the frying pan. Season it with salt and pepper, then cook until it’s browned all over. Transfer to the baking dish.
4 Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook for two minutes. Season to taste and transfer to the baking dish.

5 Return the frying pan to the stove over medium heat and use a whisk to scrape off all the bits stuck to the bottom of the pan (this is where the flavor is). Pour in the Guinness and continue to whisk for another minute to deglaze the pan. Pour the Guinness and pan juices over the beef and vegetables in the baking dish. Add the bouquet garni, cover the baking dish and cook in the oven for two hours.

6 Check the seasoning, remove the bouquet garni and serve with roasted potatoes.

Irish fusion
McKenna mixes authentic Irish flavors with other global tastes to create her signature fusion dishes.
“I grew up in Cork, in the south of Ireland. I used to spend my summers in France, and then I left to New York when I was 19. After that, I came back to Ireland and trained as a chef and then moved to the north of Italy for three and a half years. In the book, there’s quite a lot of cuisines: There’s British cuisine, there’s Irish [and] there’s French and Italian. I see recipes and I try to make them my own. The book is like a little companion of foods that I want to eat throughout the year.”

The post Cooking with Clodagh McKenna appeared first on Metro.us.

We always knew Kraft mac’n’cheese wasn’t good for us. We didn’t eat it for it’s nutritional value. To be honest, we’re not sure why we ate it.

Two food bloggers from North Carolina are taking action against our one-time favorite late-night snack.

Vani Hari and Lisa Leake launched a Change.org petition on Tuesday, which has already collected more than 50,000 signatures, calling on Kraft Foods to remove artificial dyes Yellow #5 and Yellow #6 from Macaroni and Cheese products.

“If an American company can take the time and expense to reformulate a safer food product for countries overseas, then I believe Americans deserve the same treatment,” said Leake, a mother of two girls and creator of the “100 Days of Real Food” website in a press release. “It’s rather shocking that we are still being fed ingredients, which are no longer used – and in some cases banned – elsewhere.”

According to the petition, Kraft Macaroni and Cheese in other countries such as the United Kingdom do not contain these ingredients.

In Europe, it is mandatory for foods that contain these ingredients to carry a warning label on the packaging. In some countries, such as Austria and Norway, the ingredients have been entirely banned.

The petition was sent via e-mail to Kraft Foods executives, including Noelle O’Mara, marketing director for Kraft Macaroni and Cheese.

“We know some people prefer foods without certain ingredients,” said Lynne Galia, associate director with Kraft Corporate Affairs, in a written statement. “We now offer a multitude of products without added colors, as well as products with natural food colors.

Follow Mary Ann Georgantopoulos on Twitter @marygeorgant 

The post Kraft Macaroni and Cheese under fire for artificial ingredients appeared first on Metro.us.

The first SideTour event in Philadelphia started with house-made Limoncello, which one diner quietly remarked tasted like Tostitos Hint of Lime. But he had no complaints about the next four courses brought out by chef/owner Andrew Wood at the Center City restaurant Russet, which included umbrian-style salami and a slow-roasted suckling pig.

And everyone seemed pleased by what the chef presented as an digestif, after overhearing a few guests debate their edibility: the pig’s ears.

The Russet dinner, a multi-course, pig-themed extravaganza complete with detailed explanations of the food and a tour of Wood’s charcuterie-preservation room, was a preview of the type of events SideTour is bringing to the city. The company, officially launching in Philly on Monday, already has a presence in New York, Chicago and Boston, where it “scouts hosts who are passionate about something, and helps them put together experiences,” says Andrea Li of SideTour.

Those hosts might be restaurateurs like Wood, muralists, blacksmiths, historians, or something else entirely. In New York, one regular host is a former investment banker who became a monk. He invites small groups to share a meal in his East Village monastery and learn about…monk life.

SideTour helps schedule, set up and market the events — and takes a cut of the profits — but hosts decide how often to hold events, how many people to invite, and how much to charge.

“95 percent of the guests are locals. It’s not for people who want a tourist experience, it’s for people looking for something hard to find,” Li says. “It’s a way to see a piece of the city you don’t usually have access to.”

Sign up for these:

Toast to Tiki culture while learning how to make daiquiris and mai tais with Mike Treffehn of Franklin Mortgage and Investment Co.

Indulge in a suckling pig feast at Russet, with chef and owner Andrew Wood.

Paint with Mural Arts Program artist Betsy Casanma.

Tour Old City’s Colonial taverns and sip craft beers with beer historian Rich Wagner.

Get the insider scoop at the Philadelphia Museum of Art with artist Craig Stover.

The details
Prices for SideTour events range from $20 to $80; the average is about $50. To see what’s on tap, go to http://www.sidetour.com/cities/philly.

The post SideTour is launching in Philly appeared first on Metro.us.

After being diagnosed with kidney failure as a result of lupus, Jessica Goldman Foung changed her way of eating. She experimented with recipes, including high-sodium offenders like bloody marys and pad thai, to cut the salt but keep the taste. “Low-so food is just Slow Food with the letters switched around,” she says. “It is about getting back to the kitchen, using fresh and flavorful ingredients — which is never a bad thing and usually results not only in healthier food, but more exciting meals.”
Her new cookbook, “Sodium Girl’s Limitless Low-Sodium Cookbook” contains 100-plus creative dishes that are packed with flavor without the guilt. Foung tells why we should pay more attention to what’s on the dinner table.

Why should people cut back on sodium?
The sodium problem doesn’t start with the salt shaker, but [with] processed foods. On average, Americans eat more than 3,500 milligrams of sodium a day — way over the higher limit of 2,500 a day. But on top of that, salt has become synonymous with flavor. So when we cut back on salt and processed items, we are forced to start exploring other spices, herbs and ingredients — not to mention techniques that help enhance the foods.

What are some foods guilty of being high-sodium?
People are shocked to find out kitchen staples like milk (more than 100 milligrams per cup for that bowl of Raisin Bran and latte), cereal (generally more than 200 milligrams per cup), bread (more than 200 milligrams per slice) and baked goods (bagels can be almost 500 milligrams without the cream cheese) are quite high in sodium. And that’s before sandwiches, soups, salty snacks and dinner enter the picture.

What are some tips on cutting sodium when eating out?
It is important to know how food is cooked in restaurants. Most vegetables and grains get blanched or boiled in salted water. So it is always best to call a day ahead when possible to ask that fresh ingredients be left aside for your meal. And it is essential to know that words like cured, marinated, brined, pickled and breaded generally mean the starring protein has encountered some sort of salty solution or rub. So these are menu items that need to be avoided or altered.

Excerpt and recipe from “Sodium Girl’s Limitless Low-Sodium Cookbook”

Pad thai, everyone’s favorite Thai takeout dish, contains
“a bomb of salt,” says Goldman Foung.

PAD THAI

Pad Thai is a wonderful dish with noodles, proteins, crispy veggies, and a delicate sauce. And it is that last component—the sauce—that not only lends an explosion of flavor, but a bomb of salt. It is traditionally made with tamarind paste (the sour), palm sugar (the sweet), chili powder (the spice), and fish sauce (the savory), which is basically made from salted fi sh that is allowed to ferment for a very long time.

To get around the fish sauce dilemma, however, I focused less on its salty properties and more on its umami flavor. I think you know where I’m going with this. I simply mixed my umami broth with the rest of the traditional ingredients and let it simmer and reduce. And if you want to really accentuate the fi shy flavor in the original sauce, you can always add a few clams or fish bones to the pot when making your umami broth. Or you can simply rely on the fi sh that is in the dish to bring out the briny essence.

But before you do anything, take a breath. This recipe takes time. Not just because you have to make the umami broth and then the pad Thai sauce before you even get to your wok, but also because pad Thai is best made in batches. If you throw everything in at once, the noodles will get gummy and the wok will lose its heat. If you have everything set up around you and prepped, though, the cooking process will go smoothly and your room full of guests will be wildly entertained as you fry up their dinner to order. Just like on the streets of Bangkok.

Serves 4 to 6

Effort Level: Got Time to Spare

2 cups Umami Broth (page 140)

6 garlic cloves, minced (about 2 teaspoons)

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

11⁄2 tablespoon granulated white sugar

2 tablespoons molasses

1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar

2 teaspoons tamarind paste (or

1 teaspoon pomegranate molasses)

Sesame oil, for frying

1⁄4 pound ground pork

1⁄8 teaspoon paprika

1⁄8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 fi lets of rockfish or tilapia (about 1 pound), cut into bite-sized cubes (about 1-inch)

4 large eggs

1⁄2 of an 8-ounce package no-salt-added rice noodles (use your judgment to decide how many noodles you want to eat)

1 cup bean sprouts

1 medium carrot, cut into thin matchsticks (about 1 cup if you buy preshredded)

1 cup thinly sliced Savoy or Napa cabbage

1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced

1 cup unsalted peanuts, for garnish

1⁄2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

1 lime, cut into wedges

Sodium-free hot sauce, for serving

+ In a small pot, add the umami broth, garlic, brown and white sugars, molasses, and rice vinegar. Mix the tamarind paste with 1 cup of water and add it to the pot. Bring the whole thing to a boil and then immediately reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cover the pot and cook for 30 minutes, stirring every so often.

+ As the sauce cooks, prep the other ingredients. In a large skillet or wok, heat 1 teaspoon of sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground pork and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the paprika and pepper and continue to stir until the pork is no longer pink, is broken up into little bits, and nicely browned, another 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the heat, transfer the pork to a bowl, and set aside. Using the same pan, heat another teaspoon of sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add the fish and cook until the meat turns opaque, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the fi sh to the bowl with the pork, and set aside. Wipe out the pan or wok with a cloth or paper towel.

+ Check on the pad Thai sauce to make sure it is not reducing too much. If it is, lower the heat or turn it off all together and keep the pot covered. You want at least 1 cup of sauce to make your noodles. This is not a thick sauce—it’s silky, not sticky—so don’t be alarmed if it is on the runny side.

+ Fill another medium pot with water and bring to a boil. Add the noodles and cook for 4 to 5 minutes (or a few minutes less than the directions on the package)—ideally pad Thai noodles will still be slightly fi rm. When ready, drain them in a colander and rinse with cold water. Using kitchen shears or a knife, cut the noodle clumps in half and set aside.

+ Make sure all of your pad Thai accoutrements are ready to go. Have the cooked pork and fi sh, noodles, bean sprouts, carrot, cabbage, jalapeño, peanuts, cilantro, eggs, and noodles prepped and in bowls near your stove, because we’re about to move quickly. Remember, it is best to make the pad Thai one serving at a time. But, of course, if the portions look large or you have extra mouths to feed, you can always split servings in half. Either way, repeat the steps below for each batch (a total of 4) and divvy up ingredients accordingly.

+ In the same large skillet or wok you used before, heat 1 to 2 teaspoons of sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add a few spoonfuls of cooked pork, a few spoonfuls of fi sh, and a few tablespoons of the pad Thai sauce. Mix until everything is coated. Then, push the meat to the side of the wok and crack 1 egg into the center. Let it set for a few seconds and then, using a wooden spoon or spatula, break it up and toss it with the rest of the ingredients. Add the bean sprouts, carrot, cabbage, and jalapeño, and mix them together, cooking and stirring for another 2 minutes. Taste a bit of the pad Thai and add more sauce if it needs extra kick. Then add a fi stful of noodles and stir for a final 2 minutes.

+ Turn off the heat and serve the pad Thai to the fi rst guests. Offer peanuts, cilantro, a lime wedge, and hot sauce for garnish. And before making another round, wipe the skillet or wok clean with a cloth or paper towel. Keep going, you’re doing great, and make sure to save a serving for yourself.

The post Cut the sodium, not the taste appeared first on Metro.us.

For food and booze lovers, Brewer’s Plate is pretty much Nirvana at the Constitution Center. It’s an all-you-can-eat-and-drink affair with 20 local and local-ish restaurants and 20 brewers. This fundraiser for Fair Food, happening on Sunday, March 10, is now in its ninth year, so it’s safe to say they know what they’re doing.

Of course, you can taste and sip however you want, but Fair Food has created a list of pairings that teams a restaurant with a brewer in the hopes of creating the most perfect coupling. Some match ups come naturally, like that of Triumph restaurant and Triumph brewery. Others, though, are not so obvious. Tex Mex barbeque joint El Camino Real, for instance, will be enhancing their food with the sudsy help of Easton’s Weyerbacher. And the classy wine bar and café Tria will have at its side beer from the anything but subtle Victory Brewing Company.

Make sure you try the fare from the soon-to-be-opened Cedar Point Bar & Kitchen. Fishtown has been waiting for this promising kitchen to open its doors, so don’t skip on the chance to sample their menu.

If you want to shell out a few more bucks — and why not, it is a fundraiser, after all — there are VIP tickets. Now, sometimes VIP tickets don’t get you much more than an early entrance and a chance to mingle with the pros, but this time that’s not the case. VIPs will be able to enjoy a “tutored tasting” with Aimee Olexy, co-owner of Talula’s Garden. And to keep the coupling theme going, local cheese makers are pairing their goods with a selected brewer. Plus, you lucky VIPs can try a Victory brew so new it’s not even on the shelves yet. Take that, general admission! And finally, the main reason we can see for going VIP is Weckerly’s “Man Full of Trouble” ice cream. It’s porter-flavored ice cream with chocolate-covered shortbread, and it’s the reason enough for us.

A sample of pairings

Many of the participating restaurants are keeping quiet about what they’re making, but a few have leaked the info.

Scrapple sliders from White Dog Café with Dogfish’s Chicory Stout

Mortadella hot dogs from Alla Spina with Stoudt’s Karnival Kolsch

Grilled cheese with BBQ portabella and apple slaw from Cedar Point with Boxcar’s Mango Ginger IPA

If you go
Brewer’s Plate
Sunday, March 10
National Constitution Center
525 Arch St.
6 to 9 p.m.
$70 general admission, $140 for VIP

Do this first
Before they head over to Brewer’s Plate, Nate Saar and Steve Koch of Bullfrog Brewery will be at Devil’s Den on 11th and Ellsworth for the restaurant’s boozy Bullfrog Brunch, marking the debut of Bullfrog in Philly.

Saar and Koch plan to pre-game for Brewer’s Plate with their own Edgar IPA, Aggro Funky Witbier, Sacre Bleu Blueberry Farmhouse and Pomme Par Jour Apple Farmhouse. All Bullfrog drafts and flights will be $1 off, from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The post Brewer’s Plate fundraiser is back for its ninth year appeared first on Metro.us.

New Rivers restaurant is in an 18th century river warehouse near Brown University. It is one of the city’s favorite foodie hangouts — and specializes in cured meats.

Take a weekend trip to experience the small city with big taste. Here’s a rundown of  the area’s hottest culinary spots.

As home to culinary school Johnson & Wales, Rhode Island’s capital city tends to snag its share of new graduates. For dining patrons, that means there is always a steady supply of talent in the city’s restaurant kitchens. Add to that, a rich cultural heritage from generations of Portuguese and Italian immigrants —and proximity to rich agriculture New England and the ocean — and the small city of Providence has become a big destination for foodies, especially those who appreciate the farm-to-table approach.

One of Providence’s most essential reservations is New Rivers (7 Steeple Street, 401-751-0350), located near Brown University in an 18th century river warehouse. Last year, the long-time chef Beau Vestal took over the restaurant as owner. His speciality? Cured meats including sweet and salty pork belly that melts like candy on the tongue, strips of succulent pastrami beef tongue and smoked fish. The menu leans into seasonal ingredients and showcases Rhode Island’s natural bounty of seafood with dishes like the maltagliati — a pasta dish served with local clams and tuscan kale.

Gracie’s (194 Washington Street, 401-272-7811) in downtown Providence is another stop for farm-fresh junkies: The best way to eat here is to leave it to the chef. After a few questions from the server — who are among the friendliest and most helpful in the city — the chef will send out a surprise five-course tasting menu ($75) — perhaps with things like a slow-poached farm egg or sea scallops served with a maple-glazed pork belly, all flavored with herbs grown in the restaurant’s rooftop garden.

Pork belly and brussel sprout hash at XO Cafe.

Sunday brunch is a sleepy affair in Providence but well worth rising for to down two things: Pork belly and brussel sprout hash and a Dirty Red Snapper, a house special bloody Mary mix with gin and olive juice at XO Café (125 N. Main Street, 401-273-9090). The restaurant defies the farm-to-table stereotype and instead rocks more of let’s-do-one-more-shot-of-whiskey atmosphere. Fittingly, the menu is has all kinds of hangover busters, like the XO Benedict, a local short rib served with chive potato pancake and chipotle Hollandaise.

Antonelli’s Poultry is one of the last live-chicken shops in Providence where shoppers can pick the chicken they want to eat for dinner. This is one of several stops on the Savoring Federal Hill culinary tour.

For the serious foodie — as in you like to pick out the chicken you kill for dinner — a visit to Antonelli Poultry Company in the city historic Italian Federal Hill district is another must do. The best way to navigate the area is to sign up for the Savoring Federal Hill culinary tour (401-934-2149, $50) with chef Cindy Salvato. Salvato, a former professor at J&W, escorts folks through local purveyors — like the live chicken shop and bakeries —to view and taste some of the most authentic just-like-your-noni-made-it Italian goodies. One word of advice: Reserve early, the popular tour has a months long waiting list.

Just like your noni used to make: Grandmas still hand-make raviolis at Costantino’s Venda Ravioli, a stop on the Savoring Federal Hill culinary tour.

Homemade torrone – a kind of Italian nougat – is a specialty at Scialo Brothers Bakery, another stop on the Savoring Federal Hill culinary tour.

The post Farm-fresh devotees find big flavors In Providence appeared first on Metro.us.

Today, Thursday, is National Chili Day — a perfect reason to cook (or order, we won’t judge) one of our favorite cold-weather staples. But a big pot of chili doesn’t have to include meat — check out “Top Chef” fan favorite Fabio Viviani (www.fabioviviani.com).

Butternut Squash Black Bean Chili

Butternut squash and black beans are spiced with both ancho and chipotle chili powders in this hearty winter warmer. This squash spin on an American classic proves the adage “if you think chili needs meat, you don’t know beans!”

Serves 4

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 butternut squash, peeled and diced

1 onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons Ancho chili powder

½ teaspoon ground chipotle chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon salt

2 ½ cups vegetable broth

2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed

1 (15 ounce) can tomatoes with green peppers

4 teaspoons lime juice

½ cup chopped cilantro

Place the oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the butternut squash and onion and cook for about 4 minutes, or until the onion softens slightly. Season with the garlic, chili powders, cumin and salt. Stir to ensure the spices are evenly distributed and cook for about 30 seconds more, or until they become fragrant.

Add the stock and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the butternut squash is tender.

Add the beans, tomatoes and lime juice to the pot. Increase heat the high cook for about 4-5 minutes, or until it’s slightly reduced. Remove from heat, stir in the cilantro and enjoy!

Nutritional Facts for Butternut Squash Black Bean Chili
Serving Size: 1 (325 g)
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount Per Serving and % Daily Value
Calories 214.1
Calories from Fat 68 (32%)
Total Fat 7.6 g (11%)
Saturated Fat 1.1 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 78.6 mg
Total Carbohydrate 38.7 g
Dietary Fiber 7.6 g
Sugars 7.7 g
Protein 3.8 g

Get more meatless chili recipe ideas from The Monday e-Chili Cookbook, brought to you by the Mondays Campaign, the folks behind Meatless Mondays. Obtain your free copy here.

The post Try this: Butternut Squash Black Bean Chili from a Top Chef appeared first on Metro.us.

Lo McShay

Credit: Studio Vitri

If you’re hosting pals over this Sunday night for the Academy Awards, roll out the red carpet for them: “Anything to indulge your guests a little bit and make them feel like a celebrity for the evening I think is a nice touch,” says Boston-based event planner Lolo McShay. We got her tips on just how to do that.

Food

Butternut squash soup shooters

Credit: Kelly Benvenuto
You could tie your foods to this year’s favorite films (Life of Apple Pi, anyone?), or, McShay says, you can model your meal after the very dinner the Oscar attendees will be having at Wolfgang Puck’s Governor’s Ball on Oscar night.
“I took my inspiration for the foods that I’m going to be serving at my girls’ get-together based off of his menu, which is all around comfort food this year,” she says. She and Puck will be serving red snapper, chicken pot pie, soup shooters and a grilled peach-and-tomato salad (skewer yours for easy clean-up). You can find her recipes for these dishes at www.loloevents.net.
For an extra touch, “make a little sign for the buffet that hints to your guests that these are directly off the menu that Wolfgang Puck is going to be serving at the Governor’s Ball. Even make a printed menu for your guests that says ‘Governor’s Ball 2013’ on it.” The goal is to “give your guests an experience of being there at the Oscars.”

Drinks
For such a celebratory occasion, McShay says you can’t go wrong with a little bubbly. At her Oscars party, she’s serving up “probably the most iconic champagne cocktail, the New York Metropolitan Hotel’s Champagne Cocktail.” It’s easy to make it yourself: Soak a sugar cube in bitters, toss it in the bottom of a champagne flute, top it with champagne, and if you’re feeling extra fancy, add a bit of cognac at the top.

Décor
For her shindig, McShay is modeling her living room after the “Architectural Digest”-designed green room where presenters and nominees will mingle during the show. “‘Architectural Digest” has said that their inspiration for this year’s green room is a place where contemporary celebrities would run into famous celebrities of bygone eras, so [I’m incorporating] that mix of current, modern interior design with vintage touches.” How to bring a bit of old-Hollywood into your pad this weekend? Serve your cocktails on a bar cart, if you have one, and pick up a luxurious-looking crushed velvet throw pillow or blanket “just add a little something texture-wise to give that sense of a bygone era,” she says. Color-wise, gold is a good hue to play around.

More drinks

The Nominees are…

2 part) Pinnacle® Blackberry Vodka
4 parts Ginger Ale
Splash Lime Juice
Mix in a glass with ice and garnish with an orange slice.

Zero Dark Thirsty

1.5 parts SVEDKA Cherry
Top with fresh apple juice
Build in rocks glass. Garnish with an apple slice.

Pour L’Amour

1 oz Pisa Liqueur
1/3 oz Absolut® vodka
1 oz cream
Fill a shaker with ice and add all ingredients. Strain over ice in a rock glass.

“Unchained Western” -Inspired by “Django Unchained”

2-3 chunks of frozen pineapple
1/2 oz. lemon juice
1 tsp. maraschino syrup
2 oz. rye whiskey
Polar Lemon Seltzer
Lemon twist, to garnish
In a cocktail shaker, muddle the pineapple, syrup, lemon juice and whiskey. Add ice and shake well. Strain into a coupe, top with seltzer. Garnish with lemon twist.

You’ll need an award-winning wine for such a winning night: The Darkhorse 2010 Chardonnay won a gold medal at the 2013 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition and pairs well with fresh fruit and mild cheeses. $8, Trader Joe’s

The post How to throw an all-star Oscar party appeared first on Metro.us.

Wolfgang Puck may be the world’s best-known celebrity chef — he certainly was one of the first in the U.S. — and at 63, he is busier than ever. Puck oversees a global empire of restaurants (including his flagship, Spago, in Beverly Hills), popular lines of canned and frozen food, and his designer cookware, all balanced with television and radio appearances and seemingly nonstop travel. As he recently told the New York Times, “Why stop? What would you do at home?”

There is even more on his plate: For the past 17 years, Puck has also been the executive chef of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ annual after-Oscar Governor’s Ball, probably the ultimate Hollywood party. The next dinner, on February 24, will once again be at the Hollywood & Highland Center, in the ballroom of the former Kodak Theater, now the Dolby Theater.

So what’s the secret to cooking for George Clooney, Angie and Brad, and hundreds of other Academy members? We caught up with the superstar chef in Los Angeles, on his cell phone in his car on his way to yet another meeting.

Q: How many guests are we talking about for this party?

There are about 3,500 people who attend the Awards, and we have a little less than half — 1,600 — at the actual dinner. It’s by invitation only.

Q: Organizing it strikes us as something like a military operation. Do you start planning the next one as soon as you finish the one on Oscar night?

Not at all. I do everything at the last moment. That’s my favorite thing.

Q: So that keeps the menu up to date. But don’t you have to finalize it ahead at some point?

We have to have the dishes decided by the middle of January. We do a presentation at a press conference for the media. So even Sherry has to have her dessert ready then, too.

Q: Can you handle special requests?

Oh, yes. We have everything: Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, kosher …

Q: But how do you juggle all those different things?

We changed the format a few years ago to small plates. That way, there is something for everyone. So all night long there are small-portion dishes that get passed around to the tables.

Q: Like what?

You might get one grilled lamb chop, a small something with lobster like we do at Chinois, mini chicken pot pie with black truffles, slices of pizza, mac and cheese, a small potato with caviar. You eat six or seven little things. It’s easier on the kitchen, and everyone can pick and choose.

Q: Any particular favorites with the crowd?

After the first time we made the chicken pot pie with black truffles, someone on the Academy Board of Governors told me, “We don’t care what else you do, but you have to have the pot pie.”

Q: Can you dish on some specific celebs?

Barbra Streisand loves the wild mushroom risotto with black truffles, and the slow-braised short ribs. And a few years ago, Danny DeVito asked for a double order of lobster.

Q: How large is the team that you work with on that evening?

We have probably 300 in the kitchen and then 600 waitstaff in the dining room.

Q: Walk us through the time line leading up to that Sunday night.

Matt, our catering manager, organizes and buys everything. By Friday, we have all the food in for sure. But we might start ahead of that with things like smoked salmon — that’s 10 days before — or a week ahead for other things. We get the produce and perishables in as last-minute as we can. We had 800 Dover sole one year for the 1,600 portions.

Q: And the cooking?

We start the day before with what we can do, and then at 5 p.m. Sunday, as the show comes on in LA.

Q: It sounds as if you’re just using your regular staff to get this all done. That’s impressive.

Pretty much, yes. And we have a lot of other parties going on at the restaurants that week, too.

Q: What’s the seating arrangement? Do you help with that, too? That could be a nightmare in Hollywood.

I am part of that. And I treat it like my restaurants. We seat friends together, and the films and studios together. Dawn Hudson is great. She told me, “I want to have a party.” And the more we make it into an upscale party with great food, the more people like it.

Q: We know that it wasn’t always so.

No. When we were still at the original Spago, nobody went to the Governor’s Ball. The stars walked through it and then went straight to Swifty’s party at Spago. The press couldn’t interview anyone. The whole thing has changed.

Q: So it was a smart move to hire the creator of Spago for the Governor’s Ball.

It was rocky at the beginning. The first time I did it, the show was still at the Shrine. We had to build a kitchen outside, and it was windy and the burners kept going out. I was worried we would be serving raw chicken with black truffles. We had to put aluminum foil around the burners to keep them from blowing out. I had other LA chefs — I remember that Angelo from Valentino was there — to help me.

Q: But the Dolby Ballroom kitchen is better, I’m sure.

We have two kitchens there, and we designed them. So we don’t have to go camping anymore.

Q: When do you eat on Oscar night?

I eat all night as the plates go out, and of course we have staff meals — salads, soups — and we feed the crew and other staff. We feed more than 3,000 people that day.

Q: Who would you have cook an awards dinner for you?

I’d have a lot of the LA people, like Nobu and Nancy Silverton, and some of the new chefs like the guys from Animal. And I’d have some really good wines. For any awards dinner, you need to have good wines.

Q: Who does the wines for the Governor’s Ball?

Moet & Chandon. We’re hoping they’ll be back.

Q: Any downtime after the big night?

Oh, no. Straight back to work. We have the new Spago to run. I’m very happy with it, and people seem to love it.

Q: It sounds as if you have the Governor’s Ball down to a science.

It’s easier when it’s organized. To make a success, you have to do what you know how to do well. This isn’t the night to try anything new.

Barbara Fairchild, the former editor-in-chief of Bon Appetit, is a best-selling author, speaker, consultant and an inductee into the James Beard Foundation’s “Who’s Who in American Food and Beverage.”

The post Massive Oscars dinner a piece of cake, says Oscars chef Wolfgang Puck appeared first on Metro.us.

Visitors to UK supermarkets are being confronted by a strange beast with the head of a horse and the body of a cow. “If You Wouldn’t Eat a Horse, Why Eat a Cow? Go Vegan,” the beast challenges, and the same messages are appearing on billboards across the country.

This campaign from animal activists PETA seeks to take advantage of the horsemeat scandal engulfing Europe. Traces of the meat have been found in products in 16 European countries and has panicked buyers.

6% of British people know someone who has turned vegetarian since the scandal broke in January, according to a consumer poll Monday. An Irish poll found 5% had refused to buy meat themselves. By contrast, health food stores have reported a 50% increase in sales of meat substitutes.

“It’s a great opportunity,” Ben Martin, campaigner at Animal Aid, told Metro. “Our ‘Go vegetarian’ month in March will urge people to quit meat as the only guarantee of avoiding contamination.”

Activists hope that new scrutiny of supply chains, with graphic films from abattoirs broadcast, will impact on consumers. “We have known about these industry practices for years but people turned a blind eye,” said Justin Kerswell, campaigns manager for vegan group Viva! “Now that people see their trust is abused, it forces them to question their habits.”

The following weeks will see undercover filming in slaughterhouses and public information campaigns as activists seize the moment. They are already seeing success with Viva! reporting a 50% increase in requests for vegan starter packs. Celebrity supporters are also weighing in, with singer Morrissey forcing all non-vegetarian vendors to shut down at a Los Angeles concert venue.

The campaign is supported by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), which reported Monday that Europeans consume 70% too much protein from animals and recommended they halve consumption.

UNEP’s report author Mark Sutton, who invented the word ‘demitarian’, told Metro the supply chain is “unsustainable” and causes air pollution and climate change in addition to health problems. “I hope the governments of Europe will make this a really big issue in the next decade,” said Sutton, who also called for a “new cultural attitude from consumers. Meat could become like smoking.”

The post Horsemeat scandal inspires vegetarian takeover appeared first on Metro.us.

It’s the news some beer fans have been waiting for: Soon, you’ll be able to crack open a cold can of Sam Adams.

The Boston Beer Company announced Tuesday that cans of the brewery’s flagship Samuel Adams Boston Lager should be on store shelves by early summer.

“In the past, I had my doubts about putting Sam Adams in a can because I wasn’t convinced that Boston Lager would taste as good as it does from a bottle,” founder and brewer Jim Koch said in a statement. “But cans have changed. And I believe we’ve designed a can that provides a slight but noticeably better drinking experience than the standard beer can.”

And it’s not just any old can. The BBC spent two years and $1 million developing the ergonomic “Sam Can,” working with the same company that designed the first Apple computer mouse.

Drinkers should be able to taste the difference, according to “sensory expert” Roy Desrochers.

“Although subtle, this can delivers a more pronounced, more balanced flavor experience – something that was very important to the brewers,” Desrochers said in the BBC statement. “The extended lip of the can also creates a smoother, more comfortable overall drinking experience.”

Craft beer drinkers are reaching for cans more often than they used to. According to industry watcher Brewbound.com, sales of canned craft beer have skyrocketed in the last few years, from $1.2 million in 2008 to $13 million by July 2012.

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Chef Adam Glickman, head of the new Goat Hollow kitchen, is bringing a world of Philly food experience with him. After years of cooking at the beloved Monk’s Cafe, followed by some time at Jose Pistola’s, Glickman is taking what he’s learned and applying it to Mount Airy’s new version of an old favorite. The original Goat Hollow closed nearly a decade ago — and while the name remains the same, Glickman and company are making some serious changes.

The new Goat Hollow is completely different from the original, right?
Yes, totally different. The owners [Neil Campbell and Andy Shahan] reinvented this place. This is an American brasserie. There are French and Belgian items on the menu, plenty of American food, and a great beer selection.

I heard there’s going to be a campfire with the outdoor seating.
It’s a possibility. There may be a raw bar or outdoor kitchen. It morphs.

That’s the good thing about a new place, you can play around with ideas.
Oh yeah, absolutely.

You used to work at Monk’s and then Jose Pistola’s. Is this a new challenge?
I worked at Monk’s for over nine years and learned so much. And Jose Pistola’s was great because I love the owners. This is a challenge that keeps me busy.

How do like working in Mount Airy?
I love the neighborhood. The diversity and the people. I lived here for six years. I can see myself moving back.

What do you do on your day off?
There’s no such thing. Or at least it feels that way. When I have a day off, I spend time with my daughter. She’s a restaurant kid, so she’s got good taste. But she also has expensive taste.

Do you think city dwellers will come to Mount Airy for this?
I hope so! Yes, I think people will come from Philly. This area is diverse, as is our menu.

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Floating on Cloud 9
2     parts Pinnacle Whipped Vodka
1     part DeKuyper Strawberry
2     parts half & half
1     cup ice

Instructions: Blend all the ingredients until smooth. Pour into a martini glass. Garnish rim with crushed strawberry candy.

Bleeding Heart
½     oz. pomegranate or
raspberry vodka
Fresh cranberries
Polar Pomegranate or Cherry Pomegranate Seltzer
2     tablespoons frozen cranberry juice (concentrate)

Instructions: Combine the vodka and cranberry concentrate in the bottle of a glass. Add the fresh cranberries, then the seltzer, and watch it bleed before drinking with abandon.

Wild Strawberry Seduction
2     oz. SKYY Infusions Wild Strawberry
1     oz. fresh lemon juice
1     oz. apple juice
½     oz. honey solution
2     medium basil leaves
2     medium strawberries

Instructions: Muddle basil, strawberries and lemon juice. Add remaining ingredients. Shake and double strain into coupe glass.

Kentucky Kiss
1     part Maker’s Mark  Bourbon
Chilled Martinelli’s Sparkling
Apple Cider
Maraschino cherry

Instructions: Add bourbon to a champagne flute and fill with chilled sparkling apple cider. Add a maraschino cherry.

Pink Passion
2     parts Porton pisco
1     part pomegranate juice
1     part tangerine juice
Sugar to taste
Pomegranate seeds for garnish

Instructions: Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with pomegranate seeds.

The Anejo Kiss
1½     oz. Partida Anejo
½     oz. Creme de cacao (white)
1     oz. Amarula cream

Instructions: Mix ingredients in a shaker with ice, and shake well. Strain into a chilled martini glass.

TY KU Blushing Date
2     oz. TY KU Soju
½     oz. raspberry liqueur
1     oz. pink grapefruit juice
Splash of grenadine

Instructions: Shake hard and pour into a martini glass. Garnish with a sugar rim.

Cupid’s Arrow
2     oz. Vikingfjord 80 Proof
2     dashes Campari
3     oz. tonic water
Grapefruit

Instructions: Build ingredients on cube ice in a highball glass. Garnish with a grapefruit wedge.
Natalie Shure

Love On The Rocks
½     parts SVEDKA Raspberry
½     part cinnamon syrup
¾     part sour mix
Instructions: Build in a shaker. Shake and strain in a rocks glass. Garnish with a raspberries and a cinnamon stick.

The post Fall in love with these Valentine’s Day cocktails appeared first on Metro.us.

We ask three guys and girls this question: Does dinner count as enough of a gift for Valentine’s Day?

Laura Milne
Voiceover agent, 28

Does dinner count as enough of a gift for Valentine’s Day?
“Personally, I’d say yes because I think too much thought goes into this. Being taken out for dinner is a lovely gesture.”

Does a man have to pay though?
“It’s whoever instigates the dinner, so not necessarily.”

Instigates? That doesn’t sound very romantic?
“I’m very romantic. I wouldn’t be averse to splitting a bill. If I say to someone ‘I’m taking you out for dinner,’ I’d pay. If I’m invited out, I’d presume that they’d pay.”

What’s been your worst Valentine’s gift?
“Someone wrote song lyrics to me.”

What was it?
“‘The Ballad of Chasey Lain’ by the Bloodhound Gang.” [Sings]  “‘You’ve had a lotta dick Had a lotta dick I’ve had a lotta time Had a lotta time You’ve had a lotta dick Chasey
But you ain’t had mine.’”

Who did that?
“I don’t know. It was bad.”
Is there pressure to have sex on Valentine’s Day?
“Yeah, absolutely — it’s Valentine’s Day.”
You must be thinking, “Every time I get taken out, I’ve got to have sex with them.”
“If I’m going out with someone, yeah there’s a bit of pressure. But it wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing. If I’m being bought dinner there’s … not an obligation.” [Laughs]

Michael Arthey
Graphic designer, 25

Does dinner count as enough of a gift for Valentine’s Day?
“Yes, it’s enough of a gift for Valentine’s Day because it’s expensive and I’m tight. Food and wine is very expensive, and if you’re going to take them for a nice meal – which you should – it’s going to cost you a lot of money.”

Has it got to be Michelin-starred?
“I wouldn’t go that far, I’m only 25. But it has to be nicer than a Nando’s [flamed-grilled chicken restaurant chain].”
Would you split the bill?
“I’d be tempted to ask for that, but I know the answer.”
What’s that?
“‘F– off’.”
Do you get sex afterward?
“It depends how I feel. I might have a headache. It depends.”
Any bad Valentine’s  experiences?
“Well, I didn’t plan one year and I didn’t get a table until about 10 o’clock at night in a pretty bad pub, and I bought her a Valentine’s card that she didn’t see the funny side of.”

What did it say?
“‘Happy F–ing Valentine’s Day’.”
Did you get sex afterward?
No.

Josie Newton
City worker, 26
Does dinner count as enough of a gift for Valentine’s Day?
“As long as there’s a card as well, yes.”
Is that all there is to it?
“Well, when I first met Danny I bought a gift and a card and he didn’t buy me anything — I was a bit offended.”
What did you buy?
“I bought him a nice gift: a CD and some aftershave. And I didn’t even get a card. But he took me for dinner which made up for it. I have since learned not to buy him anything, but he has since learned that he has to get me a card.”
It’s like training a dog, isn’t it?
“A little bit. Dinner is always on him.”
Do you actually care about Valentine’s Day?
“No, but I do want to go out for a meal and get a card. I expect a meal and a card. Actually, we’ve stayed in on Valentine’s Day and cooked before.”
Did you “go dutch” on the cooking?
“Oh I can’t remember.”
So it wasn’t that special then. What do you expect this year?
“A restaurant that I’ve booked because I like it and he’s going to pay. We discussed a few places and we settled on one and I didn’t not want to get a table. You know, it’s been eight years, so it’s not very special these days.” [Laughs]
Do you go home and read a book next to each other?
[Laughs] “Yeah, in silence.”

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There are a limited amount of tickets being sold for this event. To get yours, email Memphis Taproom at tickets@memphistaproom.com.

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It is, perhaps, the most comprehensive portrait to date of the current state of remedial education.

But his findings may be somewhat disheartening to both teachers and students alike. Grubb was shocked to discover that most professors were clinging to an outdated approach to teaching basic math, reading and writing.

“The dominant form of teaching in these classes is this: Drill and practice on small sub-skills without ever getting to the larger competencies that are really important,” says Grubb. “The teaching is often totally decontextualized. There’s no application to anything outside the classroom. It’s just these freestanding exercises. So the students can’t see the relevance to the world outside the classroom.”

Although teachers often readily admitted this was not the best method, Grubb found they typically struggled to shift to modern techniques. Various forms of professional development already exist for these professors, but Grubb advocates for a thorough basic skills teacher certification process. 

“This idea is not popular in higher education. But it’s the pattern in K-12 education: People need to have certificates before they can start in the classroom,” he explains.  “With very few exceptions, that’s not true in higher education, because they want to distinguish themselves from K-12.”

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Best sandwich and Anthony Bourdain sighting for under $10: Paesano’s South Philly

Somewhere between the legendary Italian Market’s raw meats and street vegetables lies this diamond of a sandwich shop, which also has a Northern Liberties outpost. But we’re not talking Italian hoagies or cheesesteaks. We’re talking gourmet creations such as fried lasagna and fried egg between two pieces of bread (Lipitor sold separately). Even Anthony Bourdain couldn’t stay away on a recent taping in Philly.

1017 S. Ninth St., 215-440-0371

www.paesanosphillystyle.com

Best pizza for adventurous squares: Stogie Joe’s

Think outside the (pizza) box. We don’t have to be handcuffed by the normal crust, then sauce, then cheese order of life. By putting the cheese beneath the sauce, Stogie Joe’s serves up square pies that cut down on the sloppy grease. 1801 E. Passyunk Ave.,

215-463-3030

www.stogiejoestavern.com

Best place to get drunk and watch ‘Jeopardy!’: Ray’s Happy Birthday Bar

They’ll put the Phillies game on, but only after Alex Trebek gives the green light. Nothing good happens in the first inning anyway.

1200 E. Passyunk Ave.

215-365-1169

www.thehappybirthdaybar.com

Best movable feast: Chinatown Night Market

Who needs a table, chairs, a waiter or even a kitchen? The food truck revolution has taken over and the thousands of hungry/fat people who flooded the streets of Chinatown in search of a delightful meal made on wheels weren’t disappointed. There’s something romantic about eating tacos cooked over a radiator while sitting on the curb, which is why we’re looking forward to more from this late-night snack series presented by The Food Trust.

www.nightmarketphilly.org

Best place to act pretentious without being pretentious: Hop Sing Laundromat

We wonder if Rocky Balboa would be allowed into this super-secret speakeasy? Fedora on, of course.

1029 Race St.

www.hopsinglaundromat.com

Best place to buy cases of beers you’ve never heard of: Bella Vista Beer Distributor

Grab a shopping cart and get your beer snob on. It’s a massive wonderland of beers from all over the world, complete with grocery-style aisles organized by beer style. Just make sure to bring a beer-chugging meathead with you to carry the 24-packs. 755 S. 11th St.,

www.bellavistabeverage.com

Best bar not called XFinity Live! to watch the Flyers: The Wishing Well

If the Barry Ashbee pennant isn’t enough to convince you, then the strong pours definitely will.

767 S. Ninth St.,

www.wishingwellphilly.com

 

Best spot for beer and carbs after a hike in the Wissahickon: McMenamin’s Tavern

About a half-mile from the trailhead at Emlen Street and Cresheim Road, hardcore hikers will gladly plod through the leafy neighborhood to reach a Mount Airy staple. McMenamin’s (try pronouncing that after four Victory Hop Devils) has been offering stellar-but-cheap pub grub for decades — the grinders are a signature. Plus, its huge selection of draught beers will tie a perfect bow on an afternoon in the Wissahickon.

7170 Germantown Ave.

215-247-9920

Best budget noodles (and fried chicken): Sky Cafe

Over the last year, this nondescript corner location in the heart of South Philly has developed a loyal following. And, once you’ve tried a Mie Komplit (the house egg noodle platter), you’ll find Sky cravings sneaking up on you, too. With entree prices ranging from $5-$7, it’s a wonder they stay in business, but we’re not complaining. If you’re not feeling adventurous, try one of the fried chicken dishes — simple and tasty.

1540 Ritner St., 215-271-1983

www.skycafe215.com



Best bar and restaurant for someone who actually works in a bar and/or restaurant: The Industry

In case the name didn’t tip you off, this pub from the owners of Good Dog caters to the working crowd, offering a 20 percent standing discount to all those in the biz and serving food until 1 a.m. Chef Pat Szoke dishes out oddities — think potted trout and pork face nuggets — that will impress even the most jaded gourmands, and a weekly “staff meal” is shared with customers for a steal. 1401 E. Moyamensing Ave., 215-271-9500

www.theindustrybar.com

Best brunch for guys who don’t do brunch:

Hawthorne’s Biercafe

Guys don’t do brunch — but breakfast nachos with a growler of Midas Touch? Yes, please. 738 S. 11th St., 215-627-3012, www.hawthornecafe.com

Best brewery that we sometimes forget about — but shouldn’t: Dock Street

Rosemarie Certo invented the Philly craft beer scene, then put all other breweries on notice. 701 S. 50th St., 215-726-2337,

www.dockstreetbeer.com

Best bacon replacement:Vedge’s happy hour

Considering they’re vegans, the crew over at Vedge host a pretty solid happy hour. Stop by Monday-Friday (5-7 p.m.) for $4 snacks such as Korean seitan tacos and curry wedge fries, as well as $6 cocktails. Fries, vodka, tacos: Who knew the veggies had this much fun?

1221 Locust St., 215-320-7500

www.vedgerestaurant.com

Best place to indulge your inner 6-year-old: Philly Sweettooth

If the candy-hued decor isn’t enough to send you into sugar shock at this scoop-it-yourself sweets boutique, its by-the-pound selection of confections will do the trick. Walls of plastic bins are stocked with everything from chocolate-covered brownie batter to Pop Rocks. Your dentist will definitely not approve.

630 S. Fourth St., 215-923-8800

www.phillysweettooth.com

Bar that needs to re-open immediately: Dolphin Tavern

Word around town is there are plans to re-open this Philly institution. Good thing, since we all need more go-go divey goodness in our lives.

Best job living up to the hype: Pizza Brain

Considering the amount of buzz Pizza Brain’s “pizza museum” generated, the actual pies had a lot to live up to. But somehow, the inventive thin-crust slices are the actual stars at this charming Fishtown parlor whose phone greeting — “Congratulations! You’ve just called Pizza Brain!” — seems totally warranted.

2313 Frankford Ave.

215-291-2965

www.pizzabrain.org

Best place to consume liquids from morning ’till night: Ultimo Coffee Bar

Got a killer deadline looming? Just check yourself into Ultimo first thing in the morning and kick-start your cram session with a hand-poured drip coffee. The calming wood-laden cafe is the perfect place to break a procrastination streak. But the best part is, once you’ve e-mailed that assignment (free WiFi, of course), you can reward yourself with a microbrew — Ultimo doubles as a bottle shop!

1900 S. 15th St., 215-339-5177

www.ultimocoffee.com

The post The best of 2012: Food and drink appeared first on Metro.us.

Best ‘no, kitty — this is my pot pie’ pie: Treats on Washington

379 Washington St., Brighton,   617-202-5837,

www.treatsboston.com

The annual Cartman-Approved Pot Pie award (Google “No, kitty — this is my pot pie”) now goes to Treats on Washington’s golden-crusted, all-natural, humanely raised chicken pot pie. Second place: The pie-meets-calzone-like baked sandwiches are — well, kitty isn’t getting any of that, either.

Best place to get full on the cheap without feeling like a cheapskate: Abigails

291 Third St., Cambridge, 617-945-9086,

www.abigailsrestaurant.net

Abigails runs the gamut from sandwiches to entrees, but the fare is all hearty, no matter what you go with. Abigails is also tied with itself for being the best place to tag along with friends who are eating if you’re too broke to afford a full meal. Seriously, the gouda fries are only $9, and you’ll be patting your belly all night with satisfaction.

Best reason to give up your veganism: 5 Napkin Burger

105 Huntington Ave., Prudential Center, Boston, 617-375-2277

www.5napkinburger.com/back-bay-boston

OK, so you don’t have to give up your veganism at this New York import — they have veggie burgers — but why not? Do you really want to miss appetizers like the Deep Fried Pickles and Pastrami? Or burgers like the signature 5 Napkin with gruyere cheese, caramelized onions and rosemary aioli? Or entrees like the Chipotle Chicken Mac and Cheese? Your choice.

Best use of chickpeas in a pita: Amsterdam Falafelshop

248 Elm St., Somerville, 617-764-3334,

www.falafelshop.com

Unlike most falafel shops, this one, modeled on those in Amsterdam, lets you pick your toppings buffet-style. And oh, what a delicious selection it has — too many to mention, but it’ll suffice to say it goes way beyond lettuce. The crew fry up the balls fresh throughout the day, but give each customer so many (five is standard) that they can’t always keep up with the demand. The wait is well worth it.

Best suburban diner to eat like you’re in NYC: Strip-T’s

93 School St., Watertown, 617-923-4330,

www.stripts.com

Critics and bloggers alike flock to Watertown — for the first time ever, probably — to rave about this longtime neighborhood diner transformed into a foodie haven by chef Tim Maslow, who recently announced plans to expand into Brookline.

Most likely to start a bitter but delicious pizza war: Otto

289 Harvard St., Brookline, 617-232-0014,

www.ottoportland.com

Portland, Maine’s Otto, with experimentally delicious toppings combos like butternut squash, ricotta and cranberry, could’ve easily gone up against the Upper Crust in its prime (though the war may be over since the Upper Crust filed for bankruptcy). With two other locations, in Harvard Square and near B.U., it’s threatening to become just as ubiquitous — not too fast, guys!

Most likely to give Colonel Sanders a run for his money: Bon Chon

57 John F. Kennedy St., Cambridge,  617-868-0981, 

www.bonchon.com

This Korean chicken wing chain still has most of its locations in Asia, but the Allston joint has been doing well enough that one just opened in Harvard Square. What’s the food like? The way people talk about it, it seems to border on a religious experience, at least insofar as freshly cooked fried chicken with perfectly balanced hot sauce is capable of producing such a thing. Turns out it’s pretty capable.



Best Southern accent in Yankeeland: M3

382 Highland Ave., Somerville 617-718-6666,

www.imwithmeat.com

M3′s basic ideal of meat and three veg doesn’t come close to describing Tennessee native Jason Owens’ Davis Square restaurant. Without compromising Southern home cooking, M3 delivers retro diner chic for the modern palate — and the best damn fried catfish north of the Mason Dixon line.

Best designated driver who won’t judge your indulgence:City Wine Tours

1 Mifflin Place, Suite 400, Cambridge, 855-455-8747 ext. 3

www.citywinetours.com

City Wine Tours takes the wheel, or heel, and guides oenophiles on wonderful wine-tasting treks around town. (Now if only they could drop us off at home after!)

Best cure for the uncommon cold: Aquitaine’s French onion soup

569 Tremont St., Boston, 617-424-8577,

aquitaineboston.com

Even in the land of clam chowder, Aquitaine’s French onion tops the comfort zone chart for the sniffles and snizzles of winter. It’s made the classic way – white wine, onions, stock and topped with a hearty crouton dripping with Gruyere.

Best place to call ahead to make sure it’s actually in business this month: Tonic

3698A Washington St., Jamaica Plain, 617-522-4131,

www.tonicboston.com

After a rocky start, the loss of the opening chef and a brief hiatus, JP’s sleek (but cheap) French/

Japanese hybrid bistro is (we think) back in business.

Best place to look European without having to drop any T’s:The Blue Room

1 Kendall Square, Cambridge  617-494-0968,

www.bellywinebar.com

The Blue Room’s new wine bar, Belly, is the last bon mo(t) in off-the-wall, across-the-pond wines.  Nibble equally eclectic charcuterie and cheese while getting the nose on a wine chosen by Central Bottle’s amazingly enthusiastic wine lovers.

Best-looking 100-year-old dame: Fairmont Copley  

138 St. James Ave., Boston, 617-585-7222,

www.oaklongbarkitchen.com

Not only is the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel sporting the best facelift since Joan Rivers, but Oak Long Bar + Kitchen is the most swellegant place ever and looks way better than before the centennial renovations.



Best Boston cream pie — or is that best cupcake?: Sweet

49 Mass. Ave., Boston, 617-247-2253,

www.sweetcupcakes.com

Sweet’s Boston cream pie cupcake is the best er, cupcake, er, cream pie, er … whatever, it is, it’s the cupcake that even cupcake deniers love to guzzle.

Kindest pizza in the world: Veggie Planet

47 Palmer St., Cambridge, 617-661-1513,

www.veggieplanet.net

Veggie Planet’s pizza is simply the tastiest, cruelty-freest snack around. It’s kind to humans, too, with lower gluten whole-wheat flour made by those fine Haley House peeps.

Best place for a man date:Sweet Cheeks

1381 Boylston St., Boston, 617-266-1300,

www.sweetcheeksq.com

It’s safe to say that the best way to the heart of the majority of the bruter sex is dinner at Sweet Cheeks. For everyone else, it’s simply the best BBQ in town.

Coziest place to take in some history in a glass: Kitchen

560 Tremont St., Boston

617-695-1250

www.kitchenbostonmass.com

Eating and drinking are history. Just consult the dozens of classic cookbooks that line the shelves on this new South End entree that takes the origins of its food and drink as seriously as its preparation.



Best make-out table for that smoochy romantic dinner: Avila

1 Charles St. S, Boston, 617-267-4810,

www.avilarestaurant.com

Avila’s alcove seat means your liaison dangereuse remains cozy and cosseted. Glance out at the hoi polloi while you’re sequestered in this private dining nook in this pretty restaurant. Chef Rodney Murillo’s pan-Mediterranean menu will definitely seal the deal.

Best place to eat breakfast at an inappropriate hour: The Friendly Toast

1 Hampshire St., Cambridge 617-621-1200,

www.thefriendlytoast.net

With an endless (and endlessly creative) menu, including pumpkin pancakes and green eggs and ham — not to mention the surreally wacky decor — this Kendall Square mainstay is delicious for both mouth and eyes. The only trouble is finding the notoriously elusive One Kendall Square plaza —we recommend a divining rod.

The post The Best of 2012: Dining out appeared first on Metro.us.

“Higher education in the 21st century will serve its students — and society — best if it focuses on knowledge design, real-world problem solving and basic research,” says Lang, chair emeritus of Swarthmore’s Board of Managers.

Lang graduated from Swarthmore in 1938 at age 19 with a degree in Economics and went on to study engineering. He has had an extremely successful career in technology transfer, working both in the private sector and as a government consultant.



Study: Americans prefer defense cuts to education cuts

There are two options as we approach the fiscal cliff: Raise taxes or cut funding. If it’s necessary to cut funding to either defense or education, a majority of Americans would prefer cutting funding for defense, according to a new poll.

The poll, conducted Dec. 1-3, was commissioned by two advocacy groups, the Foundation for Education Investment and the Committee for Education Funding.

Fifty-seven percent of respondents think defense funding should be cut, while 43 percent support cuts to education. This is despite the fact that most respondents seriously overestimated the amount of the budget currently devoted to education: The average guess was 15 percent, whereas it’s actually closer to 2 percent.

Forty-three percent said that the amount the federal government spends on education is “too little.”

Respondents said that it’s “very important” to protect spending for special education for children with disabilities (57 percent) and grants to attend college (53 percent).  

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