Cooking In Stilettos...
Monday, November 24, 2008 A Few Of My Favorite Things: Philadelphia's Italian Market...

I recently flew up to Philadelphia for a birthday soiree thrown by two of my fave people, Meowmix and Reese at one of my favorite restaurants and in between hanging out with good friends, shopping and such, I also took some time to head over to my favorite culinary hangout in Philadelphia - the Italian Market.

One thing I MISS about not being at least in driving distance of Philly is the airline restrictions with luggage. No longer am I able to load up my suitcase with spices and goodies to take back to Orlando. Basically, my thought is that while my friends are crashing from partying the night before, I love to take the car and zip down to 9th Street and wander the Italian Market aimlessly with my coffee in hand as I take in the sights, smells and sounds. I always have such great conversations with the retailers and customers alike and, apparently, I must look like a Philly gal because this last trip, a tourist stopped moi and asked for help with finding some good spots to check out in town. (And Meowmix will tell you that I normally have this mean mug face when shopping to avoid the overzealous sales people so if I'm that calm in the Italian Market and approachable, you know I'm in heaven).

So this rainy, Saturday morning, I decided to zip on down to the Market and get some blog fodder for Cooking In Stilettos. Plus I need to fondle pots at Fantes, see if I can find some new cookbooks, pick up some spices and stock up on Pumpkin Spice Coffee. As I'm turning onto 9th Street, who walks in front of my car with HIS coffee but my old floor producer from TheShow back in the day - Rennie. How utterly random. After a quick convo (and so I wouldn't hold up traffic), promises to call later, assurances that I would be home again, etc. I shot down 9th Street and started looking for a parking space.

Now y'all know parking in Philly is at a premium, so I have a few tricks I use - side streets, careful attention to the signs (don't need to be on an episode of Parking Wars) and after careful prayers and putting it out there, a spot was procured. I found one a few streets over, channeled my inner parallel parking diva and while my parking wasn't sooooo great (I'm rusty - shoot me), I grabbed my purse and headed for the crowds. As I didn't take my normal camera and only had the Blackberry, please forgive me if the shots seem a bit "off".
Walking down one of the gorgeous side streets on the way to the Italian Market


A mainstay in the Italian Market - DiBruno Bros. Who know, you might run into one Ms. Patti LaBelle here as she's known to frequent the Market and DiBruno Bros.


One of the many produce stands that lines the sidewalk. The streets are narrow as are the sidewalks so the key is to shop quick, walk quick and everyone is happy.


Esposito's - one of the BEST places for meats and fish


The Spice Corner is one of my favorite spots to hang out in. I pretty much cleaned them out of their pumpkin spice coffee (one for SL and the rest for yours truly). I picked up a number of spices, some great loose teas and some stuff for a upcoming holiday contest... Everything there is fresh, the people are so sweet and helpful and



I headed to Fante's to see what was new in all things Le Creuset, Global and more. Plus, I was craving some good coffee so I dropped by their coffee shop to get a fabulous Cafe au Lait and pumpkin biscotti.


Claudio's beckoned and in I went to purchase some pantry staples i.e. quick polenta, gnocci and some other goodies. Trust me, check out the photos of the cheeses below. I could have done WAY more damage but they wouldn't have lasted on the way back to Orlando. :::sigh:::


Isn't that cheese selection divine? Oh how I wanted to throw a Philly soiree. Claudio's - can you please open a shop in Orlando, pretty please?




Finally, as I'm trotting down another side of the street, I saw one of my weaknesses - pizzelles. If you have never had them, you must try. They are an Italian cookie and are sooo good. But much like Lay's potato chips, you can't have just one.

Quickly swiping up a package, I headed into Antonio's Italian Coffee and Chocolate House to purchase and was greeted with this sight:



Chocolates and Gelato? Wait - a minute -homemade gelato? Now I'm really overwhelmed and thinking "Can I just wear jeans tonight and leave the form-fitting dress for another day?" I decide to bring some treats back for the gals as thanks for everything they did for my birthday and pick up a little somethin' somethin' for me too.



The homemade truffles were divine. My favorite was the Sea Salt Caramel and the gals loved the Hazelnut and Kahlua ones. If you can, order a box for someone you love during the holidays. They will adore it.
And check this out - they have CANNOLI KITS! No, seriously, they ship the fixings for cannolis to you ASAP and you can treat your family to a bit of Italian Market heaven.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CONTEST ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So, to give a little holiday gift to two lucky blog readers, leave a comment on this post NO LATER than Dec. 7, 2008 telling me about either your experiences in my favorite city, Philadelphia, or if you haven't been to Philly, what is your favorite holiday recipe/goodie to share with others. We'll pick two winners using a Random Number Generator and I'll have a little something from Antonio's shipped your way for the holiday season. Make sure to include your email!!!

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Posted by Lys :: 1:39 AM :: 10 comments

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Sunday, November 23, 2008 Tried and True: Panettone Bread Pudding with Cinnamon Syrup...

My gal Bren at Flanboyant Eats asked us what was the recipe that had people on pester alert. You know the type where they HAVE to have your recipe and are emailing, texting and trying whatever means necessary to get it (or is that just me - heehee!)

Well, one of the ones in my arsenal that have people going "Oh. My. God!" is this recipe that I saw on Everyday Italian. Since I tried it, I make sure to stock up on Panettone during the holidays and it's on my table for any soirees or even when I'm making dinner for some certain peeps.

Without further adieu, here is Panettone Bread Pudding with Cinnamon Syrup. So simple and sooo worth it. Trust a gal, please. When I make it this season, I will make sure to post pics.

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Panettone Bread Pudding with Cinnamon Syrup
Recipe courtesy of Giada de Laurentiis

Cinnamon Syrup:
1 cup water
1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Bread Pudding:
Butter
1 (1-pound) loaf panettone bread, crusts trimmed, bread cut into 1-inch cubes
8 large eggs
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
2 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/4 cups sugar

To make the syrup:
Combine 1 cup of water and brown sugar in a heavy medium saucepan.
Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
Boil until the syrup reduces to 1 cup, about 10 minutes.
Remove from the heat and whisk in the cream and cinnamon.
Keep the syrup warm. (The syrup can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Re-warm before serving.)

To make the bread pudding:
Lightly butter a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish.
Arrange the bread cubes in prepared dish.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, cream, milk, and sugar to blend.
Pour the custard over the bread cubes, and press the bread cubes gently to submerge.
Let stand for 30 minutes, occasionally pressing the bread cubes into the custard mixture. (Can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Bake until the pudding puffs and is set in the center, about 45 minutes. Cool slightly.
Spoon the bread pudding into bowls, drizzle with the warm Cinnamon Syrup, and serve.

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Posted by Lys :: 1:28 PM :: 3 comments

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Wednesday, May 28, 2008 Tried & True: Cherry Clafouti

Here's what is on the agenda this week at the Lys' household - Cherry Clafouti

I've had good success making this, both as individual clafoutis and as one big clafouti. Want to achieve heights of nirvana - serve it with a scoop of vanillla or pistachio ice cream.

You can make a clafouti with mostly any fruit but since I saw some gorgeous cherries at the Fresh Market this week, I'm going to use those. I've also been able to use thawed frozen berries, cherries, etc. Whatever I have on hand, I can pull it off. So yes, this recipe is one of my "Tried & Trues."

Why don't you make something special this weekend. I guaratee you will have people clamoring for more:

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Cherry Clafoutis


Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse

4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean, split in half
1 tablespoon brandy
1 cup flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1 pound stoned cherries


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an oval ovenproof dish about 13 inches long. In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and 1/2 cup of the sugar. Scrape the vanilla bean and add the pulp to the egg mixture. Stir in the brandy and flour. Whisk in the milk to form a smooth batter. In a mixing bowl, toss the cherries with the remaining sugar. Place the cherries in the ovenproof dish. Pour the batter over the cherries and place in the oven. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the cake is sponge like. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes before serving. Serve the clafoutis warm. Garnish with powdered sugar.

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Posted by Lys :: 7:44 AM :: 3 comments

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Wednesday, April 2, 2008 Limoncello Brings A Little Bit of Sunshine

Is this gorgeous? Gotta love Michael Chiarello and Napastyle for their excellent serving ideas. This carafe set is on my "Must get" list.

Speaking of Limoncello, the other day I bought my first bottle ofLimoncello, just because. I saw a couple cocktail recipes that I want to try and they sounded delicious. I knew it had a bit of za-za-zu as, well, we all heard about Danny Devito and George Clooney falling prey to its siren call.

As I was in my freezer this morning, that lovely bottle was just in front of my eyes begging to be in recipes other than just cocktails which sent me on a mission.

Courtesy of Epicurious, I'm adding this recipe to my arsenal for my next soiree. Enjoy!

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Mixed Berries With Marscarpone-Limoncello Cream

Recipe Courtesy of Epicurious.com

Ingredients:
For the Marscapone Cream:
3/4 cup chilled whipping cream
1/2 8-ounce container mascarpone cheese
3 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons limoncello (lemon liqueur)

For the Berries:
8 cups assorted fresh berries (such as raspberries, blueberries,blackberries, and hulled sliced strawberries; about 2 pounds)
3/4 cup raspberry preserves
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel

Preparation

Combine whipping cream, mascarpone, 3 tablespoons sugar, and limoncello in large bowl. Beat until soft peaks form.

Combine all berries, raspberry preserves, lemon peel, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in another large bowl; toss gently.

Divide berry mixture among 8 cups. Top with mascarpone cream

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Posted by Lys :: 3:28 PM :: 1 comments

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