Cheers! to Fresh & Fun Cocktails

July 18, 2016July 29, 2016 ~ citykitchenrtm ~ Leave a comment

Summertime means fresh, delicious produce and bright, colorful meals! It comes with more amazing, in-season produce that can be grown locally.

It feels really good to understand the history of our food and the routes of our produce. This knowledge helps feed our soul rather than just our belly.

It helps explain why the farm-to-table movement is a movement rather than just a fad.

The farm-to-table mentality has crossed over to other industries. Cosmetic, medicinal, and even local soap companies are launching seasonal products using pronounceable ingredients!

Terralyn, of Terralyn Naturally, used mint and mint tea to create her beautiful Mint Gabrielle Handcrafted Soap. Trust us, you want to smell this.

Contact Terralyn at terralynmanteau@gmail.com

So supper time and shower time have embraced the outlook that natural-is-better. But what about what is really important? Alcohol.

Cocktails can embrace the farm-to-table (or ground-to-glass) mentality too.

City Kitchen at Reading Terminal Market will be hosting Aaron Gordon, owner of 13th Street Cocktails on Thursday, August 25 from 5-7 to walk us through how to make delicious, fresh cocktails using the best ingredients from Iovine Brother’s Produce.

Each participant will have their own mixing station to practice making some of Aaron’s signature cocktails. Sign up for our class, and you will really know what you are doing the next time you make a cocktail.

We will be using the very smooth and delicious Tito’s vodka as the base spirit. Light fare will be served to complement your mixed libations. Each guest will receive a hand juicer and recipe guide to take home. Reserve your space here. Guests will be asked to show I.D. at the door.

Camp Make It & Bake It in City Kitchen!

June 15, 2016July 6, 2016 ~ citykitchenrtm ~ Leave a comment

Food is fuel. And so much more!

Cooking involves science and creativity. It requires patience and working with your hands.

The ability to make good food decisions is one of life’s most important skills, but that doesn’t mean learning and working with food can’t be fun!

City Kitchen is partnering with Megan Haupt, of Hungry Education, to bring food and fun to the focus for Camp Make It & Bake It.

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Children aged 6-11 can still be registered for this Culinary Camp inside the Reading Terminal Market. Camp runs July 11-15 from 9am-1pm and has an engaging curriculum that will keep your child hungry for life (but not hungry).

Pizza Pizzazz Monday

Campers will arrive at City Kitchen and will spend a few minutes getting to know Megan, the rest of the staff and each other!

We will go over the camp and kitchen rules before we begin our first food science lesson: yeast & gluten with pizza dough.

Before the Market gets too crowded, we will take a small tour of the market. Today we will focus on the meat and cheese sections.

Campers will then make and eat their pizza.

At the end of each day, campers will write and reflect in their provided journals.

Wacky Veggie Tuesday

Campers will start off the morning making smoothie popsicles!

We will then head to the produce section to pick out some wacky fruits and vegetables. The ones that look the wackiest often taste the best!

We will then prepare for lunch: fresh salad with homemade biscuits and lemonade.

Campers will then prepare a homemade salsa.

Time for journaling.

Pastry Party Wednesday

Campers will start off the morning making cupcakes.

We will then head to some of the Market’s pastry shops to get some creative inspiration.

We will prepare the kid-favorite lunch: Macaroni & Cheese

Campers will then learn some frosting basics before they get to decorate their own cupcake.

Journal time

Super Science Thursday

Food science activities: gelatin & starches

Campers will make juicy spheres with gelatin

Making ice cream uses a lot of muscle! The treat will be well-deserved.

Lunch: wraps

Campers will make glow-in-the-dark slime and then break for journal time!

Finale Friday

Campers will start off the morning making cupcakes, this time, in preparation for their finale project: a styled cupcake display

We will take some time to plan out our display dioramas then break for lunch

The afternoon will be designated for completing the display. We will leave some time for pictures and journaling!

Register here to give your child a fun and foodtastic week they will be sure to remember!

Free Demo Saturday: Summer BBQ Edition!

June 13, 2016June 13, 2016 ~ citykitchenrtm ~ Leave a comment

Guinta’s Prime Shop and Condiment joined City Kitchen on June 11 for a BBQ edition of Free Demo Saturday.

Condiment, to open later this summer in Reading Terminal Market, features fresh and delicious dry rubs and sauces that paired perfectly with Guinta’s meats and poultry.

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Condiment’s Elizabeth Halen started off the cooking with a toasted baguette from Metropolitan Bakery. She added some flair by spreading the bread with some garlic butter… yum!

Saturday’s demo proved that garlic butter is a new must have. In addition to the baguette, Elizabeth used it on Rob’s beautiful steak and Iovine‘s fresh corn. Truly a versatile condiment.

Rob–and his expert meat skills–will be joining us on Father’s Day, Sunday, June 19th from 1-2:30 pm for a pairing with Yard’s Brewing Company. As always, the ingredients will be sourced fresh from the market!

Menu

Classic boneless stuffed chicken wings w/ blue cheese & hot sauce

Classy boneless stuffed chicken wings w/ prosciutto & pecorino romano cheese

Beef short ribs in chipotle sauce

To stay up-to-date will all of City Kitchen’s Free Demo Saturdays, click here.

Renaissance Women Michele Haines joins us in City Kitchen

June 1, 2016June 3, 2016 ~ citykitchenrtm ~ Leave a comment

Chef Michele Haines of the Spring Mill Cafe creates beautiful and tasty french-inspired dishes. Food, however, is just one of Michele’s passions.

Haines continues to jet-set her way around the world, bringing flavors and stories back to the Philadelphia region. Her philosophy stems from connections between food, literature and art.

We reached out to Michele to see if she had time to talk and share some of her wisdom, but we weren’t too surprised to find out she was out of town. Via email she told us, “I am far away in Iran cooking my way through pistachios and saffron!!! I am south of Tehran in the desert.”

Still, she was able to answer some of our questions through email and it made us even more excited for her story-telling brunch class on June 12.

City Kitchen: When did you realize that you wanted the culinary arts to be part of your career?

Michele Haines: I realized the potential of the impact of food as a tool for peace and communication after creating literary dinners and travel log dinners in my house in Germantown while I was teaching at GFS.

CK: When did you start cooking and who was your first teacher?

MH: I started cooking with my grandmother in France, she was my teacher. I never went to culinary school, I am self-trained. I was a professor of Spanish and Cultural Anthropology. I went to Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island as a graduate student in Slavic Studies.

CK: The Spring Mill Cafe seems to be more than just a cafe or restaurant. What inspired you to make the Cafe a community space?

MH: I became bored with academic life so I opened the restaurant in Conshohocken. The Spring Mill Cafe at the beginning had 5 tables and was only lunch service. I had $500 in my pocket!!

CK: You’ve talked about your time growing up in France. What made you decide to settle in the Philadelphia suburbs? How has your cuisine changed since you’ve moved to the US?

MH: I do not think the cuisine has changed very much. I was raised believing in local food , fair-trade, and no chemicals, balanced diet of fruit, vegetables and a small portion of meat or fish and good cheeses. My life now is divided by programs in Philadelphia and programs all over the world, cooking and telling stories, from Russia to Cambodia to Hawaii!

Michele seems to be an all-around life-lover! Follow her on Instagram @chefhaines and make sure to sign up for this exciting, delicious class!

“Chopped Challenge” Heats Up City Kitchen

May 23, 2016May 24, 2016 ~ citykitchenrtm ~ Leave a comment

Three Reading Terminal chefs faced off for some friendly, food-network-style competition on Saturday, May 21. Guests were lucky enough to sample dishes from Chef Bobby Fisher of Molly Malloy’s, Chef Jason LeDee of Pearls Oyster Bar and Chef Careda Matthews of Kevin Parker Soul Food Cafe.

The mystery basket was filled with a dragon fruit from Iovine Brothers Produce, fresh duck from Guinta’s Prime Shop and a chocolate covered onion from Chocolate by Mueller.

Once things got cooking, the smells brought in the crowd.

The chefs had 30 minutes to prepare the entree, meaning guests had 30 minutes to salivate in anticipation.

“Careda’s Caribbean Cabbage” waiting to be plated

At the end of the day, judges scored the dishes on plating, taste and the use of mystery ingredients. Careda’s creative, Caribbean flavors won her the challenge.

Careda said at first she was fine with the duck, but the chocolate covered onion and dragon fruit, “threw me off.” She admitted that dragon fruit can often be bland and it takes some effort to bring out any flavor. She used sherry and some of the caramelized chocolate covered onion to enhance the dragon fruit’s sweetness.

She used thyme, allspice and turmeric to season the duck and she used the onion in the cabbage slaw. She said, “cabbage is a go-to vegetable in the islands.”

Careda will be back in City Kitchen on September 24, 2016, to cook a Caribbean-American fusion brunch. Tickets are available now.

Notes on Recipes & Cookbooks

May 20, 2016 ~ citykitchenrtm ~ Leave a comment

Cookbooks are collections of recipes. But what makes a good cookbook? Here are some of our tips when it comes to identifying a valuable cookbook.

A good cookbook is one you aren’t afraid to use.

While high-quality pictures and glossy paper are ideal for coffee table books, a cookbook needs to be able to take some heat. Literally.

A good cookbook includes different cuisines and flavors.

A go-to Italian or French or Chinese cookbook certainly has its place, but every home needs a cookbook that incorporates different styles of food. Novelty plays a big part in being excited to cook and to eat.

A good cookbook accounts for access.

Today, we have access to more ingredients than ever before. Still, a cookbook should account for regional and seasonal changes. A really good cookbook will help you find specialty ingredients not available in basic supermarkets.

A good cookbook has a narrative.

A cookbook can read more like a novel when the author connects the recipe to a time or place. When creating new recipes, with new flavors and ingredients, you get the opportunity to be part of the storytelling.

And of course, a good cookbook has yummy recipes.

The Reading Terminal Market Cookbook has all of these elements. It is easy to use and read. It incorporates different flavors and cuisines and tells the story of the historic Reading Terminal Market.

An amazing cookbook comes with a live demonstration class.

On June 2, join authors Ann Hazan and Irina Smith in City Kitchen to learn how to prepare Market favorites from their new edition of The Reading Terminal Market Cookbook.

Samples include appetizer, soup, salad, entree and dessert. Whether for a family dinner or entertaining friends, Ann and Irina will take you step by step in preparing an impressive and delicious menu. An autographed Reading Terminal Market Cookbook is included in class price.

Tickets are available now

The best Phans have the best Phood

April 4, 2016April 4, 2016 ~ citykitchenrtm ~ Leave a comment

It is hard to read the word “tailgate” and not get excited about nicer weather and finger-licking good food.

Classics like dollar dogs, peanuts, and traditional soft pretzels always make the ballpark experience, but when the family gathers in front of the TV, it is worth trying to “up-your-game.”

Join us in City Kitchen at noon on April 9th, for a free demonstration and learn how to upgrade ballpark basics into something really worth smiling about.

Get ready to do the twist and the chicken wing with the best dancer in Philadelphia, the Philly Phanatic.

Rob from Giunta’s Prime Shop will show us how to make boneless stuffed chicken wings that will be perfect for your next tailgate! Learn how to make them yourself using ingredients from the market or buy them fresh from Giunta’s!

Also, Roger from Miller’s Twist will be showing us how to wrap ballpark franks in delicious pretzel dough just in time for the Phillies home opener on Monday, April 11th.

This will be a family (and taste bud) friendly event. Can’t wait to see you there!