A Day in Pienza (Tuscany, Italy)

Continuing our journey in the Tuscan countryside we drove from our base on an olive farm in Montalcino to Pienza in the province of Siena. The town was declared a UNESCO world heritage sight in 1996 and the Val d’Orcia on the list of UNESCO’s World Cultural Landscapes. Pienza is located between the wine producing towns of Montalcino and Montepulciano.  Pienza is famous for its Pecorino cheese and it’s model Renaissance architecture.  And so for those of us who love history, architecture and food, Pienza is an Italian dreamer’s heaven. The town is located on a hill overlooking the rolling Tuscan valley, a breathtaking sight on its own.  A road on the south-side of the town walls allows you to take in the breathtaking views and perhaps enjoy a picnic with some local pecorino cheese and wine. We spent the day walking around the small town and its narrow labyrinth of roads filled with cheese shops. All that hunger inducing smell of cheese led us to a tiny restaurant in a side street where we enjoyed one of the best and most authentic meals during our stays in Italy (see post).

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A Morning at the Rittenhouse Farmers’ Market

Even though I am a city girl, I love getting the chance to experience rural life every once in a while. Since I am a busy student, these opportunities don’t come up all that often, so I try to find some slice of rural life in Philly. The easiest way to do this is to check out some of the areas and markets where fresh produce and goods are sold a few times a week. At this point, I have been going to the Rittenhouse Farmers’ Market for a few years now, and I am consistently happy with my experiences there.

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While it may not exactly be quite the country experience I desire, this market offers up everything from flowers to chicken breasts every Saturday in the block surrounding Rittenhouse Square Park. I haven’t tried every stand yet, but I do have a few solid favorites that I check out each time I stop by.

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My favorite stand is by far the FreshaPeel Hummus one which has some of the best prepackaged hummus I’ve ever had. One thing I love about the company is that they make both the traditional savory and more revolutionary sweet hummus. I almost always get the Lemon Kale Hummus when I stop by, especially in the summertime, since it has a nice light flavor.

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I also recently tried the sweet Chocolate Cherry Hummus. Although I was initially wary of how a sweet hummus would turn out, this one was phenomenal and tastes great with fresh fruit or sugar cookies. If you’re also hesitant to try some of the odder hummus flavors, this stand is a great place to check out because they let you try the hummus before you buy!

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Another stand I’m a fan of is the Cranberry Creek Farm table which has a number of goat cheeses to try and buy. My two favorites are the 1903 and the St. Juni. No matter your preference, there’s bound to be a cheese here that you will love. They even throw in some seasonal specialties like a soft Pumpkin Chevre. I haven’t tried this one yet, but I’m sure the next time I stop by I’ll pick some up since I have yet to try a cheese I dislike.

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For anyone with a sweet-tooth, the John and Kira’s stand should definitely be visited. The people that run this stand make some quality chocolate, and many of the assortments they put out during the Farmers’ Market make great gifts. This company doesn’t just know what makes up great chocolate, but they also create some beautiful pieces.

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Last week was the first time I indulged myself in their offerings, so I picked up a random assortment of six that included everything from dark chocolate to salty caramel pieces. I didn’t come across one combination I didn’t like, so I will probably be stopping by again to pick up some Christmas gifts.

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While I love the food aspects of the Farmers’ Market, I also love the Blue Mountain Vineyards table. This stand is great for anyone who loves wine to check out. I stopped by for the first time after I turned 21 this past weekend, and I’m glad I did. They offer a wide array of wines which include everything from a 2008 Chardonnay Reserve to a 2011 Shiraz.

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The best part of this company having a table is that they provide samples of almost all of their wines. Personally, I was a fan of the 2008 Merlot, but I’m sure that any wine lover could find a blend they like here. My one recommendation would be that this stand tends to generate a lot of activity, so if you notice a lull while you’re walking around, I would pounce of this table first. Even if you are vying for the attention of the man behind the table, it’s worth wading through the crowd to try it out.

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If you enjoy going to a nice Farmers’ Market, the one in Rittenhouse every Saturday is definitely a great one to check out. There is a great range of various stands that each offer different products for potential buyers. In addition to having a lot of options, almost all of the stands provide samples, so you don’t have to tie yourself down to something you might not like. I would recommend this market to fellow Philadelphians, especially ones who love pretty views while they shop for their groceries for the week.

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Dinner at Papa Grandes (Fenwick Island, USA)

Papa Grandes is a new restaurant opened by Matt Haley, a man who has already opened several restaurants in the area, including some long-standing favorites with my family. Each of Haley’s restaurants have distinct feels to them and offer up completely different foods.  When you first step into Papa Grandes it definitely has a very laid-back feel to it, as most places in near the beach do. The inside is decorated with various painting that remind me of the hand paintings you would imagine finding in caves. This atmosphere had us all ready to try the food as well.

To start my Mom, sister, and I got the seafood ceviche, queso fundido, and the shrimp and chorizo pincho. Before our starters came out, we were served complimentary tortilla chips with a red salsa that had a kick to it. It was a nice change from the bread normally served at other restaurants, but several of the chips were on the stale side. However, we didn’t have to wait long before the appetizers came out, so it didn’t damper our spirits too much.

The ceviche was good and came topped with a scoop of tasty avocado. While my sister and I both liked the avocado, we did agree that the ceviche didn’t really need it. Beneath this, the ceviche was made up of shrimp, octopus, and baby scallops, and it was a refreshing, tart starter for a hot summer night.

The queso fundido was the complete opposite as it was a heavy cheese dip accompanied by corn tortilla chips, but everyone at the table agreed that it was delicious. I think it was the overall winner for the night. The third appetizer received more mixed reviews. My sister enjoyed the entirety of the dish, but I thought the chorizo was a bit overdone. By the time we finished these, our main meals were already coming out from the kitchen.

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 As we were eating in a Mexican restaurant, the emphasis was definitely on tacos for the main course. We got both the duck tacos and the tacos al pastor, and in order to change it up a bit, my sister got the shrimp quesadillas. I didn’t taste the quesadillas, but my sister talked them up and particularly loved the ancho honey sauce that topped them. I did, however, try the pork in the tacos al pastor, and I wasn’t crazy about the taste as it was a bit on the dry side.

As a long-term San Diego resident, my mother has had these tacos a lot and said that the pork in the tacos at Papa Grandes was a bit different than what she was used to. According to her, the meat is slightly wetter than what she was served here. My duck was the complete opposite of the pork though, and the meat was nice and tender. My tacos came topped with a bit of guacamole, shaved radishes, and spicy pickled red onions. Despite the pork being a bit dry, everyone was pretty happy with their main courses.

Although we had quite a bit to eat, I am always one for dessert, and we decided to get the churros and the chocolate pot. The churros came with chocolate and were a delicious, sweet end to the meal. On the other hand, the chocolate pot was a dessert that was a bit more complex. It was a thick chocolate served chilled that was topped with whipped cream and chili powder. It definitely satisfied my sweet tooth, but it is probably best for the more adventurous chocolate-lovers out there.

Overall, the service was quick and friendly, and I felt comfortable at this restaurant. Even though a few of the dishes weren’t the best thing I’ve ever eaten, I was satisfied by the end of the meal, especially since it is one of the cheaper restaurants in the area. I enjoyed my first Mexican experience down at the beach, and considering the fact that Papa Grandes has only been open a couple of months, I was happy with this new place and hope to come back.

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A Day in Asiego, Spain

Although most people think of sun, sangria, and flamenco dancers when they think about Spain, I recently returned from a part of the country that is a bit different from these things. I spent a semester in Oviedo, Spain, studying Spanish language and culture. While I have been studying the language for many years, I really didn’t know much about the culture of Spain before I moved there. Like many people, I only knew of the Spain I saw on TV promoting cruises that stopped in places like Barcelona and Ibiza, and these ads did nothing to prepare me for the lifestyle of Oviedo.

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Oviedo is the capital of a region known as Asturias. Asturians are proud of their culture and many of the people I met in Oviedo had families that had lived here for generations. One part of the culture that I obviously enjoyed was the food and drink. Every month, the group of students from Temple University was taken out by our program director in order to try Asturian food. Once we were able to see where a lot of these traditional foods are made by taking a trip to the village of Asiego.

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Here we participated in a two-hour tour of the area where we discovered how the popular Asturian hard cider called sidra and Cabrales blue cheese are made.  Over these two hours, the man who owned the farm told us about the fermentation process for sidra and how the Cabrales that the farm produces is a mix of both cow and goat milk. Even though most of us were looking forward to the dining portion of the trip, we definitely learned a lot about the way that these foods are created.

After the tour, we were served a traditional Asturian spread for lunch which included over 10 dishes. We each began the lunch with sidra and although it is a cider, it is very different from the cider we drink in the States. It is normally served by a waiter who pours the drink by holding the sidra bottle above his head and the glass around thigh height.

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This process carbonates the drink and after a few seconds of pouring, a glass with about an inch of sidra in it is presented to you and you promptly chug it. I tend to prefer sidra to other ciders because it’s a bit more tart and acidic than the canned American brand.

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       Quickly after we were done with our first glasses of the drink, the family of the man who gave us the tour started to bring out lunch. By this time it was around three in the afternoon, typical lunch time in Spain. It began with salad, bread, and both Cabrales and Manchego cheeses. The Cabrales was accompanied by an apple jam and honey in order to balance out the strong taste of this blue.                      942009_10200580234524889_2088125267_n

I started to feel full after just this course, but it was followed by chorizo cooked in sidra, blood sausage, and some of the best wild boar I’ve ever had.  The wild boar was one of the stand out dishes for me since it was incredibly tender, flavorful, and it isn’t something I have the pleasure of eating often.

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Overall, all of the food was great, and the controversial blood sausage was the only dish people disagreeing about since a lot of the students were a bit too squeamish to try it. After lunch we were served a homemade pudding with applesauce and nuts on top which provide a nice, light, refreshing end to the meal. While I’ve had a lot of amazing experiences during my year abroad, this feast in Asiego was one of the events that really stood out to me and is one dining experience I don’t plan on forgetting anytime soon!

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Brunch at Wedge and Fig in Old City (Philadelphia, USA)

Tucked away on North 3rd street in Old City lies one of the quaintest cheese shops in Philadelphia called Wedge and Fig.  Besides selling a wide range of domestic and foreign cheese W+F is also a restaurant serving simple yet delicious sandwiches and salads. Brunch here is a must.

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We visited on a sunny spring day and walked in to a full restaurant. We were led out of the restaurant, through a long entry way next door to a small quaint garden located in the back of the restaurant.

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From the brunch menu, I had the Eggs NOLA- a combination poached eggs, Cajun-spiced Tasso ham and creamy hollandaise served on top of house-made cornbread. Served with lemon Parmesan potatoes and dressed greens. I was not personally a big fan of the cornbread substitute but then again I never liked cornbread but had to order because of the tribute to New Orleans. The Count ordered Shackamaxon – creamy brie, house-roasted turkey breast, walnut mustard aioli, mango + arugula on challah. The gourmet sandwich was delicious as was the eggs Nola. Wedge and Fig is definitely a great place to go for brunch in Philadelphia, or if you want to order a cheese plate and sip on some BYO wine in the cozy secret garden.

Wedge + Fig on Urbanspoon

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A cheeselover’s wonderland at Di Bruno Brothers- Italian Market (Philadelphia, USA)

A trip to Philadelphia is never complete without a visit to the Italian Market made world famous by the scene in Rocky where Silvestor Stallone runs through the streets as a struggling boxer.  But beyond the land of Rocky, it is the land of Spaghetti, Rigatoni and Fromagi.  And if you are a cheese-lover like me you will not want to miss a trip to Di Bruno Brothers on 9th street (909 South 9th) where you can get your hands on more than 400 varieties of cheese, olives, bread, pastas, charcuterie and so much more. The staff are friendly, knowledgeable and won’t say no to persistent attempts to try every single cheese on the menu.

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Di Bruno Brothers. on UrbanspoonDi Bruno Brothers on Urbanspoon

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