Socca

I think we officially have a pancake problem. I've joked to J that we should start a new blog, featuring every kind of pancakes we can create. Past pancake-related posts include:

The Dutch Baby
Kombucha (Squash) and Parmesan Fritters
Pumpkin Pancakes
Savory Swedish Pancakes
Vegan Banana Pancakes

plus several renditions of pancakes purchased at a variety of restaurants (sweet and savory, both in Philly and elsewhere).

Our newest pancake obsession might be considered a little "out there" but hear us out. It might be one of the simplest recipes we've ever made-- you only need four ingredients, three of which are most definitely in your kitchen right now. The one ingredient you will probably need to seek out: Garbanzo Bean Flour. However, it's pretty easy to find- any Whole Foods carries it, as well as most health food stores. And don't worry, it's super cheap.

Bob's Red Mill, obviously.

Warning-- do NOT taste this flour plain. Or even in the batter I'm about to tell you about. Socca is defined as "a thin, unleavened pancake of chickpea flour" (thanks, Wikipedia) and is a diet staple in the south of France and in some parts of Italy. We learned about it through another set of blogger twins, who even have a "Socca Tribute" section to their extensive blog!

Ready for the recipe?

Socca (makes 3-4 servings)

1.5 cups chickpea/garbanzo bean flour
1.75 cups water
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp salt

Mix all four ingredients together, whisking well to minimize clumps. It's that easy! There are a few variations of the recipe-- you can use more or less water depending on how thick you want your batter, and more or less salt according to your personal taste.



There are also a few variations on cooking methods. J first tried this recipe by pouring small batter pools onto a griddle, just as you would cook pancakes made with regular flour. The resulting cakes were thin and flat, and while good, I knew it wasn't the real deal. I was looking for a large, thick, doughy socca with a crispy edge and a custard-like center. For this outcome, I first allowed my batter to set for about an hour and a half at room temperature. This creates a creamier batter.. I'm not sure how.

Heat a large nonstick, ovenproof skillet/pan on medium-high heat for a few minutes, and throw a little oil or butter in for good measure. Once the pan is hot, pour the entire batch of batter in. Set your oven broiler to high while you wait.



Allow to cook for 6-8 minutes, until you can see the edges crisp up and the outer rim begin to set. The middle of the pan will still be VERY wet-- you don't want to overdo it. Since this mega-pancake would be impossible to flip, the top must be finished off under the broiler. My pan has a rubber handle grip, which I covered in aluminum foil, just to be safe. Then, carefully transfer the pan to the oven and position under the broiler. This second cooking step requires a bit of attention- you want the socca to finish cooking without scorching it. Mine remained in the oven for about 5 minutes, with lots of peeks through the window.



When the top is perfectly crispy, remove from the oven, and allow to cool and set for a few minutes before slicing like a pizza. Each slice was perfectly crisp on top and bottom, but still very moist in the middle- surprisingly smooth.



We served our socca with a raw massaged kale salad, similar to the one we recently experienced at Kennett and partially inspired by a recent recipe post by a fellow Philly blogger. The warm, salty socca was a great match to the cold, crunchy greens.



J commented that the flavor of the pancake was almost cheese-like, and considerably different from the flavor of the batter. The oil inside helped provide a buttery texture (probably also helped by the generous butter used to coat the pan). For my first try, it came out exactly as I hoped it would!

I have definite plans to repeat the recipe, and am also interested in switching it up a little- the basic recipe can be altered in countless ways-- add curry powder and finely chopped onions for an Indian-inspired take, or cinnamon and a hint of sugar for a dessert-like socca. It's a perfect food for any purpose-- the leftovers made a great breakfast, it's a super portable snack (no need for refrigeration, at least short-term), and it's both a fantastic source of vegetarian protein and a perfect pancake option for those who go gluten-free.

Delicatessen

I have very distinct memories of visiting New York City when A & I were much younger- driving through the tunnel under the Hudson, staring out at the city from the top of the World Trade Center, and eating ridiculously huge sandwiches and half sour pickles at a typical NYC-style deli. We've tried the Philly version- Famous 4th Street Deli, which satisfied our stomachs with a lengthy menu of traditional dishes. However, we've been intrigued by the "new school" approach that Delicatessen offers.



The interior is decorated in an eclectic flashy/art deco/50's diner type of theme. In the early afternoon on a Saturday, most of the diners were stopping in from a nearby conference. We were able to snag a cozy corner four-top with a fun alligator skin surface. The waiters wear cute shirts with slogans like "Koogle" (in Google font, obviously). Our waitress seemed slightly awkward- possibly new, as she had to defer to the manager for most of our questions, but overall the service was adequate. As soon as we ordered, we were rewarded with a bowl of crunchy bagel chips and a mild, herby cream cheese spread to munch on while we waited.



A asked if I wanted to split "Bubby's Kitchen Sink Pho" ($7), and I was more than happy to oblige her. A wide but shallow dish served up what looks like your pretty standard matzoh ball soup- a clear but fragrant, flavorful broth; chopped carrots and celery with a hint of a bite to them; big chunks of white meat chicken, and three huge matzoh balls- slightly eggy, delicious balls of bread that soaked up lots of flavor from the broth. The pho aspects came in the form of extremely thin noodles (rice? egg? not sure...) which we preferred tremendously over standard thick and slimy egg noodles. A few slivers of pastrami added an extra dimension of smoky beefiness.



Unfortunately, we weren't able to really enjoy the soup as much as we may have liked, because no sooner than we spooned off a bite of matzoh ball, our main dishes were served. The table was on the small side, and the dishes are generously sized (read: bigger than my head), so we had to do some careful maneuvering and ended up spooning broth over our plates (spill much?). Oh well. My main plate was the Jubano ($12 + $1 for a bagel substitution). Cuban sandwich Jewish deli style? Yes please. This sandwich didn't disappoint- the perfect amount of corned beef and turkey was smeared with spicy brown mustard and topped by thin slices of half sours and a creamy, melty piece of white American cheese. I opted for a poppy bagel over the advertised long roll, but the online menu says it is served on challah, which would have been terrific as well. A perfect side salad with mixed greens, olives, and veggies rounded out the plate.



A went with another item on the "New School" portion of the menu- the Oye Ve(Y)eeee Haaaaa ($13 and no I didn't make up the name). A seedless rye bread sandwiched pastrami soaked in barbeque sauce along with a super crunchy slaw made with russian dressing- some sort of Jewish down-home reuben combination. Whatever it was, it was terrific. The peppery pastrami flavors came through the super wet sauce, making for some serious lip-smacking. Fortunately, the portions here are JUST the right size to finish without feeling an imminent food coma- a good thing since it's hard to stop eating. A chose the latkes as her "side kick", served with a chunky, spicy apple sauce. The texture was good- on the dry side and super crispy, but the flavor was a little bland, becoming completely lost if you're dipping in the sauce.




Our parents chose more traditional dishes- the pastrami sandwich and the tuna salad, and they seemed quite content with their choices. Personally, I would definitely suggest going for the more modern side of the menu- fun and unique while still maintaining a few old-school touches.

Somehow we still had room for dessert, but in the spirit of Fasnacht, we had to venture over to Brauhaus Schmitz to pick up some freshly fried donuts. Ridiculously doughy, sugar-coated baby parallelograms of deliciousness- why can't every day be Fasnacht??



Some window shopping and strolling around the city helped digest the somewhat excessive meal, but it was entirely worth it. Though Famous 4th Street's cookies might give them a slight advantage, the overall approach and mission of Delicatessen was much appreciated and enjoyed. We'll be back!

Delicatessen
703 Chestnut Street

Amis: Take Two

We don't do a lot of "repeat eating" both because there are always new restaurants calling our name, and because I'm always looking for new blog topics. But, here goes: our first repeat review. Our parents came to visit this weekend and my dad specially requested we go to Amis. Our original visit here occurred just days after its opening, another reason I was fine with a second go- it is always interesting to see how a place settles after months of service.

I re-read our original post beforehand, just to remind myself what I liked and what I didn't. To cut to the chase, overall, I had very similar feelings after both visits- most of the food is great (a few dishes are just slightly above average), the prices are a bit steep, and the atmosphere is a little overwhelming. The acoutics in that place make conversation turn into a screaming match; thankfully, we were given a table at the far edge, so we weren't in the middle of the din.

Source Almost our exact view!

The menu is both the same and very different from the original opening menu. It still maintains the same structure- bruschetta, homemade salumi, seafood, meat, and vegetable based antipasti, and pasta and meat based main dishes. However, very few of the menu items seemed familiar, which we actually appreciated. It takes a talented kitchen to continually switch up the offerings, particularly with an eye towards seasonal ingredients.



It did help to have previous knowledge of the portion sizes, so we mirrored our former trip by ordering multiple smaller dishes and then each choosing one larger plate. The complimentary bread is similar to what we were served a year ago, homemade foccacia- fluffy and buttery. My dad wasn't a big fan of the high fat content- no butter or oil option, it's added regardless. Personally, I probably could have eaten an entire loaf myself.



Pretty soon, our appetizers arrived. And I'm not talking a slow pace of one dish after another- all six of our chosen starters came simultaneously, overcrowding the table and preventing me from ever focusing on a single dish. A bit of a system overload, which was disappointing as the waitress was specifically told we were all sharing these dishes.

The only repeat of the night (in relation to last visit) came with the arancini ($6). I loved these crispy balls of fried risotto, and I needed to have them again. The main difference from our last visit was the size and portion- here we were delivered four smaller balls instead of two large, which was actually great for sharing. A magically thin fried shell encases some of the creamiest rice imaginable, with just a bit of meat in the middle and an outer dusting of salty parmesan to complete the dish.



We also got two bread-based plates, one of which was a bruschetta. My mom chose the roasted squash bruschetta with burrata and almonds ($8). A generous dish of topping was served with four pieces of buttery toast coated in crunchy sesame seeds (a great touch, in my sesame-loving opinion). Soft chunks of butternut squash were topped with melted burrata- basically the love child of mozzarella and cream. This was my favorite of the evening, although none of my family members agreed.



Interestingly, J's favorite was the other bread + cheese combo, the baked pecorino with almonds and honey ($10). A dish of smooth baked cheese, similar in texture to melted brie, was topped with honey and chopped almonds and served with two pieces of that superb bread. The cheese was a little awkward to scoop out, but once atop the bread, produced a sweetened grilled cheese effect. Good, but surprisingly small for the price.



It's hard to go wrong with a charcuterie plate, so we also went for the mixed salumi plate ($16). Another expensive starter- the components are all homemade, but the servings were painfully small and strange to eat on their own (no accompaniments). Thin slices of faintly sweet mortadella, two half-moons of earthy pork terrine, and three bits of fatty, well-flavored salami gave us each just a tiny taste of the different preparations of pig.



We all also agreed on the octopus antipasti, served cold with olives and small chunks of potato ($10). This is a classic dish that I customarily love, and Amis was generous with the large chunks of fresh grilled octopus. Unfortunately, I wasn't a huge fan- I'm not sure if I was just octopussed-out after last week's mountain of octopus at Dmitri's, but the hint of fishy flavor wasn't my favorite (disclaimer: no octopus went uneaten).



Our final dish in this barrage of appetizers was actually a side dish, the sunchokes in soffrito ($6). We wanted to add a few vegetables to the mix, and have never tried sunchokes on their own. I'm not sure we succeeded in adding any health value, but the new flavor and texture of this veggie were worth a shot- a bit of a mix of flavor between artichoke and roasted onion, with a texture more similar to a starchy potato. I kept sampling small bites in order to form a solid opinion, but I never fell in love.



Finally, a lull in the meal after our frenzied appetizer-eating. The kitchen gave us a nice break to recover, and begin anticipating our final dishes. Each of us ended up choosing something different for our main course, but lots of cutting and sharing took place with these as well. I went with the spinach tagliatelle with capon sausage ($14), another of my favorites of the evening. The (fairly substantial!) pasta was green in color, but most of the flavor came from the heavy dose of grated cheese (sorry, my cheese palate is not refined enough to identify!), which was quite salty. The pasta was thick and chewy while remaining light, and the crumbles of meat (resembling ground turkey; a capon is a rooster) added textural interest.



J went with a meat dish, the Lancaster pork chop with roasted cippolinis and mustard ($14). As expected, the dish came just as described- simply a cut of meat topped with the roasted onions. I only tried a tiny nibble, but she described the pork as a bit overcooked (we like chops ever-so-slightly pink in the middle). The baby onions were caramelized whole, an impressive feat, and offered a sweet topping for the meat, but the mustard was nowhere to be found.



One of my favorite parts of last year's meal at Amis was the dessert, but I couldn't convince the others that they wanted to stay for a third course, as they were all jonesing for Rita's custard (I can't blame them). So, we cut our evening a bit short, finishing our entire stay in just over an hour- quite hurried, in my opinion. While we all enjoyed what we ate, we left a little disappointed in the experience as a whole-- almost exactly how I felt after our original visit. Perhaps this is what Vetri intended- a trattoria meant for a quick bite, but to me, "Amis" suggests a leisurely meal shared with friends and family.

Amis
412 S. 13th Street

Kennett

Some surprisingly nice weekend weather had us seeking out an excuse to be outside. Of course, if food is involved, there is even greater incentive. A suggested walking down to Queen Village to check out Kennett, a fairly new restaurant that has gotten some good press. Fun fact: the space was open for over 60 years as a family owned neighborhood cafe, and the current owners are trying to recreate that atmosphere.

Source

Serving brunch in the early weekend afternoons, the restaurant certainly has a comfortable feel to it. Laid-back and relaxed with a bit of charm and an old-timey touch: exposed brick, wood paneling, a somewhat fake looking tin ceiling: we immediately warmed up to the place. Our waiter seemed to be taking care of everyone in the restaurant, which, although it is on the smaller side, definitely kept him busy. He also informed us that after a "crazy" previous evening service, they were currently out of two menu items: the brunch burger and the Italian breakfast (no gnocchi). Although I would have ordered either of those items, there were plenty of other options, so I wasn't too disappointed. One of those menus where you'd like to try one of everything, really.



Since some of their dishes are a little on the heavier side, we decided to start lighter by splitting the kale salad ($8). A & I have made a fair amount of raw kale salads, so we fancy ourselves raw-kale-salad-connoisseurs. The key is to slice the kale very thinly, which Kennett did well. However, we also recommend a good "massage" in an acidic vinaigrette (it softens the greens a bit) but the kale here was pretty crisp, tossed in a light sherry vinaigrette- still quite enjoyable. Matchstick slices of yellow beets, red onion, and a meager serving of roasted squash (maybe they were running low on that too) rounded out the veggie content. A very generous number of soft, mild blocks of feta were certainly tasty, but too big to enjoy with any of the other ingredients, leaving the salad a bit unbalanced.



A ordered a brunch special: the brunch pizza ($15ish). The couple next to us had this pizza delivered to their table mere minutes after we ordered, and we instantly knew we had made an amazing decision. Kennett has a wood-fired brick oven for making pizzas, turning out hand-crafted crusts- seriously, the chef took at least 5 minutes molding each crust into a round-ish, rugged shape that was satisfyingly thick. Thick slices of melty Lancaster cheddar were topped with two eggs over easy and a few pieces of crispy locally-farmed bacon. Simple but oh-so-amazing. A noticed a slightly sweet flavor in the crust, but the source was unidentifiable. It was a subtle balance to the savory saltiness of the toppings. NOM.



Since we were splitting everything, I chose something a little on the less-excessive side: the Pier 38 plate ($12). A gorgeous rose-shaped pile of smoked salmon was served with all the usuals: sliced tomato and cucumber, capers, red onion, and a parsley-lemon yogurt reminiscent of lemon meringue pie. Honey-wheat toast with the lightest of grill marks was seedy and wholesome. Eating the components in various combinations made it easy to run out of everything at exactly the same time, save for a spare bit of crust. The tomato was a little on the tasteless side, but that's understandable for the season.




Overall this was probably one of the best brunches I've had in recent memory, primarily because of the pizza. The atmosphere was nice and relaxing (minus the uber-hipster at the table next to us stressing about how she slept with a married man... I really didn't need to know); we took our time eating and enjoying the delicious food. I would go back in a snap, and definitely plan on returning for dinner, though I'd probably still order a pizza- highly recommended.

Kennett
848 S. 2nd St (2nd & Christian St)

More Than Just Ice Cream

This weekend we found ourselves wandering around aimlessly looking for a place to eat dinner. We had set out with a specific plan but found our first choice restaurant closed for the day, so began racking our mental MenuPages map thinking of an alternate quick, cheap, and fun spot to eat. A few places sparked our interest, but as it was prime dining time, we couldn't get a seat. Eventually we approached More Than Just Ice Cream (MTJIC, worst acronym ever) and decided to give it a shot- a first time visit for us both.

Source

The restaurant opens into a large counter with a variety of ice creams and desserts, with the dining room semi-hidden beyond. The place is pretty spacious and was fairly quiet throughout our meal.

Wanting to save lots of room for dessert (let's not take their name quite seriously; this place is best known for their monstrous desserts), we skipped the appetizer and instead each ordered a main dish and a side. J went for the salad I was eyeing myself: the Cosmopolitan ($12.75). The hefty salad contained chopped romaine, grilled chicken, generous piles of chopped tomatoes, carrots, mushrooms, and roasted peppers, half an avocado, a hard-boiled egg and some olives. All tossed in a tangy balsamic-based dressing. Whew! Pretty much the kitchen sink salad, all of things we love.



While it was certainly an enjoyable salad, it was nothing out of the ordinary, and certainly didn't preclude the ridiculously long wait we endured post-ordering, pre-food. With a mostly empty dining room and very simple menu items, I haven't the faintest idea why the cooks needed 40 minutes to prepare our order. Our waitress didn't seem at all concerned, not even coming to check on us during this time. Rant: Over.

J balanced her mostly-healthy salad with a semi-unhealthy side and went with the Sweet Potato Fries ($3.75). Probably the best part of our entire meal, I kept snagging a fry here and there. About as crispy as sweet potatoes can possibly get (they're notoriously soft and soggy), possibly due to their solid width vs. length dimensions, and quite delicious.



The very diner-esque menu wasn't screaming anything too loudly at me, so I went with a perennial favorite: the Garden Burger ($7.75). For some reason I was expecting some sort of non-pre-packaged veggie burger, but instead truly ended up with a Gardenburger. Thankfully, the price was about right for a grilled patty on a bun with a "special touch" of sauteed mushrooms, garlicky hummus, lettuce and tomato. I loaded on extra condiments to try to eek out some flavor. All of the sandwiches are served with a pickle and a "fruit garnish" which is literally that- not a side of fruit, but a single piece of canteloupe. Am I the only one who finds this a little bit lame?



I wanted my own version of sweet potatoes, so went for the roasted variety ($3). Another total bummer- at least in terms of expectations. What seemed like a whole (small) sweet potato was sliced, steamed until completely soft, and served plain. Roasted.. sweet.. potatoes.. where are you? Don't get me wrong, I like them any which way, but I wanted wedges of potato with crispy edges and at least some salt and pepper.



At this point I was a little peeved-- a long wait for a truly mediocre meal-- but thankfully, the dessert saved both me and MTJIC (I went home happy and MTJIC is escaping my blog wrath). J wanted ice cream, but I also forced an order of Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie ($5). Don't worry, we did have a third party member helping us out a tad!

The Peanut Butter Pie was built on a thick crust of crumbly Oreos which added a sugary crunch to each bite. A huge pile of peanut butter flavored whipped cheesecake filling, pretty much what my dreams are made of, made up the middle of the pie with a cold chunk of hardened chocolate ganache forming the top. A drizzle of chocolate sauce and a pile of whipped cream ALMOST took it over the edge-- but not quite. I will be back for this pie, hands down.



J's "side" of coconut ice cream was also top notch: an order of "a scoop" produced three generous scoops, served plain. Some of the creamiest ice cream I've had in recent memory, with large strands of sweetened coconut throughout and a strong, sweet coconut flavor that seemed anything but artificial. I may or may not have also continued to steal bites long past the point of fullness.



MTJIC has an altogether ridiculously long name- made worse by the fact that they really don't do other food a lot of justice. If only they named themselves "More Than Just Ice Cream: We Make Other Desserts Too!"... Regardless, I'm sure we will find ourselves back here when the urge for dessert is calling and Rita's just won't cut it.

More Than Just Ice Cream (No website!?)
1119 Locust Street