Preparing for a Winter Wonderland
As Philadelphia, like much of the Northeast, is draped with a “dusting” of snow, many people tend to stock the pantry just in case. While you can go to the local grocery store to pick up the requisite eggs, milk and bread, I tend to look at a potential snow day as a time to play in the kitchen. When Bill Henley or Adam Joseph warn that snow is on the horizon, that is a cue to head to one of my favorite culinary haunts in Philly – the Italian Market. Where else can you find fresh pork belly from Esposito’s for a slow braised pork belly and lentils or rubbed sage from The Spice Market for that distinct ingredient in comforting beef stew. Of course, if lasagna is on the menu, fresh cheeses are a must from Claudio’s or DiBruno Bros. With more whispers of snow to greet us in throughout January, why not head down to the Italian Market this weekend to stock up “just in case.” You might just find some fabulous new recipes to spotlight those local ingredients.
-Aly M. Cleary, Cooking In Stilettos.org
(photo courtesy of visitphilly.com)
