White Wine for the Mussels...White Wine for Me!

The first time I had mussels (as in more than one to try) was just this year at New Wave Cafe with N & her boyfriend. We got together to play some Quizzo and got a few apps to share. N & J ordered the mussels...I promised I would try them. Then I consumed a gazillion calories worth of bread and white wine sauce cleaning the plate once all the mussels were gone. 

In my opinion mussels are all about the sauce. My cousins W & Z are French and are world travelers (this is a big deal because they are both significantly younger than I am). They also have very mature tastes when it came to food. Down the shore, while most of the kids were ordering chicken fingers and fries from our favorite seafood restaurant, W & Z would always order big servings of mussels. One of the cool tricks they taught me was breaking the mussels in half and using one side as a spoon to scoop up all the extra yummy sauce. This is a good trick especially since it is way too easy to eat an entire loaf of bread soaked in the stuff before you realize what you've done...

Anywhooo for those of you who read my blog (thank you!) you know that I made mussels with family at "Camp Tierno". Well actually you know that I didn't make them but rather instructed my cousins to make them! The recipe is based off of a dish I had at Valanni one of my favorite places for drinks & apps in the city! F & I met up and got a few things to split and the mussels were definitely my favorite! We also had some fancy cocktails one of which was named "Boys Gone Wild"....no comment ;)

You can see Twitter Bug sniffing out the mussels!

One thing I've learned in my cooking adventures thus far is to not be intimidated by certain meats & fish. It is very easy to cook these things if you find a good recipe. Follow the preparation instructions and timing exactly and you will be pleasantly surprised with the results!

Mussels are not as hard as they seem! If you buy them at the grocery they are de-bearded and cleaned so there is not a lot of work needed on your end. However, when you make them they say to let them sit in fresh water for 20 minutes to get any sand and grit out. Also, make sure when you take them out of the water you use your hands instead of dumping them into a strainer...makes sense since if you dump them all the stuff you just got out of the shells is being poured right on top again! Also, if there are any shells that are open or broken trash them!

I loosely followed a recipe for this but they use clams and I prefer mussels. Also, the fresh corn at the grocery was not looking so great so I opted for canned corn! It was such a yummy treat while catching up on So You Think You Can Dance. Also the entire meal cost around $25 and was enough for probably 4-5 people. Not bad considering the price for mussels at some restaurants. I have plenty of leftovers if anyone wants to stop by for dinner :)

Until next time...Thanks for following my foodie journey!

Now We're Talking....

Now that Fall is upon us, things are finally starting to resemble a normal routine. Work is picking up like crazy (which is good!), the weather is cooling down (which I love!), and eating out is a much more frequent occurrence...YAY! ...don't even get me started on everything pumpkiny, orangey, scarfy, booty, wonderfully awesome about this season that we are starting to see around town!

Tuesday, M & I went to Pizzeria Stella for dinner since we have been craving it ever since we first ate there this past Spring plus a little celebration for my first successful event of the 2012-2013 season! This place is so nifty! Outdoor seating right in Headhouse Square, "bar seating" where you can watch the chefs prepare and cook your pizza in the wood burning stoves, and indoor seating where you're practically outside when they slide open the walls during warm weather. M & I ate inside this time since there were no open tables outside and again, you're practically sitting outside anyway. The one section of the restaurant we were in was very cool because there was an actual bar and the walls were covered with these funky bottle openers shaped like fish, anchors, people, etc. 

Here is the list of pizzas M & I have tried:
Zucchini: oven roasted tomato, thyme, black pepper ricotta
Mushroom: rosemary ham, garlic crema, smoked mozzarella*
Pancetta: italian bacon, wood roasted onion, tuscan kale, mozzarella*
San Daniele: prosciutto, smoked mozzarella, arugula (I think this one might be my favorite)
*shown in the photo

I also decided to treat myself to their special Heirloom Tomato Salad and I am kicking myself for not snapping a pic because of how amazing this dish looked and tasted. Delicious burrata  cheese (which tastes like a creamier mozzarella), basil pesto, balsamic, arugula, and of course the most gorgeous red and yellow heirloom tomatoes!

On Wednesday, A asked me to lunch and we decided to return to our previous lunch date spot; Green Eggs Cafe. If you are a Philly local and have not had Green Eggs yet you are SERIOUSLY missing out. 
Every. Single. Thing. I have gotten there during my 4 visits since the Center City location opened up in April have been phenomenal. 

They include:
Reuben Frittata 
Burrito 
Crab Cake Sandwich 
Cobb Salad 
Sweet Potato Fries

...and last but certainly not least A & I treated ourselves to the gloriousness you see in the photo a Nutella Donut Muffin. Enough said right?! I will say that it could have used more Nutella but when does anything really have enough Nutella?!

Now these meals above may seem average and nothing super fancy but...Green Eggs will take anything and make it better. I don't know what kind of crack they put in their food but I guarantee if you get their B.L.T. sandwich (which I have yet to try) it would blow any other B.L.T. you've had in your lifetime out of the water. They are just that good.

*Sighhh* there are never enough meals in the day, cash in my pocket, or metabolism in my system to return to all the restaurants I love or tackle my huge list of restaurants I want to try...

Trader Joe's - My Favorites

Finally made it back to Trader Joe's! Due to being home almost every weekend and various vacations this Summer I have been grocery shopping week to week. Meaning I buy the bare essentials and if I decide I want to cook a nice meal I'll just stop by Superfresh on my walk home that day (one of the many perks of living in the city!). 

Now that Labor Day has come and gone and I am officially "Team Fall" I decided I could invest in a few more shopping items to stock up on. However, one of the best and worst parts about Trader Joe's is that they have SOOO many delicious pre-made items that it is very hard to find the inspiration to create something or make an actual recipe. The food is so tasty though, that I don't really mind. That being said, since I may be lacking in the posts in the upcoming week I figured I would share some of my favorite goods from my favorite store!  

Trader Joe's is not one of those places (at least to me) that you go in a grab one or two items. It's a "I'm taking my time, enjoying the process, browsing new products, trying not to go too crazy, not in a rush to get out" kind of shopping day. Every time I go I try and purchase a few new items to try as well as a few staples I always need to have in my freezer. 





AHHHmazing...it says to refrigerate but I keep them frozen so they last longer. The flavor is so intense and delicious that I need some marinara on top and nothing else. I am literally drooling right now just thinking about them!! YUMMY





M introduced me to these yummy guys. Now, I have to be honest. Before I tried a bite of hers when she purchased them for the first time, I had never eaten a corn dog...I know crazy and how un-american of me, but I feel the need to put that out there in case any avid corn dog fans try these and they pale in comparison. However, for a low calorie delicious snack these are great!! I have still not had a legit corn dog but no worries...it's on my bucket list!!








Let's be clear, my mom makes the BEST eggplant parmesan. It is phenomenal. I ask for it every time I visit home. No restaurant has even come close!! But the way to make it is to make it for a family not an individual! These little pre-breaded eggplant slices are perfect to satisfy my cravings! Pop em in the oven and in the last few minutes top with some marinara and fresh mozzarella and enjoy (I like some sauteed spinach on the side!).

I LOVE French Onion Soup! It is so hard to ignore when I see it on a restaurant menu (that and anything with avocado). A few years ago I even asked for some ramekins for Christmas so I could make my own at home...turned out delicious but was definitely time consuming! These are sooo tasty and easy. They do take a while to cook in the oven so not exactly a quick meal but a great treat if you're not in the mood for lots of prep!


I am super picky when it comes to chicken salad. Every once in a while I get a big craving for it, which my old roommates can attest to during a certain mission in Manayunk a few years ago, but I am not satisfied with just plain chicken salad, I like stuff in it. My Nanny makes a delicious curry chicken salad that I request often! This chicken salad (while not the healthiest option when tempted to eat the entire container) is a great summer treat with the addition of cranberries and pecans to the mix!

Homemade Spanakopitas are so much fun to make. I absolutely love the process of making them and the fact that they require so much use of your hands. For that reason, I always think I would enjoy making homemade raviolis but I have yet to tackle that challenge. There is just something about spinach and feta together that is so great. And this boxed version definitely does the flavor justice! I usually need to pre-slice and store individual servings so I don't change the 5 serving suggestions to 2....





Last, but certainly not least! Dark. Chocolate. Edamame. That really is all I need to say but I will elaborate anyway. These little guys are sooo addicting. The edamame is crunchy and the perfect amount of salty. Room temperature or frozen, good luck not eating the entire container in one sitting!







Now, like I said, I always opt for a few new options to try when I shop at Trader Joe's so I thought I would share with you my new purchases!

Spinach & Kale Greek Yogurt Dip - Hopefully a tasty, healthier dip!
Ham, Caramelized Onion, & Gruyere Flat Bread - There is no way this won't be amazing!!
Cookie Butter - To quote the packaging "A deliciously unusual spread reminiscent of gingerbread and made with crushed biscuits" ....umm YUM

Soooo what are YOUR favorite purchases from Trader Joe's and what do you think about mine?! Let me know! Comments make me feel loved :)