Raisin Pie

Kim made this for her Grandpa yesterday. He mentioned his affinity for “Raisin Pie” on Black Friday when we were visiting. This was a new one to us. We asked if it had anything other than raisins in it. He and Grandma both said, no, just raisins. They were quite clear.

A quick internet recipe search gave us some more insight into the history of this particular pie. It is old-fashioned, often being requested by people’s Pennsylvania bred grandparents. It turns out that the American roots of this recipe are linked to the Amish and Old Order Mennonite communities. It is a traditional dish served after the wake of a funeral, giving it the nickname “Funeral Pie”. Traditionally, although Kim didn’t make it this way, it is double crusted with a lattice work top. It still turned out well. Grandpa was ecstatic when presented with it as a surprise…

A thing of the past, becomes a thing of the present!

Tortillas–the right way

A walk down the grocer’s “international foods” aisle can be an interesting, yet daunting, experience for most people. Perhaps, if not daunting, then at the very least perplexing. Should you try some of the Goya products besides canned beans? Are the eastern European sauces or other little condiments worth the effort when the old standards are two aisles over? Yes, try stuff you haven’t thought of picking up before. Here’s why you should…

Tortillas. These little corn discs are absolutely magical. A pack like this has something like 30 soft tortillas and it costs less than $2. You will quickly notice that these are the same kind that you get when you go to an independent Mexican food restaurant. I’m not talking about On the Border, Chile’s, or any of those places. Real Mexican food. The key to using these really well is to heat them before you eat them!!!  For instance you can coat your skillet with some oil and heat them up on both sides until they get a bit crispy, or if you are feeding more than a couple of people, before you are finished cooking your filling (meat,fish,eggs,veggies,etc.) lay your tortillas on a sheet pan and place them in the oven at 375 and bake them for 5-10 minutes.  Then, the possibilities are endless. Make tacos, breakfast burritos, just about anything you can think of.

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It’s Nutts

Have you ever driven by the little retro styled ice cream place on Rt. 29 in New Jersey and wondered what it’s like? If you’re like us you have. Actually, if you’re like us, you’ve tried the ice cream during the summer, been a bit disappointed, and continue to wonder if the restaurant portion of the place is any better. Well, it is. A lot better.

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Upon first glance, It’s Nutts – Rt. 29 Titusville, NJ – looks like a forgotten landmark of 1950’s Americana roadside dining. Like so many of it’s kind, the exterior of the building appears several years past due on a renovation. When you look more closely it’s actually not so bad. It’s just a bit old, and well worn. Such a closer inspection also reveals a parking lot full of cars and motorcycles at lunchtime on a weekend. Most of the car’s makes and models sit in stark contrast to the worn-out appearance of the eatery. When we entered we found, to our surprise, the austerity of the front to be entirely deceiving.

The dining room offers a warm, inviting, fun family atmosphere. With 12 tables (3 booths, 3 two-tops, 6 four-tops) it is an intimate feel, made cozy on a fall afternoon. The wait staff was quick and courteous. Our server, Theresa, confirmed what we’d heard about their specialties, recommending pizza and specialty sandwiches on our next visit. In fact, we had one of the latter on this visit, the French Dip Au Jus. She also satisfied our curiosity about the true vintage of the place. The current management took over, with a lease, seven years ago from the owners who founded it sometime in the late ‘60s.

Both of our sandwiches, a Philly Cheesesteak in addition to the Dip, were quite to our liking. The quality and prep are a step above the average “greasy spoon” joint. In fact most of their specialty sandwiches are set off with a unique twist. The French Dip comes with brie. The average price of most lunch platters comes in at around $7.95. They also have a basic sandwich menu that averages $5.95-$6.95. We checked out some of the other guests plates and saw an abundance of pizza and fried chicken, both of which looked good.

What makes the dining experience at It’s Nutts a completely enjoyable one is the atmosphere. Similar to many of Bucks County’s best loved eateries, the clientele is a diverse cross-section of people. Due to it’s location on the New Hope/Lambertville motorcycle pilgrimage route, any weekend visit is likely to be occasioned by a group of bikers (such as ours was). However, like so many of the patrons, even the bike gangs are decidedly sanitized. It is comforting, relaxing, and fun to see families mixed with artists and seniors and most everything in between.

It’s Nutts comes with a high recommendation. They are open Mon-Fri 11a-9p; Sat.& Sun. 8a-9p; offer delivery and take-out services. We certainly plan a return visit, just don’t go for the ice cream (Jack ‘n Jill).

Sunday in the Sun

We went for a walk in Lahaska on Sunday, and made an unplanned stop at La Madeleine. It’s a small French Bakery in Peddler’s Village, 5860 Lower York Rd. We read about it in one of the local weeklies that serves Bucks County, those freebies that come in the mail. This writer has a regular food column apparently. He was completely sold on the place. His final verdict was that the bakery/café filled a void left by the competition. With a quintessentially French menu, the portions are just right, and the quality of ingredients/freshness is unlike anything in the area. Well, apparently he hasn’t been to Ce La Vie in New Hope, the area’s unrivalled top performer in French baking. The writer mentioned the small sandwiches made fresh for lunch as the biggest draw for weekday lunch breaks. So, maybe our experience with an almond croissant on Sunday is not a fair representation of La Madeleine’s best offering. The croissant was very wet and soggy on the bottom, with entirely too much almond paste inside. Also, the prices for pastries are too high.

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We had a lunch date to make after our Peddler’s Village stroll, so we decided to pick up a six pack. Lambertville, NJ was not too far out of the way, so we decided to stop at one of the best places for selection and value, Wonderful World of Wines, 8 Union St. We’ve been to this beer and wine store before, and were really impressed with it. It is primarily a wine shop, but they have a great selection of beers and cheeses as well. The store front is somewhat non-descript. You could miss it if you weren’t looking too closely. But that would be a shame. They staff is very polite and helpful. It is a great alternative to the frustratingly restrictive PA liquor world.

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Anyone Can Cook!

Carlo’s Bake Shop & Eataly

Even though neither of us are huge fans of the show “Cake Boss”, we had heard that the bakery was worth a visit. We also wanted to see the new Mario Batali, Joe & Lydia Bastianich joint “Eataly”. So, a NYC trip was made this Friday.

In front of “Carlo’s” in Hoboken, NJ. We had some “lobster tails”, mini cannolis & eclairs. The tails are supposedly a specialty, and they were definitely worth it.

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At “Eataly”, 5th Ave. New York, NY. We really had no intention of purchasing anything here as the prices are exorbitantly high. After reading a couple of articles in a couple different periodicals, we kind of knew what to expect. But it is definitely fun just to look at all the high quality food. When I was checking out the fish I was reminded of the “food halls” in Herrod’s, London. Ironically, considering the publicity of such unparalleled gastronomic standards, “Eataly” falls a bit short of the London department store’s food halls.

Back in the saddle

In lieu of Kimmie’s recent trip to Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY – where she cooks for a Hasidic woman – I found myself oddly drawn to the best value in tea/coffee biscuits you can find. Behold:

3 for $1.00. They get soft in tea in about 2 seconds flat. Kosher to boot.