There is more to New York City and Philadelphia than cheesecake and cheesesteaks, but don't tell that to the U.S. Senate.
The most powerful elected representatives from both New York and Pennsylvania have made a polite World Series food wager on the eve of the baseball match-up. If the Phillies win, Sens. Arlen Specter and Bob Casey will get New York cheesecake. If the Yankees win, Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kristen Gillibrand get Philly cheesesteaks.
What cliché and unoriginal choices, especially since both those old standbys can be found in the food court of any American mall. They don't accurately reflect the soul of either city. What two foods best sum up these two complex metropolises?
It's funny. A Philly Cheesesteak, or variety thereof, is a popular part of our fast-food culture ... but do you ever try to whip it up at home? It's one of the easiest and quickest meals you can make -- save maybe some cold cuts on a slice of bread.
A cheesesteak is simply sliced beef, onions, peppers, and possibly mushrooms sauteed and slathered in cheese. The only spices and additional flavors are salt, pepper, and garlic. Slice everything quite thin, saute, season, and pile on a piece of bread. That's it!
The easiest way to accomplish this is to quickly slice up half moons of onions and strips of pepper and saute them while you quickly slice the beef (as thin as you possibly can -- meaning that you should have a decently sharp knife, serated won't cut it!). The veggies should be done quickly, since they're thinly cut. When they're soft, take them out of the pan, quickly saute the beef, and then add the veggies back in with the cheese. When it's all a melted mass, it's ready for the bread. Viola!
The Today show is running a contest in which they are attempting to name the best sandwich in America. They solicited recommendations from all over the country and have now narrowed it down to the top five. The finalists are a New Orleans Muffuletta, Pastrami on Rye from Katz Deli, Vesuvio's Cheesesteak BLT, a Maine Lobster Roll and Chicago's Frenchy's Fantasy.
I'm really excited to see Philly made the list with the Cheesesteak BLT from Vesuvio's (although I must admit that I've never tried that particular sandwich). However, I am sort of surprised that there's no Primanti Bros. sandwich, as that's a fairly outrageous and delicious sandwich concoction. And, where are the options for vegetarians? I can't believe that there's not some amazing sandwich out there constructed of greens, cheese and eggplant. You can cast your vote here, but in the comments, why don't you tell us about your favorite sandwich.
I left the city limits of Philadelphia (something I hardly ever do) today to hit the Chester County Restaurant Festival with some friends. The city closes the bulk of their walkable central business district for the event and people pile out into the streets for eats, entertainment and rows of craft vendors. It was wall-to-wall people, which made it hard to check out all the available food options before making a selection. We chose the items we ate based strictly on how long the line was and how easily we'd be able to get in said line.
Despite the haphazard selection process, I think I wound up with a winner. A unique mashup of local Philly cuisine with classic American-Chinese food, I present you with the Cheesesteak Egg Roll (served with a side of Whiz). At first I disdained the side of Whiz, thinking that the inner cheese should be sufficient, but after the first taste, I was a convert (cheesesteaks are the only food item on which I eat Cheese Whiz without shame). Horrible for your arteries but wonderful to the taste buds, I think I'll be ready for another...in about a year.
Ostensibly collected with reader input, MSN has put forth a list of 10 foods that make America great. This list is a step up from last year's, which included a wide variety of regional foods, but not necessarily ones that were "great" outside of their region. Shoofly pie, for example, might actually be considered to be declining in popularity, rather than standing up as an American icon.
This list left off foods like barbecue and pizza, which were deemed to be too broad, but included both regional and national favorites that are more recognizable than previous selections. Maple syrup and Philly cheesesteak are excellent choices, but what about Frito pie? Is that really a dish that makes America great? And isn't a Mission burrito a little specific? It's hard to narrow down the list of great foods to only a handful, but certainly there are things that should be added to the list, like apple pie. Any other suggestions?
Hardee's remained a distant memory of my East Coast childhood until the third day of a
road trip last summer. We were on the way to a KCBS barbecue competition and paused
to eat what we all agreed was the best fast-food breakfast sandwich ever. Why no one else has come up with something as
tasty as the Grilled Pork Chop Biscuit is beyond me.
Out of
gluttonous machismo I also tried the Thickburger. A third of a pound of fast-food beef was plenty for me. Now,
picture the very same patty capped with a Philly cheesesteak.
Our
correspondent, Kara Chiles, sent us this report. Kara is an editor, freelance writer, media junkie and
shameless consumer of high art, low culture, comfort food, elegant design and excellent shoes. You can write to her by
way of karachiles1 AT aol.com
You hear about classic rivalries and think surely they’re blown out of proportion. The Hatfields and McCoys
waved to each other in passing, right? If Maria & Tony could bridge the Jet-Shark divide in ‘West Side
Story,’ can’t we all? Not so much in Philly, where cheese steak loyalty can halt a cocktail party.
While visiting friends last weekend, I decided it was time for a true Philly Cheese Steak-Off. To keep things
semi-legit: all sandwiches were the same – a classic Wiz Wit (that’s Cheese Whiz “Wit” onions)
and all had to be eaten at time of purchase (hot & fresh being crucial). With those “rules,” I felt
free to ignore the screaming of my digestive tracks and dive in.
Even though the crust of your pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving turned out flaky and buttery, consider everyone "pie"-ed out. Try these non-pie ways to use up leftover disk of dough.
The Today show is running a contest in which they are attempting to name 
Ostensibly collected with reader input, MSN has put forth a list of 
Our
correspondent, Kara Chiles, sent us this report. Kara is an editor, freelance writer, media junkie and
shameless consumer of high art, low culture, comfort food, elegant design and excellent shoes. You can write to her by
way of karachiles1 AT aol.com
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