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Heirs Apparent

6/8/2016

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by Jane Adams
      The second week in May marked the estimated latest possible frost date in central Pennsylvania, which means tomatoes and peppers will be safe from damage when planted outside.

     Some of us (including myself), however, are a bit more daring and put our tomatoes out in April hoping to get a head start on the planting season.  Luckily, with the gray and damp depressing days we'd experienced, frost was scarce. Hopefully, my gamble will pay off with an earlier harvest because I am counting the days until I can pull a juicy ripe globe from the vine. 

     For a Foodie, there is no better ingredient than a fresh heirloom tomato and this year, I have seen more varieties sold locally in greenhouses as seedlings.
Heirs Apparent by Jane Adams • Foodidude.com
Photographs by Jane Adams
        In addition to their great flavor, Heirloom seeds can be saved, and unlike Hybrids, they will breed true year after year and become better every year as the plants acclimate to the climate. If you wish to save the seeds, here is a link provided by the University of Minnesota that is a guide to saving the seeds.

       The best use for heirlooms I've found is usually eating them freshly sliced with a little salt and pepper. However, when I have an overabundance of them, I love to make Salsa or fresh tomato sauce. Below, I've included a list of locally available seedlings and their suggested uses.  Now, no more excuses... Ready, Set, Grow!
Heirs Apparent by Jane Adams • Foodidude.com
Brandywine - Big beefsteak, pink sweet fruit. Big, fat leaves that look like potato leaves. Origins date back to the 1800's. Possibly Amish or from Ohio, one of the most popular and commonly found heirloom varieties. Great for BLT's, burgers!

Black Krim - Dark purplish fruit, originated in Crimea, south of the Ukraine. Smaller fruits, about 8 ounces. Early to ripen. Smaller plants that do well in milder climates. Excellent flavor with tender skin. Excellent for salads, salsa, tacos. 

Mortgage Lifter - Originated from Willam Estler of Barboursville, West Virginia. Estler crossed several varieties for several years and this tomato was the best result. He sold seedlings and made enough money to pay off the mortgage on his house! Beefsteak. About one to three pound fruits, sweet, rich taste. Can be slow to start, but great producer once mature. Great for turkey clubs, salads, burgers. 

Cherokee Purple - Dark mahogany fruit with green coloration near stem. Indian heirloom from the 1800's. Can be susceptible to disease. Average size about 12-ounces. Can be difficult to grow but worth the effort. Rich, earthy taste. Tastes good with Mexican or spicy food. 


Heirs Apparent by Jane Adams • Foodidude.com
San Marzano - From the town of San Marzano, near Naples, Italy. Considered by many to be one of the best tomatoes in the world. Meaty and shaped like a Roma plum, but thinner, sweeter and less acidic. Used for tomato sauce and pizza sauce, very prolific producer, that can continue growing well into Autumn. Also great for bruscetta. 

Black Cherry - Purple, almost black one-inch fruits. Bred in Florida, rich, dark flavor. Great for shish-kabobs!  

Dixie Gold - Huge yellow beefsteak, Amish in origin. Sweet, mango-like fruit. Less acidic than red tomatoes, colorful, great for eating as well as canning. Easy to grow. Good with fruit or garnish for summer salads or pasta salad.  


Look here for a handy FROST GUIDE
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Rillo's Requiem

5/12/2016

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by Jane Adams
Rillo's Requiem • Foodidude.com
Photograph courtesy of Mary Ann Rillo
       I was deeply saddened to hear this week about the closing of Rillo’s in Carlisle, Pennsylvania after forty-seven years of business. For me, learning of Rillo’s closing was like hearing about the death of a family member. As it had been for many other people, Rillo’s was a consistent fixture in my life for the past thirty-some-odd-years. 

         It all began when I had first come to live in Carlisle back in 1985, and I found it was a good place to go for dinner. In fact, it was the place to go for dinner. The food and atmosphere were unbeatable. We went there frequently, and I even worked there for a time while attending law school. The Redskins ate there. I had my wedding rehearsal dinner there. Graduations, birthdays, Mother’s Day, date nights. All celebrated with appetizers, a fantastic main course, spaghetti with traditional sauce and a meatball on the side; and of course, lots and lots of garlic bread. As I said, a "fixture".
Rillo's Requiem • Foodidude.com
        There are two things that immediately come to mind when I think about Rillo's, and both I will always remember - the food and the people. Some of my favorite dishes through the years were: “Chicken V.” or Chicken Veniziana, Shrimp Giuseppe, Parmesan, Manny’s Steak, Fried Ravioli, Fried Gnocchi, and Linguini ala Nick. I recall how the perfume of garlic permeated the waiting area and how the people I came into contact with - whether employees, owners, or customers - somehow always felt like family.    

        On a special night, Joey Rillo would come out of the kitchen onto the floor and dispense plenty of appetizers and conversation. His staple dishes included red and white sauces made from scratch, as well as house salads individually tossed and lightly coated with tangy apple cider vinegar to order. The traditional red sauce was made in-house; in big caldrons of tomato puree simmering in the back kitchen as they were stirred to deliciousness. Many of the desserts used to be made in-house as well. In fact, Margaret the Salad Lady once gave me her peanut butter pie recipe, which for years, was one of the most popular items on the dessert menu. 

        It's funny how little things stand out on your mind. I remember the sound of the cappuccino machine in the rear dining room and how it would temporarily drown out conversation as the steam punched through the thick potion of milk, cappuccino, and house liqueur mix, and roared like a jet plane. I’ve tried many times to recreate many of those dishes, as well as those familiar feelings of a night at Rillo’s. Sadly, I’ve never quite come close.  


Rillo's Requiem • Foodidude.com
Photograph courtesy of Mary Ann Rillo
        One time, I tried to duplicate Mr. T’s Tangy Marinette Sauce. After many tries, I nailed it. Unfortunately, I never wrote the recipe down and was never able to duplicate it again.  

       More recently, I tried Rillo’s Italian mix and made the traditional sauce; which I found was a successful duplication of the original flavors. I tried it with various Parmesan recipes every night for a week,cycling through the dishes I remembered on a nightly basis. I’ve also been pretty successful at making a decent re-creation of the Italian Wedding Soup, complete with little meatballs and escarole.  

Rillo's Requiem • Foodidude.com
Photograph courtesy of Mary Ann Rillo
        There are many other stories regarding the food and the people; far too many to mention here. But all of us in this community have memories of the good times with friends and family we experienced over the past forty-seven years at Rillo’s. As with a mourned family member, I will miss Rillo’s, but hope their wonderful dishes and cherished memories will live on; if not at the physical location on Pine Street, then hopefully in our hearts and our own kitchens.   

         Here is a little help if you’d like to keep the tradition alive:


Margaret’s Peanut Butter Pie
  • 1 graham cracker crust
BEAT TOGETHER
  • 1 - 8oz package Philadelphia Cream Cheese
  • ½ cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • dash of salt
THEN ADD
  • 1¾ cups of 10x sugar
BEAT, THEN ADD
  • 1 - 8oz container of cool whip. Place in graham cracker crust and chill. 

Rillo’s Italian Mix. 
http://www.rillositalianmix.com/

Italian Wedding Soup.
http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-italian-wedding-soup-recipes-from-the-kitchn-136211
All Photographs used with the kind permission of Mary Ann Rillo.
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Time Travels

5/5/2016

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by Jane Adams
Time Travels • Foodidude.com
All photographs by Jane Adams
        This past week I took a trip back in time - culinarily speaking that is. It all started when my eighty-seven year old father began an extended stay with me after a recent hospital visit.  During his recuperation, he had a simple request of me - comfort foods.  "Okay," I thought, "I'll just whip up some garlicky linguini aglio olio to help him vanquish those germs." Or perhaps, I'll just head over to Issei Noodle in Carlisle for take-out in the way of some rejuvenating "Pho". But it wouldn't be quite that easy, For Dad, the "comfort food" he had been referring to were from his youth and definitely, a past era - namely, the 1940's!
       Imagine a time a long, long time ago. I'm speaking of the days long before Wegman's Supermarkets existed. Before craft beer. Before spring rolls, sushi, and edamame... even before organic foods were spoken of as mainstream products.
      The times to which I allude, were days where the main spices used by my dad's family (who hailed from England) were salt and pepper. Butter was the predominant condiment, and the main starch - potatoes. 

      In grade school, my dad tried spaghetti and meatballs for the first time at a neighbor's house and considered it an exotic treat. As crazy as it sounds, even pasta and red tomato sauce was uncommon to him in those days.

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     Following his discharge, I reluctantly began preparing some classic dishes as my dad requested they be prepared.  Chicken and rice, bean soup, beef stew. I must say, the first few days of this new cooking style were a definite struggle. I was mortally offended when he insisted I leave all garlic out of a dish. "What? No garlic?" How would my food have any soul?
     
     But after a while, I must admit it felt somewhat liberating. Free of the need to create something gourmet on a nightly basis, I cooked simple foods in a simple manner. In some ways, the taste of the individual components shined, unimpeded by intrusive counterparts.   Oddly, less laborious preparation meant more time to savor the food. Less cleanup, less stress, more time for conversation. 

     I can't say I'll continue cooking this way on a continuous basis, but it was nice departure from my typical style. And if by chance a rogue piece of Brie or Parmagiano Reggiano ends up in the grilled cheese, I'm not complaining and definitely not telling dad! 

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The Great Pumpkin... Seed!

11/10/2014

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Text & Photos by Jane Adams
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        They began life as little scrawny pumpkin plants rescued from the bargain plant table at Karn’s for a mere 99 cents. I dug four shallow holes at the edge of the garden, plopped them in and thought nothing more of them. I’d never been good at growing pumpkins, but for the price, I couldn’t resist the gamble.
        Fast forward about four months. Left to their own devices; unattended, ignored and neglected, these four humble plants came into their own. And amongst the long grass, which I left unmowed after spying tiny orange balls, emerged about 10 mature pumpkins in late fall! 

        Before carving the globes for Halloween, we hollowed the insides in anticipation of the rich treasure inside...  Pumpkin Seeds! While the flesh of the pumpkin is lauded for pies, the sometimes overlooked hearty seeds are a healthy and tasty treat. These gems are high in fiber and protein, and they contain immune boosting zinc as well as tryptophan, which is the natural chemical found in turkey which has a unique calming effect.


        But mind you, we didn’t eat the pumpkin seeds unadorned. They take spice well and are easy to roast in an oven on a simple cookie sheet. The method for doing so is simple: Once cleaned and rinsed, pat them dry and mist with cooking spray. Coat them with spices and bake at 325º for about 20 minutes or until crunchy and browned. That's it!

        Once done, they’ll be a healthy snack to sustain you through Thanksgiving activities, including a long afternoon of baking pies!
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Pumpkin Seed spice Mix 
  • 1-1/2 cups pumpkin seeds
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter (or olive oil)
  • 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • dash Worcestershire sauce
  • optional - pinch of habanero powder or a few shakes of Tabasco!
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On A Roll.

7/7/2014

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Text and Photography by Jane Adams
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        It was totally unexpected. When I ordered Lobsters from Karns this past weekend, it never occurred to me that one of my guests did not like seafood. While Karns is well known for the high quality of their meat, several times a year the local grocery store runs a special on live lobsters. 

       
After we picked up our bag of live crustaceans from the seafood counter, we hurried back to the house, steamed them in a giant pot, to be dumped onto a folding banquet table out in the yard, where they were quickly consumed with sweet corn and Spatan beer. It was to be a delightful summer meal. But alas, my father, a staunch meat and chicken eater, refrained. When the feast was done, a whole untouched lobster remained.


        What to do? Why, make lobster rolls for lunch the next day, of course!  

       
I took the meat out of the lone lobster and chilled it in the fridge. The following day, after a quick chunky slice and light toss with lemon juice and some low fat mayo, the resulting creation looked like it belonged on a spiffy wharf in New England.

        We often think of lobster as extravagant eats - eaten on big date nights, costing tons of cash, and involving lots of pomp and circumstance. But this humble creature can provide us with so much more. To bring out the flavor, no extravagant sauces are needed, just simple melted butter will suffice. And when the grocery store price is right, home preparation with a little care is so simple and easy, a well prepared dish in summertime can make any kitchen on a sunny day feel like a seaside resort.
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Keep On Truckin'

6/24/2014

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Article by Jane Adams • Photography by Len Boccassini
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        On June 12, 2014, Carlisle gave Food Trucks, or mobile food vendors, the green light to operate within the borough, entering the town itself into the arena of the modern Foodie realm. No longer a stigma or a fad, food trucks have been recognized as a viable alternative for gourmet cooks to provide unique dishes in an economy with rising overhead and food costs.  

       
Jason Turner, gourmet chef and owner of Unlawful Falafel has been fighting for over a year in a hard-won battle to gain the right to sell his gourmet falafels on the streets of Carlisle, Pennsylvania. On the heels of his victory, I look forward to the culinary possibilities that the new ordinance brings, but I am forced to wonder - why the big, long battle?  

        Other more progressive communities in Central Pa have tried food truck festivals with success. Foodstruck, in York, had so many customers that on August 31, 2014, the festival area will be expanded 8.5 times the size of its former self. 
        Lancaster has had food trucks for lunch and late night. Harrisburg’s food truck festival is in its 3rd year.

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        A business report on-line estimates that the once niche food truck industry is now a one billion dollar a year business. But with all this modest progress, is Carlisle still behind the times? How long until we have a Food Truck festival at First Friday? Years? 

       
Food trucks can only set up on private property, must pay a $400 annual fee and must maintain a minimum of one million dollars of insurance. One would think struggling downtowns would receive innovative ideas to attract hard won customers with open arms. Although we’ve had many consultants study how to revive and revise the downtown area, you don’t need a half-million dollar study to know what attracts customers ~ it’s the basics; good food, reasonable prices and easy parking & access.


        Food trucks, if working in  cooperation with local officials and reasonable regulations, could attract these valuable foodie dollars to the downtown area and help capture hard won customers which would benefit all local businesses. In fact, looking at the food trucks and dishes that are available at some of the local festivals, my mouth is watering.   

       
August 31, 2014, Foodstruck in York is on my calendar, and I am sure I will spend some non-food dollars along the way. I can only hope in this trend, Carlisle will decide to Keep on Truckin’ along with the rest of the mid-state cities.

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Solid Solace

6/4/2014

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by Jane Adams
        It was unexpected. When my dad fell ill on Memorial Day, I wasn't prepared. While the prognosis was good, recovery was slow. As the long days melted into nights at the hospital, the superficial pieces of my life withered and fell away like autumn leaves. 

        During this time, simple food provided solace. Mac 'n' cheese and meatloaf; a loving delivery from a good friend. Beer and pizza hit the spot. Gourmet food seemed distasteful, crass; even offensive.

        On the second night, after not eating much, a stop on the way home at Al's of Hampden for a slice of chicken ranch bacon pizza and micro brew softened the stress. I sipped a Springhouse "The Astounding She Monster" Mango IPA while sitting near the register and distracted myself by marveling at the variety of customers that poured through.

        A serious collector bought a 22 ounce, fifty-dollar bottle of beer; a special edition, to be aged like wine for a year until mellow. One older gentleman's eyes widened as he marveled at the 80-something draft beer selections. The silly picture of Edgar Allen Poe on the six-pack of the graphics of the The Raven Pilsner made me laugh.
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        After the thick carbohydrates of the chicken ranch bacon pizza hit my stomach I felt soothed and comforted. I ordered a little growler of Al's Golden Lager and went home to bed.

        It was a week where I didn't cook or shop for groceries. As things slower got back to normal, I frequented many places in Mechanicsburg - the location of my dad's new digs.

       
One night I ate at Neato Burrito and had Cajun chicken in a chipotle tortilla for dinner, and then had the leftovers again for breakfast.
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        Another afternoon, I met relatives at Ressler's for a bagel with oh-so-creamy whitefish spread and I discovered their jalapeno cream cheese - - pleasantly chunky and hot with whole pieces of jalapenos embedded within. 

       
Take-out Vegetable pork Dumplings from China Tea House were easily popped into my mouth between yard work and a Sunday afternoon visit. Things are still getting back to normal - but rather than neglecting or feeling guilty about taking some time to feed myself with sustaining food, I am finding it better to avail myself of the nutrition that food brings - physical and otherwise, in a few spare moments.  And that truly is solid solace.

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Yes, CAN do!

5/12/2014

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by Jane Adams
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         What a long winter, but, spring is finally upon us, with summer soon to follow. During the summer I love being outside and especially around the water... the beach, pool, creek, all beckon. 

        But outdoor activities and glass bottles don't mix.  For those of us who desire a little bit of adult refreshment during or after our excursions, canned beverages are a must - most importantly, they don't break and empties compress for easy recycling. For brewers, cans are cheaper and faster to produce than bottles.   The benefits run both ways.
        It used to be that beer in cans was limited to the basic domestic brands. And beer in cans always seemed to be disdained by craft beer snobs. But not any more!  
        More and more breweries are seeing the value and versatility of providing a wide variety of choices in cans. In addition, consumers are becoming much more enthusiastic about cans. (For an extreme example See: http://www.craftcans.com/who-is-woody-chandlera-man-a-can-a--plan)

        No longer is there the need to settle for one of a few brands as a wide range brewers cater now to those who want cans for their more active lifestyles. For example, Oskar Blues Brewery in Colorado packages all cans and Sly Fox in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, packages primarily cans. 

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        At a recent trip to Wegman's, I spied Troeg's Troegenator and Perpetual Pale Ale in cans, cold, along with a host of other selections. Since I am familiar with these two Troeg's brews, I picked a few others to taste test before the summer season came full upon us. 

After careful quality testing, here are my picks for some summer fun.

Magic Hat No. 9 (South Burlington, Vermont) - Called a "not quite pale ale", this light and slightly fruity apricot clear wheat beer is perfect for summer sipping and is always a favorite.    It's packaged in a bright orange can that looks like soda pop and I've been it being sold at several summer outdoor music venues.  A solid good choice for summer events.
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Sly Fox Helles Golden Lager (Pottstown, Pa.) - My favorite. A German golden lager, delightful cold, that goes down smooth and easy.  It has a wide open can top, that drinks like a glass. Very tasty on a warm day.

Striped Bass Pale Ale, by Devilsbackbone (Roseland, Virginia) - This one actually caught my eye due to the attractive can, which featured a striped bass, an elusive fish I have been coveting this spring. It's a little heavier and darker of a pale ale, robust and slightly hoppy. Probably would be most enjoyed by those who lean toward pale ales.

Springhouse Seven Gates Pale Ale, (Conestoga, Pa.) - A deep amber caramel colored pale ale with mild hops and spice.  Good solid flavor. This is the first beer I tried from Springhouse, which within about an hour's drive, and I hope to visit their taproom sometime soon to try some more of their selections. 
        Some Other solid choices in Cans are:
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale - a refreshing pale ale, good all around choice.
Oskar Blues Mama's Little Yella Pils - strong rich pilsner, not for wimps.
Abita Purple Haze - Brewed with real raspberries, with a light purple color even top notch fruit infused  beer is available now in cans!
New Belgium Fat Tire Amber Ale - malty and smooth, this brew would taste good after a mountain bike ride!

For more suggestions -
http://www.thrillist.com/drink/nation/the-33-best-craft-beers-in-a-can
http://oskarblues.com/about/
http://beerpulse.com/2013/08/troegs-perpetual-imperial-pale-ale-troegenator-doublebock-approved-for-cans-1052/
http://www.slyfoxbeer.com/
http://www.magichat.net/elixirs/9/
http://springhousebeer.com/age-validation/?rURI=/
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Coal Region Pizza

5/6/2014

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by Jane Adams
Coal Region Pizza • Foodidude.com
        Coal was king. Growing up in Schuylkill County, it was seemed like it was everywhere. It dominated the landscape; the mountainsides bulged with huge mounds of black rocks, like snow drifts, black and shiny in the sun. 
   
        References to the rock were everywhere - pictures, statues, signs. Along the railroad behind my house, an old breaker building stood, perched next to a glacier of black coal like a defiant skeleton daring anyone to topple its delicate and outdated glory. And when I say, "coal", I allude to the mighty anthracite. Denser, shinier, cleaner than any other coal. It was supreme. 

        But amazingly, in the two decades that I grew up there, never once did I think of the what now obviously seems to be the ultimate combination - a coal oven and pizza. At least not until Vito's Coal Fired Pizza recently opened in St. Clair, Pennsylvania.
        It's not a new idea.In fact, the first coal oven pizzeria opened in early 1900's. In 1897 an Italian immigrant named Gennaro Lombardi opened a grocery store in Little Italy in New York City. In order to feed the local factory workers, Lombardi began selling tomato pies. In 1905 he expanded to a pizzeria which included a coal oven and he earned a loyal following with his gourmet creations, continuously operating in the same neighborhood for over 100 years. The last time I was in New York I visited the restaurant and it is hard to describe how good the simple, thin crust creations crowned with tomato, top-notch mozzarella and a few slivers of basil truly are.

        But why coal and not wood? Coal burns efficiently and hot; in fact, twice as hot as wood. And emitting the same amount of heat, coal weighs half as much and takes up half the space, making it cheaper and easier to transport.
Coal Region Pizza • Foodidude.com
         Also, wood contains a great deal of water, while coal's incredibly high and dry heat provides the right oven atmosphere for that pizza crust with that heavenly crisp but chewy texture.

        The Italian immigrants were ever resourceful bakers and were experts at producing good and inexpensive thin crust pizzas. Upon its introduction in the United States, it was mostly consumed by Italian immigrants and was sold on the street to workers for mere pennies a slice. However, its delightful goodness was slow to catch on and its popularity did not spread until after World War II, when good cheap food was sought out by the troops and populace here and abroad.

Coal Region Pizza • Foodidude.com
        After pizza entered popular culture, chain restaurants picked up on the trend, with various divergent (some good and not quite so good!) versions. Today, we have come full circle, with the original thin-crust masterpiece being considered the ultimate in gourmet comfort food.
        And so, a mere thirty years after I left the coal region for college, I recently walked into the newly opened Vito's Coal Oven Pizza in St. Clair. The place was jammed, filled with bustling soccer players and families.

       
But for the bags of anthracite coal perched atop oven, the oven itself looked no different than any other wood oven I had ever seen. But the pizza... ahh. The taste was delicious and the lightly-singed texture of the chewy and crispy crust was sheer perfection. The perfectly caramelized onions on the mushroom truffle white pizza, ricotta and mozzarella cheese melted just right and was heavenly.
       
I never thought I'd see such pizza this side of New York.
But now it is here, right in our own back yard... or coal bank.
Coal Region Pizza • Foodidude.com
Coal Region Pizza • Foodidude.com
Coal Region Pizza • Foodidude.com
Vito's Coal Fired Pizza, St. Clair, Pa. http://www.vitoscoalfiredpizza.com/

Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza, Cranberry, Pa.
http://acfp.com/

Pietro's Coal Oven Pizza, Philadelphia, Pa. http://www.pietrospizza.com/

Lombardi's New York, New York.
http://www.firstpizza.com/

History of Coal Ovens: http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2011/07/scotts-pizza-chronicles-rise-and-fall-and-rise-of-the-coal-oven.html

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Like a Brick House: A Tale of Yesteryear...

4/15/2014

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by Jane Adams

        I only knew part of the story. In the few years between college and law school - when I was "finding myself" and working full time in fine dining restaurants as a server - we'd get off our shift at about 10 p.m. Pockets filled with tip money, we'd immediately drive at a high rate of speed for about two hours to the Brick House in State College to hear a band called the Intrigues. (By the way, if I ever hear of my teenage daughter attempting to do anything close to this I am going to lock her up... at least as long she lives with me and I own her car!)
        I can probably guess why it was called the Brick House - because inside of the building there were very few distinct features or decorations that I can recall, other than the stage lights and the band. 

       
If we were early, we'd stop at the basement bar Zeno's first for a beverage and then saunter down the couple blocks of alley where we could hear the music emanating and vibrating through the brick walls to the outside alley. We'd pay the cover and go in and enjoy the incredibly loud band and cheap beer. 
       
       
The place was tiny, the bathroom was horrible, it looked like something that should be in a third world county -  but the atmosphere, people, energy and music were always great.

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        Great enough to drive two hours, see a show, stay over on a couch at a friends house or drive back two hours through the wee hours of starry summer nights over the mountains to get back home before the sun rose (Did I mention I'd lock my daughter up if...). 

       
Back then, my favorite song by the Intrigues was "These Boots were Made for Walking".  Yes, it is a Nancy Sinatra song, but it took on an vibrant unexpected life when played by the Intrigues in a funky rock beat with trumpets. You just had to be there.

        Fast forward a few decades... 

       
Several weeks ago I happened to be in State College for business which required the first overnight stay in that town since my youthful twenties. Being alone and feeling reminiscent, I walked the alleys and made a visit to Zeno's - which incidentally, still has a world-class beer list and younger but still eccentric bar tenders. After comforting myself by having two incredible craft beers, I walked back to the hotel and eventually found the unassuming building that I thought was the brick house.
        It looked quiet and sad. A sign hung on the door that read, "No bands No cover". I could hear nothing - no jukebox, no people, no conversation - only the swoosh of orderly traffic passing on the street up above. 

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        Back in the hotel, alone, bored and pining for some trace of the old days, I did an internet search to bring back a few memories and excitedly found a bit of Brick House history. Sitting there, I felt I hit the jackpot! In fact, I found a video showing how the bar was more beloved and much more interesting than I could have known in my few long distance trips there. The few shows I had seen there were just the tip of the iceberg.

        I learned many bands got their start there; including Queen Bee and the Blue Hornet Band, the Earthtones, Trinity, and other bands I continued seeing into my twenties at other locations. And that wasn't all. Some of the stars that stopped by or played there were: Ace Freely, Leon Russell, Arlo Guthrie, Bill Monroe, Commander Cody, David Bromberg, Leon Redbone, Ritchie Havens, and Savoy Brown and the Wailers. It was evident by the pictures in the internet video how much fun those days and nights were.

       
Watching the video took me back to a simpler time, albeit a time that had to eventually end. The Brickhouse closed in 1990. The road trips ended. And I applied for law school not long after.

        As I  left the downtown area the next morning on the way to my engagement, I took one last fleeting look at what remained of the brick house.
Dressed in my suit and high heels, my life had changed significantly over the years and sadly, so had the the Brick House. There were no sounds or vibrations emanating from its walls, and the frozen bricks stood as quiet as an igloo. "No bands, no cover." read the sign. A sad epitaph. Rest in Peace Brick house.


EPILOGUE:
        I just read one account that related the former site of the Brick House is now a parking lot. Thankfully, my previous trip gave me an opportunity to reminisce and pay my respects to an establishment that once brought me so much joy and left me with some terrific memories!
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    about
    "Hurricane" Jane Adams

    Jane Adams has had a life-long interest in good food. She worked as a waitress through college and continued to work in restaurants during the ten years she earned her undergraduate Degree in Physics and a J.D. in Law.

    Although she practices family law in Carlisle,PA, her dream career would be to travel the United States, food blogging as a slightly toned-down female version of Anthony Bourdain... and therein lies the reason her family refers to her as "Hurricane Jane".

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