Calling All Real Housewives Fans!

Gather your girlfriends for a girls' night out with SugarHouse Casino, Skinnygirl® Cocktails, and Philadelphia magazine. Be among the first to taste the newest additions to the Skinnygirl® Cocktails family – the Skinnygirl™ Wine, Skinnygirl™ Vodka with natural flavors – Bare Naked, Tangerine, Island Coconut, and Cucumber, and another ready to serve product — Skinnygirl® Pina Colada!

Plus, enjoy hors d'oeuvres from The Refinery, indulge in products and services from local salons & spas, get your photo taken with your girlfriends, learn how to play table games, listen to great music, and much more!

The event will take place May 17th from 6-8PM and tickets are available for purchase at the link provided below. A portion of all ticket sales will proceed The Career Wardrobe.

Dine Out for a Good Cause with Dining Out For Life

Save the date! Dining out For Life returns to Philadelphia April 26th and is celebrating its 22nd anniversary! Click here for more details on participating restaurants and more information about the organization!

Bibou: Fresh French

This charming little bistro has won a sizable fan following among Philadelphians for its incredible food and spectacular service. Bibou isn’t large and tables are at a premium, so make sure to make a reservation. You won’t get seated without one. Once you’ve arrived, pretty much everything on the menu is worth your attention. The offerings change seasonally, but some of the best include the exceptional bergamot-infused foie gras crème brulee, which is a house specialty, as well as the astounding pork rillettes with pickled sunchokes. If the bone marrow is on offer, you absolutely need to order it. For entrees, the duck confit is a French specialty executed to perfection, and while the braised pig’s foot may sound gross, it’s filled with foie gras and French lentils and it's delectable. Bibou is BYOB and cash only, and people bring some truly spectacular wines to pair with this food.

Bibou
1009 S. 8th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147
(215) 965-8290
http://www.yelp.com/biz/bibou-philadelphia

August: A Culinary Delight in South Philadelphia

This awesome Italian restaurant is one of Philadelphia’s most popular eateries, and for good reason. The kitchen is absolutely top-notch. This is an intimate BYOB restaurant, with just 30 seats. Opening across from Columbus Square Park in South Philly, August developed a local following with incredible speed. The menu is Italian fusion, incorporating flavors and ingredients from all over the world, and there’s not a bad dish on the entire menu. Appetizers are well-constructed and lead you into the meal with ease – try the great beet salad or the sautéed artichoke hearts with sun-dried tomato, white beans, and spinach. Some of the favorites according to regular diners include the astounding farfalle pasta with lump crabmeat, porcini mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes in a light, refreshing cream sauce, as well as the awesome pan-roasted salmon with sweet chili sauce and risotto. Desserts are very good, with the banana bread pudding and the cheesecake both winning raves.

August
1247 S. 13th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147
(215) 468-5926
http://www.yelp.com/biz/august-philadelphia

Looking to Buff Up on Your History Knowledge and Have a Good Meal?

Check out Independence After Hours by Once Upon a Nation and enjoy an after hours tour of Independence Hall and a prefixe menu at the historic City Tavern.

Click here to check out the website for more details and ticket information!

Eat Healthier and Pay Less

Thanks to Philly.com for these great tips on how to pay less for your healthier foods!

“Is healthy eating expensive? Well…yes and no. “Expensive” is a relative term, but before we even get into all that, let’s take a moment to define what we mean by healthy, shall we? We’ll go with a more inclusive definition, something along the lines of: whole foods, mostly plants, organic when possible. Can we all agree on that?

So with that out of the way, let’s get down to business.

Is it expensive to eat healthfully? Well…that depends. Because of course, if you’re talking about an exclusively organic, entirely whole foods diet, and you’re comparing it to the most nutrient-negligent, gas-station-bought, bottom of the barrel processed food-like-substances available, well then of course the real food is going to cost “more” (in the short term, that is – we’ll touch on that later). Slim Jims and Top Ramen will always be cheaper than real food, so we’re going to have to set that stuff aside for the sake of discussion. We’re trying to compare apples to apples here…for, conventional apples to organic apples, as it were.

And when you do that – when you make fair comparisons – you see that YES, eating healthy is more expensive. Wait what?

Well it is! I’m not going to lie to you. But look, it’s only just barely more expensive. Seriously, I’m talking a few nickels here, a few quarters there. If you do it right, it adds up to a few extra dollars per trip, depending on how often you shop. 

What’s that old saying? “You can pay for your health now, or you can pay for it later – with interest”. Because let me  tell you, prescription medications, surgery, and disease-induced disability? Now that’s what I call expensive! And those are the kinds of diet-related results that make wholesome food suddenly seems pretty dang cheap.

So even at a little extra cost (and I do mean little) in the short term, I think it’s very well worth it. Here’s a few ways to keep those costs as low as you can, while assuring that your health is soaring sky-high.

1. First and foremost, buy in bulk. This advice gets tossed out all the time, but have you ever really followed up on it? Think about this: a can of organic pinto beans at Trader Joe’s will set you back $1.19 (not too shabby!). But at my health food store, I can get a pound of organic pinto beans (dried) for only $1.89. That’s over 4 cans worth of beans once they’re cooked. That is a lot of protein for under $2!

You can buy in bulk for beans and legumes, grains and breakfast cereals, nuts and seeds, dried fruits, syrups and oils, flour and baking ingredients, and all sorts of other foods, and it will save you mountains of money. Capiche? Okay, moving on.

2. Stop buying beverages. Period. Water is practically free and it’s much better for you.

3. Stop buying packaged foods. They are marked up by a mile, and there’s nothing “convenient” about an empty wallet.

4. Grow your own. This is especially cost-effective with fresh herbs, which, for all you apartment dwellers, are easy to grow on the kitchen counter. 

5. Buy organic on produce that makes the dirty dozen. If you have to, it’s okay to buy conventional for the rest (see also: the clean fifteen.)

6. Frozen veggies are cheap but the quality is similar to fresh. Canned veggies lose nutrients, so choose frozen and you won’t have to worry about them going bad.

7. Eat plant protein. By weight and by calorie, legumes are cheaper than meat, end of story. People who do physical work in cold climates may need more fat and protein, but even someone like a roofing contractor in Minneapolis can cut the cost of his daily diet by substituting legumes for some of the animal protein that he consumes. Chaya (Networx's editor) knows several vegan carpenters who bulk up on beans on grains. You'll see that beans (especially when combined with a healthy fat like olive oil or avocado and a little bit of salt) really do provide plenty of energy.

8. Shop the farmer’s market, because buying direct cuts out the middle man. Bonus tip: show up when the market is closing. The selection won’t be as good, but you’ll be able to strike a great bargain with farmers looking to unload the last of their stock. Though farmer's markets proliferate during the summer months, some communities offer winter farmer's markets.

9. And most importantly, pay attention! Sometimes the brand name IS cheaper, when it’s on sale. Sometimes the box DOES cost less than the bulk, for no apparent reason. So keep your eyes open, try to enjoy the bargain “hunt”, and make a game of it. It helps to keep a list of the cheapest sources of organic and whole foods so that you can organize your shopping trips accordingly.

Sometimes deals pop up in unexpected places. Like at Whole Foods market, which has earned itself the nickname “Whole Paycheck” (and that’s probably well deserved). But there are some things that Whole Foods offers for super cheap. For example in my city, their house brand (“365”) organic unsweetened almond milk is the cheapest around, by a significant margin. The Whole Foods price of 3/$5 beats out Trader Joe’s, the standard grocer, and every small co-op I’ve ever been to. It’s even cheaper than making it yourself (don’t tell my crunchy friends), though of course homemade will be healthier.

The point is, it pays to pay attention. Excited? Well grab that canvas grocery bag and let’s get shopping!”

For more information check out: http://www.networx.com/article/how-to-pay-less-for-healthy-food.   

Training for the Broad Street Run?

We are so excited for all of our residents who are planning to participate in The Broad Street Run this Sunday! Check out some tips from Philly Magazine to maximize your performance!

“As a runner, you probably already know the healthy foods you’re supposed to be eating on a regular basis: lean sources of protein, veggies, fruits and whole grains. But do you know what you’re supposed to eat right before a workout?

Sharon Collison, a board-certified sports dietician in Newark, says that choosing the right snack can do a world of good. “If you make the right choice, eating before a run can help prevent gastrointestinal distress and discomfort, stabilize blood sugar, top off glycogen stores, and help with adequate hydration,” she says.

Aim to snack on something 50 to 70 minutes before you head out. Kristine Clark, a sports nutritionist at Penn State, says that a pre-workout snack should consist of foods with a high glycemic index. By definition, the glycemic index (GI) is a scale used to provide at-a-glance information about how a food’s carbohydrates affect blood sugar—more specifically, how quickly and how high those carbs cause blood-sugar levels to rise. Foods are assigned a GI ranking between 0 and 100 (100 is pure glucose). Low GI foods absorb and digest more slowly, causing blood-sugar levels to rise slowly, too.

Runners want high glycemic index foods right before and during a run. These foods are highly refined and easily digestible. They break down quickly during digestion and release glucose rapidly into the bloodstream, giving you energy quickly.

Believe it or not, this means you should skip the whole grains (gasp!) and opt for choices like white rice and white bread. You’ll lower the risk of cramps and stomachaches since your body won’t have to exert much effort in digestion. While these foods have a lower nutritional value, they provide energy faster—your main concern an hour before your workout. Eating things like whole grains on a regular basis will help maintain your long-haul energy storage.

If your stomach is easily unsettled, Clark advises avoiding foods that are  super high in protein or fiber. Your body needs more time to digest them, and they might sit uncomfortably in your stomach during the run. So while peanut butter on whole-wheat toast is technically a healthy choice, save it for after your run—it won’t help your performance if consumed too close to the start time.

Just how big should your pre-race snack be? Collison says portion size is a  tough call because some people can tolerate more food than others before activity. But the general guideline is this: Have one gram of carbohydrates per kilogram of weight one hour before the race. That means if you’re a 150-pound athlete, you can handle about 70 grams of carbs.

“The key is to experiment with your eating throughout your training, not the day of the race,” explains Collison. “This way, you can fine-tune your choice until you figure out exactly what works best for the individual athlete.”

She adds that while a pre-race snack is important, don’t forget to eat a fuller meal three to four hours before the race so that you can get a little protein and fat in your system. If you’re running Broad Street, which starts at 8:30 a.m., that means eating breakfast at 5:30. (Sorry for the early wake-up call.)

Below, check out some of the pre-run snack foods our experts recommend.

White-bread products, such as toast, bagels, animal crackers, graham crackers, pretzels, Fig Newtons, and English muffins.

Fruits, such as pineapple, apricots, bananas, mango, watermelon, and raisins. (Note: limit quantities since fruit contains fiber.) 

Regular pasta (not whole wheat)

Corn flakes

White rice

Orange juice

To find other high glycemic index foods—and to learn the GI of your favorite pre-run eats— click here to check out this handy GI Database.

Tchaikovsky’s Fourth, Friday April 20th: Impressive Ensemble Performs a Favorite Symphony

One of the most well-known symphonies of its time, Tchaikovsky’s Fourth will be performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra at Verizon Hall. A night of Russian musical delights, the concert will start off with Rimsky-Korsakov’s Russian Easter Overture, followed by the Chamber Symphony by Shostakovich which will feature the orchestra’s impressive string section. After an intermission, guest conductor Jaap van Zweden, who has earned raves for his other appearances with the Philadelphia Orchestra, will lead Tchaikovsky's beloved Fourth Symphony. Tickets vary greatly in price, from $113 all the way down to $10, so there’s a reasonably-priced seat for every budget. The setting for the performance is stunning! Verizon Hall is a multi-leveled, cello-shaped concert hall and is one of the premiere venues of the 21st century, fitting with acoustically advanced technologies. A wonderful evening of music awaits when the Philadelphia Orchestra performs Tchaikovsky’s Fourth and other great works of notable Russian composers.

Friday, April 20, 2012 8:00 pm

Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony
Kimmel Center For the Performing Arts
300 S. Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
(215) 670-2388     

First Fridays In The City

What: Enjoy a stroll through Old City and wander about the neighborhood's 40+ art galleries who participate in this sort of once-a-month open house. Art lovers of all kinds come to Old City for First Fridays to admire the diverse artwork of our local artists. After you hit the galleries, do n’t miss out on the dining and nightlife Old City has to offer!

When: The First Friday evening of every month, typically from 5 until 9 p.m.

Where: Most of the participating galleries can be found between Front and Third, and Market and Vine Streets.

Who: Many galleries take part in First Fridays but to list a few: Clay Studio, the Temple Gallery, the cooperative galleries of Nexus, Highwire, Muse and Third Street Gallery; and collaborative Space 1026. Admission is free for participating First Friday establishments.

To find out more on First Fridays, click here!

“Center City Cooks,” CCD’s Online Cookbook, Offers All New RecipesFrom Your Favorite Center City Restaurants

You've enjoyed these dishes and beverages in your favorite restaurants during Center City District Restaurant Week Presented by TD Bank and now you can make them at home, treat the family or serve them to guests at your own dinner table!

The Spring 2012 edition of "Center City Cooks" offers a dozen new recipes for appetizers, main dishes, desserts and cocktails, along with other useful cooking information, and you can find it on the CCD's website at centercityphila.org/RestaurantWeek. Among the new recipes, you'll find instructions on how to make El Vez's Original Guacamole, German Potato Salad from Percy Street Barbecue, Asparagus Soup from Le Bec-Fin and a bracing Sampantini from Sampan. And just in time for the Easter holiday, there's a recipe for Roasted Leg of Lamb from M Restaurant at the Morris House Hotel.

All of the recipes are from restaurants participating in Restaurant Week. Print them out and collect them all! Make your own loose-leaf cookbook! Or go back again and again to use the searchable database.

In addition to these tantalizing recipes, you'll also find tips from Philly Homegrown, a program of Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC), founded to promote locally grown produce in featured dishes at all participating Restaurant Week locations. Philly Homegrown is a partner in both Restaurant Week and "Center City Cooks."

For more information check out www.centercityphila.org.

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