But, it’s at Chef Brett Hulbert’s new Portabello’s– with the chef just taking over the space in late fall 2011, that a true mushroom experience is born. The charming BYO restaurant reflects the happy marriage of innovation and traditionalism, serving up a one-of-a-kind illustration–plate by plate–of the swoon-worthy bounty found right in our backyard.

Grilling is already one of the healthiest ways to cook; but here are some ways you can make it even healthier.

Choose foods that are low in fat and high in nutrients.

You don’t have to sacrifice flavor, either – there are many tasty foods that fall into this category.  Although the traditional barbecue foods are hotdogs, hamburgers, ribs and the like, you can lighten things up this BBQ season.

Try grilling vegetables.  If you are a gardener, this is a great way to use some of your freshly grown produce.  Grilling vegetables brings out an incredible flavor and tenderness in many vegetables, including corn, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, and many more.

Take a twist on burgers.  Opt for turkey burgers, or veggie burgers instead of the higher fat beef burger.  You’d be surprised how flavorful and fulfilling these options can be.

See how tasty seafood can be.  Grilling fish is one of the healthiest options for the grill. Cook this omega-rich food right next to some fresh veggies to make the ultimate healthy meal.  Try using some fresh herbs and a squeeze of citrus on the fish and it will come out tender and tasty.

Don’t forget about dessert.  Grilling fruits is a tasty way to finish off a summertime meal.  Throw some pineapple slices on the grill until they are heated through—serve by themselves or with some low-fat yogurt and nuts.

Can grilling really cause cancer?

Well, we can’t say that it is the cause of cancer, but there are some cancer-causing agents that are formed when meats come into contact with intense heat or flames.  There are some ways to prevent the formation of these agents on your foods, though.

Use marinades.  This not only adds that extra zing to your dinner, it reduces the formation of cancer-causing substances on your foods.  A marinade containing olive oil and/or citrus juices can reduce the formation of these chemicals by as much as 99% while tenderizing and flavoring meats.

Flavor with herbs.  A study found that grilling meats marinated in herbs such as basil, mint, rosemary, thyme, sage, and oregano reduce the formation of free radicals (bad stuff) in foods.

Trim the fat.  Cancer-causing substances are known to form mostly from fat.  This applies to the intense heating of the fats as well as the smoke formed from the fats dripping off of the meats.  Reduce this effect by trimming the excess fat off of your meats before grilling, and using meats low in fat. Keep your grill clean—this not only makes your food taste better, it removes the left over char from the last time you cooked.  Also, don’t overcook your foods.  Charred bits of food contain the highest levels of these bad agents, so if you can’t help but char the food, cut these areas off before eating.

We would be remiss if we didn’t mention one of the greatest benefits of grilling.  The clean up is minimal!  No pots and pans to scour after your meal; just be sure to clean the grates of your gill after each use.

This message is brought to you by The Chester County Hospital and Health System.

New Vision Wines will be hosting a wine tasting that complements Chef Tim Smith’s cuisine on Thursday, May 17, 2012 at 6:00 PM.

The price is $60 per person, inclusive of tax and gratuity.  Space is limited- please call for reservations 610.869.4020.

Those lucky enough to attend will learn about the wines of Badia de Morrona. Badia di Morrona lies in the heart of the Colline Pisane, between Florence and Pisa in the heart of Tuscany. Badia di Morrona lies halfway between Pisa and Volterra, in the heart of lands once walked by the Etruscans, and at a short distance from the village of Morrona. The countryside surrounding this ancient monastery is that of a picture postcard made up of wide valleys, rolling hills planted with the Company’s own vines, olive trees and dense woodland.

The Estate covers 500 hectares with 90 hectares of dedicated vineyards, 30 dedicated to olive groves and the remaining to crops. The Estate also welcomes visitors and has carefully restored the numerous original farmhouse buildings into outstanding agriturismos. Guests staying during the appropriate season can also enjoy boar and game hunting on the Estate’s 100 hectares of fenced hunting reserve. The farmhouses have been restored in full respect of traditional Tuscan architecture while providing elegance and comfort, ensuring visitors a relaxing and unforgettable stay.

  ]]> http://kennettsquaredish.com/2012/05/twelves-grill-hosts-a-taste-of-tuscany/feed/ 0 http://kennettsquaredish.com/2012/05/the-kennett-square-growers-markets-summer-2012-season-kicks-off/ http://kennettsquaredish.com/2012/05/the-kennett-square-growers-markets-summer-2012-season-kicks-off/#comments Mon, 07 May 2012 17:55:05 +0000 Jim Breslin http://kennettsquare.thetowndish.com/?p=2515 After a cloudy morning, the sun came out for the kick off of the The Kennett Square Growers Market’s summer season. Fans gathered along State Street and the Genesis walkway, where the market takes place every Friday from 2 to 6 p.m. now through October. Vendors were selling early season produce, as well as a Read More

If you’re looking for a slice to go, this isn’t your place. But if you want seafood brought in from market that morning, or pasta with Bolognese whipped up just for you, or a generous salad made from local produce, then you won’t be disappointed.

Authentic Mexican food is meant to be inexpensive, quick and spicy.

I had driven by La Peña Mexicana Taqueria a few times, and always noticed the traffic–folks coming or going. The sign outside reads “The Best Taco & More!!” I finally thought I needed to check it out.

This taqueria sits at the corner of Cypress and South Washington Street just south of the business district across the street from a used car lot. The taqueria itself is in what appears to be an renovated gas station; it’s a box-shaped building painted in yellow and brown vertical stripes and the awning is offset in green, white and red.

Inside is extremely basic. Yellow walls with wood panels are decorated with posters depicting scenes of Mexico and Aztec emperors. There’s seating for  about twenty people, though take-out seems to be popular. A Spanish music station from New York City played over the loudspeakers. A ledge by the counter holds menus in both Spanish and Ingles. They request you order from the counter and they’ll bring the food out when it’s ready.

I decided to try two of the grilled steak tacos at $1.90 each, along with a small rice and beans. Each taco was served in two corn tortillas and comes with cilantro, onion, and is served with lime and radishes on the side. When I ordered, I didn’t specify red or green sauce so mine came with the red sauce–and I can vouch that this was spicy! By the time I’d eaten one of the small tacos, I’d broken into a sweat. But, most importantly, it was tasty and delicious–I could have gone for a third taco.

At the next table, a group of five construction workers were in the middle of their lunch. They were joking about how spicy their tacos were, and they were digging in, enjoying themselves immensely.

In addition to tacos, they offer burritos, quesadillas, tortas (Mexican sandwiches), Tostadas, Platillos and Chimichangas. They carry a broad assortment of Mexican and American sodas and Boing juices.

La Peña Mexican Taqueria is located at 609 West Cypress Street, Kennett Square, PA. They are open seven days a week from 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. Reach them by phone at 610-925-2651.

Well, first appearances are deceiving.

When I recently visited to chat with owner Marybeth Brown, I pulled around the historic building and found a large parking lot off Route 162. Marybeth was examining the walkway, preparing the outdoor seating area for spring. We walked up the garden path and entered the restaurant, where I found a surprisingly large and beautifully decorated space. Catherine’s accommodates fifty, plus they have a private table which seats eight to twelve people.

Marybeth, who owns Catherine’s with her husband, chef Kevin McMunn, explained the origins of the building, which used to be Chambers & Smith General Store. “This is the old general store for the town. This is from 1851, these are the original floors.” While the space retains the historic charm, it’s updated nicely with tapestries on the wall.

Attached to the store is a 1740 house where Marybeth and Kevin live with their five-year old twins, a boy and a girl. They bought the property in 2003. When I ask about living with twins in a house attached to the restaurant, Marybeth rolls her eyes and smiles. “Kevin and I do it all. We garden and we cook, paint and stain the furniture. We’re in the middle of spring cleaning. When we’re closed, the kids will be riding their scooters through the restaurant.” She notes the twins have learned to behave when the restaurant is open. “We keep them under wraps at dinner. They are floating in and out. This is their home.”

Also adjoining Catherine’s is an art gallery which features local artists. They often showcase up to ten artists and hold a brunch in connection with the art show opening. “On weekends if we get jammed up, people can browse. They can open their wine and look at the art.”

For the first nine years, Catherine’s was only open for dinner, but two years ago they began serving lunch. “At night it’s all lit by candles and linens. We keep it casual during the day.” The lunch menu features their award-winning Wild Mushroom and Lump Crab Soup, sandwiches such as homemade roasted chicken salad and and an organic Sirloin Burger with sharp aged cheddar cheese.

“On Sundays it’s a breakfast/lunch menu–it’s not a buffet. You can get an omelette if you want or you can get a burger.” Marybeth said. Popular dishes include bananas foster Belgium waffles and lemon-blueberry ricotta buttermilk pancakes. They also buy as much produce and meats locally as possible. “Our bacon has no nitrates in it. We get the belly and we cut it ourselves so it’s really thick,” Marybeth explained.

“In the summer we’ll do Bloody Marys through the month of July. There’s not many great places to get a good breakfast around here. If you want to come out, or it’s a special occasion and you want to take your mom out for lunch, you can do that too. We also get the 25-year-old who just rolls out of bed and comes in.”

By day, Catherine’s is a casual space, but at night the tables are set with linens for the candlelight dining they are known for. The dinner menu consists of about eight entrees, including crab cakes which are pan seared with fresh spinach and roasted red pepper coulis, filet mignon foie gras and black truffle butter. The entrees are all in the mid twenty-dollar range.

Catherine’s has also started catering corporate lunches in the Kennett Square area. “We’ll do roasted turkey, a vegetarian sandwich, we do a standard ham and cheddar, and we mix up the breads–all our breads are home made,” Marybeth said. “We do a lot of deliveries to local companies: an array of sandwiches–sliced down filet and horseradish, plus pasta, salad and a soup. We’ll deliver it.” She notes their commonly charge $13.95 per person for catering.

Occasionally, Catherine’s will host private functions at the restaurant, mostly rehearsal dinners and smaller weddings. “I don’t close to the public at every request, but we do private parties for 30-50 people. We do like six a year,” she noted.  “I don’t like to do anything on Sunday. People drive out from the Main Line on a Sunday for brunch, and I don’t want to disappoint them.” Catherine’s is closed on Sunday nights and Mondays.

Catherine’s Restaurant is located at Routes 162 and Route 82 in Unionville, PA. They are open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday, and Sunday Brunch. For reservations, call (610)347-2227.

Photographs credited to Nina Lea Photography and Catherine’s Restaurant.

The pairings, in a quaint area just off the tasting room at Penns Woods Winery’s charming location in Chadds Ford, started and ended sweet, but in very different ways.

Traminette 2010, part Gewurztraminer, best described as off-dry and just-so sweet, accompanied a Blood Orange Creamsicle cupcake. The vanilla cake was infused with a wee-tart citrus and topped with butter cream, offering sweetness in spades. The cupcake was crazy creamy, which set it apart from the slightly acidic and crisp wine, a perfect contrast to the rich confection that surprised us with that sweet-tart center.

Moving on to a fruity combo: Spiced Pear Cupcake and Pinot Grigio 2006. This pairing was an unexpected treatment of fruit, focusing on spicy goodness. The cupcake was a not-so-simple vanilla with a fresh pear center offset by a cinnamon cream frosting that gave a curious hint of spice at the end. The wine, by itself, brought bright fruit such as honeydew and something tropical, yet when paired those flavors were subdued to feature the spice in the wine. In this case, the cupcake’s complex tastes transformed the wine and gave it a buttery feel.

Did I mention these were mini-cupcakes? Thank goodness, as there were three more to enjoy. Merlot 2007 was the able accomplice to a Raspberry Chocolate Cupcake. Again, what may sound like a “regular” cupcake turned out to be a most delightful fresh raspberry center nestled lovingly in rich chocolate and, in a brilliant move, semi-sweet chocolate ganache. It was up to muster for the hearty wine, which brought its own tones of chocolate and berry plus amazing, enormous tannins. When the palate was treated to a bite and a sip, the combination exploded with big, big, big red fruit and chocolate. This was Bob’s pick.

I begged to differ, something to which he’s become accustomed. A flavor I never thought I’d like in a dessert got my thumbs-up as the day’s winner: the Fig and Blue Cheese Cupcake with Chambourcin 2006. Our knowledgeable Penns Woods Winery sales rep, Cliff Lewis, deemed this the most “intellectually interesting” of all the pairings, and I concurred. It was an awesomely savory cupcake – a cupcake! – and I adore savory. There’s no getting around it: it had that funky, earthy flavor only a blue cheese can impart, especially the blue cheese cream frosting. It was magical, dare I say umami, but with enough sweet to deem it a treat. That’s why the wine was such a genius pairing – earth tones like plum, blackberry, sage and black pepper stood up to the blue, then cruised to a smooth and dry finish. Want to try this? Better, hurry, as this is the last vintage of Chambourcin.

We started as we finished: sweet. But a different kind of sweet, subtle, understated. Bancroft Rose partnered with a Rosewater Strawberry Cupcake, which Cliff again aptly described as “the pairing that makes you the happiest.” There certainly was joy among the bright flavors of peach, strawberry and even kiwi in the wine, but its freshness set it apart from other so-called dessert wines. What was amazing was that it echoed all the elements of the cupcake’s strawberry filling and rosewater frosting. When tasted together it was light as a cool spring day. Think of this wine for a perfect cocktail spritzer, too. Prosecco, per favore?

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to dine with Trimble, known as “The Wine Guy,” during the Spring Wine Dinner at Catherine’s Restaurant. He has worked in the wine industry for over thirty years, and now consults with restaurants and teaches wine classes to the public. For this dinner, Trimble had paired fine wines from Argentina and Chile with the six delectable South American inspired courses prepared by Catherine’s owner and chef Kevin McMunn.

As each guest entered the restaurant, they were handed a flute of sparkling wine from Argentina’s Toso Winery to prepare their palette for the delicious feast. Trimble and Catherine’s co-owner Marybeth Brown mingled with the guests for a short time, chatting about wines and food, before everyone took their seats for dinner.

We started off with a Roasted Red Pepper Bisque, which featured a topping of Charred Corn and Avocado Salsa. As we enjoyed this spicy bisque, cooled by the bits of avocado, Trimble reviewed the wines for the night and put the guests at ease about drinking and evaluating wine. He explained we each have a differing amount of taste buds, and this fact plays an important part in how we taste wines. He noted that two of the world’s most famous wine critics have different taste buds and review wines in their own unique way.

“Wine is very subjective,” he said. Trimble described the Toso sparkling wine that kicked off the night as having a “tartness to it.” He chose the wine because it “makes the mouth pucker,” and stirs up the appetite.

Our second plate consisted of Baby Arugula, a gorgeous piece of Fried Goat Cheese, bits of spicy Serrano Ham, Sweet Fig Spiced Almonds and a Clementine Vinaigrette. This proved to be a great combination of the saltiness of the ham, and the citrus in the clementine dressing delighted the palette, and was further enhanced by the Chono Sauvignon Blanc from the Casablanca Valley in Chile. This wine had high acidity, and was crisp and clean.

While it’s difficult to pinpoint a favorite course in the night, I was truly delighted with the Scallop Ceviche cured in a Key Lime Juice and served with Spicy Sweet Potato Chips. It had been awhile since I had sampled ceviche, where the seafood is not cooked but rather cured in a citrus juice. These scallops were tremendous.

Trimble had the two red wines for the evening poured at the same time so we could taste them side by side over the following two courses, and he dubbed it as a showdown of “Carmenere vs. Malbec.” Trimble explained that the Carmenere, from Chile, is “a signature grape, but up until 1994 they thought it was merlot.” He described the Malbec as “popular, big and juicy and very inexpensive, which makes it even better.” These two reds had different temperaments. The Carmenere was definitely weighty, full-bodied and reminiscent of strong merlots, while the Malbec was delicate, more subtle on my palette.

The Grilled Skirt Steak was set in a Green and Smokey Red Chimichurri with a side of Nacho Chili Blue Corn Tortillas. Each slice of this skirt steak was fanned out on the plate in a creative presentation. Continuing with the theme of the night, the corn tortilla chips were seasoned to give quite a bite.

The Pan Seared Grouper had Braised Fennel and a Fire Roasted Tomato Caper Relish. Out of all the excellent side dishes, the Toasted Coconut and Cilantro Risotto was the biggest surprise. The coconut really cooled the palette after each bite of the fire roasted relish.

The dessert consisted of a Dark Chocolate Chipotle Truffle and a slice of Orange Honey Flan. The truffle was flourless and the chocolate flourished on the tongue and finished with a lingering hotness.

Catherine’s Restaurant is located at Routes 162 and Route 82 in Unionville, PA. They are open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday, and Sunday Brunch. They occasionally close for private parties, so it’s best to call ahead at (610)347-2227.

Bob Trimble, The Wine Guy, offers fun and educational wine classes. Check his upcoming wine classes HERE.

The purpose of the video is to give “sneak peek” the company’s upcoming April 27-29 premiere performances of Beauty & the Beast, featuring choreography by Nancy Page.

If you watch the video, you’ll see our own foodie Mary Bigham take you on a spectacular tour of Baldwin’s Book Barn, discovering Beauty & the Beast cast members along the way, before uniting Belle and the Beast for a romantic dinner for two prepared by Chef extraordinaire John Brandt-Lee! Also, while watching the above video, you’ll find out why books and a candlelit feast truly are the Beast’s way to Belle’s heart, and why you won’t want to miss Brandywine Ballet’s upcoming performances of Beauty & the Beast!

Beauty & the Beast comes to the Brandywine Ballet from April 27 – 29, 2012. Tickets are available for purchase from $25 – $40. The performances take place at Emilie K. Asplundh Concert Hall, found at 700 South High Street in West Chester.

Want to skip the lines at the box office? Want to find the best seats in the theater? Order your tickets to Beauty & the Beast in advance!

Click HERE to buy your Beauty & the Beast tickets. You can also secure a “Ballet & Dinner” package featuring a ticket to the show, plus a post-play, three-course dinner at Avalon Restaurant. Click HEREto purchase the package. Also, on April 29, the ballet will host the “Be Our Guest” Meet & Greet, an opportunity for you to meet the cast of Beauty & The Beast post-performance. For the cost of $18, guests may enjoy snacks, sweets, favors and more, all in the company of your favorite characters from Beauty & The Beast. Autographs, photo ops, costumes, and more, will be part of the fun! Click HEREto purchase those tickets.

Learn more about by visiting brandywineballet.com. Learn more about Avalon Restaurant by visiting avalonrestaurant.net.