Smucker's Hot Dogs and NFNS

Drawing For Food went to the casting call for The Next Food Network Star (well, Chau auditioned, not me) and get ready to watch her on TV because the only competition were some hard luck looking line cooks and middle aged housewives from south jersey talking about eggplant. Oh and a scary looking pepto bismol plastic faced woman with pink high heels, pink lipstick and a pink apron.



Afterwords we hit up the Reading Terminal and went right to Smucker's for some Amish hot dogs. It's a great stand that I think used to be just a butcher / deli but now they do breakfast sandwiches, sausage, even a pot roast sandwich drowned in gravy that looked amazing.



The dogs are not natural casing but are of Lancaster origin and delicious. Short and fat franks covered in kraut. Also the hash browns were delicious like Mcdonald's style but better. It's worth noting they are open on the days (at least Tuesday) that the other Amish stuff is closed. So if you come to go to the Dutch Eating Place and it's not open Smucker's is a great plan B.

Smucker's Grill
Reading Terminal Market
Philadelphia

The Jerseys Are In

A week or so ago I was at Cosmi's waiting for some "soprasud" on seeded bread (next time you're there don't miss the hand written signs for "perjoot" and "gabagul" - not poking fun, I love that shit.. this is Philadelphia, not Italy ) when a truck pulled up out front and the tattooed guy behind the counter announced "da Jerseys are in!"

The "Jerseys" above (smaller ones on the right) are from the Italian Market, 50 cents a pound.. a bit banged up but fine for cooking. The Pennsylvania heirlooms on the left are from the Amish dudes at the Passyunk Square farmer's market (every wednesday 3-7pm) - 2.25 a pound for some GIANT yellow and red ugly ripe jawns.

Iovine Brothers at the Reading Terminal also has heaping piles of local zebra striped green, yellow, orange and dark red tomatoes for next to nothing. Another good spot for heirlooms is the saturday Rittenhouse Square market, and I'd bet Sue's Produce on 18th street has some good ones too.

So obviously we've been living off of tomato salad and gazpacho for the last 3 weeks.. plus I just turned that pile above into some killer "gravy" that I planned to freeze for the future but I'll probably just eat it all in the next few days.