Made Torta Caprese from Epicurious recipe found on this board for gluten-free friend recovering from colon cancer operation.

Although I did not have the 10-inch pan called for, after doing the calculations and reducing the batter by 20% all turned out well in a 9-inch pan.

PS Having not baked a cake in many years, I was a bit fearful about whipping whites and folding them into batter skillfully. Guess baking is more like riding a bicycle than I imagined.

Making Torta Caprese recipe I got from this board for a friend who is gluten free following abdominal surgery. Want him to have something nice to eat tomorrow at a gathering of fellow performers:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chocolate-Almond-Torte-Torta-Caprese-14985

Nevermind.

Found answer here:

http://themessybaker.com/2012/01/16/h...
Only hitch is that I have a 9-inch cake pan and it calls for a 10-inch pan. (I went to four stores today with no luck finding the correct size.

So it looks as if I'll have more batter than I need. What to do? Fill the pan halfway and stop? Thanks in advance for your help.

Yes, that's a good one. Had to find Knorr's onion soup mix for that.

Someone's doing a reality show with the prize going to the best Philly Cheese Steak chef. Think it may be a food truck...

Anyway, the call is on Casting Networks. Anyone who's qualified to submit can register for free at Casting Networks. Searching for "Philly Cheese Steak" should bring up the details.

Yo! And bon appetit...

Chicken Cacciatore (similar to Joy of Cooking with onions)
Garlicky Mediterranean-Style Fish
Shrimp Scampi
Lentil Soup (with curry powder)
Vegetable stew with coconut milk
Eggplant with Garlic Sauce

Creamy Broccoli Soup -- A warm meal in a bowl

I'm very fond of Davio's. Consistent over many visits.

The tagliatelle bolognese is outstanding. Meat cooked as ordered. Great Northern Italian cuisine and steaks in a beautiful historic building.

Dinners and one Restaurant Week dinner have all been memorable in a good way.

Classy place with appropriate prices and service like The Prime Rib. Portions are, however, more along European lines.

Most over-rated restaurant in Philadelphia.

We brought our own glassware for a special dinner with wines chosen by my daughter as they did not provide stemware.

My "lightly-cooked" salmon, came back medium. I sent it back which is only the second time I have ever done this.

The highly-touted cheesecake was not available when we got to eating dessert even though I server had been told we wanted it for dessert.

And the topper: The dishwasher was hogging the small bathroom for his smoke break.

Thanks for your advice!

Having specials and busy (people around) is great for dining solo.

Harbor on Saturday sounds lovely...

Thank you. Will do!

Have you any thoughts?

Excited to be visiting your fair city for the premiere of a short film shot in my town.

Will be there Friday through Tuesday eating mainly solo. For me, reasonably-priced freshly prepared food usually hits the spot. Food trumps atmosphere.

My daughter, the epicurious oenophile, may come down from Oakland to join me over the weekend. So a fine-dining recommendation would also be appreciated -- or some place to kick it up a notch.

Staying at the Hotel Santa Barbara and would like to be within walking distance. Interested in your suggestions for tasty, not heavy, lunches and dinners.

Thanks!

If you like bread pudding, theirs is the bomb!

Classic, not gooped up with chocolate, berries, carame, etc, in an attempt to make it hip.

Eureka!

See:

http://baking911.com/pastry/pie-and-t...

Celebrating the Winter Solstice at The Prime Rib in Philadelphia and eating the specialty of the house, medium rare.

For something entirely different: Latkes, Vodka and Sushi at B'nai Abraham for $18.00 last Wednesday was a great Hanukkah gathering with plenty of food and drink. (The latkes were almost as good as my grandmother's!)

As this first foray into an adult Hanukkah party was so successful, l Iook forward it to returning next year even bigger and better.

Baked French Toast (Numerous recipes online) can be made the night before and popped in the oven in the morning,

Would also be a good idea to have something in the crockpot. Perhaps even an oddball idea like chili sauce and grape jelly with frozen turkey meatballs. Surprisingly tasty sweet and sour meatballs.

Personally, I am a big fan of oatmeal. You can serve raisins, craisins, nuts, etc., on the side

PS I <3 the Mummers!

Have enjoyed both Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner at The Plough and the Stars in a beautifully decorated historic building with a fireplace. Menu for both meals was similar:
http://ploughstars.com/menus/#thanksg...

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/874065

Indeed I do. Used to head out there from West Philly with my daughter who was born in 1982.

Amazing what they had in food, dry goods, services -- an original mall. The picture framing was reasonably priced. The lamp store had a great selection of shades for old lamps I'd found. Even picked up a roll of those perforated tickets for a raffle. They had everything!

A DVD of the documentary is available online at bazaarofallnations dot com.

+1 Franklin Fountain for the real-deal hot fudge. Other places tend to have goop they call fudge that's too sickly sweet for me. When I'm not in the mood for traditional vanilla, coffee ice cream makes the sundae a mocha adventure.

Happy birthday!

Several years ago I found Saving Dinner dot com -- Weekly menu, weekly shopping list, and recipes with nutritional information (Leanne Neely is a dietician) at a very reasonable price.

My long-term house guest who claimed she couldn't cook was cooking up a storm following these recipes. Easy-peasy to get dinner on the table in half an hour because there is no thinking involved.

Both The Plough & The Stars (2nd & Chestnut) and McCormick and Schmidt's (Broad & Market) do reasonably-priced traditional Thanksgiving dinners.

Either would have pick up available. Don't see the special menus up on either site yet.

Thanks, Chef!

Interesting thread...

My daughter, the epicurious oenophile, was visiting from SF the week after Labor Day and wanted to go to Alla Spina as Bon Appetit had touted it as one of the best new restaurants of 2012.

Knowing it had been identified as noisy by Craig LaBan, we asked for a quiet spot and got a booth in the back. While we were there another senior with a young couple were seated near us as they'd had the same request.

The other senior and I agreed it was nice to hear what you think.

PS Alla Spina small plates especially lamb speck were excellent. If we'd have room for dessert, Route 6 next door had better desserts.

Sit down service at a reasonable price for groups is available at both:

The Plough & The Stars (Ask to be seated upstairs away from the bar -- beautiful building) and
McCormick and Schmidt's (Yes, it's a seafood restaurant and the Thanksgiving dinner is terrific)

Also, see:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/814561

Parmesan in a green can has never entered my home. Reason it tastes like wood: The second ingredient is cellulose.

Sitar India on 38th St near Market St has a tasty Indian buffet under $10 for lunch and slightly over for dinner. Closed on Tuesdays.
http://philadelphia.menupages.com/res...

Gas

Hate to cook on anything else. My kitchen growing up had electric because my mother was afraid of gas.

Caffe Casta Diva is near Rittenhouse Square, tends to be rather quiet, and has "Recession Specials" during the week:
http://www.opentable.com/casta-diva

Not an issue in my roomy refrigerator frequently restocked from local sources.

In earlier days (when I was a single parent and shopped infrequently), the cooling down advice would have been totally apropos.