The food community fights back | Let’s Eat

Despite the shock of coronavirus shutdowns, the food community sprang into action. We’re following all sorts of stories, including chefs feeding their communities, farms selling directly to consumers, and bakers setting up on Facebook to offer guidance. And what’s a restaurant critic to do? Craig LaBan is delving into cookbooks written by local chefs, so at least you can get a taste of what we’re missing.

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– Michael Klein

The great nightmare continues.

From a food perspective, people ventured to grocery stores and supermarkets, where many shelves still were picked clean, especially paper goods and cleaning products.

My supermarket sources recommend keeping an eye on your chicken and egg supplies. (Which comes first? Don’t ask.) The initial rush of business last week left poultry producers scrambling. Hens can lay only so many eggs, and from the broiler side, remember that it takes about six weeks to raise a chicken. Flour and other baking ingredients have been in short supply, as well. If you’re stuck, you might call a local bakery and ask to buy ingredients.

And speaking of calling: You can really help the bottom line of restaurants that offer pickup and delivery by calling in your order directly, rather than using the apps such as Grubhub. These services take a hefty cut, as much as 30% for a delivery. Some restaurants are doing their own local delivery, much of it free.

Then we have the story of Aaron Anderson, who on Wednesday opened the Original Hot Dog Factory at 125 N. 15th St. in Center City. When he signed his franchise agreement last year, he had grand plans for his little takeout shop, across from Family Court. And now the city streets are empty. But persevere he shall. Anderson will give out free hot dogs through Saturday to police officers, firefighters, and medical workers who walk in, one per customer. Otherwise, he is offering pickup and delivery.

Squinting through the rosiest-tinted glasses, you could see our nation’s current confinements as an opportunity to hone your own food routines. The upside could harken a time unknown to recent generations: Enjoying family meals together, building wholesome dishes from a well-stocked pantry, and gaining kitchen confidence through regular hands-on practice. But assessment of what and how you and/or your kin will eat starts with a plan — one that will allow you to get you through takeout and delivery and diminished grocery choices.

We show you how to do this, whether you’re a singleton or have a family to feed.

While the region’s shutdown has put many in jeopardy, Jenn Ladd has found that restaurants are doing what they can to adapt — and help out their service industry colleagues in the process. And check our growing list of restaurants offering pickup and delivery.

Josh Kim of Spot Gourmet Burgers was down and out over a Catch-22 in his restaurant lease. Then he decided to cook for local kids, and generous customers stepped in to help.

Jenn Ladd is tracking what the region’s food community is up to. Among them: Philly’s C-CAP program, which teaches the culinary arts to high schoolers, has arranged for a “Virtual Meet the Chef” series to link the students to the pros. Students from all six of C-CAP’s chapters can watch and write in questions. A Facebook group has been created, where bakers teach the art to newbies. And Green Meadow Farm in Lancaster County, which usually sells to restaurants and other commercial accounts, is packing vegetables for consumers.

Workers were seen Wednesday at the old Trolley Car Diner on Germantown Avenue in Mount Airy, which closed in October after 20 years to make way for a mixed-use development. The circa-1952 Mountain View-model diner that in 2000 was trucked down from Wilkes-Barre, where it was known as the Palooka Diner, will be worked into the new building. The site previously was a Roy Rogers restaurant, which was topped with a neon sign.

The restaurant community has called upon government for help with a campaign called SavePhillyRestaurants. Philadelphia, meanwhile, invited small businesses to apply for $9 million in grants and low-interest loans.

Ed Barkowitz tells the stories of two men — Sam Solomone and Ignacio Flores — who followed their dream into the restaurant business recently, only to face the challenge of life in a coronavirus pandemic. “Three months ago, I wanted to be my own boss,” Flores said. “But I would never imagine that something like this would happen.”

Which food questions or matters do you want us to address? Email me.

Reader: What have you been your go-to recipes to cook during the lockdown?

Craig LaBan: I have really enjoyed the chance to cook more than usual. But three meals a day for four people – including prep and clean-up – is a lot of work! Every meal cannot be a project. This dish is a longtime favorite called Pasta Tunisana that I first encountered at a small trattoria in Siracusa, Sicily, about 30 years ago.With a harissa spice paste kick added to the oil sauce, it’s a wonderful reflection of North Africa’s influence on Italian cooking, especially in Sicily. And I’ve been trying to recreate it ever since, first perfecting my cold pan technique for aglio e olio (garlic and oil), then convincing my family to eat a baked pasta dish built around roasted eggplant. It took a while. But this week I think I finally got it right!

Here’s the recipe:

Serves 6

1 pound best penne rigate you’ve got (I used Rustichella d’Abruzzo)

4 Italian eggplants, peeled and cut into ¾-inch cubes

⅔ cup olive oil, divided (hold an additional ⅓ cup in reserve, if necessary)

Kosher salt, to taste

5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Fistful of basil leaves

Teaspoon harissa

Salt and pepper, to taste

Buffalo mozzarella, cut into chunks

Parmesan cheese, grated to garnish

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Put big pot of salted water on to boil.

2. Toss cubed eggplant in ⅓ cup of olive oil with a good dusting of salt. Place in heated oven and roast for about 30 minutes, turning with a spatula every 10 minutes so the cubes brown evenly and don’t stick to the pan. Add extra olive oil, if necessary. The eggplant practically drinks oil as it cooks, so add a bit more if it looks dry when you check midway through cooking.

3. While water is coming to the boil, start your aglio e olio. Add sliced garlic to a cold sauté pan with last ⅓ of olive oil, spread evenly in the oil and heat it on medium-low heat. Add more olive oil if necessary. It should cover the bottom of the pan. The idea is to steep the garlic slowly, and not burn it. Slowly raise the flame after about 5 minutes and cook a few minutes further until the garlic is just starting to turn a tawny brown, but not dark. Remove toasted garlic pieces with a slotted spatula and reserve. They should be crunchy now, but not burnt. Add basil leaves to hot oil to infuse while waiting for pasta to cook.

4. Once eggplant is cooked and garlic oil is about ready, boil pasta one minute shy of al dente, and drain.

5. Add harissa to the hot oil and stir until it’s well incorporated. Oil should be a rich orange hue, but adjust to taste. Harissa can be spicy. Toss penne with oil to coat and place pasta into a baking dish. Season pasta with salt and pepper to taste. Cover with eggplant, reserved garlic crunchies and basil, and stir gently to incorporate.

6. Scatter mozzarella chunks over top, dust with grated Parmesan, and bake in hot oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until cheese is melted and tips of penne begin to crisp. Serve with crusty bread and good Sicilian red wine (Nero d’Avola, Frappato, whatever…) Cent’ anni!