Angela is very excited.

Sunday shoppers, for your convenience we’ve tweaked our Sunday hours a bit for the summer. Whereas we opened at 11 and closed at 5, we now open at noon and close at 7. That’s an extra hour for you to sleep, and lord knows on Sunday, we all need it. We’re running this schedule through the summer and we’ll re-eval after, but for now we look forward to seeing you 12-to-7.

I can’t cook.

No really, it’s true.

I am not a good cook. But I’m an excellent baker.

My problem is mostly with the uncertainty of it. That’s probably why people like it. When you cook, you can improvise. Recipes aren’t necessary. You can come up with a totally unique concoction and then never be able to replicate it but that’s ok because it was so freakin good but what if you want it again omg I’m panicking just thinking about it. Plus, cooking times vary so much. One day a chicken breast could take 20 minutes to cook and another day it’s 25. That’s a whole 5 minutes difference. It’s too much stress. HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT’S RIGHT!?!?!?

This is literally what I look like when I have to cook. Literally.

Once I cooked a Bubba burger for half an hour because I wanted to be sure it was cooked.

It was.

This is why I love baking. It’s an art, like cooking, but there’s more structure. When a recipe says 2 cups of flour, it means 2 cups of flour. None of this wishy washy “a pinch of salt” business. I like knowing what the item should look like at the end so I have an indication of whether or not I messed it up. And baking has clear rules. Like wet into dry. It’s organized.

I’m Type-A.

Since most of the recipes I can give you right now will be baking, I thought I’d incorporate some cooking into my entries by attempting to learn. How to cook, that is. I’m thinking once a week I’ll make a dish.

Sure, I’ll probably look for recipes first and adhere to them strictly, but it’ll help me learn.

Sure, I’ll feel bad for my boyfriend, who will have to eat my home cooking once a week, but he has a stomach of steel.

It’ll work out. Somehow. Starting next week you get to read about my failures in the kitchen.

Real quick, my boyfriend may be able to cook, but he can’t bake. Once he tried to make cookies but only had 2 cups of flour rather than the 2 1/2 required. He said to himself “it’s fine, it’s almost enough” and made the cookies anyway.

He ended up with a cookie tray of butter.

These are what my boyfriend's cookies would have looked like. If he'd managed to get this far in the baking process.

Esther

P.S. Time to rock out.

Everybody get up! Green Aisle is now accepting credit cards via the absolutely awesome smart-phone service, Square. (Don’t know about Square? Peep the tutorial, yo.) We’ve been cash-only since opening back in November 2010–to the occasional ire of some–because plastic is a costly proposition for small businesses. Square’s super-reasonable rates and easy-peasy set-up let us offer this convenience to our card-carrying customers. We’ll take a card, any card, and run it through the Square swipe attached to Adam’s classy old cracked-screen 3GS iPhone. You sign for the purchase with your fingers (don’t worry; there’s a protective cover over the spider-cracked fache) and Square instantly texts or emails you a receipt. See: Easy! Do bear with us, as our wireless can be bitchy–Square requires it to run–and we kindly request a $10 minimum for credit-card charges. As always, our mucho appreciation for supporting us through the cash-only era. We’ve moving up, and hope you’re coming with.

RIP Teena Marie.

Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: Musings & News ]]> http://greenaislegrocery.com/2011/04/26/square-biz-were-now-accepting-plastic/feed/ 0 greenaisle http://greenaislegrocery.com/2011/04/09/esther-found-something-really-cool-philadelphia-science-festival/ http://greenaislegrocery.com/2011/04/09/esther-found-something-really-cool-philadelphia-science-festival/#comments Sat, 09 Apr 2011 19:42:46 +0000 Esther Martin http://greenaislegrocery.com/?p=1034 ]]> I FOUND THIS!

Science!

Some of you may have already heard about it (I think I’m a little late), but Philly is having it’s first ever Science Festival. It begins April 15 and goes till April 28. The cool part is there’s a bunch of food science events. It ranges from how to feed a toddler, genetic engineering, cheese and microbes, and how smell affects the way beer tastes. I did an overview of all the food events on my blog. I would definitely check it out. It looks amazing. Especially the event that let’s you taste the way a lion tastes. That’s not about cannibalism.

This isn’t really about Green Aisle, but I thought you would be interested. So I apologize. But seriously. You get to taste the way a lion does.

Today, Dash Deliveries, a restaurant delivery service with ops in San Fran, Boston and Providence, launches in Philly, and our store is among the first (and the first grocery) to partner with Dash to get our products to your door. Just hit up the Green Aisle page via Dash, and you’ll be redirected our digital pantry of heirloom produce, local meats, cocktail swag and tempting sweets. You order and pay online, we get an email with your order, package it lovingly at the store, and a Dash deliveryman (or woman) pops by within 15 minutes to pick up your groceries and bring them to you. And you never need to change out of sweatpants!

As you know, our products change frequently: by the season, by customer demand, by our own hungry caprices. And because we buy in small quantities from local farms and artisans to keep everything fresh as possible, what’s here today may literally be gone tomorrow. So please bear with us as we burden Dash with endless availability updates. And if you want to check on a particular item before you place your order with Dash, you can always call, email, Tweet, Fache or G us. We’re available like that.

Fine print: In 19145, 19146, 19147 and 19148, there’s a $15 minimum and $5.99 delivery charge. In 19102, 19103, 19106 and 19107 there’s a $20 and $6.99 delivery charge. Dash’s delivery coverage will also include Fairmount, University City, West Philly, Northern Liberties, Brewerytown, Fishtown/Kensington/Port Richmond; we’re just waiting on the specifics for those areas and will update accordingly.

Thanks in advance for your patience and support as we strive to spread the Green Aisle love!

Since Mother Nature isn’t cooperating, we need other cues to let us know spring is almost here. One of the more delicious signs sprung up in the grocery last week: RAMPS! Coveted by chefs, obsessed over by food nerds like us, these wild spring onions grow near riverbanks and are prized for their sharp flavor, heady aroma and versatility. One of our favorite things to do with ramps: Make pesto.

Since the Italian translation is ‘paste,’ pesto can really mean anything. Ours is a riff on the Genovese pignoli/basil mix most readily associated with this raw pasta sauce. It’s got all the usual ingredients, but we cut the pine nuts with walnuts, and add ramp stems lightly roasted with pancetta fat. Peep the full recipe after the jump.

Charred Ramp & Walnut Pesto

2 oz. pancetta, diced

2 cups loosely packed basil leaves

2 cups extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup grated Pecorino or Parmigiano Reggiano

1/2 cup walnuts, toasted

1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted

1 tbsp. red wine vinegar

1 tbsp. honey

Salt and black pepper, to taste

Red chili flakes, to taste

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 450. Spread out diced pancetta a baking sheet lined with foil and roast 5-10 minutes till the meat is lightly crispy and some of the fat has rendered out. Remove from the oven, cool 5 minutes.

2. Toss the ramp stems in the pancetta grease, season with salt and pepper and return to the oven. Roast for 10 minutes or until the ramps pick up some color.

3. Meanwhile, toast the nuts over medium heat (5 to 7 minutes), cool and reserve.

4. Blanch the basil in boiling water for 1 minute. Shock the basil in ice water to set color and drain. Gently squeeze excess water out of the basil and reserve.

5. Remove the ramps from the oven and cool. In a blender or a food processor, add the basil and half the oil. Pulse to combine. Add the charred ramps, pancetta, half the nuts and half the cheese. Pulse to combine. Add the vinegar, honey, remaining nuts and cheese and set the blender or processor to puree, streaming in the remaining oil under desired consistency is achieved. Taste and season with salt and peppers accordingly. Pulse once or twice to work in salt and peppers. Pesto should be coarse, or if you like it smooth, just let the blender or processor go an extra minute or so. Transfer to airtight plastic containers. Store in the fridge for 2 weeks or freeze indefinitely for a taste of spring whenever the mood strikes.

1) access to a large car or (preferably) SUV/truck

2) a roomy freezer

3) weekend availability

4) iPhone, iTouch or Android and Twitter account

5) Ability to add and subtract, interact pleasantly with total (potentially annoying) strangers and knowledgeably articulate why raw milk won’t kill you and why local grass-fed beef costs so much more than what’s pumped out of Midwest feedlots.

You do? Terrific. We might need you to help us May through October at a popular farmer’s market we are potentially joining. One day a week, 5 to 7 hours. Competitive pay (and probably some free food). If you would be so kind as to email a resume to us at greenaisle@gmail.com. Farmer’s market experience is a plus. Beekeeping/cheese-making/Anthony Bourdain worshipping is a bigger plus. Get at us soon, please. We’re looking to get this potential hire sorted out within the next month. Thanks!

Philadelphia just launched G, a petite, stylish mag dedicated to the city’s LGTB community. Although the book uses word fabulous an awful lot, we can’t argue with the taste of its editors, who named us Best Gourmet Grocery in their Best of Gay Philly spread. Here’s what they had to say:

The products are Green Aisle Grocery are pricey but worth it. So what if you spend $50 on three measly items? The real goods are the gorgeous and super-friendly South Philly-born brothers who own the place.

We’re flattered! So stop by the store and pick one up. A free copy of G, not a brother, that is.