A final farewell

It has been a truly wonderful experience writing this blog this past semester.  I learned so much about myself, different cuisines from around the world, and journalism.  I look forward to eventually continuing my journey to experience cultures of countries around the world through their food, but for now I’m putting my journey and this blog on hold.  Just to reminisce, here are the “greatest hits” of BonaFideFood: South Jersey Style.

1. An interview with belly dancer, Fatima Bassmah

2. Chef Rakesh Ramola, proud chef and owner of Indeblue

3. Franco Lombardo, bringing the true flavors of Italy to Collingswood, NJ

4. The Pop Shop, all-American comfort food

5. A Ritz Seafood Experience

PIFA 2011 brings Paris to Philadelphia

This past weekend was the last of the PIFA, or Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts, festivities.  The month-long festival began on April 7^th and ended on May 1st.  Every day, anyone could experience Paris-inspired art shows. From circus arts to dance to film and fashion, PIFA brought Paris to Philly.

Of course, PIFA was not just about the art shows and festivities. Bringing Paris to Philly meant bringing the decadent and flavorful French cuisine to the City of Brotherly Love as well.   At the Kimmel Center, anyone could enjoy French crepes and pastries from Wolfgang Puck’s crepe cart or French snacks and beverages at Puck’s PECO bar while sitting by the 81 foot replica of the Eiffel Tower.  Every night at 7, the Eiffel Tower light show lit up the Kimmel Center and truly evoked the feeling of the City of Lights.  It was like being in Paris.

“It was amazing. It was delicious,” Cesar Castillo, an employee of Ten Arts Bistro of Philadelphia, stated about the crepes and croissants of Wolfgang Puck’s crepe cart as he sat with his wife by the Eiffel Tower replica. Nina Cueva, Castillo’s wife and Philadelphia resident, said of the festival, “It was very à la Paris, so I really liked that.  I liked the idea that they brought Paris to here, so I hope they do it again.”

Wolfgang Puck’s Le PIFA Bistro enabled the perfect romantic night out on the top floor of the Kimmel Center.  With a perfect view of the Eiffel Tower replica, Le PIFA Bistro provided the experience of Puck’s Paris-inspired cuisine, wines, and beverages.

For true foodies, PIFA brought 11 chefs from Lyon and Paris, France, to several local French restaurants from April 10^th to April 17^th.  Each local chef of the various restaurants collaborated with their French guest chefs to create a special PIFA menu that presented the opportunity to experience a truly unique French menu.

Although I didn’t make it to any of the restaurants during the time that the guest chefs were present, I did make it to the Caribou Café, home of Chef Olivier Desaintmartin, to try his PIFA menu.  The menu was a collaboration of French cuisine with La Tassée ́Restaurant’s Chef Romain Borgeot of Lyon, France.  Unfortunately, the PIFA menu was no longer available.  That didn’t stop me from trying Chef Desaintmartin’s delicious French food.

I indulged in the Poulet Fermier Wellington, Crystal Valley chicken breast and wild mushrooms wrapped in puff pastry and served with a Bordelaise sauce.  It was a wonderful combination of flavors.  The chicken was tender and the puff pastry provided a sweet and buttery taste to the dish.  The tangy flavors of the Bordelaise sauce and the earthy taste of the wild mushrooms tied it all together, making it a perfect comfort food inspired dish.

PIFA 2011 was a truly unique experience for any Philadelphia resident or tourist looking for something amazing to do in the city.  Hopefully, it inspired a new tradition for the City of Brotherly Love to enjoy each year to come.

Exploring the culinary wonders of PIFA

PIFA, or the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts, has been happening in Philadelphia since April 7th and will continue until May 1st.  This enormous festival features any type of art you could possibly imagine every day for nearly an entire month.  It’s a great thing to do when you want to take a day off from your daily burdens and just explore.  I will be exploring the French-inspired food that PIFA has to offer next week. This month, PIFA has inspired a collaboration of local Philadelphia chefs and French chefs to create exclusive new menus at several French restaurants in Philly. I’m eager to experience at least one menu. I’ll let you in on the details soon after!

South Jersey Culinary Tour

So, I’ve been to several restaurants throughout this semester.  I’ve taken a wonderful journey and experienced merely some of the truly authentic food South Jersey and Philadelphia restaurants have to offer.  Just to reminisce, here’s a map that tours all of the restaurants I’ve been to along with the price range of each restaurant!

An interview with belly dancer, Fatima Bassmah

Fatima Bassmah is a professional belly dancer of over ten years. She dances all over the Philadelphia area at various restaurants, and teaches fun and interactive dance classes. I had the privilege of meeting and interviewing her at Marrakesh Restaurant in Philly.  This was my chance to not only experience the amazing, authentic seven course Moroccan meal, but to experience Moroccan culture through belly dance. Bassmah is a charismatic dancer, who gets her audience involved in belly dance whenever she performs. She truly loves what she does, and enjoys sharing her love for dance wherever she goes. Here’s a video clip of the interview!

Top Five Moroccan Restaurants of Philadelphia

There are so many Moroccan restaurants in Philadelphia, I figured why not take a day trip?  It never hurts to venture out of South Jersey to explore great restaurants in Philly.  Here are the top five restaurants.

1. Marrakesh

2. Casablanca

3. Fez

4. Marrakesh Express

5. Figs

Exploring Moroccan Cuisine

This week I’m going to be exploring the Moroccan cuisine.  Moroccan food seems to be a lot like Indian food. It uses a variety of delicious spices and warm flavors to bring out the best in its ingredients.  I plan to go to a Moroccan restaurant this week to experience it for myself.  I’m really excited to let you in on the secrets of Moroccan food! To get started, check out these blogs to get an idea of what Moroccan food and culture is all about.  Check out Fez Food to find cooking lessons, culinary tours–including wine tours–or to simply look at Moroccan recipes.  Moroccan Recipes is the perfect source to find a variety of recipes to cook and experience the cuisine at home.  What is the culture of Morocco like? Maybe you might not be familiar with where Morocco is in the world.  Kwintessential reveals all you need to know about the country, including its location, the languages spoken, Moroccan etiquette and customs, and more!

Poll Question

Chef Rakesh Ramola, proud chef and owner of Indeblue

I had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing Chef Rakesh Ramola, a truly genuine person who stays close to home by cooking Indian food and bringing his culture to Collingswood, New Jersey.  Ramola was born and raised in Mumbai, India.  He was inspired to start cooking by his family, and proudly graduated from culinary school in Mumbai.  After going abroad and cooking in several different countries, his wife–who grew up in Pennsylvania–influenced him to settle down in the US. In 2009, she encouraged him to open his restaurant, Indeblue.  The restaurant has been up and coming ever since, and Ramola is happy to share his food and culture with not only his three daughters, but his community. Here’s the interview!

Discover Indian food with Indeblue

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