Famous Recipes in Philadelphia
Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich.
Ingredients:
1 lb thinly sliced ribeye or top round steak
4 hoagie rolls
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
8 slices of provolone cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil
Optional: hot cherry peppers or pickles for garnish
Instructions:
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add some olive oil.
Sauté the onions and green bell peppers until they become soft and caramelized. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
In the same skillet, add the sliced ribeye or top round steak. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the meat is browned and cooked through.
Preheat the oven to broil. Split the hoagie rolls open and place them on a baking sheet.
Fill each roll with the cooked steak, sautéed onions, and bell peppers.
Top each sandwich with two slices of provolone cheese.
Place the baking sheet under the broiler for a minute or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Optionally, garnish with hot cherry peppers or pickles before serving.
Soft Pretzels.
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups warm water
1 packet of active dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
2/3 cup baking soda
Coarse sea salt for sprinkling
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Instructions:
In a mixing bowl, combine warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let it sit for about 5 minutes until it becomes foamy.
Add the flour and salt to the yeast mixture and knead the dough until smooth and elastic.
Cover the bowl with a clean cloth and let the dough rise for about an hour in a warm place.
Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C).
Divide the dough into small pieces and roll them into long ropes. Shape each rope into a pretzel.
In a large pot, bring water to a boil, then add the baking soda.
Boil each pretzel for about 30 seconds on each side and then place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Sprinkle the pretzels with coarse sea salt.
Bake the pretzels in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
Brush the baked pretzels with melted butter and serve warm.
Tomato Pie.
Ingredients:
1 pound pizza dough
4-5 ripe tomatoes, sliced
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C).
Roll out the pizza dough and place it on a greased baking sheet.
Drizzle olive oil over the dough and sprinkle minced garlic evenly.
Arrange the sliced tomatoes on top of the dough.
Sprinkle mozzarella cheese and Pecorino Romano cheese over the tomatoes.
Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle chopped basil on top.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbly and slightly browned.
Let it cool slightly before slicing and serving.
Scrapple.
Ingredients:
1 pound pork shoulder, cooked and finely chopped
6 cups pork broth or water
1 ½ cups cornmeal
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground sage
Instructions:
In a large pot, bring the pork broth or water to a boil.
In a separate bowl, mix the cornmeal, buckwheat flour, salt, pepper, thyme, and sage.
Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the boiling broth, stirring constantly to avoid lumps.
Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook, stirring frequently, for about 10-15 minutes or until the mixture thickens and pulls away from the sides of the pot.
Stir in the finely chopped pork shoulder.
Grease a loaf pan or baking dish and pour the scrapple mixture into it, smoothing the top with a spatula.
Refrigerate the scrapple until it sets and becomes firm.
Once chilled, slice the scrapple into 1/2-inch thick pieces.
Fry the scrapple slices in a skillet over medium heat until they are crispy and golden brown on both sides.
Serve hot with ketchup or your preferred condiments.
Roast Pork Sandwich.
Ingredients:
3-4 pounds pork shoulder or pork loin
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
4-6 crusty rolls or Italian hoagie rolls
Broccoli rabe or spinach, sautéed (optional)
Provolone cheese slices (optional)
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
Rub the pork shoulder or pork loin with olive oil, dried rosemary, dried thyme, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
Place the seasoned pork in a roasting pan and cover with aluminum foil.
Roast the pork in the preheated oven for about 3 hours or until it is tender and easily shreds with a fork.
Once cooked, let the pork rest for a few minutes before shredding it with two forks.
Split the rolls and fill them with the shredded pork.
Optionally, add sautéed broccoli rabe or spinach on top of the pork.
If desired, place provolone cheese slices on top of the sandwich.
Place the sandwiches in the oven under the broiler for a minute or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Serve the roast pork sandwiches warm.
Tomato Bisque.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans (28 ounces each) whole peeled tomatoes
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh basil leaves for garnish (optional)
Instructions:
In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat.
Add the chopped onions and sauté until they become translucent.
Stir in the minced garlic and cook for another minute.
Add the canned tomatoes (with their juices) and the chicken or vegetable broth to the pot.
Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes.
Use an immersion blender or transfer the mixture to a regular blender to puree the soup until smooth.
Return the blended soup to the pot, add the heavy cream, and stir well.
Season the tomato bisque with sugar, salt, and pepper to taste.
Heat the soup until warmed through, but avoid boiling it.
Garnish with fresh basil leaves before serving.
Tastykake Butterscotch Krimpets.
Ingredients for the cake:
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup whole milk
Ingredients for the butterscotch icing:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a separate larger bowl, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla extract.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with the milk, until a smooth batter forms.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and spread it out evenly.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
While the cake is baking, prepare the butterscotch icing. In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
Stir in the brown sugar and milk, and bring the mixture to a boil. Let it boil for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in the vanilla extract and confectioners’ sugar until smooth.
Once the cake is done baking, let it cool for a few minutes before pouring the warm butterscotch icing over it.
Allow the cake to cool completely before cutting it into squares and serving.
Philadelphia Pepper Pot Soup.
Ingredients:
1 lb beef tripe, cleaned and cut into small pieces
1 lb beef stew meat, cubed
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 cups beef broth
2 cups water
2 cups diced potatoes
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup chopped bell peppers (green and red)
1 cup frozen lima beans
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon hot sauce (optional)
Salt to taste
Instructions:
In a large pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat.
Add the chopped onions and minced garlic and sauté until the onions are soft and translucent.
Add the beef tripe and stew meat to the pot and cook until browned on all sides.
Pour in the beef broth and water, and bring the mixture to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let the soup simmer for about 1 ½ hours or until the tripe and meat are tender.
Add the diced potatoes, sliced carrots, chopped bell peppers, and frozen lima beans to the pot.
Continue to simmer the soup for another 30 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked through.
Stir in the chopped parsley, ground black pepper, and hot sauce (if using).
Season the soup with salt to taste.
Serve the Philadelphia Pepper Pot Soup hot, and enjoy!
Water Ice (Wooder Ice).
Ingredients:
4 cups fresh fruit juice (e.g., lemon, strawberry, watermelon, etc.)
1 cup simple syrup (1 cup water and 1 cup sugar boiled until sugar dissolves)
1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional for added tartness)
Instructions:
In a large bowl, combine the fresh fruit juice and simple syrup. Add lemon juice if desired.
Pour the mixture into a shallow dish or ice cream maker.
If using a dish, cover it with plastic wrap and place it in the freezer.
If using an ice cream maker, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for making water ice.
If using a dish, every 30 minutes, use a fork to scrape the partially frozen mixture to create a granita-like texture.
Repeat the scraping process every 30 minutes until the water ice is fully frozen and has a slushy consistency.
Serve the water ice in cups or cones for a refreshing and cooling treat.
Irish Potato Candy.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar
2 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
Ground cinnamon for dusting
Instructions:
In a mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy.
Add the vanilla extract and mix well.
Gradually add the powdered sugar to the bowl and continue to beat until fully combined and smooth.
Stir in the sweetened shredded coconut until evenly distributed.
Chill the mixture in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to make it easier to handle.
Once chilled, take small portions of the mixture and shape them into small potato-like shapes using your hands.
Roll the “potatoes” in ground cinnamon to coat them and give them a realistic appearance.
Place the Irish Potato Candy on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and refrigerate them for at least an hour to firm up. Serve the chilled Irish Potato Candy as a sweet and delightful treat.
