Steaker Bater: The Ultimate Cheesesteak Debate

Philadelphia is famous for it's cheesesteaks. And there are two cheesteak meccas in constant competition with each other for who has the best cheesesteak- and they're right across the street from each other. Geno's Steaks and Pat's King of Steaks in south Philly commence in daily battle for who has the best cheesesteak. I've been to both of these food palaces, and here's a review of them, and  a New Yorker's opinion on who makes the best Philly cheesesteak.

We'll start off by comparing the two places. They both have outdoor seating only on picnic-style benches protected by a ceiling that protects diners from the rain; they both have rules for ordering- the type of cheese you want either wit or wit-out onions; they both have separate ordering windows- one window for steaks, and another for sides and drinks;and they both have lines that stretch around the block. Now comes the hard part: choosing which steak to try.

Geno's Steaks is a glowing, neon-lit attention grabber that draws people in instantly. Photos of celebrities who have visited Geno's line the interior of the ordering station from top to bottom- even the tables have pictures on them. Everyone from porn stars to musicians to actors, even Oprah has visited Geno's to sample their famous mouth-watering cheesesteak.

Nothing says "welcome" like neon lights.

Just a handful of the celebrities who have visited Geno's

All of the tables at Geno's look like this, all with different pictures.













Pat's King of Steaks has a less flashy approach to welcoming guests- just a simple blue sign featuring a crown and a Pepsi logo. The photos of celebrities who have visited Pat's are old and faded black and whites whch gives diners of Pat's a view into yester-year.

 Simplicity is the theme at Pat's.

Some old time photos and the rules for ordering.















Both of these wonderful places have great cheesesteaks. But one tops the other by just a slight edge. Here's why:

Geno's and Pat's both use high quality Italian rolls for the steaks. Pat's is far more generous with the cheese than Geno's does, which gives them a slight edge. What takes away from that edge is the overall greasiness of the sandwich. Pat's steak is also a little more chewy than steak on a sandwich should be. The overall winner of the Ultimate Steak Debate is Geno's, with a cheesesteak sandwich that overall top's Pat's cheesesteak sandwich.

I hope you all get the chance to go to Philly and try both of these cheesesteaks for yourselves. They're both worth a taste and totally worth the wait in the long lines. Until next time..

Keep Smilin' :)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

This is a modification I made of a recipe I saw on Man v. Food that I tried and absolutely love. The show version starts with a basic pie crust, peanut butter filling, vanilla custard filling, more peanut butter filling, topped with whipped cream and even more peanut butter filling used as a topping. While that sounds amazing- I haven't been to the restaurant that has the pie- it's also labor intensive, and requires an oven; and who wants to turn on an oven in the summer heat? My version of the pie has a few less layers, and requires no oven and less labor.

Ingredients:

One pre-made graham cracker crust- I used the Keebler brand chocolate crust
One box of  Jell-O chocolate pudding- I used instant instead of the Cook and Serve.
1 cup each chunky peanut butter- I use Skippy- and confectioner's sugar- I use Domino.
Whipped cream- I make mine from scratch but Reddi Whip is a good substitute.

Procedure:

Mix together peanut butter and powdered sugar with a hand mixer and set aside.
Mix pudding following directions on the box. Let set to thicken.
Using half the peanut butter mixture, fill the bottom of the crust.
Pour the pudding on top of the peanut butter.
Put the remaining the peanut butter on top of the chocolate.
Top with whipped cream.

I don't put another layer of peanut butter on top of the whipped cream because then the peanut butter flavor is overwhelming, but if you really like peanut butter, you can add more on top of the whipped cream for garnish.

I hope you all enjoy this recipe; I know I sure did. I'll make every attempt to add more summer-friendly recipes in the coming weeks for you to enjoy. Until next time..

Keep Smilin' :)

Cajun Classics at Prejean's Restaurant

This past January, I had the pleasure of going to Louisiana, where I met some of the nicest people and had some of the most amazing food I've ever had. My first Cajun cuisine experience was at Prejean's Restaurant in Lafayette. This place hits you with Cajun vibes as soon as you walk in the door- the host stand has an alligator on it! Whether it's a real alligator or a sculpture, I'm unaware; I didn't get a chance to ask. The walls of the dining area are painted to look like a swamp, and the local bands playing live music really puts you in the mood for some Cajun eats.

Appetizers here are to die for. From fried green tomatoes to oysters Rockefeller, you're guaranteed a taste of authentic southern deliciousness. For those of you with adventurous taste buds, I recommend the Tout Que’ Chos, or Little Bit of Everything. Complete with fried frog legs, crawfish tails, mushrooms, shrimp, alligator- yes, I said alligator- and crawfish Boudin balls, this dish gives you a little bit of what Cajun food is all about- that is, if they can catch it, they will fry it and eat it.

Sidebar: alligator isn't nearly as bad as it sounds. It's got the consistency of chicken and has a mild fishy taste. Try it. What's the worst that can happen?

Entrées at Prejean's continue the Cajun seafood flavor with everything from Yellow Fin Tuna Rockefeller to Blackened Catfish Etouffee to your basic Shrimp Fettuccine. When selecting a side dish for your seafood feast, try the fried mac n' cheese. A slight flavor clash sure, but how could one resist fried mac n' cheese? There's also hush puppies, potato salad, sweet potato fries, and side salads for those who think mixing mac n' cheese with seafood is a huge no-no.

The dessert list only has a few options, and since they only make a limited amount of desserts per day, the one you may have your heart set on might be sold out. So here's a few suggestions for you, in the hopes that one of them is available.

My personal favorite dessert is the Banana Nut Bread with Praline sauce. The soft bread soaks up the flavor of the sauce, and the flavor combination is to die for. This dish also comes with a side of vanilla ice cream. The White Chocolate Bread Pudding is also quite mouth-watering. There are also a variety of cheesecakes, including Bananas Foster and Turtle. Whichever dessert you choose, your sweet tooth-or teeth- won't be disappointed.

Sidebar 2: For the best selection of desserts, as well as the catch of the day entrée option, come early. The restaurant closes at 9 p.m. during the week and 10 p.m. on the weekends.

Next time you're in the Low Country, pass through Lafayette and stop at Prejean's for an authentic Cajun meal. This eatery has it all- amazing food, stellar service, a charming and authentic ambiance, all to the tune of local bands playing live for your listening pleasure all at a price that won't break the bank. Until next time..

Keep Smilin' :)

Frosting Do's and Do Not's

So here's the other end of this blog spectrum: cupcakes. I make my own cakes and cupcakes and run a business via Facebook: facebook.com/CupcakesBySuzie I love this job. I get to do what I love, and get paid for it all while making people happy in the process. And every day is a learning experience. I've made plenty of mistakes while cooking and baking- we all have. The key is learning from my mistakes. And now I'm here to help keep you from making some of my mistakes. And this blog's topic for mistakes is frosting.

Never try to frost a hot, or even warm cake. The frosting will melt or separate and won't taste very good anymore. If you're in a rush to get a cake done, put it in the fridge to cool it faster. Make sure the cake is cooled completely, then frost the cake.

When making buttercream from scratch, don't use shortening or margarine. Always use butter. Even if your recipe calls for shortening, substitute butter for the shortening. It'll taste better, it'll be healthier, and there won't the shortening greasiness in your frosting.

When making whipped cream- either on it's own or part of a whipped cream frosting- always use sugerfine sugar. There won't be any graininess that granulated sugar would leave, and the whipped cream wouldn't be overly think the way powdered sugar would make it.

If you're going to use frosting from a can, always stir it well before putting it on a cake. This incorporates air and makes the frosting fluffy. It also reduces the from-the-can texture most store-bought frostings have.

When using fondant as a cover-all frosting for a cake, make sure you apply a layer of either store-bought of home made buttercream first. If you don't, the fondant won't stick to the cake. And the even layer of frosting removes any unevenness of the cake, making the fondant layer nice and even.

I hope these tips will help your next cake come out awesome. If any of your have any other tips you'd like to share with me, feel free to. I'm all for free advice and a mistake not made. Until next time..

Keep Smilin' :)