Pittsburgh Post-Gazette from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania • Page 54

PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE THURSDAY, MAY 1 4, 1 998 Cook's Corner as a matfl TRIADS serving platter. rTettuciVii i FOOD NIBBLES oot Bank Farm seeking shareholders pepper sauteea Pivie T5l I 89 laws- Igeason I constantly. ajSmi Set aside" fjli yiixts. sauce. as a and repeating at 1:45 p.m.

on Channel 13's 'QED Cooks Marathon. On the menu are homemade macaroni, Cookie Pops, Sunshine Breakfast, Fishbowl Jell-0 and Angels on Clouds. Vegetarian potluck The Pittsburgh Vegetarian Society will hold a potluck dinner at 4 p.m. Sunday at Soergel Greenhouses and Orchards, Wexford. Local organic farmer Troy Bogden will discuss "Everything you ever wanted to know about organic farming: the pros and cons." Non-vegetarians are welcome.

Cost is $5 with a homemade vegetarian dish and $7 without. Call 412-734-5554. Cookie think tank Some scientists get paid to sit in their laboratories and think about cookies. And they're not even hungry. Actually, they think about flour.

For years, food chemists have tinkered with natural grain components to figure out what makes one cookie round and flat, while another remains stubbornly plump. This is a big issue if you're baking, say, 200 million pounds of Oreos a year in 300-foot ovens. Earlier this month scientists were shown photos of cookies at a meeting of the American Chemical Society, and that prompted Nabisco food scientist Harry Levine to remark, "This may be the first time that pictures of cookies have been shown in a polymer science meeting." By Nancy Anderson Hhe Food Bank Farm at Carberry Hill, West Deer, is looking tor shareholders interested in putting organic fruits, vegetables Upcoming classes Spring showers bring forth the early produce Don't let spring showers keep you inside. Grab an umbrella and visit the local farmers' markets. For now, most markets are selling: bedding plants, hanging baskets, rhubarb, green onions, asparagus, spinach, lettuce, baked goods, cider, jams and jellies, and cheese.

You may want to make a note of this: The Highland Park farmers' and herbs on the table. For $275 (for a family of two) or $375 (for a family of four) shareholders receive weekly parcels of herbicide- and pesticide-free foods over a 20-week season. Produce is picked fresh daily. For details, call the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank at 412-672-4949. is for Kids Chris Fennimore's son, Joseph, 4, and Nancy Polinsky's children, Michael, 9, and Eric, 6, will join their parents for Is for Kids in the Kitchen" at 10 a.m.

Saturday Saturday Cocktail Buffet Dinner Party, Penny Lawrence, Crate, Scott, 11 a.m., $40. 412-341-5700. Eat Green, Nature's Kitchen, home economics room, Somerset High School, 1 p.m., $35. 814-629-5169. Sunday Lu Cucina PoveraThe Humble Kitchen, Bill Cammarata, Crate, Scott, 1 p.m., $35.

412-341-5700. Monday Introduction to Wines, Alex Sebastian, Sweetwav: ter Center for the Arts, Sewickley, 7 p.m., $15 plus $27 materials. 412-741-4405. market will oe neid on Mondays only. The markets: Ambridge Farmers' Market, Park Road and Route 65; 4 to 7 p.m.

Beaver Farmers' Market, Courthouse parking lot, Third Street, 1 0 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays. Carrick Farmers' Market, behind Carrick Shopping Center, 2100 Brownsville Road, 4 to 8 p.m., Wednesday. City-County Building, 400 Grant Downtown, 1 1 a.m.

to 1 p.m. Fridays. Farmers' Cooperative Market of East Liber FARMERS MARKET Tuesday Primo Pasta, Kitchen Wizard, Squirrel Hill, 7 p.m., $30. 412-422-2665. Great Beginnings, Rania's To Go, Mt.

Lebanon, 7 p.m. Wednesday Exceptional RestaurantCasbah, Crate, Scott, 7:30 p.m., $75. COOKING CLASSES Sweet And Sour Pork The secret to wok cooking is to achieve a crunchy texture while making sure the food is cooked through. Make sure your wok or skiitet is very hot before adding the ingredients. The oil should be smoking.

Then add the ingredients and let them sit, without tossing, for a minute. This allows the pan to regain its heat after adding the cold food. cup rice wine vinegar tablespoon sugar 2 tablespoons low-salt soy sauce teaspoon plus cup cornstarch pound pork tenderloin cut into 1 -inch cubes 2 teaspoons sesame oil 1 medium green pepper cut into 1 -inch cubes 1 cup fresh pineapple cubes 1 medium tomato, cut into eighths Mix vinegar, sugar, soy sauce and teaspoon of the cornstarch together and set aside. Place 'A cup cornstarch in a bowl, add pork cubes and toss to coat. Heat oil in a wok or nonstick skillet Add pork and stir-fry 3 minutes.

Add green pepper and toss for 2 minutes. Add pineapple, tomato and sauce and stir-fry 2 minutes. Serve over rice. Makes 2 servings, 498 calories per serving. Linda Gassenheimer is the author of the award-winning book "Dinner in Minutes Memorable Meals for Busy Cooks." ty, 344 N.

Sheridan Ave. (behind former Sears building), 5 a.m. to noon Saturdays. Open year-round. Highland Park, Pittsburgh Zoo parking lot, 4 to 8 p.m.

Monday. Monroeville Lions Club Farmers' Market, Gateway High School, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Beginning this Saturday. Mt.

Lebanon Farmers' Market, Washington Road and Shady Drive East, 4 p.m. to dusk, Wednesdays. Original Farmers' Night Market, Route 50, South Fayette, 5:30 to 9 p.m. Just Fridays for the month of May. Monday, Wednesday.

North Side, West Park, adjacent to Allegheny Center Mall, 4 to 8 p.m. Fridays. South Side, South 18th and Sidney streets, 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays. If you know of a farmers' market opening, please let us know.

Send the dates, times of operation and the neighborhood, plus a daytime phone number for verification, to Arlene Burnett, Post-Gazette Food Department, 34 Blvd. of the Allies, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. Custards and Cheese- cakes, The Versatile Gourmet, Butler, 6:30 p.m., $30. 724-586-5023. Vegetarian Cooking of India: From the North arid South, Kiren Randhawa, Pitt's Informal Program, 6:30 p.m., two Wednesdays, May 20 and 27, $28 materials.

412-648-2560. Thursday Special Occasion Dinner, Penny Lawrence, The Versatile Gourmet, Butler, 6:30 p.m., $35. 724-586-5023. A Thousand Bottles of Beer on the Wall, Joe Rania's To Go, Mt. Lebanon, 7 p.m.

$35. 412-531-2222. Rhoda's Deli of Squirrel Hill, Scott's Samurai both under new ownership By Woodene Merriman Post-Gazette Dining Critic The venerable Rhoda's Restaurant and Deli in Penn Brewery, North Side, has a new culinary team of Robert Supic, executive chef, and David Brinker, sous chef. Brinker was former sous chef at Soba Lounge and Kaya. The two will introduce a new menu in June, with new sandwiches, lighter sauces -and Chicken Cordon Brew, the top prize winner, in the-brewery's cooking with beer contest.

DINING OUT been to New York City to check out kosher-style delis, and plan additional trips to well-known delis in Ohio and Michigan. By fall, they plan a grand reopening and perhaps a re-naming of the deli at 2201 Murray Ave. the acquisition of the teppanyaki-style Japanese restaurant by Benihana Inc. The menu has been changed, but "at the same time we have retained some of the favorite Samurai items," said Joel Schwartz, Benihana president. Samurai started in Pittsburgh in 1971.

No change in management is planned, Schwartz said. Mike Kuramo-to continues as manager, Al Manekul as assistant manager and Ron Dunn as chief chef. Squirrel Hill is getting a new owner. Brian Bennett, who grew up a mile away from Rhoda's, is buying the business, along with Paul Krause, chef at the Balcony in Shadyside for the past 8'A years, and investor Mark Riley. Bennett, who has worked at the Steelhead Grill, Downtown, and with Big Burrito says the new owners don't plan any immediate changes.

But they've Samurai restaurant in Scott has a new owner, too, and a new name. It's called Benihana now, following 2121-2123 PENN AVENUE, PITTSBURGH, PA 15222 "Family Owned Business For Over 39 YEARS. Big Burrito Inc. is looking for a spot for another Mad Mex restaurant, "most likely outside of Pittsburgh," says Tom Baron, president. The company has two Mad Mex restaurants here, one on McKnight Road and one in Oakland, plus Say-brook Fish House in Ross; Casbah and Soba Lounge in Shadyside; and Kaya in The Strip.

Saybrook Fish House in Shadyside closed about a month ago, and the company has no plans to put another restaurant in that spot, Baron said. Reidel, the Austrian company that has designed glassware for just about every beverage except Coca-Cola, has introduced a crystal glass made expressly for tasting wine. Not a thing of beauty, it is meant for practical, professional use. It has a clunky, hollow stem and room for exactly 20 millimeters of wine (Va-ounce), enough for two mouthfuls. So it's not bridal registry material.

But the bowl is fairly wide, allowing for swirling, aerating and sniffing. It can even be rested horizontally on a tabletop without spilling, to enable a taster to evaluate a wine's color against a white background. The glasss are sold at wine shops and will be featured in some -wine accessories catalogues. A single glass is box of six, $119.40. POULTRY MEATS INC.

"IN THE STRIP DISTRICT" FAMILY FREEZER PLANS ft I 10 LB. BOX BABY SPARE RIBS 5 LBS GROUND BEEF (extra lean) 4 LB. BOX 88 01 NEW YORK STRIP STEAKS 6 PACK PERSONAL PIZZAS ipep or deluxe 10 LB. BAG CHICKEN WINGS LB bLILtU bALUN T. '1 PORK LOIN (makes about 5(1 rHnpsi 4 LB.

BOX OZ. "NEW YORK" STRIP STEAKS 5 LB. BAG GROUND BEEF iextra ieani 6 LB. BOX 244 01 ALL BEEF PATTIES 10 IB. BAG CHICKEN WINGS 1 0 LB.

BOX BABY SPARE RIBS (4 to 6 slabs) 3 LB. PKG. KIELBASSA (made a smoked on sight) Vi PORK LOIN CUT TO ORDER APWOX 20CHOPSI 3 LB. BAG BUTTERFLY WHITING FISH (I q.fi 5 LB. BAG FRENCH FRIES (grade fancy) 4 LB.

BOX BREADED FISH PORTIONS 2V4 LB. BAG CHICKEN NUGGETS 1 BOX HASH BROWNS 120 per box) 5 LB. BAG FROZEN GREEN BEANS 5 LB. BAG FROZEN CORN 3 LB. BAG (our own) KIELBASSA LB.

BAG CHICKEN NUGGETS 5 LB. BAG grade -A- fancy) FRENCH FRIES 3 LB. BOX TINY LINK PORK SAUSAGE 6 PACK PERSONAL PIZZAS ipepperoni or deluxe) Monagement Reserves The Right To Change Prices Without Noti In response to a reader's questions about restaurants that serve early bird dinners, some suggestions: Del's Bar and Restaurant in Bloomfield boasts the longest early bird menus in town. That's from 2 to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 2 to 5 p.m.

Friday and Saturday, when Del's serves full-course meals for under $7.95. (That's a first course, main course, salad and dessert. Coffee or tea is extra.) K.C.'s Restaurant in Squirrel Hill has EB dinners from 4:30 to 5:45 p.m., Monday through Saturday. The early eaters pay $8.95 to $12.95 for entrees, a saving of up to $4. Red Bull Inn in Robinson has an early bird "prime time" supper for two.

That's two dinners, featuring prime rib or lobster pots, for a total of $18.95 until 6 p.m. daily. Eleanor J. Kennedy of Cranberry writes: "Does Pittsburgh have any restaurants or deli that makes good corned beef on Jewish rye sandwiches?" Seems a 92-year-old friend who moved to Pittsburgh from New York City has been trying to find such a sandwich. Any suggestions? If he likes Reubens, he could try the Richest Reuben, a Pittsburgh tradition from 1938 to 1995, now' served at Kenny B's Eatery on Sixth Street.

It's a grilled triple decker piled high with corned beef, sauerkraut and Swiss cheese. Send your suggestion for a good corned beef wich to the address below. Brestensky's Natural Brestensky's Hickory-Smoked TURKEY KOLBASSI TURKEY WIENER 9400 Fa fre Fresh Boneless Turkey BREAST STEAKS Turkey Breast CUBE STEAKS 3.79 3 25 Less Salt 94 Fat Free Lb, Lb. Send news for Dining Out to Woodene Merriman) Dining Critic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 34 Blvd. of the Allies, Pittsburgh 15222.

Items for publication on Thursday must be received by the preceding Monday. Tomorrow in Weekend, she will review Karadanie's Ristorante in Hopewell. MOVING UP: Mark Chambers, former dining room manager for Cafe Allegro, is the new assistant restaurant manager at the Westin William Penn, Downtown, supervising the Terrace, Tap Room and Palm Court Brestensks Turkey HOT SAUSAGE LINKS Brestensky's TURKEY SANDWICH SPREAD $3.29 Lb. TP Every Bloomin' Thing In Our 9 Greenhouses PERENNIALS, FLATS, HERBS, Brestensky's KAELIN Brestensky's Turkey CHIPPED HAM 25 Less Salt 0 94 Fat Free Wey Lb. JHANblNU "1 RAClCTC From our UnjlL 1 STOCK ANDT CONTAINER-' TURKEY BREAST CUBES For Stir Fry, Stews or Kabobs GROUND TURKEY THIGH or More $2.39 Lb.

GROUND TURKEY BREAST TURKEY JERKY 10.98. i2 Lb. Brestensky's TURKEY LOOSE SAUSAGE Brestensky's Turkey Little Smokies SAUSAGE STICKS CO Ea. lunch or ice cream on our covered deck or at Brestensky's Hickory-SmoKed TURKEY BOLOGNA Fully Cooked (724) 935-6780 HOURS: 9-8 Weekdays bistro table inside. y-O Iat.

Sun. 25 less Salt A 94 Fat Free 1 9 Lb. DIRECTIONS: In Franklin Park On Brandt School Intersection..