about
about me.
i'm kelly.
26 year old stressbaker.
about-to-graduate grad school.
new england transplant.
eating through philly & the burbs.
baking my way into the hearts of friends.
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Tuesday, September 21, 2010 @ 8:21 PM
beef. it's what's for dinner [ala Minella's]
When it comes to food, I'm an incredibly indulgent person. I'm not a fan of mindless eating. I don't like eating just for the sake of eating. Mind you, I used to be, but that was 30 lbs. ago. Now, I eat with intention. I eat what I want when I want (mostly). I have food cravings like a pregnant woman (though maybe not as strange. I've never craved pickles and ice cream, but I may have more bizarre hankerings some day in the distant future when I find myself about to procreate [God help us]). When I have a certain food on the brain, I have to have it or it'll stay at the forefront of my thoughts until it meets my tastebuds.
Lately, I've been craving a cheeseburger. Actually, scratch that. I've been craving a cheeseburger since halfway through my Ireland trip. When your sustenance is solely composed of sandwiches, it's not uncommon to crave something heartier than a few slabs of deli meat and cheese. I wanted a burger crisp on the outside, slightly pink in the middle, covered by a slice of cheddar and sitting on a soft kaiser roll that would catch any calorie-laden juices that made their way out of my burger.
So, after a rousing Philly Union Game--my first pro sports game ever, can you believe it?--I headed over to Minella's Diner to put an end to my burger-craving madness.
And wouldn't you believe it? Minella's delivered.
Salty bacon, crisp iceburg lettuce, sweet tomato, red onion, yellow cheddar cheese, smokey BBQ sauce, soft kaiser roll.
Even my friend's gyro looked good (and I'm usually not into eyeing up other peoples' food when I'm stuck on something).
(Just look at that feta cucumber tomato salad... oh boy)
You may have noticed that my cheeseburger looked a bit lonely on that plate with nothing but cole slaw to keep him company. French fries and burgers were meant to be together. I'd consider it a sin to keep them apart... unless of course I had good reason.
Meet dessert.
I've walked by the amazing dessert counter at Minella's on more occasions than I can remember, always stopping to wistfully sigh at their ganached mini cakes and flaky ethnic pastries. Yet somehow, in my countless visits, I've never ordered anything from the case. I think maybe I was too tempted by giant omelettes and fluffy pancakes slathered in syrup (I'm a big fan of late-night breakfast). My inaugural dessert? Raspberry cheesecake.
I have to say, it was not what I expected. I wasn't a fan of the bottom chocolate cake in the least. I'm a visual person and if something doesn't look appealing, chances are, it will have to assault my tastebuds with delicious to win me over. This cheesecake was not up for a fight, I guess. The cheesecake was (as you can probably tell) plain and so I felt a little mislead. The raspberry element was heavy on sweetness and lacking a little in the raspberry flavor department. I wasn't wowed, but I'd probably eat it mindlessly if my boyfriend just broke up with me and I was eating my feelings.
As for the chocolate peanut butter number... well, that's another story. The dark chocolate ganache had that sexy sheen that clings to every crevice of cake, leaving no crumb exposed. The peanut butter was super rich and, combined with the dark, dense cake, it was quite the mouthful. Had I not eaten half my cheeseburger a few minutes before, I would have gone to town on the cake and celebrated my efforts with a cold glass of skim milk and a stomachache.
Labels: bacon, cake, cheeseburgers, chocolate, dessert, diner food, gyro, peanut butter