Amada

Amada
Forks: 9
Price: $$$

217 Chestnut St
Philadelphia, PA

Okay so it's the first restaurant review of the semester, and this is a restaurant that is oh-so-worthy. Famed chef José Garces is serving up authentic Spanish tapas and killer cocktails in his swanky restaurant, Amada, located in Philly's Old City. When my parents dropped me and my brother off at college *yes we go to school together how CYUTE,* they let me pick where we were going to dinner *shock*. Well, after much debate over which restaurant I wanted them to experience, I chose Amada and we were joined by Kels and her mom for one hell of a meal. I mean one HELL. I was in charge of ordering for the table and because I have some big fear of not having enough food/order anxiety, well I ordered a lot. I mean a lot a lot. Oops. Before you read any further, I'm warning you, this is a long one. Our meal started with complimentary house made tuna fish and these crispy flatbread crackers. I despise tuna fish, literally despise, but for some magical reason I love this one. Honestly, major props because thats a big deal. It's salty, boasts large chunks of tuna, and has a natural flavor, not like those overly mayo-y ones in the slightest. Basically, it's bomb and it makes me question my hatred.

We ordered the mixed charcuterie plate that came with a variety of cured meats, some soft sourdough slices, sides of pickles, caperberries, and spicy mustard. Ranging from sweet to tinglingly spicy, the meats were light and buttery and somehow managed to be tender and offer a chewy bite at the same time.  Get this.

 pickles please

One of my favorites is the Ensalada de Jamón, a salad of mixed greens, figs, cabrales, and spiced almonds thats wrapped in thin sheets of serrano ham. It's the perfect salad, harmoniously pairing salty and sweet with the ideal balance of textures. The figs and the almonds together are the equivalent of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, aka golden status.
Next came the Garlic Shrimp. A miniature clay pot was placed in front of us and held sizzling snapping white shrimp. Accompanied with olive oil brushed crostini that happily soaked up that garlicky goodness, the shrimp were succulent and totally addictive. Smelling like garlic is the price 2 pay, but I'm telling you, you want to pay this price.

The lamb meatballs with shaved manchego and peas was literally out of another planet. Being the carnivore that he is, JJ was insistent on ordering these and I am glad that I gave in because they were unreal. The meatballs were juicy and had a full texture. They lovingly shared the stage with a luscious  cream sauce and fresh peas that added a lighter note to the dish that made it sing.

The short rib flatbread with parmesan, horse radish, and bacon was the spanish tapas equivalent to my dream pizza. Meat + more meat + cheese + spice? Okay sign me up for 12.

Okay this seafood dish was just cool. Calimari linguine and vermicelli, clams, scallops and a sweet onion cream made for a lovely and light dish. These calimari noodles were unlike anything I've ever tried, having a surprisingly light and delicate texture.

To add some "health" to our meal, we tried a bunch of vegetable dishes. MUST get the parmesan artichokes, the grilled green onions, and the chickpeas and spinach. My personal favorite? The grilled asparagus topped with a poached egg, a cheese crisp, and truffles. Throw an egg on top of anything and I'm good. Add some truffle and I'm amazing.

Speaking of eggs and truffles, lets talk about the chicken breast. Prepared with these two magical ingredients as well as some adoringly soft fingerling potatoes, it's sick. SICK.

Once again my carnivore baby brother had to get some more meat and wouldn't let go of the idea of lamb chops. They were absolutely beautiful; superbly cooked and plated exquisitely, these chops were stunningly delicious and rich.

Ya that is a lot of food. Then we forgot that we made the group decision at the start of the meal to order the massive lobster paella...What do you do when you're really full and then something so staggeringly magnificent as this dish shows up in front of you? Well you somehow find room and eat more and finish it. Duh. The black rice is a welcome addition, they certainly don't skimp on the seafood, and the sauced crostini are beyond. All I can say is, wear loose pants and b hungree.

I love Amada. I LOVE it. I love tapas because I love being able to taste so many different flavors and bites. It makes for a sociable meal and is the perfect forum to discuss not only the incredible food, but the wonderful day you are now having because of this food. Amada executes each dish in a artful manner; every bite is impressively thought out. If you want me to like you offer to take me to dinner here. You'll automatically get a check plus in my book. Kelsey's book too.

tappas territory

xoxo

hungreegirl.

Chicken Cacciatore

I know I already have a recipe posted for this, but I like this one better. It's spicier, offers more of a flavor kick, and is just downright divine. Chicken Cacciatore, also known as "Hunter's Chicken" is a hearty, soul-warming Italian dish that has a comfort level of 1,000. Eating a plate of this atop spaghetti is the more delicious equivalent of you eating Cup-O-Noodles on the couch wrapped in a blanket. It's a rich tomato based sauce flecked with vegetables and chicken that is super flavorful. You'll want to drink the sauce part as soup, and if you can learn some self control and resist doing this, sopping the sauce up with a good piece of sourdough bread is THE move. I made this as the last meal for my family before I went off to school. It was my sayanora hungree meal and according to them, it killed it.

Chicken Cacciatore

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped finely
red pepper flakes
1 vidalia onion, chopped in rough chunks
1 red pepper, chopped in rough chunks
3 portabello mushroom caps, chopped in rough chunks
2 large carrots, sliced into thin rounds
1 cup dry white wine
balsamic vinegar
1 12 oz. can puréed tomatoes
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup kalmata olives, pitted
salt
pepper

pasta for serving

Recipe: Clean your chicken. In a large skillet with raised sides, heat some olive oil, enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Once hot, hard the chicken breast. Cook each side on high for about 4 minutes, until lightly brown and seared but not cooked through. Set the chicken aside on a plate. Add the garlic and as much red pepper as you'd like to the oil. Cook for 2 minutes, until the garlic is light brown. First add the onions, let them get a nice sear and they will start to become tender. Next add the red peppers, cook for 2 minutes. Then add the mushrooms and carrots and cook until all is slightly tender, about 4 more minutes. Add the white wine and deglaze the pan. Once the alcohol is added, all of the brown bits will come off the bottom and you want all that flavor. Let wine reduce by half, about 3 minutes. Add a dash of balsamic, the puréed tomatoes, chicken broth, and olives and simmer on high for about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut your not fully cooked chicken into large chunks. After the 15 minutes of simmering, add the chicken into the pot, cover, and cook for 25 minutes on medium high.
Serve over pasta with parmesan cheese.

 check dat OUT

try and cacciatore me

xoxo

hungreegirl.

Apple Crisp

It's an accepted fact that school lunches are gross. Ya they try, but they usually fail. Like hot dogs that bounce on the floor, gross fish sticks, and luke warm lumpy mashed potatoes? SIGN ME UP! jk, don't. This was the case with my middle school, except for one dessert that they somehow made incredible. When we saw that the "apple crisp" was on the menu for lunch, we went into a frenzy. Tender apples got a nice caramel coat of baked brown sugar and butter and then got topped with a crumble crispy topping thats totally 2D4. It's simple, so easy, and when eaten with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream, is a gift from the Gods above. Well, this is a homage to one of the only good things about middle school. SO make it, bake it, and relive those days of braces, livestrongs, and instant messenger while snacking on something that eases the pain of those oh-so-fun days.

Apple Crisp

Ingredients
5 apples, sliced into half moons
3 tbs butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

crumble topping
1 cup flour
3/4 brown sugar
1 1/2 cup oatmeal
2 tbs maple syrup
1 stick butter, cold

Recipe: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted, add the brown sugar and let sit without stirring for about 2 minutes. Add the cinnamon and apples and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Pour the mixture into a greased casserole dish.

Meanwhile, combine all the ingredients for the topping. Combine using an electric mixer or your hands to cut the butter into the dry ingredients. Crumble the topping on top of the apples. Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown and apples are bubbling.

 so CRissspAY

 middle schools okay. this is amazing.

middle school madness

xoxo

hungreegirl.

German Apple Pancake (Apple Baby)

Have you ever been to one of those famed "Pancake Houses?" Oh because I have. Whenever I visited my grandparents in Chicago the best part of the trip was always going to the Walker Brother's Pancake House (after see my gram and gramps of course). I mean, I was utterly and completely obsessed. Starting at the ripe age of 5, every time I would go I would order the same thing. " I'll have an Apple Baby with extra extra extra powdered sugar please." Ugh, how cute was I? Well, my taste has changed very little and while I haven't been back to the spot in a while, that pancake has always stuck with me. I have enough memories of that pancake that I can literally picture it sitting in front of me. You know it was coming before it arrived at the table, it's comforting cinnamony smell made for a dramatic advanced entrance. It came served in a black cast iron skillet, spilling over the sides with thick fluffiness, and topped with the requested mountain of powdered sugar. Edges tasted of caramelized sugar, while the center was stocked with tender cinnamon spotted apples that melted in your mouth. It was a sick sick joke, and my 5 year old self would, in true hungree girl fashion, polish off the whole thing every time. Well, these apples brought back that memory and I had to have a go and recreating it. And to be honest, I got pretty close. THIS is what apples are made for.

Ingredients
3 tbs butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 apples, sliced thinly
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup flour
1 tsp cinnamon

maple syrup
powdered sugar

Recipe: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Melt the butter in a skillet on medium heat. Once almost fully melted, add the brown sugar. Lower heat, stir once, mixing the brown sugar in, and do not touch for about 2 minutes. The mixture should start bubbling and come together like a caramel. Add the apples and toss them in the caramel so they are well coated. Cover the pan and cook until the apples are tender, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk the eggs in a medium bowl. Add the milk and vanilla, and gradually whisk in the flour and cinnamon.
Once the apples are tender, pour the contents of the pan into a bowl or side plate. Wipe down the same pan and spray with cooking spray or coat with oil. You want to give the pan a really nice non-stick coating because the caramel gets sticky and doesn't like to come off! Once you've done this, put the apple mixture back in the pan and reheat for about 1 minute. Pour the pancake batter directly on top of the apples. Let sit on medium heat for about 2 minutes, then put the pan directly into the oven. Cook the  pancake for 15 minutes on 425, then turn the oven down to 375 and cook for an a dditional 5 minutes.
Garnish with maple syrup and powdered sugar.

 are you salivating? because i am

 like seriously there is drool on my keyboard

 this is Christmas for breakfast

 okay fine so it's kind of dessert for breakfast...but we like that

More Apples Please, Baby

xoxo

hungreegirl.