Category Archives: Uncategorized
Podcast Going Weekly!
Hey Everyone! It has been foreverrrrrr.
DidjaEat? is now just on Instagram at Didja_Eat. Lots of photos and small writeups! Check it out!
Also, I changed podcast hosts and we are going WEEKLY starting Tuesday, September, 2nd!
It is still available on all podcast platforms and you can check out the new page for all things DidjaEat? podcast at https://anchor.fm/didjaeat!
See ya there!
Get Your DidjaEat? Gear
Hey Everyone!,
I’ve been wanting to do this for awhile, but financial circumstances have pushed it to the forefront.
I lost my job recently and I need a little help with the hosting costs and making ends meet.
So, I set up a Teespring store!
Shirts, Mugs & totes, Oh My!
Snowpocalypse Food!
We got what measures to be a butt-ton amount of snow here in the northeast, so I put out a call for people to post their snowed in food creations on the various social networks with the hashtag #DidjaEatJonas. Check out some of the posts!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BA7HUZMq38pW21Ry5GFCy0Ei3qMHoyvSSXaXYw0/?tagged=didjaeatjonas
https://www.instagram.com/p/BA6E1_bPCCoUag1DftR3xVxQRcTuvloSpXZebE0/?tagged=didjaeatjonas
https://www.instagram.com/p/BA5qtZQq335QqT3Rlo-QY7Gc3TnY2_279IWl_E0/?tagged=didjaeatjonas
https://www.instagram.com/p/BA5ni8xwAME5lannJL5tRvC02ZTqtsdH5CiW7Q0/?tagged=didjaeatjonas
https://www.instagram.com/p/BA5ct_bq32apuBqybKy_tsNhO6HV4mijWD4IkM0/?tagged=didjaeatjonas
Flight Market Goodness!
Back in April I went to Flight Market (a precursor to the Food Trust’s Night Market, where there are about 60 food trucks bringing you happiness) with my friend Michael (and his son Efrem) to see what we could eat. We had Waffle Fries with sausage gravy and popcorn chicken, a pork loin sandwich that Michael still dreams about, donuts with cereal on them, brown butter brawler ice cream from Little baby’s Ice Cream and my all time favorite from Foolish Waffles: whipped cream and blueberry compote on a warm fresh homemade waffle!!!!
Check it out!
New Podcast Episode!
Hey Everyone!,
The newest episode of the DidjaEat? Podcast is live! Subscribe at iTunes, Stitcher or download or stream it at http://didjaeat.libsyn.com
Also, check us out on Instagram at @didja_eat
The DidjaEat? Podcast!
Hey everyone! It’s been in the planning stages for months but FINALLY we have gotten off our fat asses and put together a podcast for the masses! Yes! We did it for YOU!
Please let us know what you think. And in all seriousness, thanks for all the support over the last few years.
Happy 3rd Anniversary!
Three years ago today I registered with WordPress to start this blog! Three years ago I was visiting with my cousins down the Jersey Shore, and they were excited to find this ridiculous pizza they had heard about with cheese fries on them. I was intrigued and then Jeanie said she saw a deep fried PB&J and I was really into it! I mean, who wouldn’t be? We found it, we ate it and boy…it as pretty great! (As was the cheesefries pizza!)
As we were eating, someone said that I should write about it on the internet, like in a food blog. So when I came home, I did just that.
Three years later I still am! I’ve written about all sorts of stuff from coast to coast, visited festivals and taken friends on my crazy ride for food! Thanks to all the people who have put up with me sticking a camera in thier plate, accompanied me to something or other that was ridiculous, and for everyone who reads this silliness and comments or just tells a friend. This has been a lot of fun!
So what’s next? How far can one go with a food blog? Well, starting next month, keep an eye out for the DidjaEat? podcast. Each episode will be with someone I find interesting and we will talk about thier story and wrap food around it like a comfy blanket. I also have some fun guest eaters lined up, and we started an Instagram account too, check us out at @didja_eat. I am excited about all of it, and I hope you are too!
Thanks so much for reading, posting, sharing and enjoying this with me! I never thought anyone would care, and boy, was I wrong.
Stick around for the ride!,
Nicole
Get Didja Eat on TV!
Hey Everyone,
I have some awesome summer stuff coming up for you guys!
However, I was wondering if I could ask a favor from everyone:
Please send Marc Summers (of Double Dare fame) a tweet to please meet with me to talk about a show! Here is the facebook post:
Hey Everyone! If you are on twitter, could you please send Marc Summers (yes, from Double Dare, he is also a huge producer of Food Network Programs and is based here in Philly) a tweet saying @didja_eat should have a show? His twittername is @Ibatvmc. Thanks! Let’s see how many tweets we can send him!
If everyone could take a second and do that, I would totally appreciate it! If you are not on twitter, please just pass it along?
Thanks!
And bring on SUMMER!!!
-Nicole
Atlantic City Beer Fest & Giveaway!!
There aren’t many things in this world that I really love. Ok, maybe there are. But one of the things I really love in life is…BEER! I’m no beer snob tho, I like cheap beer, expensive beer, mass produced beer and little teeny craft beer. I love supporting local breweries and I find it all pretty fascinating. So, when I got a chance to go to the Atlantic City Beer Fest, I was pretty excited!
The AC Beer Fest is held at the Atlantic City Convention Center, which is pretty nice, for a convention center. The parking was sweet too. When you entered the room, you got to see a great welcome (click any picture to embiggen!):
Welcome To The Atlantic City Beer Fest!
Click the picture for the bigger view. I was super early so I hung out and watched the guys carve this out of a giant pile of sand. It was impressive!
When you go to one of these beer fests, they don’t give you a big solo cup for you to go nuts with, you’d be puking in a half hour. They give you a small glass, so that you’ll be puking in 3 hours instead. Behold!
The Tiny Glass
Don’t let it fool you, it packs a wallop.
I Love You Magic Hat
Next up I ran into the Magic Hat mobile! The guys working the booth were so cool and they offered me some of their new summer beer: Elder Betty; a berry flavored beer. It was delicious and I can’t wait to buy some! I’m a big fan of their Circus Boy as well.
Pyramid Brewers
Next to the Magic Hat booth was Pyramid Brewing. They are based in Northern California and have tons of different kinds of beers, both seasonal and year round. The guys manning the booth were great and their beer was some of the best stuff I have had in a long time. They are currently working on getting into my area, so here’s to hoping!
Dogfish Head!
Some of my favorite beers come from a brewery in Delaware called Dogfish Head Brewery! The 60 minute, the 90 minute and the Punkin’ Ale are 3 of my all time favorites. I measure all Pumpkin Ales against their Punkin’. Sam and the gang really put out some quality stuff. I’m such a huge fan!
One brewer that I didn’t get a picture of but thought they had, hands down, the best beer around, was Anderson Valley Brewing. I had some of their Winter Solstice Seasonal Ale, and it blew me away. Kinda chocolately, and kinda fantastic. I can’t wait for winter again to get my hands on it (if they can get out here to PA).
Here are some pics of a few other brewers that set up shop!
Sierra Nevada
B. Nektar Meadery
Yes! They not only sell Mead, but it’s fantastic. I had a raspberry one that was out of this world. They are based out of Detroit. Go figure.
Blue Point Rastafar Rye
The Woodchuck Cider Peeps!
Flying Dog Peeps
And of course there were beer related wares such as:
Beer In A Carton? Sure!!
This beer in a carton thing is genius! Does it come with a straw?
Awesome Growlers
The growlers were really beautiful. Click the picture to see how lovely the glass really looks.
Whenever you go to any kind of convention, there are always oddball things to see. This place was no different. For instance…
The Sierra Nevada Bottle and the Guinness Pint!
There is the Sierra Nevada Bottle and the dancing Guinness pint. The Guinness pint might have been more of a bust-a-move type of guy but the Sierra Nevada Bottle was just more fun.
Did I just review guys in mascot suits? Yep.
Moving on…
The WZXL Lady and me
I was stuffing my face to try and soak up some of the beer in my stomach (review coming super soon!) when I was approached by the WZXL Girl. Can you guess which one is me? I bet you can’t…
Also, if you look closely, you’ll see a bunch of pretzels around my (or the ZXL girl?) neck. Yelp was there offering you a chance to put pretzels on strings for a necklace after giving them your email address. I do love pretzels…
Awesome Picture
I had to post this.
It pretty much speaks for itself.
Enjoy.
Lucy The Elephant Volunteers!
Lucy the Elephant lives in Margate, NJ. She is a giant building in the shape of an elephant. She is also 3 years older then the Statue Of Liberty and the oldest example of Zoomorphic Architecture. She is also a really cool thing that you never, ever get to see anywhere else. In order to keep Lucy up and operating, they are always looking to raise some money. Feel free to donate, visit or buy some merch to help the cause! It’s the original and outstanding work like this that makes America the Land of Originality!
The (Not) Dapper Dans
I have no idea who these guys were, but they were very friendly and reminded me of the Dapper Dans from Disneyland.
Maybe it was the beer talking but I wanted to give them a hug!
Great T-Shirt
And of course, this shirt, which almost made me shoot beer out of my nose.
And now the moment you have all been waiting for!
The Giveaway!!
I got a ton of cool stuff from the brewers & Tony Boloney’s (review coming soon!!) as well as the awesome guys at Cisco Brewing!
This GIANT GIVEAWAY features:
Cisco Brewing Cotton Tote Bag
Tony Boloney’s XL Tshirt
Anderson Valley Brewing Company License Plate
Pyramid Brewers Bottle Openers & stickers
Beerfest, WZXL & Flying Dog Lanyards
Blue Moon Embroidered Patches
Sierra Nevada carabiners & pens
Chimay pin & bottle opener
As well as stickers & beers mats from:
Yards Brewing
Stone Brewing
Flying Dog Brewing
Tuckahoe Brewing
Arrogant Bastard (Stone Brewing)
Rogue brewing
Carton Brewing
Fshirt.com
Fukit
Blanche de Bruxelles
Angry Orchard (temp tattoos!)
Woodchuck Cider
Blue Point Brewing
How do I enter this awesome giveaway? Just leave a comment below before April 14th for a chance to be picked at random!
Feel free to click on the picture to really see all the great swag you can win!
Enter today!
Goblaki To The Rescue!
Everybody has a few things in their lives that have always loved. For me, just like baseball, Star Wars and Brad Pitt, I have always loved Goblacki. (say it with me: “gow-ump-gee”). What is it? It’s meat and rice rolled in cabbage and stewed in a tomato gravy. It’s more of a winter food, but I can eat it alllll year long. Serve it up with some potatoes (either in the gravy or mashed), some green beans or peas and rye bread & butter and I am good to go.
My Babci has made them, my Mom has made them and my Cioci Marion has made them. I’ve had others over the years but none that I like as much as my Babci’s, Mom’s & Aunt’s (a notable exception is Syrenka, a Polish cafeteria style joint in Port Richmond here in Philly. Their Goblaki is pretty darn good.). I had never made them and I was wondering how that might be done. So, I roped my Mom into making them with me last Sunday, because if I can make Pierogies, I should be able to handle Goblaki, right? Let’s find out!
Removing cabbage leaves
Ok, so the first thing you need to do is to get a head or two of cabbage. Try and find a decent head, because the more you have to peel off, the less Goblaki you will end up with. You have to cut out the core (note: Take your time! I almost lost many a finger. Cabbage is a pain in the ass.) and try to get the leaves off in one piece. After trying to snap them off and mutilating some of them, my Mom put the whole head in a pot of boiling water. Then the leaves came right off with a pair of tongs! It give them right up! You’d of thought it was French cabbage (yes, a stale WW2 joke.).
Pop them into a colander and move along to mixing your ground meat and cooked rice (you did cook some rice right? Of course you did!) with some salt and pepper to taste. We used around 4 pounds of ground meat. Now we need to wrap our little friends up!
Ready for the pot!
It’s pretty simple. Just take the cabbage in your hand. Put some meat filling in there. Roll that bad boy up. Tuck in the ends. Done! Between me and my Mom, we had 16 done in a snap! I was pretty proud of myself since it was my first time, and I didn’t rip too many leaves. The leaves, since they were boiled, are kind of like damp tissues, so you do have to be kind of careful with them. Luckily, unlike damp tissues, they are not really disgusting. In fact, they are kind of cute…and delicious!
You might think they look odd because they seem translucent, but don’t sweat it, the slow cooking and gravy will take care of it.
Our little friends ready to go!
Now get out your big stock pot (you brought out your big stock pot right?), and line the bottom with cabbage leaves. Why? Well, you don’t have to, but I would then suggest investing in SOS Pads and bulking up your arm because the bottom of your pot will be unbelievably burned. Oh, and the bottom layer of your Goblaki will stick, rip and be ruined. So, you know, the choice is yours.
Don’t they look happy and ready to go? Yeah, I thought so too!
Mix up some tomato soup, some gravy mix and some water and pour it in. Then, let it simmer for about 4 hours.
Our little friends in sauce with some potatoes!
Some people make theirs in lasagna type pans and put them in the oven with butter. Some people use the really dark green leaves, but they get kind of bitter. My Grandmom apparently used to cover them with sauerkraut to keep them moist in the oven. I find that odd, but people like what they like. I prefer the tomato soup gravy and that’s that 🙂
Before the Goblaki are done, feel free to peel and toss a few potatoes in there to cook in the juice.
Stewed Cabbage
So what do you do with all that leftover cabbage? Throwing it away seems wasteful but it’s cabbage, not exactly something that is very, shall we say, versatile. Think about Stewed Cabbage! Chop up the rest of the cabbage, some canned tomoatoes, some onion and toss it in a pot. throw in some water and boil. Later on, make a roux (butter and flour) to thicken it and there ya go! The longer it cooks, the better it is (low heat! stir from the bottom!) It is awesome by itself, or with Kielbasie or hotdogs or as a side dish to almost anything. Cabbage is really good for you, so go for it!
My only suggestion is this: crack a window, because all this cabbage might make you self propelled!
The Finished Product
no flour that’ll be hanging around until the end of time. Just a little bit of Murder, She Wrote on TVLand, some loafing on the sofa and then some serious eating. If you want to try it, also remember that they freeze really well, so it might be nice to put some away for those nights where all you wanna do is eat and veg on the sofa. Goblaki is serious comfort food, so go get comfy with it!
DidjaEat? 