On Saturday, I was invited to attend the inaugural dinner of the Old City Supper Club - a new venture founded by my favorite chef in Philadelphia (who also happens to be my cousin), Matt.

In love with this magnetic knife rack on Amazon for $16.99!

Matt hosted a group of what I consider the best taste-testers this city has to offer - myself included - while showcasing his skills in culinary art. We had so much fun learning about what inspired him to create each dish, from reflections on his Pennsylvania roots to echoes of French cuisine. I felt like I was living the movie Ratatouille. More specifically, I felt like I was in the scene where the food critic has one bite of the "chef's" meal and is immediately transported back to his favorite childhood memories.

Of course, we did not have just one bite. It was a six-course meal after all...

I never knew there were so many different types of radishes, including my new favorite - the watermelon radish!

A delicious combination of creamy goat's milk cheese complemented the earthy flavors of golden beets. Third course: Beef marrow bone, scallop, parsley salad, baguette

Anyone who knows me knows how much I admire the potato. Its versatility makes it the ideal vegetable and it did not disappoint here.

Only Chef Matt could make this an excellent pearing (pun intended).

It was so much fun to gather around the table and break bread with people who have as much love for food as I do.

On a side note - I am so proud of you cuz!!! Cannot wait for more "home-cooked" meals :)


If you're interested in learning more about the Old City Supper Club be sure to follow them on Instagram @oldcitysupperclub.

And if you're not in Philly, maybe this will inspire you to start your own supper club!

*This post contains affiliate links

Happy first weekend of the new year! Everyone is trying new things thanks to 2019, whether it's hitting up the gym, changing your eating habits, or saving for that next vacation. For me, it's been transitioning from eating out to cooking my own meals. Being home with family for the holidays reminded me of how much I love home-cooked meals, including homemade pasta.

Inspired by Chef Thomas McNaughton, the owner of Flour + Water restaurant in San Francisco and author of Flour + Water: Pasta recipe book, my family and I decided to host our own Italian cooking class. We made beautiful trofie pasta using our hands, some patience, and a little extra love.


Despite the extra time spent, we enjoyed each other's company, critiquing each other's technique, and discussing what sauce and wine would go best. I loved that we knew exactly what was going into our dish, everything was hand-rolled, and we didn't need a pasta maker!

Hand-rolled Trofie Pasta

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups 0/0 Flour (we ended up using All Purpose and it came out just as well)
• 1 Teaspoon Sea Salt
• 3/4 to 1 Cup Water

     Optional:

• Grated Parmesan cheese
• Pesto sauce

Directions:

1. Place flour and salt in a bowl and add 3/4 cup water. Use a fork to mix together. Pour in the remaining water as needed to create the dough.
2. Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it with your hands, adding additional flour as needed until it becomes smooth with minimal stickiness.
3. Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to help it relax and make it more malleable to work with for creating the trofie.
4. Once 30 minutes is up, break off about 1/4 of the dough keeping the rest still in plastic. On a lightly floured surface roll the dough with your hands into a cylinder about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch in diameter.
5. Cut the cylinder into 1/4 of an inch to form small "pillows." Sprinkle the pillows with flour.
6. To create the spiral shape of trofie, take a lightly floured pillow, rub it briskly between the palms of your hands to form another, smaller cylinder with tapered ends. Place this on a lightly floured board and twist around a skewer (see pictures above). Once finished, carefully remove, ensuring it retains its shape and place on wax paper. Make sure none of the trofie are touching.
7. Use the trofie within a two-hour window or refrigerate until ready for cooking.
8. To cook, boil a large pot of salted water and drop in the trofie. Let them boil for a few minutes until "al dente." Set aside a small cup of the boiled water and drain the trofie. Add your preferred sauce and toppings then dilute with the pasta water as needed. Serve warm and feel free to add some grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

We opted for a pesto sauce and it came out delizioso! For the full recipe, see below and for more, check out the cookbook Flour + Water: Pasta on Amazon.



Have you ever made homemade pasta? How did it go? What are your favorite recipe books?

Here are some of my favorites:

When I was in medical school, I learned how every time you recalled a memory, it was never exactly the same as the first time. This is because as you age, your brain's connections alter the way in which a moment is remembered. It's like a story constantly being edited each time it is retold. The editor is a reflection of who you are at the time of recollection. Recognizing that each memory I had would forever be altered in the future made me appreciate living in the moment that much more.


With a new year approaching, everyone is always talking about creating a "new you." I understand wanting to reset your goals and intentions. However, instead of focusing on re-creating yourself or looking forward, I'd love for you to stop and take a second to be in the present, look at who you are and where you are right now. Reflect on how you got to this point.

As Maya Angelou stated: "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." This isn't just an observation - there is a biological reason for why this is true given the overlap between emotions and memory as organized in your brain (more specifically the limbic system).


I want you to appreciate those around you that have helped you get to where you are right now. How did they make you feel and how did you make others feel? Write it down in a journal or maybe even your own blog post because these memories will change but how the experiences have changed you and those around you will not.

For me, 2018 was 365 days of connections. From new people, to new places and opportunities, this year has forged a series of events that have made me value time spent with friends and family. My goals for this coming year are to build on these connections, live authentically, and focus on the present, not to live in the future or get caught up in the past.

As we wave farewell to 2018, keep in mind that we are also saying goodbye to these versions of our memories and in a way these versions of ourselves. Thus, you don't need to create a "new you" for 2019 when you are already a newer and truer version of yourself than you were moments ago.

This past week my friends and I had the opportunity to attend an exclusive fashion event at the mens fashion store Damari Savile near Washington Square hosted by Philadelphia Eagles players Malcolm Jenkins and Rodney McLeod.



These Super Bowl Champions know how to work it both on and off the field, each trailblazing their way through the fashion industry with their own clothing brand companies.



From Rodney McLeod's international collection known as Back of House USA to Malcolm Jenkin's custom-made men's suits (co-owned with Jay Amin) known as Damari Savile, their high-quality fabrics and designs will leave you wanting more.

Loved meeting Malcolm Jenkins and learning about his designs

Speaking of clothes, I got to paint the town red in my jaw-dropping Black Halo jumpsuit (compliments of Rent The Runway) complete with this gorgeous Represent jacket (see below). That jacket is the last one left so act fast and get yours at bohusa.com!

Great to see Rodney McLeod again!

In addition to clothes, we also visited Michele Plachter's interior design firm one floor above, where the ambiance was the envy of any and every homeowner in the city.



There were so many pieces to see, fun activities to do, and delicious hors d'euorvers to try, it was hard to keep track of where to go next.


On the first floor, we made beautiful bracelets by Moira Anne Artisan, with beads of all varieties. Custom jewelry truly is the perfect holiday gift this year!



Later, we ate to our heart's content as we watched the talented fashion illustration artist Denise Fike draw the attendees. She demonstrated how to pose and flawlessly produced a runway-worthy sketch that each of us got to keep.



"This one's going above the mantle," - my friend Lawrence exclaimed upon receiving his.



One of the highlights of the night was that every guest donated a toy for the Malcolm Jenkins Foundation, helping those in need and proving the spirit of teamwork and family exists both on and off the field. Find out how you can help donate by clicking HERE.