Stylish twists on Philly's favorite snack.Marilynn Marter
Philadelphia Inquirer Food Writer
6 Oktower 2005
Pretzel rods swathed in prosciutto and melon.
A chocolate hazelnut torte with a crumbled pretzel crust. Soft pretzels with curried beef baked inside.
And a variation on the classic Roman speidino - an egg-battered and fried pretzel sandwich with prosciutto and cheese.
That's just a sampling of the creations Philly chefs have planned for this month's celebration of our town's favorite snack food - the pretzel.
Led by the Independence Visitor Center, Philadelphia is ramping up for its first serious celebration of National Pretzel Month, one of those typically ignored calendar notations.
This year, a slew of activities - all free to the public - are planned at the center:
Architectural students will build pretzel replicas of famous buildings from Oct. 7 to 9, for display at the center Oct. 9 to 31.
Area bakeries will vie for the "Best Soft Pretzel" title Oct. 14, putting their twists before judges and the public, with free tastings, from noon to 1 p.m.
And on Oct. 22, the public can sample the chefs' pretzel recipes, free, from noon to 1 p.m.
On Oct. 29, during Halloween weekend, visitors at the center will get to dress up pretzels with chocolate and other goodies.
Although pretzels, even soft ones, have a strong following nationwide, our region still takes the lead, downing at least four pounds per person annually, twice the national average.
While most people here still prefer their pretzels plain, flavors have gained ground, thanks largely to Auntie Anne.
Based in Gap, Pa., the successful bake shop spread its passion for soft pretzels to mainstream malls nationwide through the '90s, introducing shoppers to flavors such as Sour Cream and Onion and "Glazin' Raisin."
From Oct. 21 to 23, local chefs will take their odes to the pretzel to another level, including:
Roasted organic chicken with pretzel-apple-fig dressing, foie gras and port wine sauce at Smith & Wollensky, Rittenhouse Square (also, soft pretzel sticks all month).
Fried speidino pretzel sandwiches, TiraMisu, 528 S. Fifth St.
A three-course pretzel menu of prosciutto- and melon-wrapped pretzels, pretzel-crusted roast lamb and chocolate-hazelnut torte with pretzel crust at Monk's Tavern, 264 S. 16th St.
Macaroni and cheese casserole with an easily emulated pretzel-crumb crust at Jolly's, 135 S. 17th St. and 39 S. 19th St.
(To make: Crumble hard pretzels in a shallow baking tray, sprinkle with olive oil and Italian herb seasoning; bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove, sprinkle with more oil and herbs; bake 15 minutes more. Use to top casseroles.)
Pretzel pizzas at Mama Palma's, 2229 Spruce St.
And a tried-and-true cafe recipe that City Tavern chef-proprietor Walter Staib used to serve in his native Black Forest region of Germany - freshly made soft pretzels stuffed with curried beef.
The Philadelphia soft pretzel has strong German roots, coming as it did from Pennsylvania's early German settlers. They brought with them a long tradition of pretzel-making that continues in Pennsylvania today.
