Philadelphia RowHome Magazine

Dining in Food. Family. Traditions.

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JAN FEB MARCH 2013 vol 18_issue 28_2013 gohomephilly.com $4.99 US

$5.99 CAN

Food. Family. Traditions.

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VOLUME _18 ISSUE 28_ 2013 gohomephilly.com

Insidethis issue

JAN | FEB | MARCH 2013

14_ NEWS & POLITICS The Digital Consumer Mobile Internet Users Take Market by Storm

18_ON THE WATERFRONT Sugar House Rocks The Waterfront

by Dan Stevenson

20_ SALUTE TO SERVICE RowHome remembers Deuce

22_ BUSINESS Black Tie. Red Carpet. Blue Sapphires. It’s the Business Networking Event of the year!

Catch a glimpse of RowHome Magazine’s 2012 Affair to Remember & Blue Sapphire Awards Gala held at Vie! photos by Phil Kramer & John McMullen

32_ THE MENU City Tavern. A triumph of tradition.

World-renowned Chef Walter Staib talks 18th Century American cuisine PLUS: A toast to Food. Family.

Traditions! See what’s cooking in your favorite restaurants & on your own stove! RowHome shares family recipes from readers, advertisers and local celebs!

by Maria Merlino

52_ HEALTH Men have feelings too!

Hormones: What you need to know

by Dr. Richard Dittrich

58_ FILM South Philly writer pens Hitchcock’s Psycho

by Larry Gallone

60_ BRIDES GUIDE As long as there are brides, there will be traditions!

By Joseph Volpe, Cescaphe Event Group photos by McMasters Photography

Give Green Cocktails A Shot!

By Kerri-Lee Mayland photo by Kelli Dease Photography

78_ FASHION Sexy in the City: Prom 2013 Steals Center Stage. RowHome checks in with Designer Dina Bar-el

by Alicia DeLeo & Phyllis Palermo photo by Phil Kramer

58 film

84_ ROWHOME REMEMBERS Wildwood Memories

by Susan Fulginiti Schmidt

90_ THE SCHOOLYARD The Neumann-Southern Game: A football tradition

by Maria Merlino

business

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GREENSPACE

76_ GREENSPACE

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the menu

78 FASHION

VOLUME _18 ISSUE 28_ 2013 gohomephilly.com

regulars 6_FROM THE PUBLISHERS

70_TIPS FROM THE PROS

10_MAILBOX

76_GREENSPACE

Celebrate the New Year with New Friends photo by Phil Kramer RowHome DELIVERS!

12_NEIGHBORHOOD NOIR 16_HANGIN’ OUT

10,000 fans attend the 100th Anniversary Bash & Concert for Wildwood

56_FILM

Just Because the Party’s Over

by Nicole Giles, Greater Philadelphia Film Office

JAN | FEB | MARCH 2013

How Much More Tax Will You Pay or Save?

by David Spitzberg, CPA Give Organic Cocktails a shot!

by Kerri-Lee Mayland photo by Kelli Dease Photography

82_ON THE CORNER with Mark Casasanto

Essential Personnel

96_PRESSED

Picture This

by Dorette Rota Jackson

60

brides guide

96

60_BRIDES GUIDE

pressed

Food. Family. Tradition.

by Joseph Volpe, Cescaphe Event Group

on the cover Where we love is home.

Home that our feet may leave but not our hearts.

Oliver Wendell Holmes

Food. Family. Traditions.

These are the ties that bind. And nothing keeps us closer to home than sharing a family recipe.

Across the miles. Or around the block. PRH welcomes 2013 with comfort foods to keep you warm! Enjoy our Dining In edition, filled with favorite foods passed down through generations of RowHome Grown families. Taste a memory.

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tips from the pros

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fromthe publishers VOLUME _18 ISSUE 28 2013 gohomephilly.com

Celebrate the New Year with New Friends! e Volp ent eph he Ev s o J p sca Ce p u o r G

Support the businesses that do so much for our community.

If you read it in RowHome, it’s not an advertisement, it’s a DESTINATION! From Philadelphia to the Jersey Shore, there’s no place like ROWHOME for everything you want & need.

So “Go Home Philly! Stop & Shop at our Local Spots!

We wish you PEACE OF MIND, JOY OF HEART, HEALTH, WEALTH & PROSPERITY in 2013

Dorette & Dawn

photo by Phil Kramer

VOLUME_18 ISSUE 28_JAN | FEB | MARCH 2013 GOHOMEPHILLY.COM President | Publisher Dorette Rota Jackson

Vice President | Publisher Dawn Rhoades

Editor Dorette Rota Jackson

Vice President Marketing & Promotions Dawn Rhoades

There are two certainties in life.

Only one comes with options.

Creative Director | production Omar Rubio

Contributors Jennifer Barkowitz Mark Casasanto David Cava Sara Canuso Pat Ciarrocchi Alicia DeLeo Clark DeLeon Frank DePasquale Jr., Esq Dr. Richard Dittrich Liz Emory Larry Gallone Brett Jackson Larry Kane

Anthony McBride Maria Merlino Dr. James Moylan Daniel Olivieri, III Phyllis Palermo Sharon Pinkenson Michael Rhoades Leo Rossi Jade Rota Tony Santini David Spitzberg, CPA Bob Wagner

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Lauren Gordon

Green space Editor Kerri-Lee Mayland

THE BRIDES GUIDE Joseph Volpe

Marketing Communications Coordinator Carol Vassallo

Photographers Phil Kramer John McMullen

Account Manager

David M. Spitzberg 1505 South Broad Street Philadelphia, Pa. 19147 P: 215.952.8800 F: 215.952.0800 www.CPAforBusiness.com www.CPAforSolar.com info@CPAforBusiness.com 8

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gohomephilly.com

Theresa Palestino

NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Mike Rhoades

Published by:

Philadelphia RowHome Inc. P.O. Box 54786 Philadelphia, PA 19148 Phone – 215.462.9777 | Fax – 215.462.9770 www.gohomephilly.com | www.phillyrowhome.wordpress.com

Philadelphia RowHome (PRH) Magazine and its contents are copyrighted.

Content printed in the magazine may not be reproduced or reprinted, in whole or in part, by any other party without the expressed written consent of Philadelphia RowHome Magazine. 2013 Philadelphia RowHome Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the USA. Published by Philadelphia RowHome Inc.

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Dorette & Dawn: Thank you for inspiring women in business. I have a new music guide out and started my own business. You have motivated so many people like me. I think you girls need your own show!

Maria Santory bassbuilderguide.com Dorette & Dawn, “Mille grazie” on the invitation to your wonderful Blue Sapphire Awards Dinner. It has a true starstudded line-up! I will be in India on a “life journey” and therefore unable to attend. I regret not being there on so many levels. It is one of the best events in Philadelphia - to honor a great publication as well as outstanding members of the community. You two are quite a force! Thank you for keeping me in the fold! Look forward to next year’s event!

Judge Annette Rizzo Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Dear RowHome Magazine: This is the best magazine ever.

Love your work and articles about what life really is like in Philadelphia.

D. DiDomenico Dear RowHome Magazine: A facebook friend posted this and I want to share it with your readers. It really hit home for me. ‘If you know someone who has lost a child, and you’re afraid to mention them because you think you might make them sad by reminding them that they died--you’re not reminding them. They didn’t forget they died. What you’re reminding them of is that you remembered that they lived, and that, is a great gift.’

L. Rocco

Dear RowHome Magazine: I am so amazingly blessed with all the great opportunities God is throwing my way this year.

On November 8th, I received THE WISHROCK AWARD from RowHome Magazine & Standing Ovation. This is a huge honor and I am soooo thankful!!! Thank you to everyone involved with this, especially my biggest supporters, ROWHOME MAGAZINE! You have been there from the beginning, helping me out and supporting me. I can not thank you enough! Also, congrats to my friends Chickie Pagano & Brandon Tomasello, who also received the WishRock Award.

Felicia Punzo Dear Carol (& the RowHome Staff): I just wanted to tell you how great I think you are for delivering my magazines directly to me when I told you I didn’t receive them the last few times. Talk about South Philly being great! You just renewed my faith in South Philadelphia.

Jean Dear RowHome Magazine: My mother is driving our mailman crazy. As soon as she knows it’s time for her RowHome delivery, she meets him at the door!

Sometimes, for days and days!

She thinks someone will steal it out of the mailbox if she doesn’t get to it right away! I thought you could use a laugh. She tells all the neighbors how great your magazine is but don’t ever try to borrow her copy!

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rowhome magazine | 13

PRHNEWS

&

POLITICS

A The Digital

Consumer Mobile Internet Users take market by storm 14

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gohomephilly.com

new consumer study conducted by The Media Audit reveals that mobile internet usage has soared 32% in a single year, with more than 60 million U.S. consumers across 80 measured markets accessing the Internet via a Smartphone or mobile device. According to the study, conducted among more than 104,000 respondents, 40.7% of U.S. consumers now access the Internet via a mobile device in a typical week -- up from 31.6% a year ago.

The study cites a number of findings that give insight as to why mobile marketing has the potential to shape future marketing campaigns and drive new business.

Young and Affluent. With mobile internet having a 40% penetration with all U.S. consumers, the number is significantly higher with younger (18-34) and more affluent consumers. Among those who are described as “Young with Money”, 78.1% are mobile internet users with a household income above $100,000. Slightly more than half have no children living at home, suggesting the likelihood that many of these young and affluent consumers have more disposable income to spend on big ticket items like cars, travel & entertainment.

Upscale. Along the lines of young and affluent, this audience is also more likely to pay for higher priced items like automobiles. According to the same study, those consumers who access the Internet via a mobile device are 32% more likely to earn more than $75,000 in annual household income, and 60% more likely

than the general population to earn more than $150,000 in household income. One in ten participants said they plan on purchasing an automobile priced over $30,000 within the next 12 months, a figure that is 49% higher when compared to the general population.

Influential. If the appeal of mobile marketing is the one-to-one, personalized communications, advertisers will also find it appealing that mobile internet users are more likely to influence others and engage in social media. There is potential for reaching consumers who are considered opinion leaders and who can influence others to try different products or services.

According to the study, mobile internet users are 24% more likely to have a college degree, 51% more likely to be influential in business banking decisions and 67% more likely to be sought out for financial advice by friends, family or co-workers. In addition, mobile internet users are 43% more likely to use Facebook and 84% more likely to use Twitter. prh

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VOLUME _18 ISSUE 28_ 2013 gohomephilly.com

jan|FEB|MARCH 2013

1_ Bobby Rydell & Charlie Gracie 2_ A l & Eleanor Dezzi with former D.A. Lynne Abraham enjoy lunch on Election Day at Famous Deli. PHOTO by Maria Merlino 3_ T om Pitts & Marine CW04 Bruce Broadus congratulate Philadelphia Police Officer Gary Harkin who was presented the Daddy Wags Memorial Award at the 237th Marine Corps Birthday Party. PHOTO by Maria Merlino 4_ F irefighter Michael Adams & Councilman James Kenney at a fundraiser for firefighters injured in the line of duty. PHOTO by Maria Merlino 5_ D ean Regalbuto & Jordan D’Alonzo at Linvilla Orchards. Photo by Gabriella D’Alonzo 6_ A ttorney Jackie Frazier-Lyde, daughter of boxing legend Joe Frazier, with Local 98 Business Agent Brian Stevenson. PHOTO by Maria Merlino

1

HANGIN’OUT

7_ L isa and Dr Oz take time to thank Yousef Kassis and Mark Casasanto of Imperial Security after a visit to the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

8_ T he Chila Family at the Stella Maris Italian Festival!

(Front row) Marie & Louis Chila. (Back row) Matthew Chila with sons Vincent & Anthony and wife Denise, Mark Chila, Carolyn Duca, Mina & Carmen Callozzo. PHOTO by Maria Merlino 9_ C ouncilman Kenyatta Johnson celebrates his 39th birthday at the African American Museum with wife Dawn Chavous. PHOTO by Maria Merlino 10_ Gia Arnone (9 days old) was one of the youngest to attend the Vendemmia Festival.

Her Godfather Tom Rumbaugh said, “It was her first Vendemmia and she’s slept throughout the day.” PHOTO by Maria Merlino

2

11_ Donna Diorio and the Eagles Brent Celek at RowHome’s Black Tie Event at Vie 12_ John Lazer, the newest member of the Lazer family, with his mom Lindsey. His dad, Rich Lazer, is Special Projects Coordinator for Councilman Jim Kenney. PHOTO Maria Merlino

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13_ More than 10,000 fans attended the 100th Anniversary Bash & Concert for Wildwood NJ where South Philly rock legends - Charlie Gracie & Chubby Checker - were the headliners!

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PRHOn the Waterfront

SugarHouse Rocks the Waterfront “Best of Philly” 2010/2012 Dr. Cohen and Staff are dedicated to addressing all of your orthodontic needs. We are committed to staying current with the latest technology and advances in orthodontics. Everyone in our office understands that each patient presents with different needs and expectations and we do our best to address them in a professional and compassionate manner. Since the beauty of your smile is a direct reflection on the doctor, in our office the doctor himself performs all of the “wire bending” and cementing of appliances.

We feel strongly that this delivers the highest quality of orthodontic care possible. You will appreciate our level of commitment to achieve the finest result possible.

Diplomate American Board of Orthodontics Voted one of the best Orthodontists

by Philadelphia Magazine 2010

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H

by Dan Stevenson SugarHouse Casino

ard to believe it’s already 2013! We had a great time at SugarHouse, again, this year with back-to-back celebrations on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day as the sponsors of the fireworks over the Delaware River and the Mummers Parade. It was definitely a good way to kick off the year ahead.

In the coming months, one of the things I’m most excited about is our new live entertainment lineup. We live in a big music town with lots of homegrown talent.

SugarHouse plans to rock the waterfront with some of Philly’s own bands and performers four nights a week at our Refinery restaurant and bar, where we recently installed a brand new stage and sound system for guests to enjoy.

As usual, the weekly entertainment starts with the one-andonly Jerry Blavat on Wednesday nights, who has been a popular part of SugarHouse’s music lineup almost since our beginning. After Jerry on Wednesdays, SugarHouse hosts different bar games and activities each week that range from dueling DJs, to quizzo, to karaoke.

Another SugarHouse regular, crooner Eddie Bruce, is around on Fridays starting at 6 p.m. Af-

ter Eddie’s performances, the dance floor really heats up for SugarHouse’s “Friday Night Dance Party,” which features some of the most popular bands in the area including groups like The Exceptions, Animal House and The Heartbeats.

Saturday’s music scene has a similar vibe that includes relaxing tunes earlier in the night with acoustic sets, followed by a more energized dance floor with the “Jersey Shore Invasion” until 1 a.m. SugarHouse is bringing everyone’s favorite shore entertainment like Don’t Call Me Francis, Shorty Long and the Jersey Horns and Funny Bones right here to Philly! It’s great to be able to catch all of my summer favorites throughout the year.

So, if you haven’t yet been to SugarHouse to check out our entertainment offerings, definitely come visit us in 2013. prh

Top Cop

Top Dog

The Philadelphia RowHome Magazine staff is saddened by the recent passing of Deuce - a decorated K9 & retired member of the Atlantic City Police Department. Our thoughts are with Deuce’s family - especially his longtime partner & friend - Retired Atlantic City Police Officer Bill Logan.

Eyes. Alive with the fire of a spirit we have yet to meet Wise with years suspended in time You have brought heaven closer as you walked the earth you guarded You are the air we breathe The wind that is Deuce

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2012

SALUTE TO SERVICE

<

>

>

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affair an

2012 To remember

Blue Sapphire AwardS

It’s a night to celebrate accomplishment.

Our own. Each other’s. It’s an Affair to Remember.

RowHome Magazine’s annual Black Tie Business Networking Event. A time to step out from behind your computers and your counters and enjoy the company of friends and strangers you have yet to meet. It takes a village, they say. And as you glance around the beautiful ballroom at Vie & see hundreds of faces, you feel the pride. You recognize the commitment.

The hard work and dedication that helps build a city.

These are the members of our local business community. Generations of people committed to sharing their talents and wares with a grateful public. The butchers. The bakers. The CPAs and PhDs. The drummers, the plumbers. The heirs and the entrepreneurs that are the backbone of our local economy.

There is strength in numbers, they say. We realize that strength as we consider the number of people it takes to produce our annual Black Tie Business Networking Event & 2012 Blue Sapphire Awards gala.

Philadelphia RowHome Magazine is grateful to the members of our Business Network and the community for making this seventh annual event “An Affair to Remember.” ✒

River to River. one Neighborhood. River to River. one Neighborhood. River to River. o

The

Philadelphia

RowHome

Business

Network

Joie de VIE! Black Tie. Red Carpet. photos by Phil Kramer John McMullen

Blue Sapphires!

River to River. one Neighborhood. River to River. one Neighborhood. River to River. o

Our 2012 Event Sponsors & Contributors ❙❙ Joseph Volpe & Cescaphe Event Group ❙❙ Dana Forgione ❙❙ Michael Erase ❙❙ The Philadelphia Eagles ❙❙ The Philadelphia 76ers ❙❙ NFL Films ❙❙ Pete Spina & City Rhythm Orchestra ❙❙ Brandywine Valley Talent ❙❙ My WishRock ❙❙ Diane Kirman & Standing Ovation ❙❙ Dupree Performing Arts Studio ❙❙ Synergetic Sound & Lighting ❙❙ Mark Casasanto ❙❙ Janine Vassallo ❙❙ Jessica Lista ❙❙ Pasquale & Anna Scioli ❙❙ Isgro Pasticceria ❙❙ D. Olivieri Jewelers ❙❙ The Cutting Point ❙❙ Dana Barone ❙❙ Nicole Castelli ❙❙ Rudi’s Formal Wear ❙❙ Phil Kramer Photography ❙❙ John McMullen Photography ❙❙ Uranium Films ❙❙ Barbara DiStefano Designs ❙❙ BMW, Main Line ❙❙ Peanut Chews ❙❙ Philadelphia Brewing Company & Rowhouse Red Beer ❙❙ Imperial Security ❙❙ Baldi Funeral Home ❙❙ Bella Angel Bridal Hair & Makeup ❙❙ Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society (PAWS)

affair

P h i l a d e l p h i a R o w H o m e P R ESEN T S

an

To remember

2012 Black Tie Business Networking Gala

sponsored by Cescaphe Event Group

Our 2012 RowHome Magazine Business Network Sponsors ❙❙ D. Olivieri Jewelers ❙❙ The Cutting Point ❙❙ Rudi’s Formal Wear ❙❙ Isgro Pasticceria ❙❙ SugarHouse Casino ❙❙ IBEW Local 98 ❙❙ Tony Luke’s ❙❙ Philadelphia Archery & Gun ❙❙ Spectrum Realty ❙❙ A&P Kitchens ❙❙ Dr. Robert Fortino & Broad Street Weight Management ❙❙ Valley Green Bank ❙❙ DePasquale Law Offices ❙❙ David Spitzberg, CPA ❙❙ Philadelphia Federal Credit Union ❙❙ Phil Kramer Photography Our 2012 Blue Sapphire Award Recipients ❙❙ Pat Ciarrocchi, NBC 3 News Anchor, Media Award ❙❙ Doug Collins, Coach, Philadelphia 76ers, Harry Kalas Memorial Sports Award ❙❙ Sal Dupree, Singer, Entertainer, Vocal Coach, Entertainment Award ❙❙ James Kenney, Philadelphia City Councilman at Large, Service to Community Award Our 2012 WishRock Award Recipients ❙❙ Chickie Pagano ❙❙ Felicia Punzo ❙❙ Brandon Tomasello

River to River. One Neighborhood.

PRHBUSINESS

Get your car in gear for winter

by Bob Nigra BMW and MINI of the Main Line

I

n our fast-paced world, sometimes we neglect to focus on some important items to ensure trouble-free driving. As the temperature drops and the weather changes, so do your vehicle’s needs. It‚‘s crucial to follow some simple guidelines to help guide you through the stormy weather.

❱❱ How old are those blades?

If you can’t remember the last time you changed your Wiper Blades, there’s no time like the present! If your wiper blades are in good condition, it can make all the difference in the world. Take a close look to see if the rubber is torn or cracking. The addition of snow and ice can easily cause marginal blades to fail completely, leaving you in the dark. ❱❱ Check your lights.

Next, let‚‘s look at the lighting on the car. Now that you can see where you‚‘re going, can the other

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drivers see you? Doing a standard bulb check is quick and easy. In fact, some cars give you a standard bulb check right on your dash. If not, stop into your service facility for some quick assistance.

❱❱ Inspect your tires.

While you‚‘re there, ask them to inspect your tires. I can‚‘t stress how important this is! Most drivers see some tread on their tires and think they‚‘re ok. In fact, any tire that has a tread depth of less than 4/32 will begin to lose traction.

The stopping distance increases drastically below 4/32 as does the ability to channel rain, sleet

gohomephilly.com

and snow from the grip you have on the road. Passing a tractor trailer on the highway in inclement weather is an experience of a lifetime with poor tread on the tires.

Trust me, I‚‘ve been there!

❱❱ Don’t miss your service inspections.

Over the past 10 years, vehicle manufacturers have extended the service intervals for your vehicle.

Keeping up with your routine maintenance inspection will keep your vehicle running properly and help avoid costly repairs should your car need service. ❱❱ Keep your

eye on things.

Here is a list of things to keep an eye on to make sure you and your vehicle are ready to weather any storm:

1. Tire Pressure 2. Fluid levels including washer fluid, antifreeze, engine oil, brake fluid and power steering fluid

3. Battery life and

condition. (Most car batteries only last 4-5 years)

4. Belts and Hoses.

Look for cracking on the belts or bulges or soft spots in the hoses

225 Bala Avenue Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004

130 Montgomery Avenue Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004

PRHBUSINESS

Confidence Looks Good on Everyone

by Sara Canuso

Keeping a journal is a great way to process and clarify your feelings.

Forcing yourself to write every day also forces you to take time for daily reflection. Daily reflection can help you solidify what you know, what you have learned and what you still need to pay attention to.

❱❱ Show Gratitude

Practice gratitude. Be thankful for what you already have and put your attention on all the blessings you already possess. Keep a gratitude section in your journal. Every day, write down five things you are thankful for. This will help you feel richer and stronger in character and that translates into confidence.

A

❱❱ Use Affirmations

s I work with clients and businesses, the number one complaint I hear is “I wish I had more confidence.” I can tell you for sure that lack of confidence will keep a lot of doors leading to opportunities closed. With lack of confidence comes lack of courage, as well. Confidence looks good on everyone and is the perfect fit for those wanting to attract higher success, income and happiness.

Even people with high self-esteem and self-confidence can suffer from a confidence crash. Sometimes things happen that knock the confidence right out of us.

A confidence crisis can be caused by a normal life transition such as getting a new job, moving to a new city, starting a new business or a new relationship. Life’s losses can also cause confidence to sink – the loss of a relationship, the loss of a job, the loss of a big client or the loss of a dream we come to realize will never happen.

At times, our confidence is already shaky as a result of a transition or loss and a single incident like missing a deadline, getting a bad haircut or spilling coffee on a document can send us storming out of the “confidence café.”

❱❱ Keep a Journal

When you crash, it is usually because your daily diet of life has not included enough confidencecausing “foods.” Confidence is like Vitamin C. You need it in your diet. Your body can only store it for a short time before it needs some more. You have to take responsibility for planning your confidence meals and making sure you have large enough portions.

When you have a confidence crisis, don’t despair, don’t reach for the bottle of bourbon or the bonbons. Instead, start to use some of these confidence-boosting techniques. Begin with at least two then add a third and a fourth.

You will gain a lot more than confidence, You will learn to love, honor and appreciate yourself more and more.

Affirmations work. Write a list of statements that say what you want and how you want to be in life such as, “I get more confident every day,” “New clients come to me easily,” “I get more and more fit every day.”

State all affirmations in the present.

Some people stand in front of a mirror and say them. I also encourage you to record them and play the recording over and over. Read your affirmations at least once a day.

❱❱ Evaluate Your Relationships

Assess the relationships in your life.

Do they support you or sabotage you? All relationships change with time. Some get better, some get worse. If you have relationships in your life that are more of a burden than a joy, it may be time to sever your ties – or at least loosen the reins.

❱❱ Start New Relationships

Identify people who have the qualities you admire – people you feel you could learn from and who could learn from you, as well. Look for people

you can have fun with. Boosting your confidence can be really fun if you want it to be.

❱❱ Get into a Good Group

This may be the time for a traditional support group. Chatting over a cup of coffee with your pals might be a remedy. Organize your own group of confidence boosters and support each other in making changes.

❱❱ Change Your Behavior

What do you do that boosts your confidence and what do you do that brings it down? Exercising, getting enough sleep, speaking your mind and dressing well are behaviors that tend to boost confidence.

❱❱ Speak Up

When we withhold communication because we are afraid of how we will be received, we chip away another bit of our confidence. Share your thoughts, opinions and preferences. Speak up in all situations. The insignificant situations will be practice for the important occasions that are sure to follow.

❱❱ Take a Risk a Day

A risk is something you would do in an instant if you knew you would be successful. It is the fact that you do not know how it will turn out that makes it a risk. The best way to bolster your confidence is to start doing things you are afraid to do. Make a list of things that are risky for you and start to do them one by one.

I can say for sure that since I have confidence and courage and allow my faith to be my parachute, I have so many opportunities that I now take advantage of to reach a higher level. May today be the day that you have the confidence to follow your dreams and live the life that has been waiting behind those doors.

Sara Canuso, President of A Suitable Solution, advises business executives, lawyers, financial advisors and solopreneurs on how to make the most of the impact of image and body language in communicating with others personally and professionally. A powerful speaker, author and coach, Sara is known for her insightful keynote presentations and corporate training seminars (Pennsylvania and NJ Governors Conference for Women, American Bar Association Women’s Rainmaking Conference, Women in Technology, Philadelphia Business Journal, National Association of Women Business Owners). Her views have been sought by the Wall Street Journal, NBC, CBS & KYW News Radio. She is a featured columnist on the impact of image in corporate America in the Legal Intelligencer, WestLaw Journal, Philadelphia Business Journal, Philadelphia Maven and the Burlington County Straight Word.

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gohomephilly.com

The City Tavern Restaurant Est. 1773

a triumph of tradition

by Maria Merlino

I

t was the 1770s and Philadelphia had clearly established itself as the largest and most flourishing colonial city. The next step for the city was to reflect this wealth in the form of a special meeting place. There were already established taverns, such as the Tun Tavern that opened at Penn’s Landing a hundred years previously. It was a beef and brew house and the birthplace of the United States Marine Corps. There was also The London Coffee House, a corner property at Front & High (Market) Streets, with a loyal following of patrons for at least 20 years. It was the Starbucks of its day - offering coffee and rum to throngs of customers along with European reading materials. Cargo ship captains announced auctions and traded the most exotic goods along the docks of this favorite pub.

The City Tavern By the early 1770s, however, the London Coffee House could no longer cater to the increasing business demands of a growing city. But the movers and shakers at the time wanted a tavern that would be the focal point for business and entertaining. Fifty-three of the city’s most socially, financially and politically prominent individu-

als contributed 25 British pound sterling each toward the project.

It was the equivalent of 25 pounds of silver. By 1773, the merchant aristocracy built the Merchants Coffee House, later known as City Tavern. The City Tavern immediately enjoyed a large following, including George Washington, John Adams, Paul Revere, the First Continental Congress and

Thomas Jefferson, who dined there every night while composing the Declaration of Independence.

There was a Long Room for meetings and a stage for musical, poetic and dramatic productions. When the Federal government moved the Capitol to Washington D.C. in 1800, the tavern would enjoy another three decades of the finest of reputations. In 1834, a fired destroyed part of this historic gathering spot. Twenty years later, it was demolished.

Chef Walter Staib cooks up authentic 18th century recipes In celebration of The Bicentennial in 1976, the Independence National Historical Park constructed an accurate reproduction of the beloved City Tavern, which opened its colonial doors to the grateful masses.

Today, owner and Executive Chef

Walter Staib prepares a variety of entrees using authentic 18th century recipes adapted to 21st century foodies. The meals are served in seven Period Dining Rooms, three Wine Cellar Rooms and an Outdoor Garden. As an expert on 18th century American cuisine, Chef Staib has been a guest lecturer at numerous universities, learning institutions and museums, including Winterthur, George Washington’s Mount Vernon, The Free Library of Philadelphia and the Culinary Institute of America. His recipes and techniques are included in the exhibition “Hoecakes & Hospitality: Dining with the Washingtons” at Mount Vernon. He is the only modern chef to have cooked in the homes of the first five presidents. ✻ Visit the City Tavern at 138 S. 2nd Street in Old City.

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PRHthe menu

by Chef Walter Staib, The City Tavern

Madeira Onion Soup

Although the average cook in the 18th century would not have “wasted” good Madeira in food, America’s aristocrats, such as Thomas Jefferson, certainly would have enjoyed the indulgence. Onion soup was among the many French recipes Jefferson copied into his own hand when in Paris, featured as part of his “Observations on Soups.” This recipe employs “rainwater” Madeira, which came from the barrels of Madeira that were loaded onto the decks of trade ships. Rain water seeped into the barrels and mixed with the Madeira to create a lighter, drier flavor, which contrasts perfectly with the sweetness of the onion and richness of the cheese.

Serves 10 Ingredients: ➜ 2 quarts Chicken Stock ➜ 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter ➜ 4 pounds (about 16) yellow onions, thinly sliced ➜ 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour ➜ 1 loaf French bread, cut into 10 (1/4-inch) slices ➜ 1 cup Rainwater-style Madeira ➜ 4 cups grated Swiss cheese ➜ 2 large eggs ➜ Salt and freshly ground black pepper Directions:

The Stolfo Funeral Home Where everyone is treated like family Paul C. Stolfo, Director 2536 S. Broad Street Philadelphia, PA 19145 215.334.7376

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In a 3-quart stockpot, bring the stock to a boil over high heat. Remove from the heat and reserve. Heat half of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat, add the onions, and cook for about 15 minutes, until golden brown. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir until a paste forms. Slowly stir about 2 cups of the hot chicken stock into the onion mixture until the paste becomes a thin, smooth liquid. Transfer the onion mixture to the remaining stock in the stockpot.

Simmer for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Heat the remaining butter in a 12-inch skillet over low heat, add the bread slices, half at a time, and cook for 5 minutes on each side, until crisp. Pour 1/2 cup of the wine into a 3-quart ovenproof soup crock or casserole. Add the bread and sprinkle with half of the cheese. In a small bowl, beat the eggs and the remaining 1/2 cup wine until completely combined. Pour into the onion mixture, stirring constantly. Do not boil. Pour the onion mixture into the soup crock and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake for about 20 minutes, until golden brown. ✻ Chef’s Note If you prefer, you can substitute 1 quart dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc, for half of the quantity of Chicken Stock (making a mixture of 1 quart white wine and 1 quart stock) and applejack for the Madeira. Adjust the amount of applejack to suit your own taste.

photo by Mel Sharlene

Food Editor, Maria Merlino

By Maria Merlino

photo by Mack Male

Black Magic Cake

courtesy of Fat Joe’s

Cap’n Crunch French Toast Ingredients: ➜ 2 cups Cap’n Crunch cereal ➜ 3 eggs ➜ 3 tablespoons milk ➜ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ➜ 6 slices of high quality white sandwich bread, such as Pepperidge Farm ➜ 3 tablespoons butter Directions: Into a zip-lock bag, place cereal and crush with a rolling pin. Pour crushed cereal onto a plate. In a large bowl, beat eggs, milk and vanilla extract. Prepare griddle or large fry pan, by melting butter in it on low heat. Quickly dip both sides of bread into egg mixture: then evenly dredge each side with the crushed cereal. Place coated bread on griddle, turn up heat and fry about 2 minutes on each side until crispy and golden brown. ✻

Serve with maple syrup.

Ingredients: ➜ 2 cups flour ➜ 2 cups sugar ➜ 3/4 cup cocoa ➜ 2 tsp baking soda ➜ 1/2 tsp salt ➜ 2 eggs ➜ 1/2 cup light vegetable oil ➜ 1 cup milk ➜ 1teaspoon vanilla ➜ 1 cup hot, (not boiling) brewed coffee, black Directions: Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 round cake pans or a 13 x 9 inch pan. Stir dry ingredients in a large bowl until thoroughly combined. With an egg beater or electric mixer, slowly add the wet ingredients, adding the hot coffee last. Mix until all ingredients are well blended (batter will be thin). Pour into baking pan(s). Bake for 25 to 35 minutes.

Insert toothpick in center of cake. It should be clean. Cool in pan for at least 10 minutes before removing from pan. When completely cool, frost with peanut butter icing.

Peanut Butter Icing Ingredients: ➜ 3 c. powdered sugar ➜ 1/3 c. peanut butter ➜ 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla ➜ 1/4 to 1/3 cup milk Directions: Mix powdered sugar and peanut butter. Stir in vanilla and milk.

Beat until frosting is smooth and of spreading consistency. ✻

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Dr. Richard Dittrich & JoAnn Casella, CNP

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by Van Tsang

Chicken Wings with Oyster Sauce Ingredients: â&#x17E;&#x153; 1 pound chicken wings, about 12 â&#x17E;&#x153; 1 tablespoon soy sauce â&#x17E;&#x153; 1 scallion cut into 6 pieces â&#x17E;&#x153; 6 slices of ginger â&#x17E;&#x153; Vegetable oil for frying â&#x17E;&#x153; 2 tablespoons Oyster sauce â&#x17E;&#x153; 1/4 teaspoon salt â&#x17E;&#x153; 1 tablespoon sugar â&#x17E;&#x153; 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper â&#x17E;&#x153; 1 cup of water â&#x17E;&#x153; 1 1/2 teaspoon corn starch â&#x17E;&#x153; 1 tablespoon cold water Directions: Clean the chicken wings. Let them dry. Toss with 1 tablespoon soy sauce to coat. Heat wok or large skillet, add oil and get it hot enough to fry. Deep fry wings until golden brown. Remove the wings and set aside. Discard oil from wok. Reheat the wok and add 2 tablespoons of oil. Stir fry the scallions and ginger until fragrant, then add chicken wings, oyster sauce, salt, sugar, black pepper and cup of water. Cover with a lid and cook about 5 minutes or until liquid is reduced to 1/2 cup. Make a slurry of the cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of cold water in a small cup. Add to wok, stir until thickened. â&#x153;ť

Cover with a lid and cook about 5 minutes or until liquid is reduced to 1/2 cup

by Jerry Penacoli, TV Entertainment Host, Extra

Easy & Healthy Chicken Milanese Ingredients: ➜ 4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves, flattened or left thick ➜ 2 large eggs, beaten ➜ 1 1/4 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) ➜ 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided ➜ 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano ➜ 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt ➜ 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper ➜ 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided ➜ 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice ➜ 2 cups (packed) baby arugula leaves or organic spring mix (about 2 ounces) Directions: Mix panko, 2 tablespoons parsley, oregano, salt, and pepper on plate.

Dip chicken in beaten eggs; turn to coat.

Dredge in breadcrumb mixture, coating completely. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and sauté until golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to plastic cutting board; sprinkle with lemon juice and remaining parsley, and then slice in diagonal pieces. Toss arugula or spring mix with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in medium bowl to coat; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place chicken slices atop the salad, which warms it nicely and serve. ✻

Enjoy!

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PRHthe menu

By Jeanne Neill on behalf of IBEW Local 98

Chocolate Covered Coconut Cream Easter Eggs Ingredients: ➜ 1/2 cup butter, softened ➜ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ➜ 2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk ➜ 6 cups confectioners’ sugar ➜ 3/4 cup Baker’s coconut Directions: Cream butter and vanilla in the large bowl of the electric mixer. Beat in condensed milk. Slowly blend in the confectioners’ sugar. Mix in the coconut. With a spoon, form small egg shapes. Set on a wax paper-covered cookie sheet and refrigerate while you make the chocolate coating.

Chocolate Coating Ingredients: ➜ 1 ½cups miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips ➜ 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening ➜ 2 tablespoons light corn syrup Directions: Bring 3 inches of water to a boil in a pot. Remove from heat. In a heatproof Pyrex bowl, combine chocolate chips, shortening and corn syrup. Place bowl over hot water in pot, but do not let bottom of bowl touch the hot water. Stir with a rubber spatula until chocolate is melted and shiny. Remove candies from refrigerator and with a fork, dip into melted chocolate. Let excess drip off and place on waxed paper.

Decorate with sprinkles or jimmies. Refrigerate for 10 minutes until set. Then let the chocolate coating dry at room temperature. ✻ 38

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By Beth & Dr. James Moylan, Chiropractic Physician

Poppy Seed Chicken Ingredients: ➜ 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken, cut up into cubes ➜ 1 pint sour cream ➜ 1 can of cream of mushroom soup ➜ 1 stick of butter, melted ➜ 1 sleeve of Ritz crackers, crushed ➜ 1-2 tablespoons poppy seeds ➜ Salt and pepper to taste Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish. In a bowl, stir sour cream and soup together. Place chicken into baking dish, evenly covering the bottom of the dish. Salt and pepper the chicken to taste. Pour soup/sour cream mixture on top spreading to cover the chicken. Combine crushed crackers and poppy seeds together.

Evenly sprinkle on top. Drizzle with melted butter. Bake for 35-45 minutes. If topping begins to brown too much, cover with foil. Serve over cooked rice or noodles. ✻

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www.cannulisausage.com 1640 W Ritner St. Philadelphia, PA 19145 1.215.468.7997 rowhome magazine

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photo by Jeff Reyw

PRHthe menu

provided by Shirley Clayback on behalf of the Philadelphia Federal Credit Union (PFCU)

Pumpkin Walnut Chocolate Chip Cake Ingredients: ➜ 2¼ cups flour ➜ 1¼ teaspoons baking powder ➜ 1¼ teaspoons baking soda ➜ 1 teaspoon salt ¾➜ teaspoon cinnamon ½➜ teaspoon nutmeg ➜ 2/3 cup of shortening ➜ 1 2/3 cups sugar ➜ 2/3 cup of buttermilk ➜ 3 eggs ➜ 1 cups of canned pumpkin ➜ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ➜ 2/3 cup of finely chopped walnuts ➜ 1 cup chocolate chips Directions: Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour one 13 X 9 X 2 inch baking pan. Sift first six ingredients into a medium mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, and the large bowl, beat shortening until smooth.

Gradually beat in sugar. Mix on high speed for a minute. Reduce speed to low, and then beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in pumpkin and vanilla. Beat in half of sifted dry ingredients, then half of buttermilk, then remaining dry ingredients, then the rest of the buttermilk.

Run on high speed for 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low, stir in nuts and chocolate chips. Scrape bowl to make sure all ingredients are thoroughly distributed. Pour batter into pan. Bake on middle rack for 45 minutes. Insert cake pick or toothpick in center until it comes out clean. Allow to cool. ✻ 40

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by Carli Lloyd, USA Women’s Soccer Team, Olympic Gold Medalist

Apple Crisp Ingredients: ➜ 6 cups peeled, sliced Macintosh apples ➜ 2/3 cup granulated sugar ➜ 2 teaspoons cinnamon ➜ 3/4 cup of flour ➜ 1/4 teaspoon salt ➜ 1/2 cup of packed, dark brown sugar ➜ 6 tablespoons butter, softened ½➜ teaspoon pure vanilla extract Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place apples in a greased 8-inch square baking dish or a 1½ quart casserole. In bowl, combine the granulated sugar and the cinnamon, stirring well. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture over apples. In the same bowl, combine the flour, salt, dark brown sugar, butter and vanilla; mixing with a spoon until a crumbly mixture is formed and all ingredients are well blended. Spread this mixture over the sugared apples. Bake the apple crisp for 30-45 minutes or until top is golden brown and apples are easily pierced with a fork. ✻

Serve warm, topped with vanilla ice cream.

photo by Dave Lifson

Courtesy of the Mastroddi Family, Philadelphia Training Academy (formerly Philadelphia Archery & Gun Club

Rigatoni with Sausage & Broccoli Rabe in a Blush Sauce Ingredients: ➜ 1 pound box of rigatoni pasta ➜ 1 quart homemade marinara gravy or high quality commercial tomato sauce, warmed through ➜ 2 bunches of broccoli rabe, washed, trimmed of any tough stems and chopped ➜ 1 pound Italian sausage, hot or sweet, casings removed ➜ 1 pint heavy cream ½➜ cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated ¼➜ cup of a yellow onion, chopped fine ➜ 2 cloves of garlic, minced ➜ 1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions: Cook pasta in boiling salted water, according to box directions for al dente. At the same time, boil a quart of water, add a tablespoon of salt and blanch broccoli rabe for 3 minutes. Drain and place on paper towel. In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil until hot, add chopped onions and garlic, cook until soft. Add sausage and break up meat with a fork. Cook until sausage is browned.

Reduce heat to medium. Add the warm tomato sauce to the sausage mixture and heat through.

Add the cream and Pecorino. Stir constantly until thickened. Add cooked, drained pasta to pan and stir together. Transfer to serving bowl. ✻

Serves 4-6

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photo by @kevinv033

PRHthe menu

by Lynne Abraham, former District Attorney, City of Philadelphia

Sweet Apricot Kugel Ingredients: ➜ 1 pound wide egg noodles ➜ 8 ounces Philadelphia cream cheese, soften to room temperature ➜ 2 cups whole milk cottage cheese ➜ 4 ounces dried apricots, chopped into small bits and soaked in hot water for 5 minutes ➜ 4 large eggs, beaten, plus 2 large egg yolks ➜ 3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar ➜ 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract ➜ 3 cups of corn flakes, coarsely crushed ➜ cup pecan halves, finely chopped ➜ 3 tablespoons butter, melted Directions: Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 x13 Pyrex baking dish.

Prepare eggs noodles according to package directions for al dente. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and cottage cheese. Mix in all the eggs, ¾ cup sugar and the vanilla. Drain apricots and mix in. By hand, stir in the drained noodles. Pour the mixture into prepared dish. In another bowl stir together the corn flakes, pecans, remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar and melted butter. Evenly distribute over the noodles. Set dish on center rack of oven and bake for an hour, until the kugel is set and the topping is golden. Let cool in dish until warm. ✻

Can also be refrigerated but bring to room temperature before serving.

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courtesy of The Refinery at SugarHouse Casino

Asian Chilean Sea Bass with red garlic sauce Ingredients: ➜ 1 cup Sugar ➜ 3 Large Eggs ➜ Cup Chinese Red Vinegar ➜ Cup Soy Sauce ➜ Cup Chopped Garlic ➜ 1 ½ lbs. Chilean Sea Bass(four 6oz. pieces) ➜ 4oz. Corn Starch ➜ 6oz. Panko Bread Crumbs Directions: Heat the oil in a 3- or 4-quart pan to at least 375-degrees F. (just a couple of drops of water flipped off your hand will really crackle when the oil has reached this heat level). Season fish with salt and pepper.

Place corn starch, beaten eggs, and bread crumbs in separate shallow containers. Dip the Chilean sea bass in the following order: corn starch, beaten eggs and panko bread crumbs. Place in hot oil and deep fry until breaded Chilean sea bass is cooked through and golden brown, about 5 to 6 minutes. (Do not overcook.) Remove from oil when done and allow to drain on paper towels To prepare the red garlic sauce add chopped garlic, Chinese red vinegar, white vinegar, sugar and soy sauce to a small sauce pan.

Bring ingredients to a boil. Then reduce heat and allow to simmer until the sauce has reduced to half of its volume. Serve the Chilean Sea Bass with a side of white rice and drizzle the red garlic sauce over the Chilean Sea Bass. ✻

*Serves 4

Courtesy of John Nigrelli, United Savings Bank

Italian Cheese Cake Submitted by Melissa Magliocco M.D.

Uzbek Plov Ingredients: ➜ 2 cups long grain parboiled rice ➜ 5 large carrots, cut into thick matchsticks ➜ 1 medium onion, sliced thinly ➜ 1 head garlic ➜ 1 pound cubed leg of lamb ➜ oil for frying ➜ 4 cups vegetable broth ➜ 1 tablespoon peppercorns ➜ 1 tablespoon coriander seeds ➜ 1 tablespoon cumin seeds ➜ 1/2 teaspoon turmeric ➜ 1/2 tablespoon paprika ➜ 1/2 tablespoon tarragon ➜ ½ cup raisins ➜ ½ cup barberries NOTE: Barberries can be found in ethnic food stores. You may substitute dried cherries, currants or cranberries Directions: Wash rice in cold water several times to remove excess starch. Soak in 8 cups cold water with 1 tablespoon salt for 30 minutes. Drain. Boil broth and set aside.

Fry lamb in 2 tablespoon oil at high heat until nicely browned.

Reserve meat and cover.

Fry onions 6-8 min or until golden brown. Add carrots, fry for 3 minutes. Add the reserved meat and any meat juices that escaped. Add powdered spices and half of the whole spices; mix well. Carefully cut top of garlic so that the cloves are 1/2 exposed, remove as much loose skin as possible from the outside. Add garlic (exposed side down) and 1/2 the broth, reduce heat to medium hot. cook for 10 minutes. Remove garlic Add rice, broth to cover it slightly; simmer over medium heat for about 10 min. Using a large, flat spoon, carefully arrange rice into a cone (do not stir!), bury garlic halfway into top, make a few holes with wooden spoon handle to ventilate rice, top with whole spices and raisins/barberries or cranberries. Cover with 2 paper towels, then lid. Simmer on low for 10-15 min or until rice is fully cooked. ✻

Serves 8

Ingredients: ➜ 1 ½pound whole milk ricotta ➜ 1 pound Philadelphia Cream Cheese ➜ 1 1/2 cups sugar ➜ 6 eggs ➜ 1 tablespoon vanilla extract ➜ 1 ½ tablespoon lemon juice ➜ 6 tablespoons flour ➜ 1 pint container sour cream ➜ Cinnamon Directions: Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 10 inch spring form pan. In a large bowl, mix the ricotta and cream cheese together until well combined. On low speed, stir in the sugar, eggs, vanilla, lemon juice and flour. Add the sour cream last and stir. Pour into pan. Bake on middle rack for 1 hour. Turn off heat and leave in closed oven for 1 more hour. Cool completely in the refrigerator. Unhinge spring form and dust with cinnamon before serving. ✻

Dorette & Dawn present,

Snow Balls Perfected by Caroline (Nana) Angerome Directions: Heat oven to 375 degrees In a large bowl, cream together 1 cup butter with 1/2 cup of confectioner sugar until fluffy. Add 2 1/4 cups sifted flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla. Fold in 3/4 cups chopped walnuts. Shape into 1-inch balls. Lay on greased cookie sheet. Bake 12 minutes until brown. Roll at once in sugar. Cool on wire rack. Roll again in sugar. ✻

Makes 42 rowhome magazine

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PRHthe menu

courtesy of Jerry Blavat

Steak Sicilian a la Geator Ingredients: ➜ 4 pieces of tender steak, such as filet ➜ 2 cloves garlic, crushed ➜ 1/2 cup of olive oil ➜ 3 tablespoons fresh grated Parmesan cheese ➜ 1 cup of bread crumbs ➜ Salt and pepper, to taste Directions: In a bowl, mix together the garlic and oil. Dip the steaks in the mixture. In a flat dish, combine grated cheese, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Coat the steaks with this mixture. Cook the steaks under a hot broiler, turning once. ✻

Serves 4

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Philly

SIzEd ExcitEmEnt

• 24/7 table and slot action • Waterfront dining • free Valet & self-Parking • minutes from center city

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PRH the menu

Time

H

out photos by Phil Kramer

ow do you tell a child that Santa doesn’t get to his house until the day AFTER Christmas?

Gus (Isgro) Sarno remembers going to Church on Christmas day. Hearing about all the toys Santa left under his buddies’ trees early that morning.

“I kept asking myself, ‘Was I not good enough this year?’

‘Did I do something wrong?’”

Gus remembers how busy his grandfather Mario was on Christmas Eve —baking all night for his Christmas Day customers. And if you’re up all night in this sweet shop, there’s no time (or room) for Santa to come down the chimney! “I was putting cherries on cookies when I was five years old! Being raised in a family business, this is all you know. It was a passion for us.” When Gus took the reigns of his family’s 109-year-old pasticceria in 1976, he and his wife Lucille made one change. You’ll find a “closed” sign hanging in the doorway on Christmas Day. It To place your order, please visit or call ISGRO PASTICCERIA 1009 Christian Street Philadelphia, PA 19147 215.923.3092 Hours: Sun / 8 am - 4 pm Mon - Thur / 8 am - 6 pm Fri - Sat / 8 am - 8 pm www.bestcannoli.com

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Gus & son Michael

was time to break the tradition. No easy task for an Isgro. “Times change but not very quickly around here,” Gus laughs.

His mother Mary, 97, still works in the bakery. “My wife convinced me that we needed to start a new tradition. Give our sons a Christmas morning.” “I’ll never regret growing up in the same house — in the same neighborhood — surrounded by my family. Working in the basement, doing the same thing my grandfather did 109 years ago.” “My grandfather was an incredible cook. I can still smell those aromas today. Cakes baking in the ovens. Beef searing on the stove for family dinners. Ten people on an average night.” “Traditions are about celebrating work. Celebrating family. Hard work is fine. But take time to celebrate life.” ✒

gohomephilly.com

photo by Ross Belmont

courtesy of The Refinery at SugarHouse Casino

2531-35 S. Broad Street, Philadelphia PA 19148

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PRHthe menu

Facebook Poll

Fat Joe’s

Hidden Gems

These are a few of our favorite things

by Jennifer Barkowitz

Here’s what our RowHome Grown readers had to say when asked to name a few of their favorite “off the beaten path” spots & “can’t leave without trying” food picks.

Area: Pennsport Don’t leave without trying: Whipped Veggie Tofu with salty chips x ❙ ❚ 1401 E. Moyamensing Ave. Phila, PA 19147 The Industry has daily specials and offers a 20% discount on food and drinks to their fellow “service industry” patrons.

Morgan’s Pier Area: Spring Garden Can’t leave without trying: Snack Bacon x ❙ ❚ 221 N. Columbus Blvd. Phila, PA 19123 Seasonal: Open May-October Wildly popular, this sweet, sticky crowdpleasing appetizer is a winner at this Riverfront Restaurant & Bar beneath the Ben Franklin Bridge.

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Mike’s Lunch Truck Area: West Passyunk Can’t leave without trying: 2 hot dogs “the hard way” x ❙ ❚ 24th & Passyunk Ave. Phila, PA 19145 The line moves fast with customers who can’t wait for Mike’s hots dogs on a hard roll with homemade “hash” (cole slaw) and/or sauerkraut. Kielbasa, hot sausage, too. Fish Cake frenzy on Fridays! Comes with drink and chips.

One of the city’s best kept secrets!

Las Rosas Bakery & Coffee Shop

The Industry

48

Area: South Philadelphia Can’t leave without trying: Sweet Toast Crunch x ❙ ❚ 2550 S. 3rd St. Phila, PA 19148 Joe “Fat Joe” Beren was in the business of cooking long before he opened Fat Joe’s Lunch Box in 2003. It didn’t take the locals long to discover his unique take on food prep.

Like 3 slices of Texas Toast coated in Captain Crunch or Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal with melted butter & syrup. Or homemade tortilla Fiesta Chips topped with chicken or beef, diced tomatoes, whiz and onions. Add jalapeños for an extra kick.

gohomephilly.com

Area: Bella Vista Can’t leave without trying: Oversized homemade Bagels x ❙ ❚ 1712 S. 8th St. Phila, PA 19148 This new hot spot is gaining a fast following! Two-fisted sized crunchy bagels-to-go in Sesame, Poppy Seed, Cinnamon Raisin, Everything & Plain.

Caffe Chicco Area: South Broad Street Can’t leave without trying: Hand-Carved Roast Beef Combo x ❙ ❚ 2532 S. Broad St., Phila., PA 19145 The best hand-carved roast beef sandwich in the city, one reader writes. Sip on a simmering hot cup of La Colombe coffee, cappuccinos, lattes and espressos while you wait. Daily breakfast and lunch specials including homemade soup, meatballs, panninis, salads.

BVT LIVE • PARTY • DANCE

CITY RHYTHM BRANDY WINE VALLEY TALENT (610) 358-9010

w w w . P H I L LY D A N C E B A N D S . c o m

PRHHEALTH

S

New Year!

New You!

by Dr. James E. Moylan

Railings & Balconies

tudies reveal, maintenance Chiropractic Care for non-specific low back pain is actually good for you!

As we settle into 2013, your healthcare focus needs to include maintaining what you already have. Preventing further degeneration or compensation of functions is primary in order to allow improvement.

Two research studies generated by the medical profession, this year, add evidence in support of the value of chiropractic maintenance care.

The first study published in January 2011 in Spine concluded that “SMT (spinal manipulative therapy) is effective for the treatment of chronic non specific LBP (low back pain). To obtain long-term benefits, this study suggests maintenance spinal manipulations after the initial intensive manipulative therapy.

The second study in April 2011, published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, provides additional support for the value of chiropractic maintenance care for post injury low back pain patients. The study followed 894 injured workers for a period of one year. During that year, four different types of therapy were available to the workers: medical management, physical therapy, chiropractic and no therapy. Episodes of repeat disability were recorded during the year following the initial injury. Physical therapy had the highest per-

Fences & Gates

centage of re-injured workers followed by those receiving medical management or no treatment at all. The lowest incidence of repeat injury was found among those workers who had received chiropractic maintenance care.

The results of published surveys given to chiropractors have documented the profession’s belief in the value of maintenance care. Furthermore, there have been a dozen peer-reviewed papers on the subject during the past decade. There are far more questions to be answered, but it is heartening to see medical research corroborate the studies and beliefs of the chiropractic profession. Patient results over many years of practice speak volumes, but outside research and studies supporting what we already know will allow further benefits to the healthcare system, especially in this time of major healthcare upheaval. With the many changes made to your healthcare coverage over the years (increased co-pays and deductibles, limits to what type and how much care you can receive), more and more healthcare decisions are in your hands and your wallet. Choose wisely, but prevention and prh maintenance may be your best bet!

James Moylan, D.C., Chiropractic Physician, is a member of the RowHome Magazine Business Network.

Stairways

Miscellaneous

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Residential & Commercial Ornamental & Wrought Iron Railings for Interiors & Exteriors

FREE ESTIMATES 1285 Little Mill Road Erial, NJ

1022-26 Washington Ave. Phila., PA 215.468.8300 Email us at anvilironworksinc@verizon.net

Check us out on the web at

www.anviliron.net 50

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Member of National Ornamental & Miscellaneous Metals Association (NOMMA)

Melanoma on the rise in teens How to protect yourself from harmful effects of the sun

by Noelle McManus

C

ancer has been around for centuries, afflicting millions of people a year. As one of the most frightening words of our time, cancer is associated with not just sickness, but death. The disease can affect just about every part of the body.

Scientists all over the world are constantly and continually seeking effective treatments to counter this terrifying illness. Unfortunately, it is going to take more than a few new treatments and breakthrough discoveries to finally cure this killer. As we make progress in this scientific field, we encounter equal numbers of obstacles.

Melanoma on the rise

Melanoma is taking a toll on teens at a devastating rate. One of the most fatal cancers of our time, this dangerous skin cancer is not only extremely harmful, but exceedingly complex. Like all other cancers, it can manifest in patients as either malignant or benign (cancerous or non-cancerous, respectively).

Regardless of the medical strides in the treatment of melanoma, 97% of patients diagnosed with malignant melanoma die.

Don’t become another statistic

You can reduce the risk of melanoma by protecting yourself when you are in the sun. This means more than just wearing sunscreen on summer days. Up to 80% of the sun’s rays can reach you on a cloudy day. Even snow reflects up to 95% of the sun’s rays!

Protect Yourself

❱❱ Limit the time you spend in the sun, especially between 10 am and 4 pm, when the sun’s rays are the strongest. ❱❱ Use sunscreen every day (one that protects you against UV-A and UV-B rays). ❱❱ Wear a sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) rating of 15 or higher. ❱❱ Apply sunscreen about a half-hour before you go outdoors. ❱❱ Don’t forget to protect your lips! Wear lip balm with an SPF of 15 or higher. ❱❱ Reapply sunscreen (even if it’s waterproof) every two hours, especially if you are swimming. ❱❱ Wear sunglasses that block at least 99% of UV-A & UV-B rays. Check the label to be sure.

Protect Young Children

❱❱ Children get 80% of their lifetime sun exposure before the age of 18, so it’s important to protect them. ❱❱ Apply sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or greater before children go outdoors, even on cloudy days. ❱❱ Keep babies, 6 months and younger, out of the sun whenever possible. ❱❱ Avoid playing in the sun between the hours of 10 am and 4 pm.

For more information, visit melanomainternational.org rowhome magazine

| 51

PRHHEALTH

What about Bob? (Or Mike?

Or Laura?)

Hormonal Balancing for Men & Women

by Dr. Richard Dittrich ➜ ‘I must be getting old.’

“I’ve always trusted Nationwide Insurance® to protect my business.”

- Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Co-Owner, JR Motorsports Nationwide Insurance Business Customer

Nationwide Business Insurance agents are specially trained to help protect your business. And with an On Your Side® Review, you can have the coverage you need at the right price for you.

Call for a quote today

(215) 468-4116 John R. Ferullo Ferullo Insurance Agencies LLC ferullj@nationwide.com 1636 South Front Street, Front & Morris Streets Philadelphia, PA 19148 Products underwritten by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and Affiliated Companies. Home Office: Columbus, OH 43215. Subject to underwriting guidelines, review, and approval. Products and discounts not available to all persons in all states.

The NASCAR Nationwide Series Champion logo and word mark are used under license by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. and Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. NASCAR® and the NASCAR® logo are registered trademarks of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. Nationwide, Nationwide Insurance, On Your Side and the Nationwide framemark are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. © 2011 Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. All rights reserved. The JR Motorsports logo and the name, likeness and signature of Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and all related rights are property of, are used with the permission of JR Motorsports, LLC and JRM Licensing, LLC. Paid Endorsement.

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Serving patients for more than 30 years, Dr. Richard Dittrich has offices conveniently located in South Philadelphia at 1313 Wolf Street - 215.465.3000 - and in Voorhees, NJ - 856.435.9090. New patients are welcome!

How many times have you uttered this statement today? This week? This year? You open the refrigerator door but can’t remember why you are looking in the fridge. You “lose” your car in the supermarket parking lot. Your energy level is down and your weight is up.

Libido? It is little more than a memory that brings a smile to your face.

Mom went through this phase. Her face blazed red from the neck up.

The thermostat was set so low at night that the family fought off frost bite with electric blankets. Poor dad dealt with the cold. It was easier than provoking the demon who inhabited mom’s body.

Laughter could change to tears or rage at the drop of a hat. She misplaced her keys, her wallet, her credit card. The doctor had a name for this craziness.

Menopause. And a cure. Estrogen!

Miracle tablets made from the urine of pregnant horses (yuk!). And maybe a

✚

few anti-depressants to cover symptoms that estrogen missed.

But what about Dad? He changed a bit himself. He sometimes called you by your brother’s name. His belly was reminiscent of Santa Claus. He would fall asleep in the middle of a conversation. And no longer engage in activities he once enjoyed. His doctor had a name for his “condition.” He was just “getting old.”

So Mom could blame her “old age” on low hormone levels. Where did that leave Dad?

➜B lame it on your Hormones Fast forward this information to the 21st century. Our life expectancy is now in the 80s! Hormone levels in both men and women start to decline in our 40s.

For some people, it happens as early as the late 30s! That means we will be living ONE HALF of our ives in what our parents called ‘old age.’ Half of our lives! This is simply unacceptable!

What happens when our hormones become unbalanced? The result is misery! Your short-term memory fails. You can’t remember a name. Life’s little annoyances become big irritations. You experience mood swings like Jekyll and Hyde. You become ‘portly.’ Life no longer holds the joy it once held.

➜ L ow Testosterone is the root of many evils

➜ S o, what do you do to balance your hormones?

So what about Bob? (and Mike?)

Decreased levels of testosterone (Low T) are partially responsible for that “beer belly.” Added abdominal girth makes one susceptible to insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes. Belly fat can contribute to coronary artery disease and heart attacks. High cholesterol is yet another unwelcome side effect of excess weight.

Low testosterone has been linked with Alzheimer’s disease. Sexual desire and performance are compromised when testosterone is low.

Find a healthcare provider that is experienced in hormonal balance. If your healthcare provider is not willing to listen to your complaints, find another provider. If you are sent out the door with a pat on the back and a prescription for anti-depressants, run!

Get your blood work done and sit down with your provider to review the results.

Hormone levels are reported in a “range.”

Bob may feel great with a testosterone of 600ngs, but Mike may have symptoms of 800ngs. Both lab results are in the “normal” range but Mike may need a hormonal “boost” to feel his best. Hormonal balancing is successful when symptoms are relieved, not when a blood level is achieved.

➜ Women need testosterone, too!

And Laura? Yes. She needs estrogen but women also need to have estrogen balanced with testosterone.

Testosterone, like estrogen, is produced in the ovaries and also in the adrenal glands. When menopause arrives, ovarian function declines and both hormone levels drop. The symptoms that mom experienced manifest.

Health-wise, women become higher risk for cardiac diseases, diabetes and osteoporosis when their ovaries are no longer functional. Sexual intercourse becomes painful or impossible.

➜ Are you “getting older?”

Dr. Richard Dittrich and his staff will be happy to talk to you about hormone balancing. Dr. Dittrich is a certified, preferred provider for BioTE - bio-identical hormone pellets - a natural way to balance your hormones. Both the Philadelphia and New Jersey offices are equipped to evaluate and treat hormone related symptoms.

And Bob and Mike and Laura? Well, they’re feeling great! And they are smiling! prh And it isn’t just from memories!

Dr. Richard Dittrich is a member of the PRH Business Network.

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Bella Angel

PRHfilm

Bridal Hair & Makeup

We come to you! photo by Andrew Graham Todes

Locations in Old City Philadelphia & Cherry Hill, NJ

Voted #1

in Philly for makeup Airbrush Makeup & Tattoo Coverage.

856-227-7774 WWW

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by Leo Rossi Writer, Actor, Producer Eastman-Rossi Productions

Mannettiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Christmas Extravaganza

A

ctor Larry Mannetti is one of my dearest friends in Hollywood. For eight years, he was a regular on Magnum P.I. He was also a regular on other TV series including Baa, Baa Blacksheep, S.W.A.T. and The Duke. Larryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heart is as big as Texas and every Christmas, he throws the best party in Hollywood.

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West Coast

HUNGRY YET? Hoagies Salads Wraps Specialty Sandwiches and much MORE!

MI-PALS Featuring

Cold Cuts

Deli & Caterer

Serving the entire Tri-State area 2300 S. 16th Street

We specialize in Pharmaceutical and Corporate Catering

Including delivery and set up

215.271.5545 His home turns into a winter wonderland (not easy to do in sunny California). The food and drinks never stop but the real thrill for me is hearing the great stories from the Hollywood legends that attend. Where do I start? How about Robert Wagner talking about the “good old days” or Carol Burnett telling a dirty joke. Philly’s own Jimmy Darren talks cheesesteaks while Robert Conrad and Dennis Farina tell anybody who will listen that Chicago is the best city in the world. Peter Marshall tells the inside scoop on Hollywood Squares and Tom Selleck reminds Mannetti how he had to keep feeding Larry his lines when he would go blank on Magnum. Everybody has a Frank Sinatra story.

It is a wonderful time that my wife and I look forward to every year. We miss Philly and all our friends but Mannetti’s party will do in a pinch.

Our second season for our show “Hotel Impossible” on The Travel Channel started December 3rd, 2012, and we already have been picked up for an additional 3rd season. Our new reality show starring Tony Luke, Jr. is in pre-production. prh

FAX: 215.271.3767

Mi_Pals-2009.indd 1

11/4/09 4:16:46 PM

Ciao Philly!

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PRHfilm

Just because the Party’s over…

by Nicole Giles, GPFO

T

he Greater Philadelphia Film Office’s (GPFO) annual production party held at The Electric Factory this past Fall was an overwhelming success. The event was all that the venue promised it would be and our honorees Sharon Pinkenson & Joan Bressler were over the moon, calling it the BEST PRODUCTION PARTY EVER! Without a doubt, it was the largest event ever! And with close to 1,000 guests attending, the mood was festive and fashionforward. We could have easily kept a familiar theme going -- doubling for another New York borough -- SoHo! The Food was amazing thanks to our generous sponsors, the Starr Restaurant Group, Alla Spina, D’Angelo’s, Rouge & the spectacular flavors of Little Baby’s Ice Cream! The Bob Lowery Band ROCKED, along with a special guest performance by Pinky herself.

What might have been lost on the audience in all this excitement and fanfare, however, was the true message of that special night. We are a community, a major INDUSTRY. And together, we are stronger than our parts.

It is the message that Sharon delivered that evening and continues to deliver on behalf of this industry.

Sharon Pinkenson, Executive Director Greater Philadelphia Film Office

Ss. John Neumann-Maria Goretti Catholic High School

Open HOuse: February 26th, 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

ScholarShip/placement teSt: march 2nd, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

㨀...Success start here 1736 South 10th Street • Philadelphia, PA 19148 “SUCCESS STARTS HERE” www.neumanngorettihs.org • 215-465-8437 56

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open ho

Scholars

East Coast Considering the large turnout at The Electric Factory that night, our rally call must be working. Thousands of GPFO friends and supporters gathered to celebrate the growth, success and impact our local production community is having on the City and beyond. That same collective support must continue in order for GPFO to remain viable.

Recently, GPFO launched a new listing and ad campaign for businesses that want to market their services to the local production industry. The theme of this campaign, “Buy Fresh.

Buy Local,” emphasizes a common goal GPFO shares with our friends at the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA). We all must work together to improve the economic prosperity of our region and state.

After noticing a trend among many of our long-time listers/advertisers opting to purchase profiles on international production websites ONLY

and not on Film.org, we realized it was time to send out a reminder.

Time for our mission and message to be broadcast in stereo. FILM. org, OUR website, is dedicated to growing OUR local industry to create jobs for OUR folks who want to LIVE and WORK IN PRODUCTION in Southeastern Pennsylvania (SEPA).

So when you see our new “Buy Fresh. Buy Local” emails in your inbox, please consider that your option to purchase a Basic listing for $100 or a Premium for $150 (user affordable) will not only benefit you, it also will benefit your fellow production professionals. We offer our services - free of charge - to filmmakers, which is one of those incentives that keeps productions thriving in our region; helps cultivate local production work and drives tourism for years to come!

Buy a Fresh Profile on the new Film.org and Support Your Local Film Commission today! Visit film.org. prh

Lights… Camera… MANGIA!!!

Anthony’s Caterers welcomes you to experience the IATSE Ballroom-South Philadelphia’s newest multi-purpose ballroom that brings out the star in all of us. You have surely ARRIVED as you walk through the bright marquee entrance to find yourself draped in the ballroom’s warm theatrical lighting, a good time with family and friends is at hand! Whether it’s a grand wedding, black tie affair, or a simple family gathering you will enjoy Anthony’s dynamite cuisine and attentive service. Outstanding menu items include the Choice Cut Filet Mignon; the Atlantic Salmon, lightly blackened in a sweet chile sauce; and the Stuffed Filet of Flounder, filled with crab imperial and broiled to perfection. Anthony’s Caterers also offers a wide selection of buffet style options such as Chicken Française, Eggplant Parmigiana, Roast Pork, Stuffed Shells, and much more!

Stage, intelligent lighting, full dance floor, multimedia options, PA audio system, and secure parking

www.iatseballroom.com

IATSE Ballroom 2401 South Swanson Street

Philadelphia, PA. 19148

267.861.0391

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PRHfilm

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is r e t i wr al d n Loc i h e b s u i n e g e th t p i r c s ” o h c y s P “

y

by Larr e n o ll Ga

“There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling transmission.”

Those words, coupled with an eerie test pattern and wavy line, set the tone for one of the early 1960’s classic TV series, the original “Outer Limits.”

Now, picture a shower. Not just any shower.

A shower where a young woman on the run from the law slowly turns on the faucet after she steps in behind the plastic curtain. You know what happens next — screeching music, a maniac with a knife, Janet Leigh screaming uncontrollably in what is perhaps the most recognized movie moment of all time — the shower scene from “Psycho.”

When you think of popular filmed-in-Philly films, Rocky probably comes to mind. And Tradings Places. Or Invincible. But what about a movie titled “Two Bits” starring Al Pacino?

And what do The Outer Limits, Psycho and Two Bits have in common? The answer?

Joseph Stefano.

Born and raised in South Philadelphia, the late Joseph Stefano was one of the creative geniuses behind the original Outer Limits, penning many of its most famous episodes in the first season.

Stefano also wrote the screenplay for Psycho (adapting it from the Robert Bloch novel) and the movie Two Bits, filmed here about a grandfather and grandson in Depression- Era South Philly.

“For his work on ‘Psycho’, alone, he is significant in popular culture,” said Bill Wine, Professor of Communications at LaSalle University and KYW movie critic. But Psycho, Outer Limits and Two Bits are just three examples of his works which also include writing for “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and several other screenplays.

Joseph William Stefano was born May 5,

1922, in South Philadelphia and died at the age of 84 in California. His rowhome roots are evident in Two Bits and other writings. But, according to Wine, Psycho was his biggest breakthrough.

According to the website IMDB.com, “When he first read the novel ‘Psycho,’ he felt the story was weak in that it started with and focused too much on the unsavory Norman Bates character. It was Stefano’s idea to Hitchcock to refocus the first part of the film on ill-fated Marion Crane with her embezzlement and shocking shower-stabbing murder at the Bates Hotel.”

In his 2006 obituary from the Washington Post, Stefano was quoted as telling a horror film fan magazine in 1990, “Killing the leading lady in the first 20 minutes had never been done before.”

Famed Director Alfred Hitchcock suggested hiring Janet Leigh, then a major star, for the role of Marion because he thought it would add to the shock value of the scene. The website cinefantastiqueonline.com, posted Stefano’s 1990 interview with writer Steve Biodrowski during which he explains the knock-your-socks-off strategy in Psycho.

“The idea suddenly struck me to begin with Marion, suggesting that the movie would be about a girl who steals $40,000. Audiences would be sucked into a character who did something wrong but was really a good person – they would feel as if they, not Marion, had stolen the $40,000. When she dies, the audience would be the victim! “And that’s just how it worked. With so much early emphasis on Marion, no one dreams she’ll get killed.

When it happens, people are blown away. It’s like Hitch and I were saying we’ve stolen your central character!”

Shortly after Psycho, Leslie Stevens, an old friend, created “The Outer Limits” for ABC in

1963. Stefano wrote and produced several episodes over the next two years and set the tone for the series.

Stefano wrote some of the most memorable episodes of the series including “The Zanti Misfits,” featuring ants with such eerie expressions, you dreaded seeing the insect.

Starring a very young Martin Sheen, “Nightmare,” features Bat-like Ebonites that capture an intergalactic military force from Earth.

In “A Feasability Study,” humans are enslaved by aliens. The ending was so controversial, producers considered canceling the episode.

In “Fun and Games,” Earthlings are pitted against their barbaric alien counterparts to entertain “superior” beings.

While The Outer Limits set the tone for creativity and writing for television, and Psycho brought cinematic horror to a new level, it was the movie “Two Bits” with Al Pacino that strikes closest to home for Stefano.

The movie centers around the La Paloma movie theater in 1930s South Philadelphia where, for 25 cents (or Two Bits), you can watch movies all day long. Pacino’s grandson, Gennaro, wants to go the movies and will do anything for those two bits to get in.

Narrated by Alec Baldwin (as the adult Gennaro) and starring Jerry Barone as young Gennaro and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio as his widowed mother, the movie captures the mood of South Philly, including a humorous scene where both a wedding and funeral have been scheduled for the same time at the same church.

While not a box office smash, the movie does something more -- it shows a family, a neighborhood and an older generation passing life’s torch to a younger generation.

From big screen screams to small screen thrills, rowhome-grown Joseph Stefano’s words delivered countless hours of entertainment for generations of fans. prh rowhome magazine

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â&#x20AC;&#x2030;PRHbrides guide

As long as there are brides, there will be traditions photos by McMasters Photography

Paying homage to cherished family rituals keeps us close to the loved ones who shared them with us.

For Jana Curtis & William Pace, a family quilt served as a memorable backdrop for their wedding portrait.

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Food Family Tradition Courtesy of Joseph Volpe, Cescaphe Event Group

T

Seven Fishes Paella

his dish is especially meaningful to our team and family at Cescaphe Event Group. This traditional dish combines my own Italian heritage with the Spanish and Hispanic heritages of our talented and creative chefs.

Each and every weekend, this team of hardworking men and women serves our guests with an endless bounty of the finest hors d’oeurves, delectable multi-course entrees and jaw-dropping dessert buffets that have become synonymous with the Cescaphe name.

Through the years, we have dazzled our guests with an amazing array of tastes from around the world. And I have learned so much about the world through the eyes and lives of our Cescaphe family!

About places like Ecuador, Spain, Brazil and Mexico. Together, this team has created a mouth-watering union of culinary talents and rich cultural backgrounds.

From the very best of our kitchens, both at our venues and in our homes, we present a traditional Italian Feast of the Seven fishes with Spanish flare! Enjoy!

Seven Fishes Paella ÀÀ 1 large onion, chopped

ÀÀ ¼ pound tuna

ÀÀ 2 small red bell peppers, chopped

ÀÀ ¼ pound clams

ÀÀ 4 large garlic cloves, pressed ÀÀ 2 cups long grain rice, raw ÀÀ 3 ¼ cups clam broth (or clam juice)

ÀÀ 2 medium tomatoes, peeled and quartered ÀÀ Pinch of saffron ÀÀ ½ pound baccala (salted cod), rinsed in cold water ÀÀ ¼ pound mussels

ÀÀ Salt and pepper to taste

ÀÀ ¼ pound calamari rings

ÀÀ ¼ pound shrimp

ÀÀ ¼ pound crab meat

In large bowl, combine cod with water to cover by 2 inches. Cover and refrigerate, changing water 3 times a day, 1 to 3 days. Cod should be pleasantly salty. Refrigerate until ready to use.

In heavy bottomed pot, sauté the onion, bell peppers and garlic over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes until onion is soft. Then reduce heat to medium low. Add rice and sauté until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add broth or clam juice.

Season lightly with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until almost all liquid is absorbed; about 20 minutes. Fluff rice mixture with fork, then add shrimp, tuna, clams, tomatoes and saffron. Cook for 4 minutes. Stir rice again to incorporate additional moisture created from shellfish and tuna. Add cod, mussels, calamari and crab, then cover.

Cook until all liquid is absorbed and shrimp is pink, 5 to 6 minutes. Ladle into serving bowls and serve with Italian bread. prh

Cescaphe is a member of the PRH Business Network.

About Joseph Volpe, the Brides Guide.

Ever keeping his eyes focused on the latest wedding trends, Cescaphe Event Group CEO/Chef Joseph Volpe is recognized as the area’s leading authority on ballroom bliss. With his innovative approach to the most important celebration of your life, his award-winning Cescaphe Ballroom, The Atrium at the Curtis Center, Tendenza and Vie, combine a captivating ambiance with exquisite cuisine for an unforgettable experience. Visit cescapheballroom.com or call 215.238.5750.

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POTITO’S

PRHbrides guide

ITALIAN & AMERICAN PASTRIES

Specializing in Wedding Cakes and Custom Cakes!

Men in

Tuxes

by Jennifer Barkowitz

“Best of Philly” cannoli

Order Online On Our Website or at diningin.com We ship anywhere in the U.S. Corporate Accounts Accepted 215.334.2996 or 215.389.CAKE 1614 Ritner Street OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

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E

ven though the tuxedo was first worn in 1886 and has been re-imagined many times over the years, when it comes to dressing up, black tie is always in style.

RowHome Magazine recently checked in with Tuxedo Specialist Lisa Rudi, to get the scoop on dressing the Groom and his party. “You have to take the whole picture into account,” says Lisa of Rudi’s Formal Wear. Knowing the colors and styles of the Bridal Party is essential. “Everyone should complement each other. With so many options available today, it is important that you rent from a tuxedo specialist who can help you coordinate your wedding, to ensure that everyone looks their

best,” she adds. Tuxedo prices do vary, however. Most tuxedo outfitters offer a discount depending on the size of your wedding party. Currently, Rudi’s Formal Wear offers a free tuxedo for the Groom with wedding parties of 6 or more and $40 off of each groomsman. x ❙ ❚ The Choice is yours Whether you opt for fashion-forward or traditional, your choices don’t stop there.

Jacket styles (wool or cotton) come with 0-7 buttons. Lapels? Satin or not; rimmed or rounded. x ❙ ❚ Tall & Husky/Muscular.

Choose a rounded lapel and a vest instead of a cummerbund that tends to highlight the abdomen. Stay away from frills and go for a clean look.

The popular TV show Mad Men sparked the Slim Fit. This sleek, sophisticated 1960’s style cuts a sleek silhouette with a single-breasted, trimmer waist, tapered sleeves and a shorter jacket length. Formal shirts in a slim fit go best with this style.

Happy Windows 2-­inch wood Shutters Verticals Mini Blinds

Pleated Shades Roman Shades Drapes Valances

Call Eileen 215.465.7525 Discount Price with installation

x ❙ ❚ Short/ Slim. A 3-button jacket will

help you appear a bit taller.

x ❙ ❚ Short/Broad. A single-breasted, 1-2

button jacket and vest work best. The jacket should sit flush across the body. No stretching when buttoned and no discomfort when sitting.

When it comes to color, Grey is a definite choice. The “new black” ranges from charcoal, medium to pearl & coordinates perfectly with the pink or blush wedding gowns that are so Hollywood right now.

x ❙ ❚ Here Comes The Groom Distinguish your look by adding just the right amount of flare to your tux.

1601 Oregon Ave. Philadelphia, PA 19145-4596

Harry Alessi

➻➻ Pick a different vest color or cummerbund than your Groomsmen.

Real Estate Associate

➻➻ Wear your own style boutonniere on your lapel.

Office: 215.389.2222 Fax: 215.467.5547 Cell: 609.636.9783

➻➻ Change into a Dinner Jacket at the reception. ➻➻ Whether keeping with the resurgence of the retro fashions of the 60’s or shifting to classic elegance over trendy casual, the Bowtie is back.

Rudi’s Formal Wear is a member of the RowHome Magazine Business Network

halessi@spectrumrealty.net

Residential

Real estate www.spectRumRealty.net rowhome magazine

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PRHbrides guide

There’s a beer for that

N

by Jennifer Barkowitz ew research conducted by the Media Audit shows beer consumption among women has risen 5.4% since 2008, driving beer companies to target a whole new audience. Let’s face it, women like choices. And today’s Craft Beers come in so many flavors, the choices are overwhelming. Ladies & Gentlemen, alike, check out a few of these local (and not so local) brews at a pub near you!

x ❙ ❚ When: March 2, 2013

Rowhouse Red Created and distributed in our own backyard, this red ale is bottled at The Philadelphia Brewing Company at 2440 Girard Ave., Phila, PA 19125 and breweries throughout the city. Check out their website for tastings and tours www.philadelphiabrewing.com

Hell or High Watermelon The 21st Amendment Brewery based in San Francisco, CA distributes this light wheat ale with a “kiss of watermelon aroma” that packs just the right amount of beer and fruit. Enjoy it on a warm summer day. Try some of their other beers including “Ugly Sweater” Winter IPA and “Fireside Chat” Spiced Ale.

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Joe Coffee Porter Who says you have to make a choice? This ale combines dark Munich and chocolate malts with coffee. This well-balanced combo is distributed seasonally by the Philadelphia Brewing Company and boasts “Good from the first drop!”

Looking for a new brew? Check out the 7th Annual Philly Craft Beer Festival, presented by the Committee to Benefit The Children, a Philadelphia based charity associated with St. Christopher’s Hospital.

gohomephilly.com

x ❙ ❚ Where: The Philadelphia Navy Yard - 4747 S. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19112 (On the former Naval Air Strip) x ❙ ❚ Time: 1:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. x ❙ ❚ Cost: $46 online. $60 at the gate (subject to availability). VIP Package sessions are available for $75 and offer 12:30 p.m. admission, special beer tastings and chats with brewers.

Event will be held rain or shine. The festival is grateful for designated drivers. All DDs are given a special bracelet and $10 admission. Complimentary shuttle bus service will also be provided for festival attendees beginning at 11 a.m. from the Broad & Pattison SEPTA station. prh

A

s a Cruise Specialist, I travel the high seas and experience the fine cuisine and varieties of food that cruise ships offer. Lavish feasts that meet everyone’s dietary needs. If you are Diabetic, enjoy low carb, sugar free selections. Watching your sodium intake? Fat intake? You will never feel deprived on a luxury cruise. There are so many choices prepared by the finest chefs, you don’t have to take a vacation from healthy living to feel pampered on a luxurious getaway.

Here are a few examples of Cruise Food that will keep you coming back for more!

Cruise Food brought to you by Liz Emory, owner of Seasational Cruises

it, M REA it!

D an c LD I u U o y B If can e W

x ❙ ❚ Caribbean/Mexican: Tacos, Brazilian Steaks, black bean mango salad, chicken tostadas, fiesta rice, shrimp salad, broiled seafood, spicy chicken, tortilla soups and many more! x ❙ ❚ Buffets: Scrumptious salads, garden salads, Caesar salads, spring mix salads, anti pasta salads, rice and bean salads, juicy burgers, pork chops, Chinese food, chicken on a stick, pizza, Asian cuisine, fresh sushi rolls, noodle dishes, dumplings and broiled seafood, fried seafood, plenty of fresh vegetables and a variety of rice & potatoes x ❙ ❚ Italian: Delicious gravy, lasagna, ravioli, gnocchi, cavatelli, spaghetti, linguini, penne, rigatoni along with meatballs, sausage & braciole

x ❙ ❚ Kids Zone: Burgers, French Fries, Hot Dogs, Chicken Nuggets, Mini Paninis & Wraps, Pizza, make-your-own Sundaes, Milkshakes, Ice Cream Cones, Cookies, Brownies x ❙ ❚ Desserts: Strawberry cheese cake, Sugar free cheese cake, chocolate soufflé, sugar free chocolate cake, ice cream and sugar free ice cream, sherbet, fruit salad, lemon tarts, chocolate truffle cake, rum cakes and many more desserts!

I have traveled many different cruise lines over the years and one thing never changes. The incredible food available to the passengers! Whether you are sticking to a special diet or eating whatever your heart desires, cruise food is the perfect complement to your vacation aboard a luxury liner. Family shows by day. Romantic evenings alone. Whatever you choose to do, relax knowing that cruise ships provide supervised kids zones so everyone has a memorable vacation.

Book your cruise today!

Email: Liz@seasationalcruises.com Web Site: www. Seasationalcruises.com Phone: 267-252-4792 Toll Free: 877-327-7707 Seasational Cruises is a member of the RowHome Magazine Business Network.

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www.croconstruction.net rowhome magazine

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PRH RowHome Remembers

Wedding Receptions

Then & Now

by Tony Santini

Troast-Singley Agency Your Insurance Professionals

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P

aging through the Brides Guide section in RowHome Magazine, my wife and I are amazed at the endless options available to the modern-day couple. Custom wedding cakes. Bridal portraits and “themed” photography and video packages. Trolley rides for the bridal party and their guests. Twelvepiece bands. Satin Gowns. Lobster buffets and pancake breakfasts. As a potential “Father of the Bride,” I was breaking out in a sweat. Today’s

wedding packages can easily tip the scales at $20, $30, even $50,000! And the options are endless! My son recently attended a reception where guests departed with a Geno’s Cheesesteak - sizzling hot and ready-toeat on the ride home! Talk about memorable favors!

When my parents got married in 1954, their wedding reception was held in a second-floor rental hall above a beer distributor on 20th & Moore. The menu featured cold-cut trays and Kaiser rolls from my Grandmother’s grocery store. Plastic dinnerware and paper plates were plentiful. So were the cans of beer and soda in self-serve tubs of ice. Guests danced to the sounds of Alfredo Supini and his 4-piece White Hat Band. My parents were lucky to book this band! The guys were on a break from their usual religious feast day performances and Alfredo wanted to do my Grandfather a favor. For dessert, you had your choice of homemade biscotti or cookies. My parents still have their ‘thank-you card list.’

They smile as they read their guests’ names and are quick to point out the couple that gave them a generous gift of $3! Total cost for the reception? Five-hundred bucks. A pretty penny back in the day.

In 1977, my cousin booked his reception at the exclusive Fiesta Caterers. Guests were wowed by the lobster puffs, hand-carved steamship round of beef and a sixpiece band. He recently celebrated his 35th Wedding Anniversary and says he remembers the reception like it was yesterday. Total cost? $3,000.

Five years later, in 1982, my wife and I had a beautiful reception at Palumbo’s. Befitting its famous founder and restaurateur Frank Palumbo, our memorable party featured strolling violinists, a calligraphy scroll guest list, flaming Baked Alaska, Surf & Turf and an 8-piece band.

The cost? About $33 a head.

Today, friends tell me that a standard wedding package at a nice venue will run at least $125 per person. And that doesn’t include the added costs of a band and a DJ, a photographer and a videographer, flowers and centerpieces, trolleys and limos, favors, shower, serenade, engagement party, gown, veil, shoes, hair, makeup, honeymoon and the outrageous bachelor and bachelorette parties that the new brides and grooms crave.

How does the saying go? ‘You can’t put a price on happiness.’ Well, speaking as a ‘Someday Father-of-theBride’, it’s hard to ignore the words that come first to my mind. “Brother, can you spare a dime?” prh

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We can help with: • Personal Care

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• Errands and transportation • And much more Visit www.HomeHelpersPhilly.com or call 215-334-2600 and see how we can lend you a hand. rowhome magazine

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PRHTIPs FROM THE PROS

& rder LawO Is Medicinal

Marijuana legal in Pa?

by Frank C. DePasquale Jr., Esquire

Q: My mother suffers terribly from Chron’s

John S. Galati Accountant 1522 E. Passyunk Ave. Philadelphia, PA 19147 P: 215.271.5000

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C: 856.207.1111

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disease. Recent medical studies have shown that medicinal marijuana use has provided significant relief of the sometimes devastating symptoms of Chron’s. Does Pennsylvania allow the use of medicinal marijuana and if not, do you expect it to be approved by our legislature?

A: Pennsylvania does not allow the use

of medicinal marijuana. However, the tide is turning across the country. Eighteen states including New Jersey and the District of Columbia have approved its use and 3 other states (NY, IL and OH) have approval legislation pending. Most states have residency requirements. For example, your mother could not get medicinal marijuana prescribed for her in New Jersey unless she resided there and intended to use it there.

Legal

Q:

We just learned that our grandmother may have to be put in a nursing home for hospice care. She has no real assets other than her home which she has owned for over 60 years. Can the nursing home take her house to pay her bills?

A: The nursing home will use her assets to

determine how much, if any, of her medical bills will be paid directly by her. In all likelihood, your grandmother’s medical bills will be paid

by Medicare and unfortunately, Medicare will attempt to recoup the money it pays for her medical bills from her assets or her estate in the event she passes. Your family should consult with an attorney who specializes in Elder Care law as it may be possible to protect a portion of her assets even at this late juncture.

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His peers again recognized Mr. DePasquale as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer for 2012.

He heads DePasquale Law Offices, 233234 S. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19145.

P: 215.755.4410. Email: frank@depasqualelaw.com or visit www.depasquale-law.com



Legal Questions

Legal questions for Frank DePasquale? Email him at info@ gohomephilly.com or mail to PRH Law & Order, PO Box 54786, Phila., PA 19148. Please include your name, address & phone number for verification purposes. PRH will not publish your last name.

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PRHTIPs FROM THE PROS

How much more tax will you

pay or save?

by David M. Spitzberg, CPA

A

t least, for now, the tax element of the Fiscal Cliff has been resolved.

Congress approved the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 on New Year’s Day, 2013. New tax increases have been included in the Act. Some tax items were not considered. Provisions of The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as previously enacted and discussed, must also be considered. Let’s take a look at some of the January 2013 developments that impact your 2013 taxes.

❱❱ There will be less in your paycheck to spend after taxes are withheld.

One reason among other possibilities is that the Social Security Withholding rate will increase from 4.2% to 6.2% on wages up to a maximum of $113,700. ❱❱ What’s your filing status? If it’s single, income tax rates on the first $400,000 of taxable income remain unchanged. Are you using married filing jointly? If so, the number is $450,000. Head of Household filers with taxable income of no more than $425,000 need not worry about an increase in income tax rates. If filing as married filing separately, the top number is $225,000. ❱❱ If your taxable income doesn’t exceed the above applicable amounts, the previous income tax rates on qualified dividends and long-term capital gains remain at 0% for those in the 10% and 15% brackets and 15% for middle bracket taxpayers. ❱❱ To the extent that your taxable income exceeds the above relevant threshold, your top bracket ordinary income tax rate will increase from 35% to 39.6% and your tax rate on qualified dividend income and long-term capital gains will increase from 15% to 20%. ❱❱ Itemized deductions and personal exemptions are once again limited for higher bracket taxpayers when adjusted gross income exceeds the following now higher applicable threshold amounts.

a: $ 250,000 for single filers b: $300,000 for married filing jointly and surviving spouse

c: $275,000 for head of household

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d: $150,000 for married filing separately

❱❱ Permanent fixes were made to the Alternative Minimum Tax. ❱❱ The estate and gift tax exclusion stays at $5,000,000 indexed for inflation. The top tax rate has increased from 35% to 40%. The ability to transfer a deceased spouse’s unused exemption amount to increase the surviving spouse’s amount was made permanent. ❱❱ Some provisions including marriage penalty relief, liberalized child and dependent care credit rules and enhancements for student loan deductions were made permanent. ❱❱ The American Opportunity Tax Credit for qualified higher education tuition and other expenses was extended until December 31, 2018. ❱❱ Provisions including the deduction for qualifying expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers and the deduction for qualified tuition and related expenses, both of which can be used even if you don’t itemize, have been extended until December 31, 2013. ❱❱ Enhanced expensing of certain property purchased for use in the active conduct of a trade or business is extended until December 31, 2013. ❱❱ 50% Bonus Depreciation is now available for use until December 31, 2013 and in some cases until the end of 2014.

For more details, consult with your tax professional and visit www.cpaforbusiness.com. I wish everyone a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year.

PRHtech

Tips for Creating High-Tech Traditions

by Daniel P. Olivieri, III

M

oving forward into 2013, technology has almost become a part of the family with iPhones, iPads and laptops accompanying us to work, school and home. Often these gadgets can turn socializing into a form of isolation and solitude but it doesn’t have to be that way. Whether you’re a gamer, compulsive Tweeter or Facebook socialite, you can easily transform these high-tech hobbies into high-tech family traditions.

Road trips have long been a tradition in most families. Setting out to visit a long distance relative doesn’t seem so practical anymore with the advent of Skype and Google+ Hangouts. You can share a meal, watch a movie or even have the kids catch up with Grandma and Grandpa. Checking in with loved ones can be as simple as setting up the web camera and enjoying the family dynamic online with everyone together at once across time zones and continents.

Speaking of parents, recent studies indicate that most people who blog are parents. Blogging together with the family can be a great way to spend time together. Sharing stories, photographs and home movies collaboratively on a fam-

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ily blog can be a wonderful new tradition. It could potentially stimulate other extracurricular activities while creating shared duties and also help keep non-tech savvy parents in the loop with what kids are learning. A website or blog can encourage the whole family to work as a team towards a collective goal while bonding over a new tradition.

Active families may want to consider stepping away from behind the keyboard and investing in a modern gaming system. These days, being a gamer no longer carries a lazy or sedentary connotation. For instance, high-tech gadgets like the Nintendo Wii, Playstation Move and XBOX Kinect all offer copious amounts of physical activity or fitness which can be fun for the whole family. Creating healthy competition between family members is also entertaining and a great bonding experience.

Chances are that you probably have a techie in your family. Encourage this family memberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s passion for technology and innovation. Spend some time with and get behind the aspiring mind(s) or techie(s) in your household by creating some of these high-tech traditions that can be exciting for the whole family. prh

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by David W. Cava

Joseph P. Badolato D.O. Board Certified General Practice

PRH Writers Block

Love Thanksgiving &

1818 E. Passyunk Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19148 215-468-2553 Fax 215-468-1096 Hours by Appointment

“Behind every great man there’s a great woman.” Wondering who coined the phrase, I went right to Google. I shudder to think where we’d be if Al Gore failed to invent the Internet.

In the 30 seconds I devoted to the task, I didn’t find anything definitive. Often referenced was the story of a college quarterback by the name of Meryll Frost. After accepting an award for being the most courageous athlete of 1945, Frost commented, ‘While I’m not a great man, there’s a great woman behind me.’ There are some tremendous egos out there (Mr. Gore’s Internet thingy was pretty special), but these phrases give credit to loved ones who provide the supporting fuel that fires the achiever in all of us. I find this significant as it points out that we can’t do it alone.

I met Moira in the student union building at La Salle University in the winter of 1985. A mutual friend introduced us and a few weeks later, we went on our first date. I was a dopey kid from Philly and she was a sophisticated girl from Jersey. We officially started dating on April 30th of that same year. Boyfriend and girlfriend quickly became inseparable best friends. We laughed, graduated college, got jobs, bought a rowhome, got married, sold the rowhome, bought a house, had children, laughed some more, and this past November, celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary. Tempus Fugit - When you’re having Fun is the title of the book I’m writing about our life together. If you haven’t guessed, 74

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it’s a love story. The first couple of chapters wrote themselves, but I’m having some difficulty finding the right words to express how dearly I cherish my wife and our life together.

We bought our first home in the summer of 1992 and started fixing it up right away.

Imagine my surprise when Moira told me that she wanted to invite both our families over for Thanksgiving dinner. At first I didn’t think it was such a good idea. We were really busy and having 21 guests for a dinner with all the trimmings was a lot to take on. The fact that Thanksgiving was two days before our wedding day was outright insanity. But I figured that if she was willing to marry me, she liked a challenge. Six days before our anniversary, Moira hosted our 21st Thanksgiving dinner, continuing a tradition that kicks off the holiday season. A tradition that is sure to continue for many years to come.

I remember watching my future bride working in our tiny kitchen together with her mom and future mother-in-law, and thinking how lucky I was. I knew back then that I’d probably never achieve “greatness” by any worldly standard.

But over these last 20 years, my wife Moria has been in front of me - leading the way; next to me - walking hand-in-hand; and behind me - pushing me forward. prh

Chad Shank (215) 952-8750

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PRHGreen

Sp ce

Memories of early mornings on special occasions still carry the wafting smell of mum’s breakfast casserole. It would bake while we opened Christmas gifts, bubble while we searched for Easter eggs and melt while we unwrapped birthday presents. Sometimes we could convince Mum to make it on just a regular Saturday because we were craving comfort food. Mum had her hands full with all my siblings (four kids in five years?

Yikes!) and she quickly learned that nothing kept the din in the station wagon calmer and quieter than setting out for the day with four little kids still licking their lips from her yummy, hearty breakfast casserole. It’s a make ahead, “set it and forget it” kind of treat that feeds a small army (your family!) and keeps kids AND adults full and happy for hours. I now make it for my brunch guests and they, too, leave satisfied. Formally known as “The Wifesaver,” this delightful mix of all things breakfast -- from the bread to the Canadian back bacon to the eggs and cheese -- sets the scene for some of the most wonderful events of my young life. And now, with a couple of my own revisions and additions, my family is waking up on their special days to the smell of this casserole, too.

Mum’s Breakfast Casserole ❱ 16 slices bread, crusts removed ❱ 16 slices cooked Canadian back bacon or ham ❱ 16 slices American or Cheddar cheese ❱ 6 eggs ❱ Salt and pepper to taste ❱ 3 cups milk, whole or low-fat (or use heavy cream for a super extravagant creamy casserole!) ❱ 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce ❱ Dash of Tabasco or hot sauce ❱ 1/4 cup minced onion or leeks ❱ 1/4 pound butter ❱ 1 cup crushed cornflakes or Special K Grease a 9 x 13 glass baking pan. Layer 8 pieces of bread, covering bottom of pan, then cover with a layer of bacon, a layer of cheese, layer with remaining 8 slices of bread. You’ll have 8 sandwiches. In a bowl, beat eggs, salt and pepper. Stir in milk, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce and onions. Pour over the sandwiches, cover and let stand overnight in refrigerator. In the morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees, melt butter, pour over top, cover with cornflakes and bake for an hour. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

From our family to yours.

The taste of tradition photos by Kelli Dease Photography

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Give green cocktails a shot

by Kerri-Lee MAYLAND

Who says a cocktail can’t be good for you and the environment, too?

Cocktail parties with a featured “theme” drink are so much fun! The mood is set at first sip.

But did you know (buzz kill alert) that your favorite cocktails can be full of dangerous dyes, sulphites, chemicals and pesticides? I was buying spirits for a Brunch with friends recently and searching the aisles for the “bang” that would go best with the Bloody Marys when I noticed some “Organic Vodka.” I had an Oprah “Aha!” moment. Organic eating has become the rage. Why not try drinking that way, too? But how?

Time to google it.

I learned that organic cocktails are a growing trend from San Francisco to New York City to Philadelphia. New York’s Barclay Hotel harvests its own honey on the rooftop and uses the sweet nectar in its restaurant and bar. I hear their Honey Drop Martini is amazing and features purely organic ingredients, including a piece of honeycomb on the bottom of the glass.

Root liquor, a Philly creation, is 100 percent organic and bottled by the makers of Hendricks Gin and Sailor Jerry’s Rum. If you think organic liquor will be hard to find, not so! Many State Liquor stores throughout Pennsylvania offer an organic line.

Tempted to taste but rather sip before you’re sold?

I searched out some organic cocktail menus in Philly for you to try. Fare, White Dog Cafe, The Standard Tap, Positano Coast and Earth Bread and Brewery all serve organic elements at their bars and got some good reviews from organic drinking snobs (a good sign).

Ready to give organic imbibing a shot? It’s winter, after-all, and we have to stay warm, somehow! But before we get YOU mixing, shaking and serving, we have to set up your bar.

First: Stock your bar Check out all the yummy (green) recipes for all occasions in Paul Abercrombie’s book Organic Shaken and Stirred.

Grow your mint on your kitchen windowsill for your Eco-Mojito. No pesticides and the green stays in your wallet, too!

Lemons and limes are easily found at your favorite organic grocery store.

Keep your spirit choices local. Several organic vodkas and a few gins are made domestically. I even found organic whiskey!

If you need to stock up on new glassware, find some made of recycled glass.

Now: Mix a drink!

Eco-Mojito (AKA the Acai Mojito)

Ingredients ❱ 2 ounces VeeV Acai Spirit ❱ 3/4 ounces agave nectar ❱ 4 lime wedges ❱ 6 mint leaves ❱ Club soda Tear mint leaves and drop into shaker. Shake all ingredients with ice and transfer into a rock glass. Top with club soda and stir well.

Finally: Sip! Relax and take the edge off knowing you are doing the world around you just a little bit of good (insert sound of clinking ice cubes) one organic cocktail at a time.

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â&#x20AC;&#x2030;PRHfashion

Sexy and the

City

photo by Phil Kramer Bridals by Danielle 203 S. 13th St. Philadelphia PA 19107 215.267.9500 phillybride@comcast.net

Prom 2013 steals center stage

Cedrone’s Flowers Any Occasion. Every Day.

by Alicia DeLeo & Phyllis Palermo

 A few of our

favorite things

The holidays have settled down and the New Year’s Eve parties have come to a close. Here at Philadelphia RowHome Magazine, your fashion gurus cannot wait for trends to bloom this spring. But first, we have to keep our spirits up during this cold winter season. Let us get you through the winter blues with a few of our favorite things.

 A luncheon at

Bergdorf Goodman

For Phyllis, it’s not breakfast at Tiffany’s, but lunch at Bergdorf Goodman that kicked the season into high gear— exquisite fine dining with her friends on the Sex and the City tour through NYC. “People gathered like it was New Year’s Eve, dressed in high­end fashions, full of laughter”, Phyllis shares of her recent outing. “Small children ran around in Baby Dior and Gucci with their perfectly-fashioned mothers in tow.

The evening gowns and cocktail frocks were world-renowned and the shoe salon was filled with Cinderella’s lost slippers. If you’re looking for a pick-me-up, book your tour today.

You won’t be disappointed!”

 The trends

between seasons

Is your wardrobe stuck between last spring and fall? Before you stock your closet, you may want to save your budget for some fresh fashions that are just around the corner. Beat the winter slump with a few pick-me-ups that are sure to lift your spirits this season!

 A manicure will give you a polished look.

There are so many new trends in nail colors and accents, you can take your look from office to a night out on the town with the perfect

hues for you. Deep jewel tones and neon brights are all the rage. Don’t be afraid to get artsy with graphic designs and animal prints. Or embellish your nails with jewels and glitter.

Ask your stylist to recommend the perfect color to suit your personality.

 Go big or go home.

Costume jewelry, handbags, hats and a host of accessories will accentuate your style this season. Stand out when the rest of the world hibernates.

Dig out that extra large handbag from your top shelf. Check your jewelry box for sparkling earrings and bracelets. Layer your necklaces or mix and match your extra large rings. Love faux fur? Glam up a coat or vest with your favorite fedora.

Remember your Valentine!

800 Lombard Street Washington Square West Philadelphia, PA 19147 PH: 215. 629.9858 CELL: 215.990.7812 Email: jaz349@comcast.net

 Prom 2013: A look ahead

Nothing is more exciting than shopping for the Prom. We checked in with designer DINA BAR-EL for a closer look at the trends that will turn every young woman into a Prom Queen in 2013.

 Bold, solid shades are making a big splash this season.

Royal Blue. Shimmering Yellow. Sparkling Champagne.

Mermaid Coral. Sinful Black.

 Show some skin.

Focus on the details that accentuate your assets. Sleeveless. One shoulder. Off-the-shoulder. Criss-Cross straps. Feel extra daring? Go backless!

 Pop Princess.

Shine in sequins head to toe. Or pick a knee-length tulle skirt for a modern day pop princess. prh

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â&#x20AC;&#x2030;PRHfashion

Suit Up Prom 2013: The Choice is yours

by Jennifer Barkowitz

From tuxes to suits, shoes, ties

and in-between, you want to stand out on your big night. While all eyes are on the Prom Queens, guys in tuxes are making their own statement with style, color and more options than ever. Tux or suit? The choice is yours. When in doubt, try both. What feels and looks best on you?

â?&#x161; Formally Speaking

The Twilight Tuxedo in steel gray has satin lapels and pockets and is as sleek as it is show-stopping. The White Mirage Tuxedo is another popular trend for 2013. With its contemporary mandarin collar, the jacket has no buttons and is meant to be worn opened. Wear it with white or black trousers. Accessorize with shiny tie and black shirt for an edgy look. Skip the boutonniere in lieu of a faux black flower.

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❚ All About Color

One trend that has withstood the test of time is wearing something that matches your date’s dress. Know her colors before you go shopping, says Lisa Rudi of Rudi’s Formal Wear, a family-owned shop that’s been keeping up with trends for more than 30 years. With more than 1,000 colors from which to choose, Rudi’s will make sure you’re a perfect match. Still in doubt? Tell her to snap a shot of her dress with her Iphone or bring along a swatch of her material.

❚ Tie-Optional

Although colorful bow ties are making a strong comeback, neckties are still a popular pick. Not sure? Choose your tie based on the Prom venue. In the school gym?

Go for a less formal necktie. At a fancy hotel or trendy caterer? The bow tie speaks volumes.

❚ Stand Out in the Crowd

Make that bow tie, vest and handkerchief a bright color that coordinates with your date’s dress. Add some bright patterned socks for that hint of rebellion.

Rudi’s Formal Wear is offering $40 off tux rental this Prom season. Just mention you read it in RowHome!

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Anyone who Lives, Works, Worships or Studies in Philadelphia can

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ESSENTIAL PERSONNEL

CRUISE

PRHon the corner SM

Last fall, as our region prepared for the arrival of Hurricane Sandy, newscasters up and down the East Coast kicked around buzz terms quicker than storm warning flags blowing in the wind. The catch phrases were familiar but viewers knew this event was serious. More than just talking heads on extended TV news programs tossing innuendo into the airwaves. This time it was real. Our homes and our vacation destinations were under attack. As Mother Nature bore down on the Mid-Atlantic Region, a two-week series of unexpected events helped me define my particular worth as some would say... essential personnel.

I guess sitting smack dab in the middle of a cone of uncertainty may be mystical to some, however, reality dictated preparedness and anticipation. But just what were we prepared to anticipate?

Regardless, on the business side, a major convention of estheticians left Philadelphia quicker than a swift tweezer pluck of a rogue eyebrow. More than a million dollars of freight, staging and audio visual equipment remained behind along with a few brave and worthy souls who were willing to stand vigil in the desolation of the Pennsylvania Convention Center. The experience spoke volumes to the value of each team member.

These were honest, hard-working event staff providing for their family by their want to work. They did so with pride, doing what they were hired to do, no matter the conditions outside the glass atriums.

During one of those shifts of relative tranquility, I was peering out onto the rain swept streets of center city when I saw what appeared to be a mother in a hotel housekeeper’s uniform tightly clutching a bundled toddler donned all in pink winter gear.

Even from three stories above, the sense of guardianship and responsibility was remarkably clear as they walked into the headwinds that were taking aim at their labored yet brisk pace. For some reason, this vision struck a deep cord of emotions within me. Machismo allowed me to shrug it off to mental and physical exhaustion. But, just days after Sandy’s un-welcomed visit, when life was supposed to return to “normal,” storm clouds kicked up yet again.

On a glorious fall Saturday, in what should have been a celebration of scholastic athletics, something horrific occurred during the 126th Annual Penn Charter - Germantown Academy Day. Something so contrary to the spirit of competition and the boundaries of decency that it’s hard to believe it wasn’t the worst of nightmares. Playing the beautiful game of soccer, turning in a

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ON THE CORNER with Mark Casasanto

MVP type performance in front of hundreds of energized spectators, my daughter was recklessly injured by an obviously misguided opponent. As an ambulance rushed her off into her own cone of uncertainty, her brazen opponent laughed and smirked with her teammates. There I stood, asking myself ‘How can you prepare for such a blatant disregard of the rules of sportsmanship?’ The answer was clear. You can’t.

Life is put into succinct perspective when something tragic occurs. Even more so when it involves a child... your child. I guess there’s a certain oneness eating cafeteria food out of styrofoam containers, bedside in a hospital room occupied by your daughter, her friends and every extended family member imaginable. Strength in numbers, perhaps. But when everyone went home, it was mommy and daughter, daddy and son, alone for the night. When the horrific replay looped over and over, and the attempt to answer the endless questions of ‘why’ and the thoughts of ‘what will be’ would not allow inner peace, the vision of the mother and child walking through the storm outside the Convention Center suddenly soothed my troubled mind.

When the dark clouds roll in, know who you are, know where you need to be and know with whom you need to be with. You are, after all, essential personnel. prh

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Wildwood Memories

Thank you Grandmom

by Susan Fulginiti Schmidt ‘You look Lit.’ My dad can usually call it when I’ve had a couple of drinks and these were his first words when I walked into the kitchen through the backdoor down the shore with my luggage. And of course he knows when I have been drinking.

God knows there have been plenty of times. And I like to share with my parents. 3 AM phone calls from college and the like. One time (in band camp) I had such a good time, I felt the need to ring the front doorbell in the wee hours of the morning to gather their attention and regale them with the evening’s adventures.

But this time, sorry dear old dad, you were wrong. There was no drinking involved.

I was born in July and was down the shore in August. For the past 39 years, I have not missed a summer at the shore. Some of those summers have been lean, like the years I was living in Atlanta and then pounding pavements in NYC during the heat waves. There may have been only one or two nights in those days, but there was never a year in all my 39 that I haven’t crossed that bridge.

The bridge has its own history. In the early days, it was a rickety two-lane wooden number. You could see the boards pop up and rumble from the weight of the car going across in front of you. Then there was the drawbridge where you could potentially sit for an hour in the Green Hornet car with no air conditioning. A couple of times, my dad sent the kids ahead on their bikes while he sat in traffic in the Eldorado convertible. Once we made it onto the island, my grandmother loved to hear the stories of the traffic and the bridge. ‘Grandmom, it was bumper to bumper all the way down!’

Now it is a new fandangled bridge. A large concrete job, high enough for the ships to cross under. And while we miss the rickety old wooden model, the anticipation of that bridge remains the same. It starts with Exit 6 off the Parkway. You go slow around the curve as it sneaks up on you. Pass the rundown motels and some of the leftover fishing shacks and there

it is. The bridge, sitting high over the marsh. The smell of the bay, the Ferris Wheel in the distance, Ocean to the left. Past the egret’s nest on the long road coming home to the shore.

This one particular passing was special. I was alone. I could blare the radio loud with the perfect song and throw down both windows and sing at the top of my lungs until my ears were ringing. The future will bring with it baby car seats, lullabies and cars loaded with baggage and bicycles. Windows will be required to be in the full and upright position, air conditioning firmly in place.

But not this time. This time, it was just me. A rental car. The perfect song and the smell of the bay. I slowed down to make it last forever.

The smile from ear to ear continued as the rest of the hours were as good as the first. I rode my bike to the beach. Fell asleep while still conscious enough to hear the ocean. I stayed on the beach until 7:30 PM to see the lifeguard races and watch my beach chair throw long shadows from the setting sun. I laughed with my family until I cried. I found some old friends, made some new ones. Took some runs on the seawall and sat on the beach for hours. I come here every year to reconnect. To plug in and fill up.

Wildwood is a special, special place. It is quite possibly my favorite place in the whole world (and I consider myself a fairly well-travelled person). This is not a place where you walk away feeling you are not enough, that you have to work harder and be more and have more. This

is not a place of haves and have nots. There are no McMansions built on the ocean, no private beach or ‘No Access’ signs. There are no expensive parking lots or reservations that you can’t get. There is plenty of time for pretentiousness in the city. Leave those on the Parkway. When you cross that bridge, just come as you are.

“Wildwood is a special, special place. It is quite possibly my favorite place in the whole world” All of our North Wildwood inhabitants enjoy the beach block on our bikes and the sea wall is our communal gathering place. You wave good morning to everyone as you sip your tea. And for that moment, we are all equals, all enjoying the same intoxicating magnetism of the shore regardless of what you have and where you came from.

And as communal is our beach, it is the same for our homes. In true Jersey Shore style, we all live on top of one another. I know my neighbor wears striped underwear, the secret revealed by the clothesline. And I’ve had my full share of conver-

sations across the fence in the yard in my towel.

We have a Boardwalk with rides that rival Six Flags, legit fireworks every Friday night and seagulls that will steal a bagel or ham and cheese sandwich right out of your hand mid-bite. We have the Soul Cruisers, the Chatterband, Westy’s, Keenan’s and Claude’s. We have Bob the bartender at Flip Flopz and so many stories to tell from Summer 2004, it would make a rock star blush.

We now have a new generation in our house at 240 East 10th street. Our house with the donkey pulling the cart and a statue of St. Francis on the front lawn and the Blessed Mother (who replaced the praying hands) in the window. We have new additions to the family who will celebrate their birthdays in the backyard, come to crave the clanging sounds of the front gate, and who will cry every time they have to leave the shore.

When my cousin was born 44 years ago, our Grandmom bought a shore house. She bought it so that the family would always be together. This morning was my birthday. I rode my bike on the Boardwalk with my dad all the way to the Crest and back. We grabbed a tea at WaWa and sat on the rocks at 2nd Street to see my mom. We walked on the beach to 10th street and on our way back to our bikes, I ran into that ocean with abandon, dove into a wave and I swear, I heard the angels singing. So thank you, Grandmom. And yes dad, I guess you were right. I was absolutely, posiprh tively, lit up...from the inside, with joy.

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PRH Writers Block

Fridays, Hot Dogs & the Road to Hell! an excerpt from Waiting for the 32, A Memoir by Bob Russo

Vincent Gangemi Funeral Home, Inc.

James L. Guercio Funeral Director

Ann Gangemi Secretary/Treasurer

Vincent C. Gangemi, Jr. Supervisor

Serving the Community Since 1937 Vincent Gangemi Sr., Founder Vincent C. Gangemi Jr., Supervisor

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P: 215.467.3838 F: 215.551.4247 gohomephilly.com

I find myself thinking a lot about heaven and hell, lately. My friends tell me it’s because of my age but I’m sure that’s just part of it. You see, I’ve been thinking about heaven and hell for a long time. First, some background. I was raised Catholic. No, let me reword that. I was raised CATHOLIC. What that means is that for the first eight years of my education I was taught by the Immaculate Heart of Mary, an order of teaching nuns. Then four years of High School by the Norbertine Fathers, a teaching order of Catholic priests. Added to that, I spent six years in an all-boy choir. I also lived across the street from the church and school. So every Sunday, my mother stood at the door and watched as I slowly climbed the steps of the church for Mass, knowing that Sister Regina Mary was waiting for me on the other side of the door. (No Way Out.) While my buddies (who skipped Mass) were smoking cigarettes and sharing Cokes at Tony’s (we all drank from the same bottle), I was chomping on dry wafers and mumbling pious sounds that we had memorized all that week in school. To this day, if someone says “Dominus Vobiscum,” and in a Pavlovian voice, I reply, “ET CUM SPIRITU TUO”.

(I realize that the odds of this actually happening are

miniscule, but nevertheless, I’m ready.)

(By the way, that Et Cum Spiritu stuff is Latin, no namby-pamby Mass in English for us.) (No Way Out.) I was constantly being reminded of heaven and hell. Dying with a mortal sin on my soul before I could get to confession, which was only held on Saturdays, meant you would burn in hell. Or as Sister St. Thaddeus liked to say, “You will burn in Hell forever and a day.” (I will pause here for the non-Catholics.

If none of this makes any sense to you, it didn’t make any sense to us, either. Just play along.) Now, one of the most serious sins a ten-year-old could commit was to eat meat on Friday. (Didn’t I just ask you to play along?) So naturally, I was not interested in meat on any day except Friday. Friday was pay day from my paper route and my route ended in front of a little restaurant we called “The Greek’s.” Its real name was Texas Wieners, but “The Greek’s” was what everyone called the place. There you could get the best, gookiest, hot dogs known to man. I think about the health laws we are so aware of today and I shudder.

Back-in-the-day, you could never see into the store from outside because of the grease spots on the windows. Sometimes there were two round spots, like port holes, scraped off by the cook to see if it was raining. The cook laid seven or eight hot dogs on buns, without tops, on his forearm and lathered each dog with mustard, relish, onions and special “gook.”

A hot dog, with the “works” at the Greek’s was always great but on a Friday it was literally an occasion of sin. I had to have two. I would have had three but who had seventy-five cents? On Fridays the onions were crisper, the dogs were juicier & the special gook was gookier. (I never asked what it was.) The whole time I had one eye on the door expecting that at any minute (a flock? a bevy? a habit?) of nuns would come storming in, yardsticks in hand, blocking the door. (No Way Out.) When that didn’t happen, I had to be extra careful crossing the street on the way home. I had to make it through Friday night and half of Saturday before I could get to confession. Get hit buy a bus and you bought yourself a one way ticket to you know where.

Not to mention the dirty underwear. (That’s another story for another chapter.)

So, I’ve been thinking about Heaven and Hell for a long time. I’ve even tried to negotiate my position with God. (talk about your one-way conversation.)

Hell for ETERNITY and a day! All that heat and as Elaine Benes observed, “The raggedy clothes, God, the raggedy clothes.” Then about twenty years ago, the Catholic Church changed the laws and allowed eating meat on Fridays and that it was no longer a mortal sin! I never did hear if the new rule was retroactive. (Maybe there WAS a Way Out!) Last week, on a Friday, I stopped at the Greek’s. There were two priests, sitting at the counter, having two dogs with the works. GEEZ. Give me the good old days and that old-time religion. prh Bob Russo is a 35-year veteran of the Radio & Record Business. His new book, Waiting for the 32, is available on Amazon.com or Visit www.

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PRHstudent WRITERS block

Holiday ROWHOME memories MAGAZINE last a long time

PHILADELPHIA

by Marialena Rago

T

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he holidays are all about tradition. Some are big like going to a soup kitchen on Christmas Eve. Others are small, but have a major place in your memory. My family has small traditions. Nevertheless, they are ours and have a special place in my heart.

It starts at midnight on Christmas morning. No matter how old I get, I can never sleep. I usually stare at the clock all night long. When it gets to a reasonable time (around seven o’clock in the morning), I go over to my brother’s room to wake him up. Together, we walk downstairs to wake up our parents. Their wake up call is me and my brother jumping up and down on their bed screaming, “WAKE UP! IT IS CHRISTMAS!” When they are finally up and out of bed, we get into our special line. Our line starts with my dad, then me, my brother and lastly, my mom. We slowly walk down the stairs together and once my dad can see the tree, he stops us and says, ‘Well, it looks like Santa missed our house.’ We know he is lying, but we cannot help but to push past him and make a run for our tree.

The next hour or so is spent giving and opening presents. After that, my mom and dad usually go back to bed for a little while and leave my brother and me to play with our new presents. Around nine, my Nana Jean comes over. Christmas is her birthday, so we try to make it very special.

She and my uncle bring over Stocks pound cake and other morning pastries. We show her what Santa brought us and then she gives us our gifts.

They stay for an hour or so and then leave to get ready for Christmas dinner back at our house.

Christmas dinner is my favorite. My whole family comes over and my mom sets a tent up in the backyard so we could fit. My family is pretty big, so our house would not hold all of us. Not to mention the amount of food. Christmas is one of the times that my whole family gets together and that is why I love it. The holidays are times for family, love and traditions. No matter how many traditions or the size of them, they are all special. prh Here is one of my favorite family recipes

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Arancini (Rice Balls) Ingredients ➜ 2 eggs ➜ 2 cups of freshly made rice ➜ 4 oz. Mozzarella cheese cut in ½ cubes ➜ 1 cup grated cheese ➜ ¼ cup of frozen peas ➜ ¾pankco breadcrumbs ➜ Vegetable oil for frying Directions Beat the eggs lightly with a fork. Add rice, grated cheese and peas and stir gently.

Let cool. Scoop up 1 tablespoon of the mixture. Place a cube of Mozzarella cheese in the middle and top with another spoon of rice and peas. Press into ball shape. Roll in pankco and place on wax paper. Shape the other balls.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes Heat oil in frying pan. Fry balls until golden brown. Transfer to a baking dish. They may be kept warm in oven for 10 minutes. Serve!

PRHSCHOOLYARD

The Neumann Southern Game A football tradition photos

by Maria Merlino

I

f you grew up in South Philly, Thanksgiving morning meant two things. Setting up the card tables where the kids sat for the big family dinner and heading out early to the Neumann-Southern game to get a decent seat in the bleachers. These rival teams first met on the field in 1934, the same year that Southeast Catholic (which later became Bishop (then St.) John Neumann) opened its doors as the only allboys Archdiocesan high school in South Philadelphia. Southern beat Neumann 26-0 in that first match but through the years, the Neumann Saints have dominated on the field, besting South Philadelphia (Southern) High’s Rams 55 games to 19 (3 ties). But 78 years later, this match has become a tradition for thousands of fans who’ve turned this time-honored Turkey Bowl into one of the city’s most notable football feuds. This year’s score? The Saints beat the Rams 21-12.

1_ Ronnie Spano (Neumann Class of ’77), Daryl Nelson (Neumann Class of ‘88) reminisce about Nelson’s 337-yard game on Thanksgiving Day 1987. Together with brother Lenny(Neumann Class of ‘83), the Nelsons hold the record for most rushing touchdowns in the school’s history.

Lenny’s wife Beverly and Daryl’s daughter Shivani join them.

2_ Southern Championship player (Basketball & Baseball) Al Bauer (Class of ’86), from Mummer’s Bryson’s Brigade and IBEW Local 98’s Eddie “Gootch” Bryson (Neumann Class of ’84) join Southern Hall of Famer Ken Adams 3_ Ron Cubbage (Neumann Class of ’60), Bill Kennedy (first graduating class (‘79) of of St. John Neumann), Ray DeJohn (Neumann Class of ’60), Howard Jenkins (Neumann Class of ’68), Football player Ray De John (Neumann Class of ’95), Football player Steven Renzi (Neumann Class of ’91), MVP Michael Gargano (Neumann Class of ‘95) 4_ John Albano III (Neumann Class of ’90) and his dad John Albano Jr. (Southern Class of ’68) 5_ Retired Philadelphia Police Officer Joe Black Sr.(Neumann Class of ‘67) with son Sgt. Joe Black Jr. 6_ Paul Martinelli (Neumann Class of ’63), Jim Mulvahill (Neumann Class of ’60), Admiral Jim Eastwood (NeumanClass of ’63), Gene Delaney (Neuman Class of ’60) enjoy the Thanksgiving Day tradition 7_ Rams MVP #33 Running Back Wayne Brunson & Saints MVP #7 Sharif Custis 8_ District of PA First Judicial Warrant Unit Sgt. Joe Black (Neumann Class of ’89) meets Bench Warrant Court Judge Joe Waters (Neumann Class of ’71) during half-time 9_ Former MVP Joe Jaep, Neumann-Goretti Saints #6 Jamal Custin, NG President John Murawski (Neumann Class of ‘95) & Ed McBride (Southeast Catholic Class of ’55) 10_ Southern Athletic Hall of Famer Ken Adams with cousin Letty Santarelli, N-G Girls Varsity Basketball Coach; Bill Latta, Ed McBride, Pat DiPilla, John Savarese (Neumann Class of ’65) 11_ Southern Rams Coach Scott Pitzner, Rams MVP #33 Running Back Wayne Brunson, Neumann-Goretti Saints MVP #7 Sharif Custis, Neumann-Goretti Coach C.J. Szydlik, United Savings Bank VP Ron Perricone

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Hours of Operation Monday thru Thursday: 11 - 9 Friday and Saturday: 11 - 10 Sunday: 3 - 8

Things you should know about Philly 1.

2.

Founded by William Penn in 1682

3.

Philadelphia means ‘City of Brotherly Love’ in Greek

4.

Declared a city by charter in 1701 with 2,500 residents

5.

Fairmount Park is the largest city park with more than 8,000 acres

6.

Elfreth’s Alley is one of the oldest continuously inhabited residential streets in the U.S., dating to 1702

7.

Served as the U.S. Capital from 17901800 before moving to Washington, DC

8.

Made up of 12 neighborhoods: Center City, South Philadelphia, Kensington, Southwest Philadelphia, West Philadelphia Germantown/ Chestnut Hill, Olney/Oak Lane, Northeast Philadelphia, Far Northeast Philadelphia, Upper North Philadelphia, Lower North Philadelphia & Roxborough/Manayunk

9.

The highest point above sea level is 445 feet (Chestnut Hill)

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Population: 1,536,471 (July 2011 Census)

10. Known for the valley where the

Delaware River flows and the states that border it: PA,NJ,MD, DE

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PRHthe menu

courtesy of Joan Baldi on behalf of Baldi Funeral Home

Genovese Sauce Ingredients: ➜ 1 prosciutto bone or any meat bone of your choice ➜ 3 large carrots, finely chopped ➜ 3 large rib celery stalks, finely chopped ➜ 3 bay leaves ➜ 2 tablespoons of salt or to taste ➜ 8 cups of liquid, can be a combination of low-sodium chicken broth, stock, and water ➜ 4 onions, peeled and sliced thinly through the root end (set cutting board on stove and turn on the fan to prevent crying) ➜ 4 cloves garlic, chopped ➜ 4 1/2 pounds of ground veal or a combination of veal/beef/pork ➜ 3 tablespoons light olive oil ➜ 1 cup flour ➜ Additional salt, black pepper or red pepper to taste ➜ 1 can beef consume (optional) ➜ Grated Pecorino or Parmigiano cheese Directions: Start this recipe early in the day. Add olive oil to a large soup pot and heat. Add the bone and sauté until browned on all sides. Add all the liquid and bring up to a simmer. Add onions, celery, carrots and bay leaves, blend by stirring together 5-7 minutes. In a separate pot, add olive oil, chopped garlic and the ground meat. Cook until meat is brown. Add to the soup pot. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and allow to simmer on low for at least 2 hours. You can either put in the refrigerator overnight to allow for gelling or continue. At this point you can remove bone and bay leaves.

Once all the ingredients have come together, add a can of beef consume to add thickness or use a sifter and add flour until thickened. The consistency should be semi-thick. When adding flour to the sauce stir continuously at the same time to avoid clumps. Pour sauce over perciatelli or whichever pasta you desire, top with grated cheese. ✻

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Brought to you by Lombardi’s Prime Meats

Braciole Ingredients: ½➜ cup Italian style bread crumbs ➜ 1 clove garlic, minced ➜ 2/3 cup pecorino cheese, grated ➜ 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated ➜ 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves ➜ 4 tablespoons olive oil ➜ 1 (1 ½pound) flank steak ➜ Salt and pepper to taste ➜ 1 cup dry white wine ➜ 3 ¼ cups marinara sauce, homemade or good quality commercial Directions: Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, stir together bread crumbs, garlic, cheeses and parsley. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over mixture and stir again. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Lay flank steak on flat surface and cover evenly with the breadcrumb mixture. Starting at short end, roll flank steak like a jelly roll. Filling should be enclosed completely. Using butcher’s twine, tie the braciole to secure. You can also use toothpicks to secure instead of twine.

Season outside with salt and pepper. In a large oven proof skillet, heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Brown the braciole on all sides. This should take about 8 minutes. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Stir in marinara sauce. Partially cover skillet with foil and bake for 1 ½ hours, turning every 30 minutes and basting with sauce. For the last 30 minutes, uncover and continue baking. Remove meat to a serving plate and slice on the diagonal into ½ inch thick slices.

Spoon sauce over all and serve. ✻

courtesy of Stolfo Funeral Home

Colonial Turkey Pot Pie Ingredients: ➜ 1 tablespoon canola oil ➜ 1/2 cup diced sweet onion ➜ 1/2 cup diced celery ➜ 1/2 cup diced carrots ➜ 1/3 cup dry white wine ➜ 1 cup turkey stock ➜ 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed ➜ 1/2 cup cleaned & sliced button mushrooms ➜ 1/2 cup diced red-skinned potatoes ➜ 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves ➜ 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh garlic ➜ 1/2 cup heavy cream ➜ salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste ➜ 1 pound cooked turkey, shredded ➜ 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened ➜ 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour ➜ 1 10” x 15” sheet puff pastry, thawed and cut in rounds to fit ramekins or single serve ceramic or glass oven-proof bowls ➜ 1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon cold water Directions: Heat oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add onion, celery and carrots. Saute over medium heat for 3-5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add wine to deglaze pan, loosening any browned bits in the skillet. Add turkey stock, peas, mushrooms and potatoes. Bring to a boil over medium heat.

Add thyme, garlic and heavy cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil over high heat and stir in shredded turkey.

Bring back to a boil. Immediately reduce heat and gently simmer about 5 minutes, stirring often. Heat until ingredients are fully heated. In a small bowl, combine butter and

flour into a paste. Slowly stir butter-flour mixture into turkey mixture until it is combined and mixture is thickened.

Ladle turkey mixture into 8 ounce individual ramekins. Cover each with puff pastry circles, allowing a 1 inch overhang. Crimp pastry to edge of the bowl. Using a fork, gently prick pastry to allow steam to escape, being careful not to break the dough. Gently brush egg mixture over the surface of puff pastry.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 12-15 minutes, until pastry edges are brown.

Makes 4-5 servings. ✻

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PRESSED Picture this

by Dorette Rota Jackson

By Dorette Rota Jackson

I

t’s day 3 after Christmas and I have to get out of the house before I lose my mind.

I ate every cookie and peppermint bark I hid from myself in the veggie bin. Every room smells like smelts and hickory smoked ham. I resist the urge to dial my sister and invite her along. I’m not in the mood for company. But I wouldn’t mind being around other people. Somewhere I could push a shopping cart around and not feel obligated to fill it with anything. I head to IKEA. You get to see what your house would look like if you actually purchased the products displayed in those perfectly decorated, color-coordinated IKEA cubicles.

Beautiful bathrooms. Cozy kitchens. Comfy bedrooms. Closets.

Bunks. Fluffy rugs and ladybugs and candles galore.

I remember a time when we had to travel all the way to Plymouth Meeting for an IKEA outing. Now, there’s one right in our own backyard. It’s the perfect getaway on days like this. Very therapeutic.

But everyone knows that IKEA shopping is not for the frail. It’s like standing in a long line at the Log Flume. Forget about turning around and heading for the exit. IKEA traffic is one- way. Proceed to your destination. Stay the course. Face your fears. In IKEA, the yellow brick road eventually leads to the check-out counter.

I walk through the doors of the familiar navy blue & yellow ware96

| rowhome magazine

house. Past the friendly IKEA greeter who sits on a stool in the entry. I resist the urge to grab a big yellow shopping bag and wander through the Marketplace on the first floor. Too many gadgets to ponder. Tea Kettles and corkscrews, pots and pans, timers and tongs. No. Today is special.

I’m heading straight up the escalator to the home decor department. Decorated like an HGTV makeover. Imagine fitting a sofa, recliner, ottoman, bookcase, desk, entertainment center, storage baskets and a sheepskin rug in a space half the size of your living room! Kitchen cabinets and nooks and crannies put to the ultimate space-saving use! If only you knew someone who could assemble those pieces after you buy them! Most of the furniture in IKEA comes unassembled.

If you have to look at the picture on the box to build your bedroom suite, forget about it! There are no pretty pictures on IKEA boxes! They’re cardboard brown with little stick-figure sketches of what’s inside. The Swedes are smart. They don’t need pictures on boxes to build closets and bureaus. Sketches are good enough for them. Everyone knows that if you’re going to build what’s inside the box, you need to look at a fullcolor photo of the end result. Not sketches. Or instructions.

IKEA instructions? No pretty pictures on them either. Everything is written in black & white.

Literally. Sketches of screws and gohomephilly.com

wrenches and bolts and knobs needed to assemble your brand new computer station. Three hours and one nervous breakdown later, you realize that you put the desk together backward!

Now what? Maybe you can give it to your mother. Not too long ago, I bought an IKEA desk for the office. Portable. Compact. Easy to store. Until you lay out all of the parts on the floor and attempt to assemble it without looking at a picture on the box. I finally gave the last wing nut a twirl before realizing the bottom of the desk faced inward - where your legs would be if you were working at the computer.

‘I can’t believe you put that together backward,’ Dawn says as she turns up the sound on Rachael Ray’s chilean sea bass episode. ‘Where do all those screws belong?’ she asks as I whisk a dozen leftovers off the floor and toss them in the trash with the instructions. ‘You just wasted three hours on that thing,’ she nags. ‘I told you it was hard to do.’ I shoot her the ‘look.’ The killer glare you give people who are right only you don’t want to hear it. “Mommy can sit here,” I offer. “She’s small. Her legs will fit.” ‘A Munchkin couldn’t fit at that desk.’ She turns up the volume on Rachel Ray. ‘I’m gonna make this fish for dinner. Doesn’t it look fabulous?’

The next morning, I show my mother her new computer station.

She smiles suspiciously. ‘Slide your chair over. Let me know how

this new desk feels.’ My mother sits down. She slides her legs under the desktop. She barely gets her calves past the point of no return when I hear it. RIPPP. She tears her new tights on a wayward screw. ‘What kind of desk is this?

There’s no room for legs! Look, I ripped my new tights!’

Dawn smirks from the sidelines.

‘Dorette spent three hours putting that together for you. She got a good deal at IKEA.’’Well, you should bring it back,’ my mother suggests. ‘I think it’s a child’s desk. You need the next size.’ ‘No, it’s not a kid’s desk,’ I attempt to explain. ‘I think I put the bar at the bottom on wrong.’ ‘Wrong? The whole desk is wrong! Look! The tray for the keyboard slides out in the opposite direction!’ she demonstrates. Dawn’s still smirking.

‘Didn’t you follow the instructions?’

My mother sounds concerned.

“They made no sense to me,” I answer. “I figured how hard can it be to put this thing together?”

Silence.

As this memory of the ‘not-sodistant-past’ replays in my mind, I find myself in my favorite place in IKEA. The candle aisle. All colors and sizes in scents written in Scandinavian. I start sniffing. I find a lantern candleholder. A Bonsai plant. No assembly required. I feel renewed. Refreshed. Ready to face another day at the office. My new desk isn’t so bad if you slide one leg under it at a time. prh

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