Life These Days: Philadelphia Chinatown Food Tours

If you are reading this, you are probably very lost.

Fressa Girl was an adorable post college project that took me down a path in the food world that I could not have imagined at the time. It led me to years exploring Philadelphia and writing about it on Midtown Lunch Philly, and more recently, to create a food tour business, taking groups on food tours of Philadelphia's Chinatown, with a bit of food blogging to go alongside it.

Please join me at Philly Food Adventures!

Chic(ken)pea Salad

I bought some dried chickpeas and I had to figure out something to do with them that wasn't hummus.  I am over hummus. To get them ready for whatever evil plan I had for them, I first soaked the dried chickpeas overnight with kombu (a seaweed, it helps break down their enzymes).  Then boiled and drained them. I decided to make  a faux chicken/tuna salad. I mashed them slightly with the handblender with:

•  mayo- not too much, gross
•  fish sauce, chung king vinegar - to get it tasting meat like 
• garlic powder
• curry powder, ground dill, and chili powder - to get the flavors I like in chicken salad
• then add cut up sugar snap pea because I didn't have celery

I put it on toasted bread with some kale. Delicious, healthy, cheap. 

Pre-Made Polenta Can Be Nice

Precooked polenta can be found in the grains section of the grocery store for about $3. Slice, cover in tomato sauce, cheese, fresh basil if you have some, then bake.

It is a good substitute for lasagna. Polenta, even the pre made stuff, is lower in calories though higher in sodium compared to pasta. My blood pressure is low, so it works out for me.


It may not be super gourmet- but this makes a ton of food for cheap and it requires no prep. Don't judge me. 

I Can Craft: Shrink Plastic Chevron Tribal Necklace

I enjoy crafts as much as the next girl, but I am really bad at making straight lines and things like that. It is always a great feeling when I find a craft I can actually handle.

I just found out that you can make glass-like pendant jewelry out of shrinky dinks (I guess my mom deprived us as a child, because I don't remember ever playing with these) AND that shrinky dink material can be free! All you have to do is put on your best smile and ask your local deli for a sandwich box. It has to be the flimsy plastic kind that has the number 6 on it.




The possibilities are endless, people!


The Full Set of Supplies:
Set of 8 Sharpies - $8 from drugstore
Single hole punch- $1.50 from local dollar store
Ugly necklace whose chain I used- $1 from local dollar store
Stencil Set- $1.20 from local dollar store
Plastic Sandwich box- free
Scissors, Oven, Wax Paper- courtesy of my house 

Draw something cool on the flat part and color it, cut it out, punch holes, bake on wax paper in a preheated over for about 30 seconds and immediately flatten it down with a wet towel. I messed a few up by not flattening fast enough so I ended up sticking my hand in the oven to make sure I really flattened it before it hardened, but maybe I shouldn't do that....


The dollar store is key for keeping the cost down.  Once you get the basic supplies you can make so many necklaces; the only materials you will need to keep buying are the chains. Or you can really keep using the same chain, just adjusting the pendants you make on it. That means an endless supply of necklaces to match every outfit for about $10.

Best Carrots Ever

How about some more cheap vegetables that can be turned into something better: carrots. I found this recipe on Pinterest.

Slice, lightly cover in coconut oil and spices,  40 minutes in the oven at 450.

I sliced them with a knife which was a little tedious, but whatever. They key is the coconut oil (which has so many uses for kitchen and body- I am using it for my under eye wrinkles. I just wish I could open my jar without having to bang at it with a can opener every time).

Besides salt and pepper, I added chili powder, ginger,  and garlic powder to balance the sweetness from the coconut oil.

40 minutes is a long time to wait for a veg I typically eat raw, but so worth it.

P.S. Don't try this in the toaster oven. 

Best Fortune Cookie Ever

Choco Rolls

If you have access to Asian supermarkets- you need to see if they carry this (I went to the Viet Market on 12th and Washington Ave here in Philly). I picked up Choco Rolls on a whim, after all their motto is "what a sweet taste."  A box of 14 was about $4. Kudos to my impulse purchase. They are are like the better version of a KitKat- a roll of chocolate covered, nougat filled wafer.