NJ SPICE

There’s nothing better than being stuck at home in a storm with plenty of groceries…and power. So far, I’ve been very lucky, so here is a gallery of some recent indulgences, including an impromptu Spanish food tasting inspired by my nephew bringing me back some fancy sardines from Madrid. The store where he purchased them, La Conservera, is really like a fine art gallery, only for canned seafood, which truly is an art form over there. (And my nephew has definitely earned his foodie chops by being curious and knowing enough to go into such a store!) Take a look at their write-up online. I augmented those with plenty of goodies from Despaña in Princeton, my go-to place for such things. And fancy Jose Andres chips!

I also enjoyed a lovely Chinese New Year’s dinner hosted by Angela and Humphrey Chang at Lotus Garden in Plainsboro, the chicken and fish you see here were so good. We actually thought the chicken was duck at first because of that amazing lacquered skin! And those ribs from FunniBonz BBQ SmokeHouse in Robbinsville were fantastic, look for my review in the February 28 Packet TimeOff.

Also, note my latest find at Trader Joe’s (aside from that Chili Relleno, which was not bad), their frozen Kouign Amanns. (“Queen-Amahn”, read David Lebovitz’s paen here.) This Breton breakfast pastry, full of butter and coated with caramelized sugar, is something I’d only dreamed of trying someday, but lo and behold, TJ’s has started making them. You proof them for 6-7 hours before baking, and you want to be sure to get the bottom caramelized so when it cools slightly, it’s crisp. The first one (pictured with the box) was a little over done, the other one was baked less. Do NOT underbake.) I’m on a strict regimen of only baking one at a time (as a dessert), because once it comes out of the oven, there is NO WAY to resist eating it. Heaven.