Grab ‘Em Snacks’ plantain chips easily passed a taste test with my co-workers last week. I was given three flavors to try by a representative of the Hillsborough-based company (thanks Timothy!) – Sea Salt Goodness, Fire-Me-Up Red Chile, and Cinful Cinnamon. They come in a several other flavors, too, and are currently available at Pennington Market and … Continue reading
Filed under Entertaining …
Bread & Friends
This lovely apricot-walnut loaf is from the Blue Rooster Bakery & Cafe in Cranbury. I went to Cranbury to drop off a couple of items I’d bought at the Indian market for some friends who live there. Of course, I could not leave town without stopping into the bakery to see which of their fabulous … Continue reading
Lobsta!
I always say hello to Chef Cindy Groman when I go to Wegmans. She’s usually dishing up a sample of one of her great seafood creations, and I’m guessing that she’s taught hundreds, if not thousands, of people to cook fish with confidence over the years. But the other day, instead of cooking, she was preparing gorgeous … Continue reading
Behold NJ Cheese
This year I used all New Jersey cheeses for my cheese trays on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. These five cheeses got rave reviews; each one had something special to offer. Even that little mouse on the Cherry Grove Brie in the upper left was excited! (The sixth, in the bowl, was my homemade ricotta. I … Continue reading
Christmas
I take my father to my brother and sister-in-law’s for Christmas Eve, so am putting up a couple photos from a past year. They set a beautiful table without fail (the tree is gorgeous too). The second photo (right) is my brother’s seared tuna loin. It is just amazing, so rich that you could swear you … Continue reading
Female Food Power!
Just got back from a very convivial holiday open house put on by four area women in the food business. If you act quickly, you might still be able to place orders for some of the delicious goodies I sampled this afternoon, if not for Christmas, maybe for New Year’s entertaining. Chris Crawford of Wooden Spoon … Continue reading
Edy’s Peppermint Cones
These just looked so good that I couldn’t resist sharing! I have to confess that when I do succumb to supermarket ice cream, Edy’s is often my choice. And I tend to like these seasonal, offbeat flavors best. When I was a kid, my favorite ice cream was Ho Jo’s peppermint stick, which is probably … Continue reading
Panna Cotta
Panna Cotta means “cooked cream.” If you check out the link to the Wikipedia page on this traditional Italian dessert, you’ll see a photo showing panna cotta with blackberry sauce. My friend Vesna, who made the version pictured here on the left, went that chef one better I think. She had full-of-flavor Concord grapes to use … Continue reading
Chocolate + Tea
The New York Times just reported that, in spite of the global economic downturn, sales of gourmet teas are surprisingly strong. Could it be because tea seems like a small, yet very comforting, and even healthy, indulgence? But while I love all things chocolatey, I hadn’t thought of chocolate-TEA until Republic of Tea sent me an email about … Continue reading
Butt-Off (but in the nicest possible way)
I’ve said it before and I’ll repeat it now: my colleagues at Princeton University, John and Kara, really know how to have fun. Each year this couple gathers with friends for what has traditionally been a pig roast and weekend party. This takes place on a farm in another state, and it has become a … Continue reading
NJ SPICE 