Filed under holidays …

Family Dinner at Tre Piani

I had dinner with family recently at Tre Piani, my first visit in a while, I blush to admit.  To the left you see a photo (sorry it’s not better) of the entrée that three of the four of us had, lamb from Neptune Farm, an organic farm in south NJ, prepared three ways,  roasted (shoulder … Continue reading →

What’s cooking at MCCC

Whether for yourself, you and a few friends, or for a gift, how about signing up for some cooking classes at Mercer County Community College’s Center of Continuing Studies?  They have a wonderful professional kitchen; I loved the cheesemaking class I took last fall with Frank Campione.  The fall classes listed below currently have spaces available. … Continue reading →

Autumn Festivals & Events

These pretty moon cakes made for the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival (aka Moon Festival) are from Sheng Kee bakery in Taiwan.  They can be ordered from Bostonbookshop.com, but since the festival starts on September 22, you might want to go to the Asian Food Market in Plainsboro, or the Great Wall in Franklin Park, and shop in … Continue reading →

Honey Cake for a Happy New Year

I am such a fan of Joan Nathan, so wanted to share a recipe from one of her cookbooks for Rosh Hashanah. She has wonderful stories to go along with her recipes, so be sure to get your own copy and enjoy browsing through it, reading and planning your next meal.  It’s like poring over … Continue reading →

Mother’s Day at The Frog and The Peach

It used to be that nice restaurants were closed on holidays like Mother’s Day (May 9 this year).  I was never sure why, but it seemed that the only places to eat out were big buffets or “food mills,” where the food was lousy and you felt taken advantage of to boot.  But, with the downturn … Continue reading →

DIY Candy

Now here’s a sweet treat – and these holiday candies were home made! Maybe you’ll whip up a few DIY candies for your sweetie on Valentine’s Day, or save the idea for future inspiration. Either way, here is proof that it can be done in a home kitchen, so make your resolution to learn something … 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 →

Bring on the Bubbly!

Here are some great ways to spend New Year’s Eve, plus a pre-New Year’s Eve dinner in Trenton that is part of Patriot’s Week – Dinner with Ben Franklin 12/29 @ 4 p.m. Settimo Cielo, 17 East Front St. Exactly what was Ben Franklin thinking during this historic time? Find out as his story is … Continue reading →