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 →

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 →

Good Morning Starshine

A snowy weekend meant a more leisurely breakfast for me.  So on Saturday, once I’d made peace with the idea that I would do no Christmas errands that day, I indulged in impromptu (and improvised) Eggs Benedict.  By then I was so hungry, though, that I cooked in a hurry. I always have on hand … Continue reading →

Welcome Hanami!

Princetonians, if you haven’t been by the old Sunny Garden location on Farber Road lately, you’re in for a surprise. The family who has owned it for the last few years has beautifully redocorated the restaurant, re-named it Hanami, after the annual Japanese cherry blossom viewing parties, and inaugurated a spiffy new Chinese/Japanese/Fusion menu. Don’t worry, … Continue reading →

Pithivier

When I was at a Share Our Strength conference in Montreal (a great food city!) several years ago, I paid more than one visit to the patisserie in our hotel, the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth.  I loved their pithivier, layers of flaky pastry napped with fluffy almond creme.  Oh my!  So I couldn’t resist taking home … 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 →

Hash

One of my favorite winter weekend breakfasts is corned beef hash, even canned, and also roast beef hash, which is what is pictured here.  I have occasionally made my own, with those sort of pyramid-shaped cans of corned beef from Brazil.  I don’t even want to think about the ingredients list on that can, but I have … Continue reading →

Fruitcake

Don’t laugh at me, but I love fruitcake like the one pictured here that’s made with good ingredients.  So how could I resist the pretty and organic (at least mostly so) fruitcakes on display in the Whole Earth Center bakery? These are made with whole wheat pastry flour, and organic dried fruits instead of the the heavily sugared and … Continue reading →