Thursday, February 28, 2013

Turtle Back Zoo's Endangered Species Carousel Makes Learning Fun




 The Endangered Species Carousel at Turtle Back Zoo is great fun no matter what the weather outside!

Guests can ride a panda, alligator, a tiger or one of the other 30 other endangered or threatened animals on this custom built carousel.

The carousel house features mosaic floors and stained glass windows. The $2 fee to ride is so worth it (and how often do you get to ride a lion!)

 For more info about the zoo visit : Turtle Back Zoo




Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Worldwide Wednesday: LeSalbuen in Montclair via DevilGourmet.com

Le Salbuen  has been an integral part of the Restaurant Renaissance on Walnut St. in Montclair. Owned by the husband and wife team of John and Christina Salierno, Le Salbuen is part bistro, part neighbor’s kitchen. The menu is a travelogue of international flavors and influences that have been passed along and shared like heirloom china at a family dinner table. And don’t get me started on the food because the editors will probably scold me for using too many exclamation points!

Just as the café contains old things presented in new ways, so does the menu. A stand out on the menu is the DBLT : the Duck Bacon Lettuce Tomato, a new take on the American classic.


LeSalbuen ~ Watermelon Radish and CauliflowerCheck out the watermelon radishes on this salad! Lemon aioli, more radishes, and cauliflower take a back row seat to these gems.
 
Of course there is a whole lot more to Le Salbuen including World Cuisine and Fusion Dishes inspired by the travels of John and Christina. Read more on Devil Gourmet
 
97 Walnut St
Montclair NJ 07042
201-622-8473
 
Make sure you speak to the Devil when you visit his favourite haunts.
 And be sure follow Devil Gourmet   on Facebook    and Twitter
 
 

The Black Eyed Peas Spotted In Montclair NJ

The Black Eyed Peas In Montclair NJ Whole Foods 365 is the company's house brand and surprise surprise, the quality is superior to most national brands (often with lower sugar and sodium) and the prices are in line, or in some cases lower than, items found in mainline grogery store. I just wonder how they got Fergie in the can.

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Foodie Discovery : Peanut Butter And Jelly Macarons at @MontclairBread

Peanut Butter and Jelly Macaroons at @MontclairBread Traditional French Macarons delighful almond flavored meringues filled with jam, or buttercream, or ganache.

Crackly sweet on the outside with a soft center these classic treats are just starting to regain their popularity.

At Montclair Bread Company  the team played with tradition, just a bit, and replaced the almonds in the meringue with peanuts, and to make this truly Franco-American used grape jelly in the filling. The results .... they never made it home, ate every one of them in the car. That good!

The selection of treats at Montclair Bread changes daily, so if you really want to see if these treats are available it's best to call ahead. But if they are not there, there is bound to be something else that is equally decadent.

The Devil Made Me Do It !

LeSalbuen ~ A Euro-Bistro in Montclair's Restaurant Renaissance17% of New Jersey's residents were born in other lands; of the other 83% a large number of them are the children of people born in other lands. About 20% of the population of the Garden State speaks a language other than English at home, this includes all those families who speak in another tongue to grandparents and older relatives. Then there's all those grandchildren, and great grandchildren, and in-laws who want to express some of the family's culinary history through food. Forget that airport, a global food journey is only a short dive away!

Starting tomorrow, 27 February 2012, and every Wednesday thereafter look for my column "Worldy Wednesday" on Devil Gourmet.  Named for the Jersey Devil, devil gourmet explores the restaurants of the Garden State.
 
Let's see where the journey takes us!


Monday, February 25, 2013

#musicmonday ~ @Foodnetwork stars do the Harlem Shuffle

Your favorite FoodNetwork stars : Sunny Anderson, Jeff Mauro, Amanda Freitag, and do the Harlem Shake. Also in this fun video are Bobby Flay, Robert Irvine, Geoffrey Zakarian, Michael Symon, Andrew Zimmern, Anne Burrell, Justin Warner, Spike Mendelson, Josh Capon.
The 2013 South Beach Wine and Food Festival, hosted by Food Network was obviously about more than food! If the site is being silly, click > food network does the Harlem Shuffle <  to watch it directly on youtube.

#musicmonday ~ Before My Time ~ Scarlett Johansson and Joshua Bell

"Before My Time" by J. Ralph Feat. Scarlett Johansson & Joshua Bell
 OSCAR NOMINEE - CHASING ICE

On a an Oscar Night when the them of the evening was "Music in the Movies" one would have thought that every nominated song would have been performed. Okay, Skyfall was the sure bet, but come on guys. One of the surprises, not so much for the song itself, but rather the performer, was "Before My Time" from the Climate Change documentary "Chasing Ice."

 Seems there are people out there who still don't know that Scarlett Johansson can sing. (more of her in future Music Monday posts).

  If for some silly reason your browser will not let you view the video clip here, just click > Before My Time <  to view it directly on Youtube.

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Recipe Goal : Mediterranean Brunch Strada

A few days ago I put together a Mediterranean Brunch Strada featuring Artichokes and Sun Dried Tomatoes. Instead of a traditional casserole dish or pie plate I used my Tagine which not only made the presentation stellar, but helped keep it warm between the oven and the plate.

Given that this dish got me an interview for an interesting opportunity (yes, you never know where your actions will get you noticed) I figured I have to go back, deconstruct what I did, and someday soon blog it. In the meantime I'll just share the versatility of a tagine.

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Davinci's Woodfired Pizza in Upper Montclair NJ


After months, actually years, of looking for pizza in New Jersey I found it! DaVinci's Pizza on Bellevue Avenue in Upper Montclair has a series of wood burning ovens in which the most fantastic pizza is made.

Here my single slice of pepperoni pizza is getting ready to become an afternoon culinary sensation. The portabello and pesto pizza is fantastic here too.

Olive Oil ~ It's More Than Salad Dressing March 16th at Kings Cooking Studio


We’ve all heard it more times than we can remember: Olive Oil is heart healthy and we should all consume more of it, but how many salads can we eat!
In this class we’re going to release Olive Oil from being trapped in the salad bowl and show how this  golden liquid can be used for baking, cooking, and poaching both sweet and savory dishes.

On the menu:  Fish, poached in Olive Oil; Brownies, Shortbread, and Chocolate Cake; plus we’ll show how to make pie crust and crumble toppings using olive oil instead of butter or shortening; and by the time this class starts John will come up with even more ways to shatter your preconceived ideas about olive oil.
This three hour class starts at 6:30 pm on Saturday 16 March at Kings Cooking Studio in Short Hills NJ; for details visit Kings Cooking Studio
Sponsored by Colavita Olive Oil.




Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Curbing Discovery ~ Drop Leaf Table

Curbing Discovery ~ Drop Leaf Table Curbing Discovery : Drop Leaf Table. Looks like it was a refinish project upon which someone simply gave up. One the snow/weather damage is dealt with it won't be hard to rejuvenate this table. It fit easily into the Mini, along with the Piano bench so who knows ~ have table will travel?

Curbing Discovery ~ Piano Bench

Curbing Discovery ~ Piano Bench Curbing Discovery : Piano Bench. The seat is trashed, big woo, make a new one. Since the top lifts with the intent to store music, dividers will be added so the area beneath the seat will become a place to store silver

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Whole Foods Montclair " The Best Parking In Town !

The unusual thing about Whole Foods Montclair is that it's parking lot is about the size of an airplane bathroom,
yet each time I visit I always get a spot close to the door. I love that place!

Saturday, February 9, 2013

Finding Nemo At Turtle Back Zoo West Orange NJ

Among the 75 species of fish at the new Aquarium at Turtle Back Zoo in West Orange NJ are Clown Fish - but most kids know them as "Nemo" from the Disney animated feature.

Empire Of Snow

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Forget The Mall - I'm Heading To The Land's End Overstock Section For Gifts

New items are always added to the overstock section, some might be seasonal, some might be a particular colour of something, or even a particular size that isn't selling well.

Check it out! There are items at a fantastic markdown for men, women, and children.

Friday, February 1, 2013

A Virgin Is Coming To Newark

Virgin America Arilines Starts Nonstop Service Between Newark and San Francisco 2 April
 Book Now On Virgin America