On Every Street

By Judith Garfield

On almost every street in Manhattan you can buy fruit, vegetables, souvlaki, earrings, socks, batteries, and pashminas. On my street/dirt road, I can buy honey and eggs. Self service. Take your honey and leave your money in the coffee can. And although I know local honey has properties that will help my allergies, I miss those earrings.

How did I get here? Here are the facts.

1. I met my husband when we were 16 at the Jersey shore
2. He drove without a license. It should have raised a red flag
3. It didn’t
4. We’re still together
5. We raised two beautiful daughters in Manhattan and I never had any inclination to move
6. I live in New Jersey
7. On a horse farm
8. In a charming old farmhouse (so my husband tells me)
9. In a charming town (charm is highly overrated)
10. Where no one will deliver dinner to me

If I want to eat, I have to drive. It’s twenty minutes to a banana. I always buy too many and watch them languish on the windowsill. I really wanted to give you a recipe for honey banana bread, but there was just too much mixing and measuring involved for the loveless cook.

So instead here’s a great idea for a relaxing beauty treatment. An egg and honey mask. You will need
* 1 egg
* 1 tsp. honey
* 1 tsp. olive oil

Mix one egg yolk, one tsp of honey, and a tsp. of olive oil. Smooth on and leave for fifteen minutes. Rinse in lukewarm water and pat dry.


My skin is soft and glowing. I look radiant and youthful. S. is taking care of dinner tonight so I can relax. I make a pot of coffee and gaze out at my lovely farm/money pit.

I feel content.

Until I realize I’m out of half and half.

Love at First Sip

By Maureen C. Petrosky

The Hallmark holiday of hearts and kisses has fallen upon us once again. Seeing as I love love, I’m thrilled to celebrate Valentine’s Day with something special to sip. Yet, Valentine’s isn’t the only day to toast this month. Even if it’s just another Thursday, love yourself with a great big glass of wine! You may want to splurge and spend lots of money on something you’ve always dreamed of, be adventurous and try something that simply looks fun, or perhaps play it safe and revisit an oldie but goody. Of course when is doubt, go for bubbles. No matter how you pour it, here’s the scoop for wines to make any day fun and fabulous.

The Splurge- Boyer-Martenot Puligny Montrachet Le Cailleret, 2003 $100
For heavy doses of love, you must try something French. This serious splurge will turn an ordinary day into an extraordinary one.

For Fun- Layer Cake, Primitivo, 2006, $16
There are not many options more indulgent than a nice big slice of layer cake. This wine, made from 100% Primitivo, which is basically the same as Zinfandel, has layers of ripe berries and cream!

Playing it Safe- E. Guigal, Tavel, $22
This rose is full of soft strawberry flavors touched with a hint of orange blossom. There is nothing foolish about this pink wine. It’s alluring and engaging from first sniff to last sip.

Art Lovers' Delight

By Brianne Harrison

New Jersey is particularly blessed when it comes to arts venues, not just because of the state's close proximity to both New York and Philadelphia, but also because of the many spectacular museums, galleries, and theaters our state houses. And this is an excellent weekend to enjoy those amenities throughout the Garden State.

Lovers of the visual arts shouldn't miss Collide-A-Scope on Friday. For this event, Asbury Park's premier galleries throw open their doors for tours and offer special discounts. Further inland, Princeton University Art Museum premieres Myth and Modernity: Ernst Barlach's Images of the Nibelungen and Faust on Saturday, Feb. 21 (the show runs through June 7). This is the only venue in the U.S. that will be hosting this show, which showcases the versatility and narrative power of German sculptor, printmaker, and playwright Ernst Barlach.

In honor of Black History Month, Burlington County Freeholders are exhibiting the works of African American artists from the Amistad Cultural Alliance of Southern New Jersey at the Smithville Mansion Annex Art Gallery in Easthampton. "Keepers of the Dream" runs to the end of February.

If music is more your line, check out Titans of Song: A Musical Tribute to Paul Robeson and Marian Anderson at the East Brunswick Public Library on Saturday, Feb. 21. This tribute to two of the 20th century's greatest entertainers will be performed by the group Follow the Drinking Gourd.

For anyone looking to get a jump start on St. Patrick's Day, the Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra will be performing on Saturday, Feb. 21 at the State Theatre of New Jersey statetheatrenj.org in New Brunswick. The evening will feature traditional Irish music played on the violin, Irish flute and whistles, Bodhrán, and Uilleann Pipes as well as singers and Irish dancers.

Opera New Jersey is kicking off its 2009 season with a concert-staged production of Johann Strauss's Die Fledermaus at the Community Theatre at Mayo Center for the Performing Arts in Morristown on Feb. 20 and at the State Theatre in New Brunswick on Feb. 22. Come enjoy this comic romp of mistaken identities, practical jokes, and masquerades set to the memorable tunes of the Waltz King of Vienna.

Brazilian-Spiced Chicken: A Tropical Elixir for Cold Nights

By Pat Tanner

A while back, I attended a fascinating lecture, cooking demo, and dinner at Promise Jobs Culinary School in New Brunswick that focused on foods from the African Diaspora. Among the many things I learned is that Brazil boasts the largest population of people of African descent in the Western Hemisphere, and it turned out that my favorite dish that night was a simple-to-prepare roast chicken with a distinct Brazilian mojo.

A coating of coconut milk mixed with flavors of the tropics - warm spices, citrus, and a hit of jalapeno – provides a welcome tonic this time of year when the warmth of summer sun on our backs seems a long way off.

The recipe is from Chef Pearl Thompson, director of Promise Jobs. The school is an outgrowth of Elijah’s Promise, the soup kitchen and social services organization that has been helping low-income people in central New Jersey since 1989. It is seeing skyrocketing numbers of people show up for meals at its various programs – one alone grew from an average of 20 people to 150. To volunteer or to make a contribution visit elijahspromise.net.

BRAZILIAN-SPICED OVEN-ROASTED CHICKEN
Adapted by Chef Pearl Thompson, Promise Jobs Culinary School

1 tablespoons minced jalapeno (about 1 large chile)
1-1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Zest of 1 orange
Zest of 2 lemons
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 chicken, about 3-1/2 pounds

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine jalapeno, garlic, salt, paprika, turmeric, black pepper, zests, and coconut milk to form a paste. Rub chicken skin and inner cavity with spice paste. Tie chicken to secure legs. Bake in a roasting pan for 25 minutes; reduce oven to 350 degrees and bake 30 minutes more, or until juices run clear.
Serves 4.

Drive a Bit More to a Big Box Store

By Millicent K. Brody

I, being a lover of good things to eat, remarked to a rather trendy buddy that I really loved the coffee cake she served the other night. "I was impressed," I said, "The coffee cake was fresh and delicious."

"Oh," she responded without batting an eye, "I have this wonderful baker. He ALWAYS bakes everything fresh for me. I just call, and he’ll reserve my request."

Always on the trail for something delicious, I happened to marvel at the baked goods set out on the shelf at a local Target. "Wow," I said to myself, "that label looks familiar. Where have I seen it before?"

And then it occurred to me, That was the very same cake my friend told me her local bakery baked especially for HER.

So, now we know, you too can visit your local Target and treat yourself to a new tee shirt and jacket as well as any of their fresh bakery products.

Another tip: I’d promised friends I'd prepare glazed corned beef for Super Bowl Sunday, but I honestly couldn't find enough first cuts of corned beef to feed 14...so I revised the menu and opted for brisket.
Touring our local supermarkets and butcher shops only proved that this would be a very costly dinner. Recalling that I’d seen one of our most respected restauranteurs shopping for veal at Costco, I headed for my local big-box store.

For a mere $17, I purchased a first cut brisket that easily fed my friends. Another friend entertained her pals on a beef tenderloin costing practically ‘Nothing’. She butchered the meat into delicious filet mignons, and everyone was happy.

In this time of tight budgets, you really should not have to take a second mortgage to feed friends and family. Simply search for alternatives.

Rather than preparing roast chicken for a crowd, some shop BJ’s, Whole Foods, Kings, and Garden of Eden Gourmet at 226 Washington Street in Hoboken, and 1-7 South Orange Ave., in South Orange. I’ve been told by many kitchen gourmets that it’s really cheaper to outsource your dinner party. For sure it’s less fuss and mess then preparing it in the comforts of your own kitchen. Most often, these kind gentlemen and ladies will platter your food for serving.

$$$$: Avoid crowds by shopping during the week. Check prices in your local supermarkets before heading to big box stores. Target’s private label is called Archer Farms.