Brunch, Lunch…Lupper?

By Millicent Brody

The invitation read: You are cordially invited to join us for “LUPPER”
on Saturday evening, February 14th, 2009. Of course, I thought, “This has to be a joke. Who invites anyone for LUPPER? And how long has this trend been in vogue...and more than that, when did it gain credence?

Not being a slouch when it comes to trends and ideas, I whipped out my dictionary--Nothing. Next, I headed for the computer and typed in “Lupper”. Lo and behold, Merriam-Webster calls it a noun, and describes “lupper” as “a meal between lunch and supper.”

Continuing with my online research, I found that the term arrived from “across the pond;” a review of the Citizen restaurant, located in E. Toronto, Ontario, speaks of a menu featuring lunch, dinner, and brunch. (The actual menu calls it “lupper”). While, in Lethbridge AB, Canada, another site mentioned, a person wrote, “Across the Atlantic, dinner is the second meal of the day. From what I understand, the folks down under are the same way. In Canada, we live right next to the Americans; however, constitutionally we are still under the British monarchy. As a result, our English is kind of halfway between British and American, so everybody gets confused when somebody mentions dinner. Breakfast, lunch, and supper are more commonly used around here. I would be inclined to refer to a mid-afternoon meal as “Lupper”.
When mentioning this phenomenon known as “Lupper” to a friend steeped in the world of social acumen, she referred to “Lupper” as “Lunner” or “Linner”.

To get back to my dinner invitation, I called the hostess to ask what she planned to serve at 3 p.m. on Valentine’s Day?

“Oh,” she said, “We’re starting with passed hors d’oeuvres. We’re making stuffed mushrooms and bruschetta. We’ll have a cheese platter and assorted crudités. Next, we’re grilling burgers. You may have them with melted cheese, sauteed onions, lettuce and tomato, or simply plain. We’re piling baskets of fries on the table, and everyone can help themselves. Nothing fancy. For dessert, it’s the Millicent K. Brody special of Make Your Own Sundae. Four different flavors of ice cream, accompanied by hot fudge, fresh whipped cream, strawberries, and chocolate jimmies. Nothing Fancy! Just a simple Lupper. Then everyone is welcome to leave about 7 or 7:30 p.m. They can return home, or head on out to a local movie.”


I’d like to believe I am really comfortable with this new trend-savvy terminology. I’m also thinking of the many restauranteurs I know, and wondering if they might consider adding “Lupper” to their lunch and dinner service. In this trying time of budget constraints, many who shy away from enjoying dinner in their favorite eatery might easily consider a lighter bite between the hours of 3 and 5 p.m. What do you think?

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.