jerseydiner's Profile
Looking for breakfast, W. Stockbridge, MA area
We like The Depot in West Stockbridge. It is right by the post office and has a lovely little menu of breakfast favorites. They bake on premises and everything is delicious.
We have been to the area many times over the years and this is always a favorite for us.
Thai Red Curry Paste - to refrigerate or not?
I just opened a container of it that I bought over the weekend. Do I need to refrigerate it once it is open or is it okay to leave it in the cabinet? I'm thinking that I'll use it periodically, but it is likely to last be hanging around my kitchen for a while so I want to preserve the flavor. Will refrigerating it ruin it?
Thanks.
Baumgart's Coming to Nyack...
They are open and it is wonderful!!! They'll have a liquor license too so that adds to the fun!
Mahwah eats - State line diner??
The State Line is decent and reliable. They have just completed a whole renovation and tend to be very busy, especially when traffic is heavy because they are right on the highway.
There are lots of other options. The Tiffany has changed and is now the Ten-Fourty Grill. Wrong side of the highway if you are heading north, and I am not impressed with the food there at all.
There are many other options but State Line is fine.
need advice re best skillet brands
I have a couple of Vollrath that I bought about 5 years ago. They are heavy and not beautiful but they cook wonderfully and clean nicely. I do not put them in my dishwasher and I only use wooden and /or plastic implements in them for cooking. I would highly recommend them.
I may need a new fridge...
We are in the same boat. We have a 17 year old Kitchen-aid, freezer on the top, with a 22+ cubic foot capacity. Twice in the past month we noticed the freezer was okay but ice cream was soft and the refrigerator was getting warm. Probably a failed defrost timer which could be repaired, but why put $300 into an old machine. Time to replace it!! The main problem we have is the limitations on size imposed by our 1940s kitchen. The space for the fridge is only 67 inches and the newer styled models run as tall as 70 inches for the capacity I wanted. The sales guy at the local chain appliance store went through all the models that fit within our dimensions and we settled on a black exterior 21 cubic foot GE with the freezer on the top. It has the factory installed ice maker and the flexible glass shelving that I insisted on. I wanted maximum freezer space and the largest unit to fit my space. I'll see how it works when it is delivered on Wednesday.
Haitian food in New Jersey
The Haitian community you are thinking of is Spring Valley, NY. There are some wonderful ethnic places in the area, including our favorite - CARIBREEZE - which is vegan Haitian. Everything is freshly made and delicious!!
Where to bulk buy canning tomatoes?
Check out the Paterson Farmer's Market district near Railroad Avenue - There are a number of wholesalers that sell by the case and prices are very good. Not the most scenic area, but the produce is incredibly fresh and ripe and perfect for canning.
Best Tea in No NJ
I have not been, but friends have recommended Harmony Tea in Westwood. Not sure where you are coming from but if you can get to Hawthorne, you can probably get to Westwood.
Broken Organ packet in chicken and other questions
I sometimes freeze chicken in the marinade so that when I defrost it (in the fridge) it has time to marinate and absorb the flavors.
Is there ANY decent food in/near Galloway?
There are a couple of small places along Route 9 in Absecon. There is a deli/sandwich place that is nice and a good Greek place too. Along the White Horse Pike heading towards AC there are also some places. Heading West towards Egg Harbor City there is a wonderful Italian restaurant - Tre Figlio - food is excellent. They are only open for dinner.
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Tre Figlio
500 W. White Horse Pike, Egg Harbor, NJ 08215
Best place for steak in Bergen County, NJ?
Check out Regina's in Teaneck. The restaurant is smaller and pretty intimate. The food is delicious and they will help make any dinner a special one. The service is wonderful.
I am unimpressed with River Palm, though we usually go to the Mahwah location. It's loud, impersonal and while the food is good, it is not stellar.
Since two of the places you mention are at malls, I am thinking that the visibility of the restaurant is what is drawing you to them. Overall, I feel chain restaurants are fine for some things but the better service and experience is usually found at the place where the owner is overseeing the staff and customers directly.
Suggestions To Maximize Garden Production
I welcome the advice too. I have tons of buds on my zucchini plants, but no squash. I live in northern New Jersey, near NYC, and I am wondering if this is the effects of the Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Most of my plants are growing well in large containers on my deck, but they're just not producing fruit at all. I do have several decorative gourd plants thanks to an ambitious squirrel last fall (it stole the gourd off my porch and ate it in the nearby bushes scattering seeds everywhere). Both the gourds and the zucchini have tons of flowers but they just keep falling off with no fruit behind them.
My herbs are doing beautifully - chives, mint, basil, red basil, thyme, rosemary, sage and parsley are all growing faster than I can use them, My marigolds and lilies (both Asian and daylilies are looking great.
I have a few small tomatoes on one plant and a container of scallions growing fine, but that's it. My raspberries did nothing for the first crop - I am hopeful for the fall crop unless the chipmunks get them, and they have no flowers either.
Any suggestions to improve the outlook for the remainder of the summer would be great.
Thanks,
It's raining cucumbers!
Donate them to a food bank. They appreciate having the extra fresh produce to give to their clients and you can feel good knowing that they will be enjoyed.
Group dinner (8-10) in New Orleans - please help!
+1 for Herbsaint - the food was wonderful, the service was great and the prices were reasonable. We were there as a group and could make a reservation no problem. Plus, the chef won the James Beard award a few years ago.
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Herbsaint
701 Saint Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70130
Need Route 17 Recommendation
In the Kohl's Shopping Plaza in Ramsey is a really good Greek place - Greek City. Casual, no reservations required, but good food and fair prices. Further north in Mahwah is the State Line Diner - a typical diner but food is decent and usually able to seat people promptly.
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State Line Diner
375 State Rt 17, Mahwah, NJ 07430
Greek City Restaurant
1300 State Rt 17 Ste 12, Ramsey, NJ 07446
Biscoff Spread aka Speculoos [moved from Food Media and News board]
It's available at the local Shop Rite here in New Jersey. I might have to try it.
Ocean City - what are the must-eats?
Smitty's is actually in Somers Point, NOT Ocean City. Not sure they serve alcohol though. Yes OC is a dry town, but there are liquor stores right over the bridge on the way from the GSP to OC. You can drink in your hotel, just not in public.
We enjoy Mack & Manco - we 'll hit the boardwalk in mid winter just for a slice, but now they have an off-shore location (Somers Point). They put the cheese and then the sauce on the dough - backwards as some might say, but thin crust and very yummy.
Kohr Brother's custard is another favorite. It lost some allure when our local mall got a franchise for it. The custard is really creamy and comes in some good flavor combos.
We complete our Boardwalk Trifecta with Steel's Fudge. Creamy, fresh, never pre-packaged and always delicious.
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Mack & Manco
920 Boardwalk, Ocean City, NJ 08226
Produce/Meat Bergen County Area
I agree that Ramsey's Farm Market is one of the best. The drive shouldn't be too bad on a Sunday as there is limited shopping on Route 17.
For fresh eggs and poultry, you can try the Goffle Road Poultry Farm in Hawthorne which has all types of fresh poultry. Also Abma's farm in Wyckoff has farm raised chickens and eggs. They actually supply several local restaurants with produce and poultry.
Basil "Purple Ruffles"
My purple ruffles basil self-seeds, so I have way more than I can use. I have tried it in a pesto, but didn't love it. It just didn't have enough flavor. I will use it as a garnish, and also I use some as an accent plant in some planters. The color is beautiful, but I do prefer the traditional green basil for cooking.
Hackensack area baby shower ideas?
Other ideas in the Hackensack area -
Poitin Still - a classic Irish pub with a nice party room menu
Regina's - a classy high end steakhouse in Teaneck
A little further away - The Ramsey Golf and Country Club has The Abbey or the Atrium of the Lakeside Grill
Also a bit further The Brick House in Wyckoff or Savini in Allendale.
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Savini Restaurant
168 W Crescent Ave, Allendale, NJ 07401
Does anyone else do their vacation souvenir shopping at local grocery stores?
We've always done that. Our honeymoon in Spain included stops at the central market in Valencia and a grocery store in Madrid. We found fabulous snacks and treats that we brought home from Brazil. The kids loved having their souvenirs for lunch at school when we returned. We've done the local stores around the US and Canada too. You can't beat the prices and the feeling that the locals really know where the good stuff can be found!!
seeking a solution for matzoballs that are like cannonballs
I make mine with seltzer (my grandmother's original recipe called for ginger ale). I add a bit of ground ginger, onion powder, garlic powder, white pepper and fresh herbs to my batter. I also make the batter several hours in advance (with chicken fat) and let it sit in the fridge before forming the balls. I boil them covered (no peeking) for 40 minutes in a pot of chicken bouillon and then add them to the soup after they've cooked. They are always light and fluffy and get rave reviews. Less handling makes for lighter balls. Ironically, the mix usually contains sodium bicarbonate - a leavening agent. From scratch tastes best in my book!
Restaurants in northern NJ serving passover style dinners
Most diners, steakhouses and fish markets will offer options of bread/leavened free meals. You can always just get a salad or grilled protein with a baked potato. Some may even have matza available. I know one Panera that offered Matza instead of the bread. If you are looking for more than that, there are fewer options as many kosher restaurants close for the week since the burden of cleaning to please everyone for Passover is often too great.
As for Rosa Mexicano, the "Passover Menu" is a loose interpretation of K for P. It follows a Sephard variation and uses corn and rice.
http://www.northjersey.com/food_dining/dining_news/119994979_Rosa_Mexicano_marries_Passover_with_Mexican_food_to_reveal_the_many_tastes_of_a_seder_.html
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Rosa Mexicano
390 Hackensack Ave, Hackensack, NJ 07601
Pesach when you're not kosher but your spouse is (or trying to be!)
There's no doubt I'm in the same boat. I try to keep Passover and will cook only KforP meals for the week, but my husband has no problem eating bread and other things. As for the kids, I encourage the Passover tradition - it's only one week people - but my husband just tells the kids if they won't eat what I make, he'll take them to the diner. A few days, one son took matza to school for lunch, and my daughter took yogurt, but the other son refused to give up his peanut butter sandwiches on white bread. Yes, lots of hypocrisy, and a bit of frustration on my end, but fighting over food makes everything worse and I just can't deal. I'll pick my battles, eat my matza and count the days until the holiday ends.
Why would I use white vinegar?
I use plain white vinegar in my dishwasher with the powdered soap. We have really hard water where I live and the glasses were getting etched by the minerals. A cup of vinegar at the bottom of the tub right before I start my machine and the glasses look great. I have tried glass magic and such that are WAY more expensive and nothing works liked vinegar.
Marinating flank steak question -help needed
I often freeze meat and chicken in a marinade. When I remove from the freezer to defrost in the fridge, the marinade soaks in even more. The protein gets a richer flavor, stays moist and doesn't get that frozen then thawed texture change.
Passover side dishes
I use the same recipe and bake it in a 13 x 9 pan. It works out fine. I'll also add some fresh herbs and minced garlic to it sometimes.
List of regional differences in chain menus?
McD's in Maine serves a Lobster Roll - Why I don't know, but I guess they figure people will eat it!!
Cinammon and apple ice cream?
Ted Drewes Frozen Custard in St. Louis makes an amazing dessert called a concrete where they blend in the toppings you chose into homemade custard.
We were there and had apple pie mixed in with vanilla custard. Wow - was that amazing!!
