Archives for March 2010

31 March 2010 Taste of the Nation Princeton

Taste of the Nation Princeton

March 31, 2010 By

PRINCETON’S HOTTEST CHEFS COOK TO FIGHT CHILDHOOD HUNGER IN PRINCETON AND ACROSS AMERICA

Princeton’s hottest chefs, restaurants, and mixologists will gather for Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation®, the city’s premier culinary benefit. Taste of the Nation Princeton will raise critical funds needed to support Share Our Strength’s® efforts to end childhood hunger in Central Jersey and across the nation.  This year’s event will be held on Monday, April 26, 2010 at The Westin Hotel at The Forrestal Village in Princeton from 6pm to 9pm.

100% OF TICKET SALES SUPPORTS SHARE OUR STRENGTH’S EFFORTS TO END CHILDHOOD HUNGER.

Date:

Monday, April 26, 2010
6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
General Admission: $85 advance / $95 at the door

Buy Tickets Now: http://bit.ly/a9TPZD

Filed Under: Other Neat Things Tagged With: ,
30 March 2010 Maple Syrup Dumplings

Maple Syrup Dumplings

March 30, 2010 By
Maple Dumplings

Maple Dumplings

My Grandma’s sister, Eva Rose, was a fabulous dumpling maker and here is her simple recipe that I’ve used with maple syrup to celebrate Spring.

Dumpling ingredients:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tsp melted butter, cooled
  • ¼ cup whole milk

Maple syrup poaching liquid ingredients:

  • 2 cups maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup water

Dumpling directions:

  1. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.
  2. Add egg, butter and milk to the flour mixture and mix to incorporate. Do not overmix. Dumpling batter will be lumpy.
  3. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Maple syrup dumpling directions:

  1. In a medium saucepan, bring the maple syrup and water to a boil over high heat. Turn heat down to low.
  2. Drop dumpling batter by the tablespoonful into the hot liquid. Cover pan with a lid and simmer on low heat for 10 minutes.
  3. Serve hot with vanilla ice cream.

Makes 4 servings.

Note: These dumplings are delicious with berries instead of the maple syrup poaching liquid.

Filed Under: Canadian, Desserts Tagged With: , , ,
29 March 2010 Tip for Asparagus Season

Tip for Asparagus Season

March 29, 2010 By
Asparagus

Asparagus

See Food & Wine Chickie’s Facebook post for the freshest asparagus spears around: http://bit.ly/bnhybO

Filed Under: Other Neat Things Tagged With: ,

New York Austrian Wine Tasting at a Discount

March 25, 2010 By

UPDATE: Use Special Code: AUSTRIANNYC for an increased discount of $10 off the cost of the event!

I’d like to let you know about an upcoming Austrian wine tasting on May 5th in New York City.  This is going to be the biggest Austrian wine event to ever hit the states and will feature over 100 Austrian winemakers.  The event also features food from top New York restaurants.

Readers of Food & Wine Chickie Insider get $5 off admission via the Austrian Trade Commission by using Special Code: BLOGAUSTRIA when reserving tickets at: http://bit.ly/cug2iV.

Join me for some interesting wines, great food and fun crowd!

Filed Under: Culinary Travel Tales, Other Neat Things Tagged With: , ,

Kabab Paradise Featured in NJ My Way

March 24, 2010 By

New Jersey folks, my review of Kabab Paradiseas featured by my friends at NJMyWay.com: http://bit.ly/9QVS3A – a MUST try if in the area!

Filed Under: Restaurant Reviews Tagged With: ,
15 March 2010 Maple Taffee Goodness

Maple Taffee Goodness

March 15, 2010 By
Sugary Treat

Sugary Treat

So, who’s ever experienced maple taffee on snow? And who’s ever had that sweet smirk my niece has on her face after a taste?

Filed Under: Canadian, Desserts, Maple Syrup Tagged With: ,
9 March 2010 Bucatini with Oven-Baked Veal Meatballs

Bucatini with Oven-Baked Veal Meatballs

March 9, 2010 By
Bucatini and Meatballs

Bucatini and Meatballs

Bucatini, a thick spaghetti with a hole in its center much like macaroni, is the perfect pasta to hold up to the rich veal meatballs in tomato sauce.

Ingredients:

Directions:

  1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.
  2. While pasta is cooking, heat meatballs in tomato sauce in a large saucepan over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.
  3. Add cooked pasta to tomato sauce and gently stir to coat pasta with sauce. Cook for 3-4 minutes.
  4. Serve 2 meatballs and a portion of pasta for each guest. Sprinkle 1-2 tbsp grated cheese over each portion.

4 servings.

Filed Under: Entrees, Italian, Pasta, Veal Tagged With: , , ,
9 March 2010 Oven-Baked Veal Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Oven-Baked Veal Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

March 9, 2010 By
Veal Meatball

Veal Meatball

Craving pasta and meatballs? Using ground veal  instead of the typical beef offers a version that’s moist and delicious.

Ingredients:

  • 4 slices of fresh  white bread, crusts removed
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1 1/2 pounds ground veal
  • 3 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
  • Easy Marinara Sauce

Directions:

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Pulse bread in a food processor until medium-fine crumbs are created. Should be approximately 1 cup.
  2. In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs and milk until bread is completely soaked and milk has been nearly completely absorbed, about 5 minutes.
  3. Add the veal, 2 tbsp parsley, cheese, egg and salt & pepper to bread mixture. Stir until just combined. Mixture will be somewhat loose. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  4. Spray a  13 X 18 X 1 rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Form meat mixture into large meatballs, approximately 4 inches across. Place meatballs on the sprayed baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes.
  5. Heat marinara sauce in a large saucepan over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add baked meatballs and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes.

Makes 8 large meatballs.

Notes: Don’t have a food processor? Don’t fret, simply cut the bread into very small pieces using a serrated knife. Tomato sauce can easily be store-bought. Meatballs in sauce freeze well for about 1 month. Want to make 2-inch meatballs? Simply bake for 10 minutes instead of 20 minutes!

Filed Under: Entrees, Italian, Veal Tagged With: , ,
9 March 2010 2008 Honig Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc

2008 Honig Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc

March 9, 2010 By

I’ve tasted and liked the 2008 Honig Sauvignon Blanc in the past, but I recently sampled it again during a Sauvignon Blanc tasting and really enjoyed how different it was compared to the others. Here are three things I appreciated about this wine:

’08 Honig Sauvignon Blanc

1) It is medium-bodied, which I miss in many other Sauvignon Blancs in this price range.

2) As the wine warmed a bit, I got a big mouthful of chewy mango and tons of other tropical fruits.

3) The finish is pleasantly long with bouncy citrusy notes.

I typically think of Sauvignon Blanc for warm Summer parties where a refreshing, uncomplicated wine is de rigueur, but the ’08 Honig would also be perfect with a roasted pork chop in the middle of Winter.

Note: 89 points Robert Parker

Pairings: Fish, seafood, especially seared scallops

Style: White Wine

Grape Type(s): Sauvignon Blanc

Region: Napa Valley, CA, USA

Price: $15.99

Filed Under: Sauvignon Blanc, United States, White Wine, Wine Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,
8 March 2010 Tasty Afghan Food at Kabab Paradise

Tasty Afghan Food at Kabab Paradise

March 8, 2010 By
Mixed Gyro Platter

Mixed Gyro Platter

Kabab Paradise is a spotless, attractive restaurant featuring Afghan cuisine for onsite dining, take-out or delivery ($15 minimum).

Chef Sal Fahim and his crew couldn’t be more customer-friendly. Diners are greeted warmly as they enter the restaurant and are treated like extended family as they dine in the cozy space. During a recent visit, I could hear ‘the ususal?’ being asked by the cooks to the patrons. Kabab Paradise has had a loyal following since it set up shop in Morris County in 2004.

Hummus

Hummus

A key to this smallish space’s success is that the food is fresh and absolutely delicious.  Kabab Paradise offers an extensive Halal menu that’s completely made from scratch. From the very tasty hummus to the hand chopped burger meat to the fabulous kabab entrees, Kabab Paradise prides itself on serving the freshest middle eastern food around.

On a recent visit, my party enjoyed an attractive platter of hummus ($3.99 for small and $6.99 for large), made on the premises. The portion, enough for several diners, is beautifully presented with just the right amount of fruity olive oil.

Some of the entrees we enjoyed were the beef kufta kabab, the mixed gyro platter and the chicken breast kabab. The juicy beef kufta kabab ($9.99) is made of broiled ground beef marinated in fresh spices and absolutely wonderful in every way. The mixed gyro platter ($8.49) is comprised of thinly sliced then chopped beef, chicken and lamb masterly seasoned and presented in a sizeable portion. For those of us who’ve been served dried out grilled chicken on a stick in the past, Kabab Paradise will be a revelation of moist, succulent chicken chunks broiled to perfection. These entrees are presented with a large serving of seasoned basmati rice, a choice of beverage, bread and a tasty, tart cilantro and lime dressing. You’ll want to pour the secretly-prepared dressing over just about everything. Warning – it’s addictive and you’ll dream of your next taste.

The restaurant is social media-conscious and garners the power of the web, Twitter and Facebook to attract new customers and to share tidbits with its avid followers.

Kabab Paradise is a must-try for a casual meal prepared using fresh ingredients by a team focused on making diners think of their next visit even before they finish eating.

www.kababparadise.com

76 North Beverwick Rd

Lake Hiawatha, NJ 07034

Phone: 973-334-7900

Fax: 973-334-7199

Tue-Thur: 11AM – 10PM

Fri-Sat: 11AM – 11PM

Sun: 1PM – 9PM

Filed Under: Restaurant Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,
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