Salmon with Maple Glaze

Salmon with Maple Glaze

I’m Canadian – you know I have to put maple syrup on things! This is a VERY simple and delicious recipe for salmon, which can be a boring fish. Serve this with green beans or asparagus and you’re in business on busy weeknights. Don’t have a grill? Live in the frozen tundra and don’t want […]

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Easy Apple Crumble

Easy Apple Crumble

Last week, I visited family in Quebec where it’s apple season. While I love a crisp apple picked right off the tree in our orchard, I’m not typically a fan of apple desserts. It’s really not the apple part I don’t like in those desserts, it’s the cinnamon that seems to always be prominent. I […]

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Brooklyn Brewery Hand & Seal

Brooklyn Brewery Hand & Seal

Wow just wow with this baby. This was a very limited release by Brooklyn Brewery that I feel privileged to have tasted. Appearance: Medium copper in the glass with a head that’s almost non-existent. Smell: Nice sweet mocha aromas on this bourbon barrel-aged barleywine ale. Taste: Caramel and mocha flavors with some vanilla on the […]

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Paco & Lola Wine Tasting

Paco & Lola Wine Tasting

A couple of weeks ago, I attended a wine pairing dinner featuring the wines of Paco & Lola from Galicia Spain. The dinner took place at a local restaurant and wine bar, Tree Tavern, and a representative from the winery, David Geary, was on-hand to offer interesting information about the wines, the winery and Galicia […]

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Cremini Mushroom Freekeh

Cremini Mushroom Freekeh

I try to stay faithful to Meatless Mondays and that’s a bit easier when I can incorporate “meaty” mushrooms to my recipes. This is one of my “not really a recipe” recipe that takes very little effort to make and is pretty darn tasty. I use freekeh from Freekehlicious, the leading importer of Greenwheat Freekeh, […]

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Win Big at Calandra’s First Annual Pig Roast

Il Vecchio Cafe, located at Calandra’s Italian Village, is excited to host its first Pig Roast! The event will be held on Sunday, September 17th, 2017 from 12:30 PM to 7:30 PM. This outdoor*, family-friendly event will focus on food, fun and amazing giveaways thanks to Calandra’s partnership with MetLife Stadium. The highlight of the […]

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Pulled Pork on a Weber Kettle Grill

Pulled Pork on a Weber Kettle Grill

I’ve been smoking pork shoulder/butt for a few years on the Weber kettle grill since I don’t have a smoker (yet). The pork is always super moist, flavorful and delicious, but a couple weeks ago, I decided to try the method by “MNLang” he posted on Instructables – wow, amazing!! I followed the instructions very […]

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2015 Heart & Hands Sparkling Riesling

2015 Heart & Hands Sparkling Riesling

I’ve been a member of Heart & Hands’ Claddagh Club, its wine club, for several years and enjoy that, once in a while, I’m contacted about something totally unexpected by this stellar Finger Lakes winery. This time, it was about its sparkling Riesling with bottle cap enclosure – how could I pass that up? The […]

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Chubby’s Sandwiches Opens at Exchange Place in Jersey City

Chubby’s Sandwiches Opens at Exchange Place in Jersey City

Chubby’s Sandwiches Food Truck is now officially opened in downtown Jersey City’s Exchange Place.  This state-of-the-art food truck, serving Italian butcher-style sandwiches for breakfast and lunch, is the brainchild of childhood friends turned business partners Chef Nick Daniele and Joe Buonsante. The truck features a custom-built state of the art kitchen modeled after the kitchen […]

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Jersey Tomato Dinner with Todd Villani & Robbie Felice

Jersey Tomato Dinner with Todd Villani & Robbie Felice

I was thrilled to attend the first collaboration dinner between Chefs Todd Villani and Robbie Felice at Viaggio Ristorante earlier this year and super bummed to miss their August 20th Jersey tomato dinner again, held at Viaggio. The dinner will feature: Yellow tomato gazpacho Heirloom tomato panzanella Lemongrass meatballs with tomato jam Spaghetti with blistered […]

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