Rachel Perlow

Creamless Mushroom Soup a la Jerry's Serves 4 as Main Dishor 6 as Appetizeror 6 as Soup. This recipe was inspired by a soup we had at Jerry's Osteria restaurant in Tenafly, NJ. This is one of our favorite places and their soup was divine. Earthy with lots of funky mushroom flavor. Jason has to avoid dairy products and this soup has a creamy texture from the mushrooms that is augmented with a potato - but be sure to not use too much potato! The use of water is recommended over beef broth, but broth could be used, or concentrated beef base could be added, but it shouldn't taste too beefy. The final texture should remain a little chunky, hence the use of an immersion blender rather than a regular blender. If you don't have one, you can use a regular blender or food processor, but just pulse a few times. Edit: To follow-up, I preferred the smoother puree from using a regular blender. The immersion blender tended to shred the mushrooms rather than finely puree them. Save some chunks from the blender for texture. 1 T Olive or Vegetable Oil 1 medium Onion, finely diced 1 stalk of Celery, finely diced 1 small (about 4 oz) starchy Potato, peeled & diced 3/4 oz dried Porcini 1 qt Water, divided 10 oz White Button Mushrooms, chopped 10 oz Cremini or Portobella Mushrooms, chopped Salt to taste (at least 1/2 tsp) Freshly Ground Black Pepper Optional Ingredients 1 tsp or more good beef base, like Better Than Boullion (or Vegetable Base) 2 T Sherry, Cognac or Brandy Best Quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Truffle Oil Heat a 6 quart soup pot over a moderate flame. Add 1 tablespoon oil, allow to heat for a bit then add the Onion, sauté for a minute before adding the Celery. Stir, then cover and allow the vegetables to sweat for a few minutes before adding the Potato. Meanwhile, soak the dried Porcini in 1 cup of hot water, set aside. Add the chopped fresh mushrooms to the sweating vegetables. Stir it all up and continue sweating. Lift the lid every so often to stir the vegetables, but keep the lid on for the most part to retain the vegetable's steam. After about 5 minutes, using a slotted spoon, remove the Porcini from their soaking liquid (retain the liquid), chop them up and add them to the pot, cover. After the mushrooms have released their water and start to look cooked (about 5 more minutes), add about 1/2 tsp Salt and some freshly ground Black Pepper. Add the reserved porcini soaking water (pour slowly to keep any sediment from going into the pot) and 3 more cups of water. Turn up the heat to bring to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to maintain a simmer (covered) for about 15 minutes. Turn the heat down and use an immersion blender to puree the soup, but don't make it too smooth, it should still have some chunky texture, but the non-mushroom vegetables shouldn't be identifiable. Taste the soup. If you think it still needs salt, and don't need it to be vegetarian, add some really good beef base, about 1-2 teaspoons. Stir it in until it dissolves completely. If you don't have good beef base, just add some more salt and pepper. At this point, add the Sherry, if using. Stir it in and allow the soup to simmer for about 5 more minutes. Serve the hot soup with a drizzle of Olive or Truffle Oil on top. Keywords: Appetizer, Soup, Kosher, Vegan, Vegetarian, Easy, Vegetables, Dinner, Lunch, Immersion Blender, American, Italian ( RG205 )

Funny, I noticed lemongrass today at my local Stop & Shop.

I decided that China 46 was an acceptable Business Dining location. Bright room, not romantic, good food, large tables so you can look at papers, waiters that don't understand english very well so they don't care what you are talking about and won't benefit from insider trading, not too expensive. Sounds like a good place to do business to me.

Rosie, Do you have to submit an answer for every category? For example, I don't do much Business Dining, so I can't think of an example that would fit for that category.

I just looked at a map and it is too, not much further south, and mostly east, but it is south of exit 10.

Isn't Rumson south of exit 10?

I can see your points, the place definitely has a local dive feel to it. But at the same time, it isn't fair to compare it to Taste of Asia (Malasian? Nouvelle blech Chinese to me), as we're specifically talking burgers here.

What you missed was that this restaurant specializes in tandori. The curries I've had have been good, but it is the perfect tandoor cooked food that makes Diwan worth the trip.

Bringing up an old thread... I can't believe no one else has seconded my recommendation of Charley's Aunt in Chatham. I brought Jason there a while back and he was really impressed with their burgers. Although since we are no longer local to there, we've been heading to Fink's when in a throws of a burger craving, when in the area it is definitely worth the stop.

No. I'm saying that you might not need all that power. An you need to be careful -- about make-up air, and bragging about your equipment. People might get the wrong idea. Actually, I know we should be using the lowest setting most of the time. It is around 200 cfm, a little stronger than most generic kitchen exhaust fans and much quieter. I only put it up higher when we've got some serious steam and/or smoke going. When you put it up too high you can feel the cool breeze through the rest of the house as air rushes in to replace that pumped out of the kitchen. The highest setting needs to be used sparingly, and when it is I usually crack the kitchen window (about 4 feet from the stove), so the make up air isn't traveling through (and cooling off) the rest of the house.

Chinese Broccoli (Gai-lan), several ways Serves 4 as Side. One of our favorite vegetables, we frequently order Gai-lan when out for Dim Sum or other Chinese meals. It looks similar to Broccoli Rabe, but tastes like a cross between regular broccoli and asparagus with none of the bitterness of broccoli rabe. We generally prepare it Chinese-style, but it can also be prepared Italian-style, just like other forms of broccoli. Chinese Broccoli or Gai-lan, figure 1 bunch for 4 people With Oyster Sauce 1/4 c Oyster Sauce, best quality Sauteed with Garlic 1/3 c Peanut or Olive Oil 6 Cloves of Garlic, peeled and sliced Salt or Soy Sauce, to taste 1 tsp Sesame Oil, optional Blanch the vegetable: Set a large pot of water to boil, add salt when it comes to the boil. Have a large bowl of ice water ready. Prepare the Chinese Broccoli by trimming the cut ends, washing, then separate the leafy, thinner-stalked half from the larger stem half by cutting approximately in half. Blanch the vegetable, adding the thicker stemmed portion to the water about 1 minute before the thinner stemmed/leafy portion. After about another minute the vegetable will turn bright green.* Use a pasta scoop or spider web chan to remove the vegetable and shock in ice water. When cold, drain and saute the vegetables. Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce * If planning to serve immediately with Oyster Sauce, do not shock, but cook the vegetable just a little longer in the boiling water, then remove to a platter. Drizzle the Oyster Sauce all over the vegetable and serve immediately. Chinese Broccoli Sauteed with Garlic - Chinese Style Heat Peanut Oil in a wok and add the garlic and blanched Gai-lan. Stir fry until the vegetable is heated through and the garlic is lightly golden. Drizzle with Soy Sauce and Sesame Oil and serve. Chinese Broccoli Sauteed with Garlic - Italian Style In a very large skillet (or wok), place garlic slices and Olive Oil and bring up to heat, adding Gai-lan and a sprinnkle of salt while the garlic is still white. You can either briefly saute it to keep the vegetable crisp-tender, or lower the heat and cook it until wilted, like Broccoli Rabe. Keywords: Side, Vegan, Vegetarian, Kosher, Easy, Vegetables, Dinner, Chinese ( RG176 )

Fried Stuffed Lotus Root (Zha Ou He) Our friend Lin's mother made these for us when she was visiting from China. Here's a url: Lotus Root, Can you deep-fry it? "Fried lotus root was one of the holiday dishes you could see on many families' dining tables" especially for "Spring Festival." All ingredient measures are approximate below, Lin didn't give any measurements, I'm basing this on other Chinese dumpling fillings and her notes to me. As Lin said, "I don’t have the exact measure. It does not matter you have put in too much ground pork or too many scallions. Just follow your experience or instinct, and do not put too much sesame oil or salt." Whole Lotus Root Oil for deep frying Filling 1 lb Ground Pork 3 Scallions, chopped 1 T Soy Sauce 1 tsp Sesame Oil 1/4 tsp Salt Batter 1/4 c Flour 1 Egg Water Wash your fresh lotus root. If the skin looks very clean, keep the skin; if not, peel the skin. Steam or boil the whole lotus root until it is cooked. Cool then slice the lotus root crosswise into thick slices, then slice each of these in half, like a clamshell with one end still attached. While lotus root is cooking, stir the filling ingredients together. Optional seasonings include 5-Spice Powder, Ginger, Black Pepper. Prepare the batter: "Several tablespoonful of flour. Add 1 egg, and some water. Stir well. When it is well mixed, it should look like pancake mix, but a lot thinner." Spread some filling between the double sliced lotus root. Heat the oil in a wok or deep fryer. Dip each filled double slice into the batter. Then deep-fry it until it turns brown. Keywords: Appetizer, Side, Hors d'oeuvre, Intermediate, Pork, Vegetables, Dinner, Lunch, Snack, Chinese, Deep Fryer ( RG175 )

Actually, the one in Livingston is now called Jerusalem Restaurant. They moved to a much larger space more than a year ago and wanted to emphasize their other offerings.

Is their still a Jerusalem Pizza in Elmora? Love their felafal.

Pigs in a Blanket Serves 32 as Hors d'oeuvre. Here's a link to the What's the worst thing that you eat?, Name your deep dark secret thread. Say whatever you want about Pigs in a Blanket, people do really love'm. We prefer using all beef kosher style franks and either the Cresent or Cornbread Pillsbury dough. 1 Package Hot Dogs 1 Can of Pillsbury dough Suggested Dipping Sauces Ketchup mixed with a little pickle relish Mustard mixed with honey Cut each frankfurter into 4-5 pieces, on the diagonal preferably. Open the can of Pillsbury dough, and spread it out on a flour dusted cutting board. Roll each triangle a little larger and cut into 3 pieces, wrapping each around a piece of hot dog. Place seam side down on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake according to biscuit directions (usually 350F for about 10 minutes), or freeze before baking for quick treats (bake from frozen state, just a couple minutes longer than from thawed state). Keywords: Amuse, Appetizer, Easy, Snack, American ( RG169 )

Popi Sid's Tuna Salad Serves 4 as Appetizeror 2 as Main Dish. Here's a link to the Yom Kippur, Break Fast thread, where this was originally posted. 1 6 oz can - Bumblebee Solid White Albacore tuna, preferabley water packed 3 Slices of a medium size sweet onion, preferably Vidalia 1/4 c Hellman's Mayonaise Thoroughly drain the tuna, but don't rinse. Flake it out of the can and into a bowl, break up the bigger pieces, but not minced. Chop the onion pretty finely, about 1/8-1/4 inch pieces. When the onion was placed on top of the tuna it looked like a lot of onion to me, but "if it's a sweet enough onion that's OK." Add the three "not too big" spoons of Hellman's Mayonaise. "It must be Hellman's," he admonished "and not lite or low-fat or non-fat or any of that nonsense." Smoosh, fold and blend the ingredients for a minute or two, he kept mushing and mixing for longer than I would have. It was really good tuna. And, when I tried to replicate it at home it didn't taste as good as his. I think he snuck in something else when I wasn't looking. Keywords: Main Dish, Salad, Kosher, Easy, Seafood, Fish, Lunch, American ( RG168 )

Roasted Cauliflower (aka Jim Dixon's Roasted Cauliflower, no wait, that's Amanda Hesser's recipe! Or is it?) Serves 6 as Amuseor 4 as Appetizeror 2 as Side. Here's a link to my post on the Veggies, Don't eat enough of them thread on eGullet. In that post, I refer to Jim Dixon's first mention of this dish on eGullet. Here is a link to Caramelized Cauliflower on his website, Real Good Food. Here's a link to Amanda Hesser's article in the NYT: The Celestial Cauliflower, published January 17, 2001. Finally, here's a link to the current eGullet discussion thread about roasted cauliflower. Does it taste like french fries to you? Regardless of who created this recipe, it is a must try for everyone who ever thought cauliflower was characterless. Here's how Jason and I make it: 1 Head of Cauliflower (or more!!!) 1/4 c Good Olive Oil (EVOO not necessary) Kosher or Sea Salt Freshly Ground Black Pepper Preheat oven to 400F. Trim and wash the whole head of Cauliflower then slice it about 1/4 inch thick. There will be lots of small pieces and several large lacy slices. Place the cauliflower into a large bowl and drizzle on the Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper to taste, toss to coat. Spread the cauliflower evenly onto sheet pans (I use 2 half-sheet pans) and put in the oven. After about 10 minutes, stir them around to get the pieces on the edge of the pan moved towards the middle to encourage even browning, stir again every 5-10 minutes. After about 20 minutes it is ready, but can be left a little longer until even more browned depending on your taste and addiction level. Plan on 1 head of Cauliflower for every 2 people you are planning to serve. It reduces in volume significantly and is very addictive. Leftovers (leftovers?!) are excellent hot or cold (especially with Tahini Sauce). Keywords: Amuse, Appetizer, Side, Kosher, Vegan, Vegetarian, Intermediate, Vegetables, Dinner, Lunch, Snack ( RG167 )

Make Ahead Potato Latkes Serves 30 as Hors d'oeuvreor 10 as Side. Here's the thread, LATKE TIME! With some input from my Jason, my mom and aunt, here is my current recipe for Potato Latkes. I use the shredder attachment to my KitchenAid mixer, so the instructions are phrased accordingly. If you are using a regular food processor, you will probably need to empty it a few times. IMO, hand grating adds nothing to the latkes except the occasional bits of skin and blood. And bragging/martyrdom rights. 3 Large Onions* 5 lb Potatoes - Russet or Yukon Gold 2 Eggs, beaten 1 c Matzo Meal 1/2 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper 1-1/2 tsp Salt 1 c Peanut Oil (at least) Quarter lengthwise and slice 2 of the onions. Add a small amount of oil to a large skillet (preferably cast iron) and slowly brown them, stirring occasionally. When they are well browned put aside to cool. *If you don't plan to caramelize the onions, just use one raw onion as explained below (i.e. don't add three raw onions to the batter!). Meanwhile prepare the latke batter. Trim and quarter the potatoes. It is not necessary to peel them, just remove the eyes and any bad spots. Grate the potatoes into a large colander inside an even larger bowl. Grate 3/4 of the potatoes coarsely, then grate the remaining onion. Grate one more potato to get the rest of the onion out of the blades. Remove the coarse grater attachment, scrape off the bits of potato into the batter. Attach fine grater and grate the remaining potatoes into the batter. Press and squeeze the potatoes to remove as much moisture as possible. You may have to pour off the liquid into a separate bowl a few times. However, allow the starch to settle to the bottom before pouring off the liquid. Add any starch from the second bowl back to the batter too. Put the potato/onion mixture, the settled potato starch and the caramelized onions into the bowl of your mixer (I prefer to use the dough hook to mix it up), add the eggs and mix. Sprinkle on the matzo meal, salt and pepper, and mix thoroughly, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally. Heat your cast iron skillet and add about 1/2 cup of peanut oil. When the oil is hot, scoop the batter by large heaping tablespoons, about 3 should fit in the pan at a time. When it becomes necessary to add more oil, do it while the pan is empty and allow it to become hot before adding more batter. As you will re-heat them later, you are going for nice even browning here, not perfectly cooking the pancakes through, so move them around and flip when they are a medium brown. Drain on a cooling rack over a sheet pan and then move to a paper lined sheet tray. Place them in single layers, with more toweling between the layers. You can even put another tray (I use a cutting board) on the top (lined with more toweling) to press out some of the oil. These suckers absorb a lot of oil. When they have cooled, wrap in foil by the amount you plan to reheat at a time. Refrigerate or freeze. When ready to serve, reheat them at 350 F for 10-15 minutes in a single layer on a sheet pan. Serve with sour cream, apple sauce, or the condiment of your choice. This recipe makes at least 30 large latkes, plus a few eaten by the cook. If you prefer them smaller, it'll make a lot more. To serve as an Hors D'oeuvre, place the latkes on a tray and top each with a small dollop of sour cream and/or apple sauce. To serve as an appetizer or side, just serve the applesauce and/or sour cream on the side. Keywords: Amuse, Appetizer, Side, Kosher, Vegan, Vegetarian, Intermediate, Vegetables, Food Processor, Snack, Jewish, Stand Mixer ( RG166 )

Suvir's Apple-Cranberry Chutney Serves 8 as Side. Here's a link to the Apple Chutney thread. This makes a delicious condiment for Lamb or Pork Chops, I used it as an alternative to traditional Cranberry Sauce for Thanksgiving. * Suvir said to leave the Chile whole, which I suppose would add less heat and could be removed before serving. 1 T Vegetable Oil 1 T minced Ginger 1 tsp minced Red Chile (seeded & deveined)* 1/2 tsp Fennel Seed 1 pinch Asafoetida 4 c Granny Smith Apple, peeled and diced (~3 apples) 1/2 c dried Cranberries 1/4 c Water 1/8 tsp Salt 1 T Sugar 1/2 T Balsamic Vinegar 1 Pinch dried ground Cayenne Pepper Heat a 2 quart saucepan, add oil and fry the ginger, chile, fennel and asafoetida. When some of the fennel seeds look toasty (1-2 minutes), add apple, stir to coat with spices. Add cranberries, water, salt, sugar and vinegar, stir, cover for about three minutes, then remove cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pan is dry and the apples are about ready to fall apart. Check for seasoning and add cayenne pepper to taste. Yields: about 2 cups Keywords: Side, Condiment, Kosher, Vegan, Vegetarian, Intermediate, Fruit, Indian ( RG165 )

Tahini Sauce Here's a link to the Hummus with or without Tahini?, Have a favorite recipe? thread. Here's a recipe for Tehina / Tahini Sauce (not the straight sesame paste, but the lemony condiment) that I got from a local Lebanese restaurant (Bennies in Englewood, NJ). I always had trouble making tahini because I was trying to stir the water & lemon juice into the tahini, this recipe does the opposite. Yields: 2 Cups Sauce I used an Israeli brand of tahina that was rather liquid and this came out perfectly. I serve it with felafel and/or roasted vegetables. 1/2 c Water 1/2 c Lemon Juice, freshly squeezed 1 T Salt 4 Garlic Cloves, peeled 1 c Tahina, approximately Put the first four ingredients into a blender and whir to chop the garlic. While the blender is running, pour in the tahina. The mixture should just come to the point where it stops mixing easily. If it is too thin, add more tahina, if it is too thick, add a little more water. Keywords: Side, Condiment, Kosher, Vegan, Vegetarian, Easy, Blender, Sauce, Middle Eastern, Jewish ( RG164 )

Skillet Cornbread with Bacon Serves 12 as Side. Here's a link to the Corn Bread, Baked in a skillet thread. Ingredient Notes: 1) Instead of buttermilk you can use 1-1/4 cup milk + 1/4 cup plain Yogurt or Sour Cream) – I like to use sour cream and skim milk. 2) About the Sugar: use 1-3 Tbs, depending on how sweet, or not, you like your cornbread. 3) Optional ingredients: corn kernels, shredded cheese, chopped sautéed hot peppers, chopped cilantro 2 Slices Bacon 1 c Yellow Stone-ground Cornmeal 1 c All-Purpose Flour 3/4 tsp Baking Soda 2 tsp Baking Powder 1-1/2 tsp Salt 3/4 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper 2 T Sugar 1 Egg, lightly beaten 1-1/2 c Buttermilk (see note above for substitutions) Heat the oven to 350°F. Place cast iron skillet over low heat and slowly cook the bacon. Occasionally stir and slice the bacon (I use 2 knives) until the bacon is crisp and the fat has rendered, then place pan in the oven (leave the crumbled bacon & grease in the pan). While bacon is cooking, sift together the cornmeal, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, sugar and pepper. In a second bowl, combine the egg and milk. When the bacon is done and the skillet is in the oven, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients along with any optional additions (see notes), and stir to mix fairly well. Quickly open the oven and pour the batter into the skillet and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Turn the cornbread out on a rack so it doesn't get soggy as it cools. Picture Credit and Bacon Notes: Thanks to eGullet member claire797 for the great picture. She pointed out that leaving the bacon in the skillet creates a "bacony crust." If you want the bacon mixed through the bread then remove & drain the bacon (leaving the grease in the skillet), crumble and mix into the batter before pouring it into the pan. Also, please note that the size of your skillet will affect how long the cornbread takes to bake. The pictured skillet is 8" in diameter and took 25 minutes to bake. I cook mine in a larger skillet, the bread is only about 1 1/2" in the center when done and takes about 18-20 mintues to bake. Keywords: Side, Intermediate, Snack, Dinner, Lunch, Pork, Bread, American, Barbeque ( RG163 )

Shrimp Ajillo Serves 3 as Main Dishor 4 as Appetizeror 6 as Amuse. This is one of my favorite types of tapas. I've tried to recreate what we get served in the Spanish and Portuguese restaurants of Newark, NJ. Ingredient Notes: 1) The Spanish Paprika is optional but very highly recommended (it is worth going out to get it specifically for this dish), but don't substitute "regular" paprika if you don't have it, it would be better to just leave it out. 2) Sherry can be substituted for the Spanish Brandy if you can't find it, but I don't think it flambes the same, you would just use it to deglaze the pan. 3) The amount of garlic is approximate, I use about 1/2 a head, you may want to use less. 4) The size of the Shrimp isn't that important. If they are medium sized "regular" shrimp, it is best to peel and devein the shrimp. If they are fancy large shrimp, especially if head-on, I leave the shell intact. It is messy at the table, but the sensory experience of licking your fingers of the garlicy oil and sucking all the flavor from the heads is worth it. 8 Garlic Cloves, peeled & sliced 1/2 c Olive Oil, good quality 2 lb Shrimp (see notes above) 1 tsp Smoked Spanish Paprika 1/2 tsp Salt, amount approximate, to taste 1/4 tsp Freshly ground Black Pepper 2 T Spanish Brandy 2 T Parsley, minced Lemon Wedges Crusty Bread Add Garlic and Olive Oil to a large cool pan (I use cast iron or a wok) and heat gently. When you first detect the garlic aroma, add the Paprika and Shrimp and turn up the heat. Saute 3-5 minutes, until the shrimp are almost completely cooked, most of the greyness will be replaced with pinkness, but not all (use a long handled wooden spoon to keep everything moving). Add Salt & Pepper to taste. To Flambe: Push the shrimp towards the handle side of the pan. Holding the pan at a slight angle (empty side down), pour the Brandy (not directly from the bottle, have it waiting in a small ramikin) into the empty side of the pan. Allow the brandy to warm for a few seconds, then shift the pan to allow the flames to ignite the brandy fumes. As soon as it flames, stir the shrimp around until the flames die down. Sprinkle the shrimp with Parsley. Serve with Lemon Wedges on the side and warm crusy bread to not lose a drop of the garlicy oil. Keywords: Appetizer, Spanish/Portugese, Seafood, Intermediate, Main Dish, Amuse, Expert, Dinner ( RG162 )

I like the stock pot very much. The base is nice and thick and the lid fits very tightly, while at the same time it holds the wire part of the temperature probe in place easily (I set the temp monitor for around 210 so I'm notified when the water is boiling without having to be in the kitchen). It is quite a heavy pot, but it fits in my sink, so it was easy to clean off the shrimp scum. Haven't used the sauce pot yet.

I agree with many above that you may have to start planning for a graceful exit. Many have mentioned taking digital pictures, and while those are good, they aren't usually of the quality necessary for your resume/portfolio, so take some film pictures too.

I like black pepper. I'd only suggest the pepper be reduced because it became the most prominant flavor of the sausage, it's use should be subtler. I'm also curious about the casing. I'm sure it is edible, but it seems to peel off rather easily, so I did for the omelet filling, but for grilling it's necessary to keep the sausage intact.