Curlz

Don't want to assume that you know this...The Chocolate Show is also in NYC this weekend...

I've been to the TM in Whippany...haven't been to any others, though! But thanks for the reminder; I may be out that way this week, and will check it out if I am!

A) We obviously need a field trip to Costco. You're missing out (on some stuff)! B) I do know people who've had great luck finding LC at Tuesday Morning...my problem is they don't have any stores in the immediate area! But you did just jog my brain a little...TM ran a tv ad this week touting their LC selection...now I'm wondering if they're feeling the competition!

What's Costco Home?!? TELL! TELL! Please?

Geoff--DO end the torture and tell us what the shop is in your hometown, willya? Fwiw, the two places that popped in to my mind were the Berkeley (CA) Bowl and Wegmans. Probably the Princeton NJ store, only because it was my virgin trip, and I was SO blown away. Then again, the brand new (week-old) WF in West Orange NJ is the WF version of Wegmans, so I'd have to throw it in the mix, just for sheer size and a stunning fish department... --Curlz (the supermarket-aholic, who comes by it via her DNA)

I was in the Clifton Costco this afternoon, and literally did a double-take as I was walking past the aisle with cookware...lo and behold, a walk down the aisle confirmed that it was indeed the 8qt oval LC ($158 in red) and the 4pt (?) roasting pan ($67 in blue). Anyone know how long they've been carrying these? Have you seen other pieces in other stores? Discuss.

Thanks! I forgot to mention that she is not a fan of white chocolate (no clue as to why)...as for the color, she said it would be nice to have it caramel-colored, but she's not locked in to having to do so. She also uses organic everything (including cream), so I doubt she's going to go for the corn syrup. Thanks again for all of the ideas and great info, folks! Please...keep 'em coming! Her birthday is later this month, and I plan to compile a whole bunch of this info to add to her gift.

I'm bumping this thread up, b/c I need some help, and this seems to be the best thread based on the search results...please feel free to direct me otherwise if I missed something! Let me state up front that I cook and do only minor baking, but until this weekend, had never worked with chocolate. A good friend let me help her make some basic truffles (all chocolate, rolled in cocoa and nibs), which was fun, but I'll continue to leave that to you all! She was saying that she has experimented with caramel ganache but can't seem to get it the right color AND flavor, and she'd also like to make p.b. ganache for truffles this holiday season. She would really crack up if I supplied the answer(s), esp because I am SO not the chocolatier/baker type! Fwiw, she has a cabinet full of good oils, sells these as a side business, and makes all kinds of great flavors, so I was suprised to hear that she can't seem to get these two right. Something about the ganache not setting up as firmly as it should...?!? Any/all thoughts and recipes are welcomed and appreciated! Curlz

I'm ducking as I say this...I spent almost 2 hours in the new WF today (2:30-4:30ish). Went with 3 friends, all of whom frequent the Montclair store, all of whom were blown away by this one, and none of whom have ever been to Wegmans. I thought the same thing that Jim did--it reminded me an awful lot of Wegmans! That's NOT a bad thing, kids. Not a bad thing at all. It's a big, beautiful space and I'll certainly pop over there when I want to really shop at WF (vs. running in to the Montclair store for a couple of items). I'm with Jim on the vast amount of parking and on the lack of crowds once we were in the store, even though it was hopping--except for the dearth of senior citizens who literally turned a corner and got confused. We had a quick/late lunch of Indian food from the hot bar. In general, the food was good, especially the Chicken Tikka Masala, which is my point-of-comparison dish. The aloo chole was lacking, but the spice was good; perhaps I'll try it again if it's a fresher batch. The only major complaint was the naan--not something that should sit on a steam table! I knew it when I took a piece, but what's Indian food without naan?!? That part of the store was annoyingly crowded, so we got our food and ran for the registers. Issue: There isn't a register dedicated to paying for food from the salad/soup/hot bars, so you wait in line with everyone else, hoping the food isn't getting cold (it was) before you can get a seat at the front of the store. Issue: The utensils are almost at the exit, rather than closer to the tables. You literally almost walk out of the store to get a fork. Weird, and easily resolved if they choose to. If nothing else, they could put some near the food bars! I had gelato. GINGER gelato. And some pumpkin, too, but the ginger was just stunning. (Thanks, Eric, for sending me that way!) I didn't shop a whole lot--it was definitely more about browsing, but I did have a short list with me, and managed to buy those items + a few bonuses. I saw lots of interesting items that I've certainly never found in the Montclair location, and a huge selection of Asian foods. They have a small clothing selection, a HUGE health/beauty aids dept, the seafood dept is very impressive, as is the chocolate (if you're into that--I'm not). LOTS of interesting salts in what I thought was an odd place--on a shelf in the cheese department behind tons of cheeses! Tasted the aforementioned Chilean Sea Bass, and was given the same pitch...then I realized that I saw a sign saying something like "WF Welcomes Back Chilean Sea Bass" in the Montclair store last week. It was tasty, but at $25/lb, I'd rather have Chef Zod cook it for me at Blu! :-) TONS of employees, and I loved the fact that I asked where something was, and the woman said "Stay here--I don't know, but I'll find out." And she did. Registers were slooooooow, but that's to be expected at this point. The one thing I really didn't get is why there are a bunch of cops standing around at the entrance and exit, but NOT ONE directing traffic at the light on the Eagle Rock Ave side. I finally turned right and pulled a U-turn in the Chinese restaurant to maket the left turn. Somebody needs to look at the timing of those lights, as it's going to get far worse, not better. VERY nice touch: cart retrieval guys in the parking lot. I was looking around for a cart corral, and a young guy came up and said "I'll take that for you." Shockingly nice service, imo. And when questioned, he said it is a permanent feature--not just special today. All in all, I'm very happy to have such a huge WF close by; I'll just be very careful about when I go so I can avoid some of the traffic getting out.

INFO, please!! ET

You are an evil, evil, EVIL man, Eric! I'm running a dinner for 400+ on Thursday night, and now all I can think about is how I'm going to cram in a visit to WF tomorrow.

Circa is in High Bridge, and the chef (Michael Coury) is wonderful; he was previously at The Jefferson in Hoboken, which (sniffle) closed a few months ago. I've been wanting to get out there to check out his new place, and a combo Winesap/Circa trip sounds like a great reason to do so! The thread about Circa is here.

I can't remember the last time I had pumpkin ice cream at DD, but I grew up going there, and just love their ice cream! Will do my best to do a little research and report back.

Very good to know, Shmily, as I was (again) disappointed yesterday at the Montclair FM by apples labelled Winesaps that definitely weren't! It was funny...I was at the Matarazzo stand, and the sign on a big box of apples said Winesaps, but I knew at a glance that they weren't. I asked someone behind the table "Are you sure those are Winesaps?" and she said, "No, the Winesaps are over here (in another, smaller box)," and she moved the sign. Despite the change to the correct box, there were non-Winesaps mixed in. GRRRRRRR Sounds like I may have to take a ride out 78 and (finally) get to Circa while I'm there!

Not huge enough for a Wegmans!

Pumpkin ice cream from Applegate Farm (Montclair) or Denville Dairy always hits the spot!! What I'd love to find is some great pumpkin bread or pumpkin cheesecake...

According to the WF web site, "...We are excited to offer hard-to-find traditional services and products alongside many exciting new dining options, including: A Seafood Shack featuring the freshest catch of the day prepared while you wait, a raw bar and restaurant-style sides. You can sit down to eat or take food to go. Our sizzling Cantina will offer special daily platos, tortillas made in-house, in addition to our daily Latin fare. It's an ideal spot for a family dinner or casual date. A Candy Island stocked with a decadent selection of chocolates and seasonal treats. A large selection of kosher foods. A full-service seafood counter with a robust selection of the freshest fish and shellfish availale, and knowledgeable team members to help you. An enormous selection of naturally raised meats, in an old-fashioned butcher shop setting, with real butchers who cut to order and answer cooking questions." ←

Having lived in this area for 2/3 of my life, I can tell you that this intersection has ALWAYS been bad. You're right that WF isn't going to help, but if the town can spend $$ for police to direct traffic at the big Crystal Lake townhouse/office complex 2 blocks further south (towards 280) every day, they should certainly do it at the MAJOR intersection nearby! (Curlz jumps off her soapbox)

My local Costco sells 2-3lb packages of mini sausages made by Aidells...well worth checking out! I'm a big fan of Aidells, esp their chicken apple sausage; always have them in my freezer. In Costco, they're in the refrigerated section, along with cheeses.

Interesting...I don't think my SR offers that. Will check next time I go, though! Thanks for the tip.

Imo, that's the best roasted chicken you can buy! $4.99, and it's huge chicken--not one of those scrawny ones you'd get at Whole Foods or Kings or any other supermarket...

Did any other Lyndhurst residents receive this flyer yesterday? On October 23rd Piatti di mar Restaurant Celebrate with us! Join us for a beautiful eventing on our pre-opening day to try our distinctive traditional cuisine from different regions The taste that you had forgotten but is now here awaiting you from 7pm-8:30pm 137 Stuyvesant Ave Lyndhurst Next door to Deep Sea Fishery valet parking available at opening date Please do report if anyone goes!

I'm surprised to hear this, too...last weekend, I bought them from the people across from Matarazzo's--they were small but WONDERFUL. Even had a conversation with the guy about the size of them, and he said they were just starting to pick them. This past weekend, I bought them from the next vendor over from last week's--he's across from the organic guy--also starts with an M, but the name escapes me. Anyway, there was more of a mix of sizes this week, and they've been equally yummy. I also (thanks to a comment from ghostrider a week ago) bought corn from this stand, and it was fabulous. Felt like late August with the first bite, not mid-October! Huge ears, too.

Three words: BLACK. PEPPERED. CASHEWS. They don't seem so peppery when you have one or two, but have a handful, and, well...

Rich and Chef Carey--- Do either of you have a basic sofrito recipe to share? I don't know if there are variations on the theme or if there's a sofrito recipe... I'm also curious to know if it's something that can be made in quantity and stored for future use, and if so, the best method for doing so. Thanks!