Cook456

Now I have an "oo lee" (don't know how to spell it. but that's how it's pronouced in italian ) for SS crabs. It means a " yen for" So which shall it be..Wondees or Oceanos...? Oh, decisions, decisions.. ←

Now I have an "oo lee" (don't know how to spell it. but that's how it's pronouced in italian ) for SS crabs. It means a " yen for" So which shall it be..Wondees or Oceanos...? Oh, decisions, decisions..

I like to eat healthy, for the most part, and would like to try one of these places. I'm not really interested in eating their soy protein" chicken" or such..just plain ole veggies made a new and intersting way. Most of us never eat enough !

← Yes, that's the place. anyone been?

I didn't mean to imply that Rita's serving sizes had anythging to do with my poor restaurant example. I really wouldn't care if their regular serving size was 120 ounces, I still wouldn't like the product. That's my point here, inferior product no matter how much of it is still inferior product. You are dead on about the gelato you had in Umbrio, though I've never been to that particular town in Italy. Italy, as in most of Western Europe, gets that for a product to be truly outstanding, it must be made from only the finest, freshest local ingredients and made daily. I don't know too much about Rita's but can almost guarantee you that this concept is not happening there. It's formulaic at best just like McDonalds. As to wholefoods, not a great analogy to the topic. They are a fine quality driven food supplier with a truly insightful management team. They get it, Rita's simply has an aggressive franchise model driving sub par product. I too am a huge fan of unground music but for me, I love it when these bands get signed to a label, it's survival. Might be that I'm 55 and your kids aren't! Tune in to the fact that your kids have a major cool quotient when they discover an underground, unsigned band. Once the band gets signed, no more cachet. ← In your Rita's eating experience, what flavor or aspect of the product line offended your tastebuds the most? The town I mentioned was Urbino.. mountain town not far from the Adriatic. Rita's is NOT gelato so comparing actual gelato to what they've named gelati is pointless. Saying that "It's the McDonalds of water ice and I don't mean that as a compliment. The fact that so many of them are going up should give you a hint, " and implying that because so many of them are springing up, the quality should be immediately suspect is nose-in-the-air logic. Because the masses like it, I won't. How about referring to the product in specifics as to what it is you like or dislike in this case rather than deciding that "Rita's simply has an aggressive franchise model driving sub par product." Personally, I thought their custard was sweeter than I like it, mixed with their cherry ice and the real cherries throughout it, I found it refreshing and fun to eat. Sure I can get an Italian ice from that little bakery window in Lyndhurst (the name escapes me at the moment), but can't get it mixed with custard (Rita's 'gelati' style -again, they've GOT to change that name. Its SUCH a misnomer) but when I want that custard/ice blend, there aren't many places around that do both. There actually is one in Bergenfield (Its A Custard Thing) but I think Rita's consistency is better, IMHO. " Once the band gets signed, no more cachet."... right and the shallowness and this reverse "fair weather fan" attitude makes digging on a band just because they're unsigned or whatever just as flaky as liking a band just because everyone else does. Then again, I'm continually pointing out to them as well that real indie kids/punks/whatevers aren't spending $80 at Hot Topic buying ripped up jeans. ;-) ← That's the Lyndhurst Bakery for the best ice in this area. Love the vanilla ice!

There is also a vegetarian restaurant on Valley Road across from the Kings Supermarket . ( On the corner). Haven't tried it, but have always been curious. Isn't Evergreen in Montclair also vegetarian?

I could have written the EXACT post, Tommy. When my bro lived in northern CA, I was all excited to go to TJ with him, b/c I'd heard so many people rave about it. We went, and I looked around and thought, "Aaaaaaaand...??" Just don't get it. When I'm in the vicinity, I will run in and out of the Florham Park store to buy almonds and Go Lean Bars by the case, but I'm just not inspired by anything else. And I've heard the same thing about their frozen stuff. Whoopee. ← I third that. And have on other threads. The place offers nothing for the way I cook. ← Ditto. I decided to take a ride to the Wayne store to see what all the hoopla was about. I did like the fact that they have my fav Fage nonfat yogurt. But there wasn't much else that I walked out with. The produce looked picked over, and the frozen foods did not interest me, at all. Oh I did buy some really good trail mix. TJ Best Trail mix. It had cashews, papaya, pineapple, almonds and cranberries...yum Two items doesn't ensure a trip back there, too soon.

Here's a few recipes I found that make great use of pomegrante juice. Pomegranite Martini 3 oz. Absolut Citron 2 oz. Pomegranite juice 1 oz. of Cointreau Mix like a regular martini, strain into champagne glass. Add a few pomegranite seeds and a curl from a lemon peel for a nice presentation. Serves 1. POM-TINI 1 2 ounces pomegranate or citrus vodka 2 ounces pomegranate juice Juice of one lemon 1 ounce simple syrup Simple syrup is 1 part sugar 1 part water heated til the sugar disolves Shake well with ice until condensation begins to form on shaker, then strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a lemon wedge.

"Certainly enough good ones within a short distance that it would be ridiculous to go a long way for bagels. " Ridiculous??? All depends on what you think is a good bagel. Honestly, I'd rather travel a long way , buy a dozen and keep them in the freezer, than have to subsist on some of the bagels in my neighborhood. Clearly a matter of opinion.

My brother is a chef and the story goes that my mom was baking one evening while he was just a baby and with a lot of coaching his first real words were" apple pie"

Since posting the above almost a year ago, I've been trying to make myself like cheese. My friends Miles and Hall had me over for a cheese tasting, and it was ok. I made it through, and I even liked some of the cheeses. I did discover that I really don't like fig bread. I still don't understand the almost sexual desire some people have for cheese, though. To each his own, I suppose! ← Megan, I'm just the opposite. I am starting to eat cheeses like goat cheese and raw milk cheddar with crackers. But don't give me Brie...and don't put cheese anywhere near me when I have pasta. When I was a child, I actually made my mom wash off the cheese she mistakenly put on my pasta, and resauce it.

They sell HD raspberry sorbet covered vanilla bars in packages in the supermarket. They sorta remind you of a creamsicle, only so much better.

The "special sandwich of the week" at Pret a manger. It consisted of Curried Turkey salad, sliced cucumbers, arugula, and pignoli nuts on WW bread. YUM

Jason, These look like Sam's bagels.. and would certainly be worth a trip.

How are TJ's Pasta sauces?

You are so right!!! Let's be thankful..

In another thread, I mentioned a place in Wayne on Hamburg Turnpike that makes bagels the old fashioned way, hand rolled..not made by a machine. They are, what I consider what a bagel SHOULD taste like..not big and bready, like you see in all the bagel shops, nowadays. What's your favorite place?

When you work in an area and eat out everyday you burn out on places. You end up trying almost every new place just because it's a new place. Fresh City didn't look promising but you never know. I've learned not to write off chains just because they're chains, LS for example. Fresh City look mediocre and forgetable from the outside and they didn't dissapoint. Oh well. ← i hear ya. we need a Chipotle. Chipotle rocks. ← I have a Chipotle a few doors down from my office.( NYC). The line to get in, at lunchtime, is out the door. The smells wafting from this place are devine.

On Franklin Ave in Nutley. Just before Terrazza..

Don't say it like that! Teaneck is a very nice place to live and has an excellent school system. I myself am a product of both the township and the schools and am quite proud of it. Really, you could do much worse. And Manhattan is all of a 20 minute ride, even with a little traffic. A lot has changed since I lived in Teaneck last, but there's great bagels and Butterflake bakery on Cedar Lane still, as far as I know. And there's even better fine dining than there ever was back in the day. I'm kind of sorry I can't afford to live there anymore... ← My issue with moving to Teaneck has nothing to do with whether or not its schools are good or whether it is a "nice place to live." The schools are good and parts of Teaneck are very pretty. It is a perfectly nice place to live if you enjoy a suburban lifestyle, but having been born and raised in Manhattan, I do not. Its not a judgement of which is better, it is simply a personal preference based upon how one was raised and what they are used to. You say I "could do much worse" I never understand that logic, its just a rationalization. However, my issue is specific to food. Obviously it is not a fair comparison, but the fact of the matter is that with regards to having easy accsess to any ingredient created by G-D or man as well as with the greatest variety and quality of restaurants in the country, New York has no comparison. Now, for someone for whom food is not of primary importance, I can appreciate a response of "who the hell cares." Yet food is my passion and has been since I recall having a conscious thought. I work hard at my vocation, so I can persue my avocation, which is food and cooking. For someone who cooks regularly, Manhattan is the Garden of Eden with regards to the quality, variety and proximity of ingredients. As for dining out, aside from the obvious diversityof the New York dining scene, I do not have to settle for a diner if I work late, which I have to most evenings. If there is one thing that drives me crazy about suburbia, it is how early restaurants close. Surely some of you must eat past 10:00 PM. Again, I am not knocking Teaneck or NJ for that matter, I have had some great food in that State (I have enjoyed many a great ripper at Rut's Hut) and Mr. Perlow has done a very good job of highlighting places I intend to try (China 46, Sakura Bana, etc.). It simply is a massive adjustment for someone born and raised in the City, and quite frankly the fact that I am going to have to drive into Manhattan if I want to pick up some quality smoked fish for a weekend brunch is a huge pain in the ass. You are not the first to mention quality bagels in Teaneck, and so far I have not found them, Sammy's does not cut it. As for Butterflake bakery, I do not think it is good at all, however Patisserie St. Michael on Queen Anne Road, is fantastic and I am thankful for that establishment. ← If you are looking for the best bagels in this area, you will have to take a trip to Wayne. There is a bagel store in the Shoprite Strip Mall that hand rolls their bagels. They are truly a real bagel, not the "bready bagels" that everyone seems to think are so great. The place is called Sam's bagels. I shop at Whole Foods in Edgewater because the quality is the best to be found in this area for fish, meats, and cheese and of course produce. Fairway in Cliffside is also good, in a pinch, but cannot compare to WF. Haven't gotten over to Patisserie, as yet. My favorite bakery is in Dumont :Petite Patisterrie. However, I've heard here that St Michel is better. I'll have to give it a try. I don't dine out much anymore. I've kinda gotten to the point where, if I buy good ingredients, I can cook just about as well as most restaurants in the Jersey Area. I dine out only for special ocassions, and the place I am looking forward to dining in June is at Restaurant Nicholas, in Red Bank. Hope you can find a few places that suite you. China 46 is worth a trip. Just make sure you ask for the Chinese Menu. :-)

I live very close to Delawanna Ave. What house are you talking about? Near the Train Station?

....never will I make espresso with my Moka Pot and forget to put the top down. My ceiling is now " espresso" OOPS!

No question. Coconut in the cake and sprinkled on top! This is Ina Garten's standard : her absolutely fabulous coconut cupcakes with cream cheese frosting , sold at her Barefoot Contessa Store. I made these for dessert for Easter and they were superb! Stick with both..believe me...

Before you make a special trip to WF, mine does not carry the diet Hansen's, just the regular. The only source I know of is Trader Joe's. ← Intersting that you mention that about WF. I noticed that it does not carry any items that are sweetened with Splenda. I would imagine it is because it is sugar "in an altered state"...not natural..

I also suggest Molly Pitcher or pehaps if you can't get in, The Oyster Point.