rozrapp

Cabrales, I hope your experience will be a good one. We stayed at Jean Bardet for two nights a couple of years ago, and I was quite disappointed with our two dinners there.

We went to Moghul in Edison last night for the first time. A very attractive place, it was busy, busy busy! But we were seated immediately. A waiter took our drink order: a well-prepared Mango Lassi for me and Cranberry Juice for my husband ($3.25 each). The waiter brought hot hand towels. We perused the menu. It was really hard deciding what to order since there were so many dishes on the menu that sounded delicious, and there were only two of us. We began with Vegetable Samosas (2 @ $3.25). When the waiter brought them, he placed the plate atop a little stand with a candle to keep them hot; however, since we attacked them immediately upon their arrival, I’m not sure I saw the point. The Samosas were very large, perfectly deep-fried and crispy, with not a hint of oiliness. The tasty potato/peas filling was quite spicy, but not unbearably so. An auspicious start. Next came small bowls of soup ($3.25 each): for my husband, Murgh Badam Aark -- “lightly spiced extract of chicken and almonds, flavored with fresh herbs”; and for me, Dal Shorba – “a delicately flavored lentil soup,” which can be had vegetarian or non. (I chose veg.) While the soups had nice flavor, they were not outstanding. There was quite a long interval between the time we finished our soups and when the next items were served. We shared the following: Gosht Rogan Josh ($12.95) – “lamb pieces cooked Kashmiri style with…spices”; Murgh Vindaloo ($12.95) – “A Goan special for lovers of hot spicy food. A delicious combination of vinegar marinated chicken cubes in coconut flavored sauce, garnished with bell peppers.”; Stuffed Eggplant ($10.95), stuffed with cheese, one of the evening’s specials; plain boiled Basmati Rice ($3.95) which wasn’t exactly “plain” since I found a bay leaf, several cloves, and a large cinnamon stick mixed in; and Nan stuffed with onions, aka Onion Kulcha ($3.95). My husband, the “lover of hot spicy food,” liked the Vinadaloo. I had a taste and, while the chicken was tender and the coconut sauce was tasty, it was a bit too spicy for me. The lamb in the Rogan Josh was also tender with a sauce that had a bit of a bite and was quite flavorful. However, there was a major problem with both these dishes, as well as with the rice: they were all barely warm. The Stuffed Eggplant and the bread did not suffer this problem. The Nan was, in fact, piping hot – almost too hot to handle. We didn’t care for the taste and have had a version we liked much better elsewhere. As for the eggplant, there were four small halves stuffed with the cheese mixture nestled in a red sauce. While they were not piping hot either, they were at least warm, and they were delicious. We considered sending back the tepid items and would have had they been totally cold. But we did try to figure out how the problem arose. Our best guess was that, since all of the items were served at the same time, and the Nan was the only item that was truly hot, it would appear that the other dishes were prepared first -- with the eggplant being the last of those prepared -- but then languished, growing cooler, while the server waited for the bread to be ready. It would have been preferable to have had the lamb, chicken and rice served as soon as they were cooked, and have the eggplant and bread brought over when they were ready. We did not have dessert. Portions, while not huge, were generous enough, and we had leftovers to take with us. They made for a delicious lunch today, particularly since I served everything hot! Our bill, with tax and tip, came to $75. We knew in advance that this restaurant is considered “expensive” and, admittedly, we over-ordered somewhat because, it being our first time there, we wanted to try a lot of items. We were a bit annoyed at having to pay extra for plain rice. (At the Indian restaurant we normally patronize, rice comes automatically with the meal at no extra charge.) Based on this one visit, we think the food at Moghul is very good, and we will definitely go again. But next time, it will be for lunch, when they serve what is reputed to be a terrific, bargain-priced buffet.

Serenade in Chatham Rosemary & Sage in Riverdale

Marlene, I have granite kitchen counters. The granite on the major part of my center island is one 8-foot long piece, no seam. There’s a large sink in the middle and a section that juts out around which we’ve placed two stools. (There is also a smaller raised cabinet section topped with granite.) However, there is a seam on the L-shaped counter which runs along the back wall, with the double sink under the windows (yes, sinks under the windows! ) and then along the side wall ending at one side of the cook top. The people who did the granite work told me that they decided to do two pieces and seam them because they feared that one un-seamed, L-shaped piece, with a very large hole for a double sink, would crack during installation. The seam is barely visible. I think the reason is that (1) the coloration of the granite we chose helps to "hide" the seam and (2) the workmanship of the installers seaming the two pieces was extraordinary. In the last analysis, it boils down to having total confidence in the people you choose to do the granite work.

Rosie, You did an excellent job! It sounded as though you came very well prepared for the discussion. I don't know if you heard, but after you signed off, Arthur said that you were his program's "very own NJ reporter." So, does that mean you now have a regular gig on the show?

"Contaminated Kitchens! Report at 11." This type of topic has been a favorite of our local news channels during past sweeps weeks. A reporter went to someone's home where the kitchen counters were tested using some sort of special lighting which showed how germ-infested the counters were, even after having just been cleaned. This then gave rise to the sale of anti-bacterial soaps and cleaning products. But then we learned that over-use of these products can lead to a rise in resistant germs (much like what is happening with drug-resistent strains of bacteria in our bodies because of needless use of antibiotics).

I'm surprised nobody's mentioned Federici's in Freehold. Very good thin crust pizza with lots of different toppings available. In this year's NJ Monthly poll, it was voted best pizza in Central NJ, and Springsteen used to eat here and, maybe, on occasion, still does -- if either of these things matters. In nice weather, you can enjoy your pizza sitting on the sidewalk patio. Another place for well-made thin crust pizza, including "designer" pizzas, is Gaetano's, in Red Bank. Excellent antipasti and pasta, as well.

That's my favorite salad.... but with Greek feta instead of the basil, and a few olives. My very favorite. Somehow, this doesn't seem quite right for a pre-Yom Kippur dinner. How about an Israeli-style chopped salad dressed simply with oil (I prefer peanut for this situation) and vinegar dressing? That's what I usually serve for Jewish holiday dinners. Goes very well with first courses like gefilte fish and chopped liver. Whoops. Guess from now on I should stick to advice as to what to take to a Southern Christian potluck. Jaymes, I never meant my comment to be casting aspersions on anyone's religious affiliation. I actually like the salad suggestions you and snowangel offered. I often make those types. It's just that for Jewish holiday dinners, they don't appeal to me because I find they don't quite "go" in terms of ingredients (e.g. feta cheese, particularly if the meal is kosher) and taste with the kinds of traditional Jewish dishes that I mentioned. But that, of course, is a totally personal thing. As for a Southern Christian potluck, let me know if there's going to be one, and I'll take a stab at coming up with a suggestion.

Although it has been a long time since I have done so, I used to make "chicken in a bag." Just plain old brown paper bags from the grocery store, not necessarily new, but with some thickness to them. I made a paste of paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper and peanut or vegetable oil, slathered it all over pieces of chicken, stuck the pieces into the bag, twisted the top of the bag to "seal" everything, placed the bag in a baking dish, and stuck it in a 350 oven for about 45 minutes. Chicken came out tender, moist and flavorful. If I were doing it now, I think I would throw in some onions and fresh garlic cloves (way back when, fresh garlic was not -- as it is now -- an ingredient which I used in my cooking repertoire). Mmmm.... I think I've given myself an idea....

That's my favorite salad.... but with Greek feta instead of the basil, and a few olives. My very favorite. Somehow, this doesn't seem quite right for a pre-Yom Kippur dinner. How about an Israeli-style chopped salad dressed simply with oil (I prefer peanut for this situation) and vinegar dressing? That's what I usually serve for Jewish holiday dinners. Goes very well with first courses like gefilte fish and chopped liver.

I take a very simple approach. For about 6 to 8 servings, chop up 2 large leeks, peel and dice 3 large potatoes (I have used Eastern, but lately I've been using Yukon Gold), and put them into a pot with a quart of water. Bring it all to a boil, season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste (I use very little salt and lots of pepper), then reduce the heat and simmer partially covered until the vegetables are very soft. Let the mix cool slightly, then puree until very smooth in a food processor. Return the puree to the pan and stir in a half cup of heavy cream or creme fraiche. Cook over low heat until heated through. If you would like it thinner, add some more water. Taste and adjust seasonings. If you want vichyssoise, chill the finished soup completely. You can also just mash the hot vegetables in the pot for a more textured soup. Any which way, it's delicious!

FG, I remembered another situation where you explained to me about quoting verbatim, the legalities, etc. So, even though the recipe was from one of his cookbooks (as well as from a bunch of recipe cards I once ordered), with the exception of the ingredients list, I condensed and changed the wording in the instructions. Come to think of it, I also changed one of the ingredients. (He lists butter; I listed oil.) Does that mean that now the recipe is not truly his recipe anymore?

My mother never made meatloaf.... I am partial to a Pierre Franey recipe for individual meat loaves (4 large servings). Here it is: 1/2 lb. each of finely ground lean beef, veal and pork 1 tablespoon oil 1 cup finely chopped onion 1/2 teaspoon finely minced garlic 1 cup fine fresh bread crumbs 1 egg, lightly beaten 1/2 cup finely chopped parsely 1/4 cup milk Salt & Pepper to taste 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin 3 Tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese 1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 2. Heat oil in pan. Add onion and garlic. Cook until wilted. 3. Place meat in bowl and add onion and garlic along with all other ingredients except cheese. Blend well. 4. Divide mixture into 4 equal portions. Pack each portion into 1-1/2 cup molds such as individual souffle dishes. Sprinkle tops with cheese. 5. Bake for 30 minutes. Run briefly under broiler until browned and glazed. Let stand for about 5 minutes before unmolding. I prefer to form them into individual loaves and place them side-by-side in one baking dish. I suppose you also could pack the whole mixture into one loaf pan, and then increase the baking time to about an hour. As good as these are hot, they are really terrific when cold and sliced for sandwiches. Edit (following FG's suggestion): My adaptation of PF's recipe

Until we renovated our kitchen five years ago, all my counters were butcher block, and I had them for about 25 years. The installer did not apply any kind of sealer -- polyurethane or otherwise -- but did finish them with a coating of oil. When I asked him how I should maintain them, he said that to remove the dirt that was bound to get into the wood, I should sprinkle some cleanser (like Ajax) over the surface, wet a fine steel wool pad and scrub. After the dirt was removed and the counters were washed down and clean, he said that I should apply a coat of just plain old vegetable oil (salad oil). And that's basically what I would do every so often, and when I was finished, the counters always looked like new again. (I never cut anything directly on them.) The only area where I had a problem with the wood going black was in the two corners of the sink near the backsplash where the wood got splashed constantly with too much water. But that didn't happen until many years down the road. All in all, I was always very happy with my butcher block counters. But I have to admit that I really, really love my granite. And the very first time I placed a piping hot pan directly on the surface without a heat-resistant pad -- which I could never do with the butcher block -- I was truly in heaven! P.S. When the butcher block counters were removed, the construction guys cut some of them up for me, andso I have several really terrific cutting boards in various sizes.

Hi, Randi -- Thanks for your kind words about my Chez Catherine review. I really enjoyed writing it and sharing our experience. I'll be curious to see how your friend responds to my further explanation. I added it because I didn't want you to miss out on a restaurant just because you or your friend thought -- incorrectly, I think -- that it is only a "special occasion" place. In its earlier incarnation, we used to go there mid-week because we wanted really, really good food, and not just because we were celebrating something special. And in those days, men were required to wear jackets all the time. Here's an extra little anecdote. Back about 12 years ago, we took my daughter and her college roommate there for dinner (mid-week). At that time, the roommate's "upscale" restaurant experience was basically non-existent. Well, during the meal, it became obvious to all of us that she was reacting as though she had died and gone to heaven. And to this day, even though she has since eaten more widely, any time the subject of that meal comes us, she waxes rhapsodic about it. We have never had brunch at Dan's. Our two dinner experiences there were mid-week. The space isn't large, and it was busy both time, so reservations are definitely in order. Please let us know what you and your friend finally decide and then how it turns out. Roz

Randi, In Metuchen, Dan's on Main is a very pleasant restaurant with quite good food. Here is the link to the website so you can have a look at the menu: Dan's on Main. His "signature" appetizer, the pierogi -- delicious! In Kenilworth, Le Rendez-Vous is a small bistro serving excellent French/Mediterranean cuisine. It has been quite a while since we have eaten here, but the food was always terrific, and all recent reports about it have been excellent. Have a look at the menu on their site: Le Rendez-Vous I believe both of these are BYO's BTW, I was the one who provided the review of Chez Catherine. While it might have seemed too elegant for your purposes, in reality, it is a very pretty and comfortable place, but not so fancy that it couldn't be enjoyable for a mid-week dinner after work. The men are not even required to wear jackets. But, of course, it's your call.

My preference is always for a kosher frank, but I would never buy the packaged Hebrew National franks that are carried in the supermarket with that yucky liquid that leaks out when the package is opened. And the franks themselves are small, skinny and not very tasty. Fortunately, my kosher butcher carries Hebrew National franks which are fresh and strung together. He separates them and packages them himself. They are longer, plumper and spicier than the factory-packaged ones and quite delicious. I like them grilled, never boiled. Actually, my all-time favorite kosher franks were those made by Shmulka Bernstein (of Lower East Side fame). Whenever I had folks over for a barbecue and served those Shmulka franks, everyone wanted to know what kind they were because they were so good. My butcher carried them until Shmulka went out of business quite some time ago, and he then switched to Hebrew National. BTW, I was just at Yankee Stadium yesterday for the first time in many, many years, and it appears that they are now selling only Hebrew National franks.

Of the three suggestions I made, only Big Ed's is in Middlesex County, but just on the border of Monmouth. (The others are in Monmouth Cty.) I consider these areas of the state as "south central."

The following are good spots for tasty ribs: Atlantic BBQ in Belmar, Memphis Pig Out in Atlantic Highlands, and Big Ed's BBQ in Old Bridge.

Though I have not been there myself, I received this preview e-mail of the review by Adam Platt which will appear in the upcoming New York Magazine: Review of Fresh

Rachel, I'm really sorry to hear about these difficulties you are having. I guess my renovation was something of an anomaly since we had very few problems and those that did crop up were cleared up quickly. From start to finish -- not including interior decorating -- the project took 4 months, and it was way bigger and more complicated than what you are doing. So you are absolutely right to think that something is not right with the way things are going with your project. I do admire your ability to handle the situation in such a calm manner. I would be ranting, and raving, and screaming my head off -- probably not to the "culprits," but definitely to my husband. Anyway, I agree that the "squeaky wheel gets the grease" concept is the way to go from now on. And, much as I hate to admit it, even though we are in the 21st century with women's lib, women's equality, etc., a man's voice often gets more attention where these things are concerned than a woman's. So, Jason should get involved in moving these people along. Keep on their backs with constant phone calls and, if possible, make frequent in-person visits to the store. If you continually pester them, they will want to get you off their backs (we hope!), and then maybe the kitchen will be finished by next June!

My husband and I often share first courses and desserts, but never mains. We never ask for shared courses to be split and plated for each of us. But I have found that servers either bring two smaller plates for us to divvy things up ourselves or an extra plate for one of us to take off a portion. Occasionally, we have had the experience of the kitchen splitting and plating separately despite our not requesting it. Regardless of how these shared courses are handled, there has never been a sharing charge in the restaurants we frequent here in NJ, in NYC, or in other places we have been in recent years.

If I recall correctly, this law which was past after the Jack in the Box deaths included not only rules governing the cooking of beef, but also of eggs; that is, eggs served in restaurants, diners, etc., had to be cooked through! So, no more eggs scrambled runny, sunny-side up or over easy. The law did not, however, include steak, the theory being that since the meat is not ground up, as with hamburgers -- where surface e-coli and other bacteria can end up throughout the meat -- any bacteria that are on the steak's surface will be killed by the heat of being grilled, broiled, etc., and will not then get into a rare or medium rare interior. I do not think the law was ever rescinded.

We were just there this past Sunday for brunch, and the population was mixed age-wise. Despite the fact that the place was crowded, we did not find it noisy. Perhaps that was a factor of where we were sitting -- on the first level banquettes under a dropped ceiling. As for our food, it was quite good. My husband had an excellent lobster salad, and my tasty salmon was cooked exactly as I requested. Our servers were very friendly and helpful. When I ordered and asked that the mashed potatoes that came with the salmon be eliminated (there were also asparagus), the server asked if I would like a salad instead. It turned out to be an excellent suggestion. The greens were dressed with a tasty balsamic vinaigrette, and the salmon was placed on top with the asparagus cut up and strewn around. My only quibble was with dessert. I was looking forward to the key lime pie which had been at BWG, to my way of thinking, a perfect version of one of my favorite desserts -- traditional graham cracker crust topped with very tangy key lime filling and just a tiny garnish of whipped cream. But, they have now changed it and not, imo, for the better. The key lime "filling," which has been sweetened so that much of the tang has been lost, is now in the shape of a bombe, and it sits on a disc made of what appears to be some sort of vanilla wafer. Not awful, but certainly not anywhere near as delicious as the old version. When our server asked how it was, I told her how disappointed I was. She said that she also thought the original version was better and she would mention my comment to the chef.

Well if you knew anything about me you would know where i work, who i am, and almost everywhere i have been. David, It really surprises me that you had so much trouble "selling" the white pepper apricot tart when you first put it on the menu. After all, one would think that your clientele -- despite being mainly New Jerseyans -- would have more wide-ranging experience with restaurants of this high caliber and, thus, more developed palates. I know that my husband and I would have no difficulty whatsoever ordering that dessert. So, perhaps I am wrong and many of your diners are experiencing this type of high end restaurant for the first time? (P.S. If you're not telling dodge621 the name of your restaurant, far be it for me to divulge it. )