For the Host Who Has Cooked Everything
On the day before Thanksgiving, please accept these recommendations of what you can give in thanks to the cook that might either serve to supplement all that home-cooked fare or be something useful, thoughtful and/or delicious to indulge in at some point after the party’s over.
Big Bonuses
What do a chili-laden hot dog, jar of fig jam, head of Romanesco, big bowl of chickpeas and mates, and a skillet of ground beef Karachi-style have in common? Besides the fact that all hail from South Jersey, they’re also the favorite eats of the two weeks just past and they all benefit from big bonus flavors.
Freshen Thanksgiving
Scooping up a basket of produce from our Garden State farms is a sure-bet way to brighten the holiday table. Today, we take four vegetables from Savoie Organic Farm and turn them into Turkey Day sides with little effort. The result? A bushel of vivid flavors.
All’Assassina
An important dish that flourishes in Italy is defamed at a restaurant in Union County that purports to celebrate it. It’s the fault of improper execution and it’s not the only pasta (or pinsa or antipasto) that’s being mistreated.
The Taste-Maker’s Gift
There’s a No. 1 in preserves-making in the Garden State and it’s someone you’ve met before here at The Peasant Wife: Amanda Newman, of Spotted Horse Provisions. Grab her peerless preserves while you can, in time for gift-giving and your own holiday tables.
Fresh Cilantro Sauce
Green and vibrant and ready to toss with noodles of all sorts is an herb-dominated tonic for those with the tomato-missing blues. And anyone who thinks it’s time for a change-up.
Bright Side Kitchen
Off-season in Manahawkin, across the causeway from Long Beach Island, finds this daytime café hopping. That’s thanks to the ways the amiable crew dresses up soups, salads and sandwiches with accents designed to edify – and cheer.
Pasta e Fajioli
A most beloved friend cooks for you the most comforting of Italian soups. That’s not just amore; it’s a reason to be thankful for those who turn to the kitchen when it’s time to soothe.
Flavors Full of Fall
It’s the season to be hearty, all the while managing to be bright, and it’s leaning on noodles with a sumptuous glaze, mushrooms, beans with the plushness of a pudding and a mini pie true to its namesake. Herewith, the quintet of favorite eats from the two weeks just past.
Thrills with Frilly Frisee
Don’t be intimidated by bigger-than-Frisbee-size heads of a curly endive that’s destined to bring grandeur and panache to your table. Magnificent as a dressy salad and oozing potential as a main course, it’s a bitter green that will not leave a bitter taste in your mouth once you pair it with everyday favorites.
Ji Bei Chuan
Rice noodles and ramen, seasoned to the nines, set in stimulating broths and even dry-tossed, are carefully fashioned at this storefront in a strip mall that’s become something of a Restaurant Row.
Whitehouse Station Sauce Company
Primo ingredients are the backbone of a line of ready-to-roll sauces that bring personality and no shortage of pizzazz to foods that otherwise might seem plain. They’re Chef John Kasper’s magic potions and they’re ready for stocking-stuffing, host-gift-giving and raising the bar of your personal pantry.