Cheers! It's cocktail season, and we've got a great recipe for you from Chris Siversen at Maritime Parc in Jersey City.
Read MoreThanksgiving Recipe: Turkey Brine from Highlawn Pavilion
Chef Mitchell Altholz from Highlawn Pavilion passed along his recipe below for brining and cooking a turkey. He chose this recipe because it's one simple thing the home cook can do to really improve the taste and quality of the central part of most Thanksgiving dinners.
Read MoreTop 5 Thanksgiving Beers from Amanti Vino
With Thanksgiving goes football, and with football goes beer. So, what beer goes with Thanksgiving?
I consulted my local expert, Sharon Sevrens, proprietor of Montclair's Amanti Vino. The team at Amanti put their heads together, and here are their top five suggestions for beer on Thanksgiving.
Read MoreThanksgiving Recipe: Cranberry Upside-Down Cake
Football is great, and it's always nice to see the family, but let's face it: Thanksgiving is all about the food. Any home cook worth their stuffing knows that producing this autumnal feast takes serious planning. Determining the head count, drafting and re-drafting menus, testing recipes, and of course, considering the family vegan, are all de rigueur.
Read MoreNJ Restaurants Open on the Fourth of July
If standing over a hot grill isn't your idea of a good time, there are plenty of other ways to celebrate Independence Day. Here are a few restaurants that will be open this Wednesday, July 4th, 2012.
We will continue to update as information comes in. If there is a particular restaurant you are curious about, ask in comments and we'll do the leg work.
Albert's, (973) 233-0300
32 Church St.
Montclair, NJ 07042
Albert's is offering a southern style brunch on July 4th from 11am to 3. Discounts on are available on Patch, Yelp! and for anyone who signs up on the website.
Remember Panoramic Eggs? I do!
I was strolling through Dulce Candy Boutique with my brood when all of a sudden I encountered a blast from Easter past: Panoramic Easter Eggs.
I remembered receiving these confections as a child, and enduring the bitter-sweet torture of not being allowed to bite into the sugar shell. So, I would stealthily whittle a chunk of sugar from the back, or simply lick the egg all over just to get a taste of the sugar. Fond memories!
So when I saw these eggs, I was so excited, I bought one for each of the kids and one for myself - just kidding! The point is timeless Easter candy does exist.
Co-owner, Melissa Tripoli, says the retro eggs have been very popular this year, and another big seller are the Barley pops, and foil carrots (pictured below).