Of all the big food holidays, from Thanksgiving and Christmas, to Easter, I find Father’s Day to be the most daunting in the culinary sense. So this past weekend I was under considerable epicurean stress. Up until Saturday morning, I had no idea what I was what I was going to cook for Father’s Day – but then I visited the extraordinary Montclair Farmers’ Market!
The wonderful thing about the Montclair Farmers’ Market is that they’ve really got it covered – from produce, to pesto, to pickles! The Montclair Farmers' Market abounds with products and produce from authentic artisans and local farmers. I was able to procure everything I needed for a fresh and very satisfying Father’s Day meal all in one spot in less than 30 minutes.
The Montclair Farmers' Market, which is as much a mecca for fresh local produce as it is for local conversation and socialization, opened today. Gorgeous peonies and live music played by local musicians, including John Ehlis with Cham Rand, set the scene!
I was there to pick up some produce and snap a few pics. Take a look!
Here's a quiz for the produce proficient: Name that produce pictured (at left) next to the scallions?
Last night many of Montclair’s true blues, (or authentic locals) attended the Kunde Family Estate Wine Dinner at Halcyon Seafood Brasserie, located at 112 Walnut Street., Montclair.
This was a very special event that also brought together two Montclair families with long histories as local business owners. For this event, Sharon Walsh Egan, host and co-owner of Halcyon, as well as Egan & Sons in Montclair and West Orange, collaborated with fellow Montclair family, the Powers, specifically, the Egans’ butcher, Martin Powers and his sister, Jacki Powers.
Before Halcyon Seafood Brasserie occupied the space at 112 Walnut Street, it was Oppenheimer’s Wholesale Meat Distribution Company, which was owned by Jerry Kroll. It was also the former site of Wayne Meat Corporation, which Martin Powers operates today.
Last night, over 1000 people attended the Grand Tasting at the New Jersey Food and Wine Festival.
Some of the finest chefs from New Jersey and New York were in attendance serving up creative fare, while chatting it up with guests, sipping wines and sampling each other's dishes.
The playful, artistic, and extraordinarily talented chef, oh-so-cool, owner of The Orange Squirrel, Francesco Palmieri, riffed on a NJ favorite, creating a shooter of Bufala Mozzarella with Marinara foam.
James Laird, of Seranade served over 800 plates of supremely executed Veal Carpaccio with Potato Gnocchi.
“In a cake contest or any other aspect of life, it’s really whoever has the most fun that wins.”
That’s what the Ace of Cakes, Duff Goldman, had to say when I asked him what he would be looking for in the cake decorating contest that took place this past Friday at The Four Seasons Diner in Toms River.
As part of the Palisades Drive with a Smile Initiative, Palisades car insurance company recently conducted the first-ever Palisades “Jersey Diner’s Choice Awards.” The Four Seasons Diner was named the overall most popular Jersey diner by those who logged on to Palisades.com to nominate and vote for their favorite New Jersey diners.
In celebration of the victory, Four Seasons hosted an afternoon event on January 21, 2011. Randomly chosen voters who participated in the Jersey Diner’s Choice Awards program were selected for a cake decorating competition to be judged by the enormously talented, motorcycle riding, bass playing, cake decorating guru Duff Goldman.
Unfortunately I was unable to attend the event, but I did have the opportunity to chat with the very affable Chef Duff over the phone.
