As part of my ongoing (and seemingly endless) Cooks of Summit Avenue Investigation, I visited the home of Christina O’Neill. Christina lives two doors down from the gastro-mechanic, Lou Palma and about five doors from Alison Bermack.
Christina and I spent the morning making delicious pork filled Chinese Dumplings. Soon after my visit, I took on the dumpling project. As Christina suggested, I was able to purchase a package of dumpling wrappers at East West Asian Market, 67 Belleville Avenue, Bloomfield, for less than $2! Though the crimping technique Christina demonstrates with such ease came a little slow to me, I succeeded in making about two dozen dumplings and tucked them away in the freezer.
Want to see how Cristina crimps the perfect pork filled dumpling? Watch the video below:
Partycake Partycake's Fudgey Brownie BitesOn the heels of a five day juice fast, I had a shoot this morning with the confectionary architect, owner of Maplewood's Partycake-Partycake, Laura Himmelein.
Laura baked up her Fudgey Sweetheart Brownie Bites, and the aroma was a chocoholic dream. I was eating vicariously through my oldfactory senses!
Check out the divine creations she baked up in the Kettle kitchen in the gallery.
Hot From The Kettle has got two of Monclair's most talented chefs, Michael Carrino, chef and owner of Restaurant Passionne, 77 Walnut St. Montclair, and Chef Tre Goshal from Market, 12 Church St., to share some their most coveted, and remarkably easy, Super Bowl recipes with us.
So forget the box of frozen apps and tubs of microwave dips, and give these a try. I’m pretty sure they’ll satisfy the most discerning foodie.
Lou Palma's 2010 CapicolaOld homes are examples of inimitable craftsmanship and charm. Similarly, old world foods – specifically cured pork- are characterized by flavors of authenticity, uncommon tenderness, and a rich palate. More than this, old world food exhibits love.
But the artisanal approach to curing meat is not all Romance. There is an essential method. An unerring, mechanical, calculated, recipe to creating a masterpiece of cured pork.
I was lucky enough to learn how to create superb capicola from the gastro-mechanic himself, Lou Palma. If you’re the type of foodie to swoon at the sight of aged, cured pork hanging from your rafters, read on and follow these steps precisely, and watch the master at work in video that follows.
The code to left is known as a Quick Response Code, commonly referred to as a QR code. The information-bearing squiggly lines are also referred to as Smart Tags or 2D Codes.
Many industries are beginning to incorporate these codes into their marketing, using them as a form of unobtrusive communication, by linking the QR codes directly to a url.
Mesob Ethiopian Restaurant is one of the first restaurants in the country to use these codes in their restaurant. Vickie Smith-Siculiano, Director of Marketing for Mesob, and her mother Debi Smith have created and placed information bearing QR codes throughout Mesob.
As part of my ongoing (and seemingly endless) Cooks of Summit Avenue Investigation, I visited the home of Christina O’Neill. Christina lives two doors down from the gastro-mechanic, Lou Palma and about five doors from Alison Bermack.