Tuesday Boozeday: Rye For Fall & Winter Cocktails

by Melody Kettle

In my humble opinion, to my taste, Rye Whiskey is the hard stuff of choice for cocktails during the winter months.

It is a classic American whiskey, although there is also Canadian Rye.

Here are some cocktail recipes and some recommendations on brands of Rye to try. We also share our recipe for Date Infused Rye Whiskey.

My interest in Rye was  piqued by an Eben Freeman cocktail at Tailor in NY city. It was made of Date Infused Rye and was very delicious. 

I soon realized that Rye whiskeys spanned a very broad price range, from as little as 12 bucks to over 100. I started with Rittenhouse which goes for about $22 a fifth. This is a pretty good Rye, but I have found better.

Read more and get the recipes on Mano A Vino!

Inaugural Montclair Fall Food Classic to Benefit The Salvation Army

by Melody Kettle

As part of the nationwide Food Day celebration, Friday October 26th will mark the inaugural Montclair Fall Food Classic to benefit The Salvation Army hot meal program at the Citadel in Montclair.

A seasonal light lunch will be served from a menu devised by two of NJ's finest restaurants—the Orange Squirrel and Osteria Giotto—with ingredients generously donated by Kings Food Markets as part of their Act Against Hunger initiative.

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Meatless Monday - Apple Crisp Recipe

by Dianne Wenz in ,

I recently went apple picking and then came home to find an abundance of apples in my co-op share, so my fridge is currently jam packed with ripe red fruit. I don’t mind though, as baked apples are a favorite dessert, and fall just doesn’t seem like fall until there’s an apple crisp baking in the oven and the house is full of the scent of the warm fruit mixed with cinnamon. This no-guilt version doesn’t have any refined sugar or processed oil, so it’s healthier than the average crisp, which means you can eat more of it!
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Pumpkins & Fall Flavors Arrive At Matarazzo Farm

by Melody Kettle

Fall Arrives At Matarazzo's in North Caldwell

Nestled along Mountain Avenue in North Caldwell, NJ is Matarazzo Farms.  This local gem is one of the few remaining working farms in Essex County, and the closest one to Montclair.

At this time of year, the most visible thing at Matarazzo Farms is the abundance of pumpkins. Set up on stands along the roadside, they make the farm hard to miss. There are round pumpkins, and oblong pumpkins, pumpkins for eating, and pumpkins for carving. They’re all there.

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Thursday Herbday: Oven Roasted Herb Salmon Recipe

by Elizabeth Palmer Starnes

Photo Credit: ayurveda.iloveindia.comOven Roasted Herb Salmon

Ingredients:
2 salmon fillets, skin removed
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons mixed herbs, minced (Try parsely, dill, basil, thyme, chervil, really anything you have on hand)
2 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and black pepper to taste
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$10 Meals: Tinga in Montclair

by Melody Kettle

As a social gastronomist (read: I hate the term food blogger!), eating out is an occupational hazard that wreaks havoc on the waistline and the wallet. 

In the interest of economic responsibility, we at HFTK have decided to scour northern NJ for the best bargains on a plate:  $10 Meals.

Our first $10 meal comes from Veggie Girl and #MeatlessMonday HFTK contributor, Dianne Wenz.

"At Tinga in Upper Montclair, I had two tacos stuffed full of rice, beans lettuce and pico de gallo along with a side salad for $8.25. The meal came with a basket full of complimentary chips and salsa, and I had an iced tea that cost $1.75 (with free refills) bringing the grand total of my meal to exactly $10."

If you find a great meal up to $10.99, let us know!  Take a pic and send it to hotfromthekettle@hotmail.com.  There are two rules, the food has to be presented on a plate (no street food, or parchment wrapped packages allowed - that would be too easy) and the food must be good!