Chozen, the irreverently named line of premium kosher ice cream from Brooklyn (marrying the words Chutzpah, Chosen and Frozen), is worth visiting your local Kings, Whole Foods or Fairway for. While summer means freshly scooped on a cone for many, for others it means eating straight from the freezer pint in a comfy chair away from the glaring sun in the privacy of your air conditioned living room. Here’s what I love about this line: the mouth feel is spot on. High fat content means rich creaminess and a great vehicle for pristine ingredients.
The playful flavors, whether you are a member of the tribe or just religious in the sense that you worship great frozen desserts, range from Ronnie’s Rugelach to Apples and Honey, Chocolate Babka, Coconut Macaroon, and Matzoh Crunch to Chocolate Gelt. This richly flavored line scores high in terms of flavor combinations, with Chocolate Gelt and Coconut Macaroon being the most popular in our testing. While the flavors of the Ronnie’s Rugelach were a great balance of tang from the apricot and smoky cinnamon, both from the rugelach, the dough had a somewhat raw taste that was a bit off-putting. Still, this is a product that delivers a fresh, bold array of flavor combinations in a seriously delicious way. I also appreciate the natural ingredients being sourced from local farms. So why wait for a Jewish holiday? Enjoy, bubbeleh.
Heidi Raker Goldstein is our Bergen county regional editor. A locavore, cooking enthusiast, publicist and mother of three junior gourmands, Heidi is equally comfy in greasy spoons and high-end restaurants. When not visiting local farmers markets and farm stands in Bergen and Rockland counties, this New England native, former Manhattanite and Bergen county resident is busy running her PR and green marketing agency, Raker Goldstein & Co., buying food, planning menus, cooking food, writing about food or simply eating. To reach Heidi, email her at [email protected].
On a recent Friday night, we met 6 of our friends for a family style meal at Hong Kong Fusion in Cherry Hill. We thought it would be a fun place for a group outing-if you order a little of this and a little of that, you can work your way through different parts of the menu pretty easily. I learned that share-sies are the way to go when I worked near Chinatown in New York City. I was blessed to have a colleague whose family owned a Chinese restaurant. She knew the best places to go and the best things to order, so we always dined family style and let her pick the food.
We decided to share several entrees. I selected the Jumbo Shrimp With Honey Walnuts, which were lightly fried and were served with a marvelous mango mayo. We also tried the Garlic Shrimp, the Sesame Crusted Tuna and the Oven-Crisped Soft Shell Crab (can you sense a seafood theme going on here?). All of these dishes were excellent. I have always been a wimp when it comes to trying soft-shelled crab (yeah, I know that I should be flogged for saying this when I live in the Middle Atlantic region a/k/a soft shell capital of the world). I decided to be brave and try Hong King Fusion’s version. The crabs were pounded flat and were lightly crisped. I need not have been fearful-they were great!
In a dining destination town like Morristown, it’s not hard to find a good meal (though it is sometimes hard to find parking). There’s excellent 
A few weeks ago,
Strawberry Day & Pig Roast – Saturday, June 4
Japanese Gourmet Fair – June 2 – 5
Taste of Westwood – Sunday, June 5
The Bright Side Manor is hosting a fundraiser on June 9th from 6pm – 8pm featuring a tasty lineup of barbeque brisket, chicken and a number of vegetarian options. All proceeds will benefit the Bright Side Manor Assisted Living Residence in Teaneck.
Image courtesy of 
Image courtesy of 
Image courtesy of 
The Court Jester in Aberdeen
t years, I have gravitated towards asking for a special outing with family members rather than birthday gifts. We get so busy that it is often hard to remember to take the time do something just for fun. Since I am a certified chocolate addict, I suggested to my son Michael that an afternoon with Mom on the 
e entrance to Philadelphia’s Reading Terminal Market, which is filled with all manner of excellent food purveyors and is worth a special trip on its own. We began our chocolate journey by getting some chocolate education from Jaylene, our bubbly and enthusiastic guide. She told us a few facts about the history of chocolate and let us sample a cacao bean. After getting our taste buds all worked up, she brought us into the market for our first chocolate stop at the Famous Fourth Street Cookie stall. There, we were treated to a huge chocolate chip cookie that was brimming with choice chips. Needless to say, our cookies were devoured faster than you could rip open a candy bar wrapper.
With tour company owner Valerie along for the stroll, we continued on to the next stop in our chocolate quest: Marcie Blaine Artisanal Chocolates. The chocolates are made in the back of a cute little gift shop called Verde, located at 108 South 13th Street in Philadelphia. We each got to sample all of the amazing flavors. In addition to ingredients like lavender and mint, there was also chocolate infused with bacon. I never thought of this combination before (I know, my bad) but, Wow, were they good! How appropriate to enjoy bacon when you are totally “pigging out” on chocolate!
Barbeque season is finally upon us. Fire up the grills and pick up some steaks. You’re going to want to show off your grill skills to the whole neighborhood. With this easy recipe for a tangy, spicy Kansas City style sauce, you’ll be the talk of the block all summer long!
After a long, cold winter, it looks like spring is finally here. That means that it is time to get the grill out, and also time to head out to our wonderful New Jersey beaches. This also means that it is time for those three little words many of us dread hearing: bathing suit season. Perhaps you baked your heart out to get through this winter, or maybe you ran out to restaurants whenever there was a break in between each snow-pocolypse event. Whatever the cause, you may be dealing with a little…shall we say…poundage?
Debbie’s Damn Good Baby Back Ribs
