Page 227 ⋆ Jersey Bites

Plan B in Asbury Park

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December 19, 2009

gnocchi Plan B Asbury park I just love the name of this restaurant. The owner shared with us that this restaurant was his “plan B.” His Plan A had been a bed and breakfast, but after talking it over with family, he decided on Plan B and I personally am very happy he did. Peter and I stopped into Plan B in Asbury Park on Thursday night to celebrate Peter’s birthday. Plan B’s home is in a long and narrow building located on the first block of Cookman Avenue right off of Main street.

As you know, on my Quest for Food with Attitude, I am forever searching out new and inventive menus. Plan B did not disappoint. After some guidance from the owner, we decided on two appetizers the Gnocchi with Butternut Squash and Figs and the Duck Sausage, both made in-house by their talented crew.

steak For dinner, Peter ordered the Steak with Blue Cheese and Eggplant Fries. I had to try a bite and wow, one of the best steaks I’ve ever had. I ordered the Fish of the Day which was Monk fish, lightly fried served over a salad with the tiniest baby beets. The fish came wearing this funny sombrero, which I soon realized was a large ravioli filled with a sauce meant to enhance the fish and salad. Like I said, very inventive and delicious.

monk fish

As I was taking pictures of my food, and Peter’s food and other people’s food (Yes, it’s never a secret when Jersey Bites is in the house. ) I came across a table of Twitter buddies. As you can see here, they are playing the part of casual diners oblivious to the camera brilliantly. Well done @AsburyPop

Plan B is a BYOB, so be sure to come prepared. Unfortunately, their website is not working at the moment, so I can’t link to a menu. Hopefully, this issue will be rectified in the next few days.

guests 2

Plan B

705 Cookman Avenue
Asbury Park, NJ 07712-7007
(732) 807-4710

The Winner of the Julie & Julia DVD

Win It Wednesday

Deborah Smith, Executive Editor

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December 19, 2009

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Julie_Julia_dvd_box_art Congratulations to Mary Rose our winner of the Julie & Julia DVD from Sony Pictures. Julie said in her comment:

“This movie was the cutest when I saw it in theaters! After seeing it my friend and made mac and cheese from scratch at nine pm. best ever.”

I totally agree, this movie was very cute and if it doesn’t inspire you to get cooking, nothing will. If you have yet to see the movie, do yourself a favor and rent it today. This snowy New Jersey weekend is perfect for a good movie and some warm, calorie laden comfort food like Macaroni and Cheese.

Julie & Julia DVD Giveaway

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Deborah Smith, Executive Editor

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December 9, 2009

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Julie & Julia movie In honor of today’s release of the wonderful movie Julie & Julia on DVD and Blue-ray, the folks at Sony are giving us a copy of the Movie to giveaway to one lucky reader of Jersey Bites. (I so wish it could be me, but no such luck.) So, if you love this movie and Meryl Streep as much as I do (What foodie wouldn’t?) just leave a comment with a contact email address to enter. Deadline is Wednesday, December 16th at 11:59pm. The winner will be selected with the help of Random.org and announced on Thursday December 17th. Enjoy the scenes from the movie if you haven’t seen it yet, or if you just need a little pick me up for today. Bon Appetit!!

Wine Pairing and Food Tasting at Whole Foods

Events

Deborah Smith, Executive Editor

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December 6, 2009

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wine & food On Thursday, December 17 at 7PM Real Mama a nonprofit corporation dedicated to sharing knowledge of environmental issues and the relationship between those issues and children’s health and wellness will be partnering with the Sandy Hook Child Care Center (SHCCC), a nonprofit day care center located on Sandy Hook, and Whole Foods Market of Middletown, for a wine tasting and food pairing featuring sustainable, affordable wines and tasty bites for the upcoming holiday season. (I know, that’s one of the longest sentences you’ve ever read, unless you’re an attorney of course.)

Admission is $40 per person with the proceeds benefit the two non-profits.

Representatives of Real Mama will share tips for families to make their holiday celebrations more environmentally friendly. The Sandy Hook Child Care Center representatives will share information on their organization and upcoming family events.

Refreshments and desserts will be served. Attendees will be able to purchase bottles or cases of featured wines in time for the holidays, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting both Real Mama and SHCCC.

Please reserve your place by December 11 by visiting Real Mama’s website to purchase your tickets through Paypal or send a check made out to “Real Mama, Inc.” to Real Mama, PO Box 222, Rumson, NJ 07760. Tickets will not be mailed; name(s) will be at registration at Whole Foods.

Enter to Win a complete set of Kitchen Labels from Stuck on You USA

Win It Wednesday

Deborah Smith, Executive Editor

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November 27, 2009

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Pantry Labels Here’s a great way to start off the new year, with an organized pantry compliments of Stuck on You USA labels.

Pantries and disorganization seem to go hand in hand. Not anymore!! Stuck On You has just released its newest range of kitchen labels, which take the frustration out of finding just about anything from your kitchen cupboards.

With a mix of labels including the everyday items such as plain flour, pastas and rice, to the less familiar items such as bouquet garni, cayenne pepper and garam masala. The pack also consists of some quirky inclusions such as ‘Hands Off’ and ‘Poison’ to keep little fingers at bay.

The labels keep you organized and looking fantastic. They come printed on a clear background with bold black writing and also attractive icons on each to symbolize the product, allowing you to obtain goods at a glance.

All Stuck On You labels are dishwasher and microwave proof and will stick to all smooth common kitchen surfaces, such as glass, ceramic, plastic and metal containers.

To enter, click on over to their website and take a look at the different products they offer and come back to tell me which is your favorite by leaving a comment below.

Be sure to leave your contact email in your entry if your profile doesn’t include one or I will have to pick another number.

You can also gain an extra entry by Tweeting or Blogging about this Giveaway. You must come back and leave a comment and link to your tweet or blog post to be counted.

Deadline for entries is Tuesday, December 9th at 11:59pm. Winners will be chosen with the help of Random.org. Best of luck.

Winner of the Custom Cookies from Splurge Bakery

Win It Wednesday

Deborah Smith, Executive Editor

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November 27, 2009

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And the winner of the Dozen, personaliz Bridal Shower Cookies ed cookies from Splurge Bakery is….

Mireya who said: “Love the custom graphic cookies! Thanks so much for the giveaway!”

Congratulations, Mireya! I know you are going to love these cookies. Have fun selecting your own personal design.

Remember Splurge Bakery this Holiday Season. They make a great gift for customers, employees and party guests. Check out some of their Holiday Cookie Designs here.

And, stay tuned later today for our next Giveaway from Stuck On You.

Thanksgiving sides worth a try

Deborah Smith, Executive Editor

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November 23, 2009

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Sweet Potato Cranberry Chutney I’m very excited about Thanksgiving this year. I am actually getting the chance to host Thanksgiving Dinner. Would you believe, I have never in my life cooked a Turkey? Up until this year, we’ve always gone to relatives’ homes for Thanksgiving, so the responsibility for the bird never fell on me. And, I’ll admit, I’m a little nervous. The plan is to brine the bird. I’ve brined chickens before and the results were always terrific. I was glued to the Food Network’s Thanksgiving episode on Saturday when they were discussing brines. They shared a great sounding concoction that I plan to use but if you are thinking about brining check out their website. There are quite a few different recipes.

So, since I don’t have any Turkey advice, I’m going to share with you some great side dish ideas. I (as you may have noticed) like to try new things. No, same old year after year for me. So, this year, I went on the hunt for some new recipes. There is one tried and true Green Bean Casserole recipe that I have made many times. If you are looking for a new veggie side, give it a look. It is a Martha Stewart recipe and does take quite a bit of time to put together. So, if you are bringing a dish to relatives, trust me it’s a crowd pleaser. If you are hosting, this recipe can be done the day before.

As for the new recipes, the folks from Better Homes & Gardens helped me out by sending me a very timely email with tons of recipes and tips for Thanksgiving. I chose two of those recipes to try in advance. Both turned out great. The first recipe is a Sweet Potato Chutney over Pork Chops (see above). I loved the chutney and thought it would make the perfect topping for Turkey. So, here is the recipe for the Chutney. The original recipe including the pork you can find here. I made one slight change to this recipe by precooking the sweet potato in the microwave. I was afraid it wouldn’t cook thoroughly in 10 minutes. It turned out great with a pre-cooked potato. This only makes enough for 4 servings, so be sure to double or triple depending on the crowd.

Ingredients

* 2 Tbs. finely chopped shallots

* dash crushed red pepper

* 1/4 cup packed brown sugar

* 1/4 cup vinegar

* 2 tablespoons dried cranberries

* 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

* 1 medium sweet potato, (pre-cook on high in Microwave for 3 minutes) peeled and coarsely chopped

Directions

Combine 2 Tbs. chopped shallot, red pepper, brown sugar, vinegar, dried cranberries, and ginger in a medium saucepan. Stir in sweet potato; bring to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

This recipe is another one from Better Homes & Gardens and is a nice change from the typical mashed potatoes.

Walnut-Sage Potatoes au Gratin
Prep: 30 minutes Bake: 75 minutes Stand: 10 minutes Oven: 350°F
2 pounds fingerling potatoes
3 tablespoons walnut oil or olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic (2 cloves)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3⁄4 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 1⁄2 cups milk
3 tablespoons snipped fresh sage
1 cup shredded Gruyère cheese (4 ounces)
1⁄3 cup broken walnuts
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 2-quart casserole; set aside.
Halve potatoes lengthwise. Place potato halves in colander. Rinse
with cold water; drain.
2. In a saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Cook onion and
garlic until tender. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper. Add milk. Cook
and stir until thick and bubbly. Remove from heat; stir in sage.
3. Layer half of the potatoes in prepared 2-quart casserole. Top with
half the sauce. Sprinkle with half of the cheese. Repeat layering with
potatoes and sauce. (Cover and chill remaining cheese until needed.)
4. Bake, covered, for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake about
25 minutes more or just until potatoes are tender. Sprinkle with
remaining cheese; top with walnuts. Bake for 5 minutes more. Let
stand for 10 minutes before serving.

And, finally, my dear Twitter friend, Michelle, from Funky Chunks Soaps, recommend this Roasted Butternut Squash and Bacon Pasta dish. I made this on Saturday, and I’m embarrassed to admit, that the whole pan was gone in one night, and there was just the two of us. I’m also embarrassed to admit that I forgot to take a picture of the finished product. For a good picture and the recipe, visit Cooking Light’s website. This is a delicious dish on its own or as a side. I think it would be great with leftover turkey cubed and added. A nice change from the typical Turkey Tetrazzini.

So, that’s it for my recommendations. I’ll be experimenting on Turkey day not only with the brine recipe but with Emiril Lagasse’s Twice Baked Potato Casserole. What’s on your menu? I would love to hear about your favorites side dishes. If you’ve got a great recipe, please tell us about it by leaving a comment below.

Maloney’s Pub and Grill Thanksgiving Turkey and American Ales Dinner

Deborah Smith, Executive Editor

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November 21, 2009

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Maloney's Guest Bite: Maloney’s in Matawan is a neighborhood pub with sneaky good food and maybe the best beer selection in Monmouth County. I say sneaky because, while you expect great pub grub at Maloney’s (which they definitely deliver), their unexpected dinner entrees are surprisingly top notch.

When Beer Manager, Kevin Francolini, announced his second beer tasting, I decided that I couldn’t miss it and still consider myself a beer geek. Not only does Kevin know his beer, it turns out he’s an ace at pairing beer with food. He told me that Chef Drew planned the menu and he paired the beer to it, but sometimes they reverse the process and the chef matches the menu to the beer. Now that’s team work!

At $30 a person, the four course food and beer tasting is a bargain as well! Each course comes with an 8 oz. Glass of the paired beer, and you might get a little extra i Butternut and Sweet Potato Soup f there’s left over beer. Hospitality and generosity!

Ok, here’s the line up:

Course 1: Butternut and Sweet Potato Soup with Cinnamon Croutons paired with Sierra Nevada Kellerweis. The soup was just shy of dessert. That’s a dangerous line, but the chef got it right. The Kellerweis is a hefeweizen style, and this particular one had heavy banana notes with the usual clove flavor understated.

Course 2: Stuffed Mushrooms with Sausage and Cranberry Filling paired with Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar. The mushrooms had a zesty Vodka sauce drizzled on top that played perfectly with the sweet hazelnut hints in the brown ale. As with many of Rogue beers, I couldn’t drink this one all night but it’s a great companion for food.

stuffed mushrooms Course 3: Turkey Roulade with Sage and Cornbread Stuffing paired with Ommegang Biere de Mars. The main event! Undoubtedly the best round of the night for me. Roulade is a sophisticated way to serve turkey, so it called for a sophisticated beer to accompany it. Biere de Mars fit the bill perfectly! Kevin describes it as “funky, earthy and mineral notes of the Brettanomyces Bruxellensis yeast.” The notes of hay in this beer is a love it or hate it flavor, but suffice it to say, I’ll be picking up a bottle for next Thursday!

Pumkin Crème Brulee paired with Southern Tier Choklat Stout

Course 4: Pumkin Crème Brulee paired with Southern Tier Choklat Stout. I’m not a big dessert eater, but Pumkin Crème Brulee? You don’t say no to that. You also don’t say no to the thick cocoa flavors of Choklat Stout either. At 11% make sure you sip this one because you won’t taste that alcohol at all.

Well, if that didn’t wet your appetite, I don’t know what will. Even if you aren’t a beer geek like me, you may want to give one of these dinners a try just to experience the flavors for yourself.

There weren’t too many empty seats last night, so go to their website ) and sign up for the email list. There is usually one tasting per month and honest, I wish I could make them all!

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Peter Culos is a self-proclaimed Beer Geek and he happens to be my boyfriend. Peter is a graphic designer by profession and artist by nature. He also qualifies in Geek status on the topic of History which he writes about on his blog History-Geek.com. Peter is also still mad at me for publishing “There no one Sweeter than Peter” in our High School Play Program. It’s still true.

Guest Bite: Butternut Squash Soup from Parke5

Deborah Smith, Executive Editor

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November 17, 2009

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soup

Today’s delicious recipe comes from Chef Ryan Parkes of Parke5 Personal Chef Services. Parkes grew up in a small town called Wanaque in Northern New Jersey. He graduated from the French Culinary Institute in New York City and has had a fascinating career working with some of the best chefs in our area. He now resides in Bergen County and all the services that he provides whether it be personal dinner packages, dinner parties or cooking lessons, is prepared and served in the client’s kitchen. For more on Chef Parkes check out his bio below.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

3 Butternut Squash 1 inch cubes

4 shallots minced

4 cloves of garlic minced

2 celery chopped

1 carrot chopped

48 oz chicken broth, homemade would be ideal

pinch of cayenne

1 sprig of thyme

2 bay leaf

salt and pepper

1/2 cup of heavy cream is optional

DIRECTIONS:

Sweat onions and garlic in vegetable oil over medium heat in soup pot. Add squash, celery and carrots. Cook for about five minutes then add the broth, cayenne, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, lower heat to a gentle simmer and cover. Cook until butternut squash is fork tender. Ladle small batches to a blender and puree. Be careful when blending hot soup. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Ryan Chef Ryan Parkes:

Growing up, we were fortunate enough to sit down every night to a home-cooked meal which my mother prepared with love for the five{5} of us! Every night, during the week, it was an unspoken tradition to sit down at the table, enjoy the company of family, the food my mother had just cooked and share conversation.

While I was attending college, working toward my business degree, I remember receiving a phone call from my brother, saying the two of us should open a restaurant one day as we both shared a love of cooking. To say the least, I never finished that semester of school and enrolled at the French Culinary Institute in New York City.

While waiting for school to start, I took my first restaurant position as a line cook under the guidance of Chef Annie O’Hare at the Lenox Room in New York City. That was my first glimpse behind the scenes of a restaurant kitchen.

Upon graduation, I went to Martha’s Vineyard for the summer and worked at the island’s favorite Homeport Seafood Restaurant. After returning to the mainland that fall, I joined the opening team at Copeland, a fine dining American cuisine restaurant in Morristown, NJ. Chef Thomas Ciszak and Chef Holger Strutt were my mentors, teaching me the art of cooking and the skills needed to do so. I worked the raw bar, garde manger, fish and meat stations learning every aspect of each from my mentors. After a much grateful stay at Copeland, I longed to work in New York City again and found a job working with “Iron Chef” Morimoto at his Japanese sushi restaurant in Chelsea Market. There I picked up Japanese flavors and techniques along with the simplicity of cooking fresh food. The next stop for me was Gramercy Tavern in New York, the “Most Popular Restaurant” in the city, according to Zagat. The menu was driven from farm raised cattle and produce and showed me the importance freshness. All the ingredients came from the Union Square Market and local farmers.

These experiences taught me something I could never learn in a book and fuel my passion of cooking. I am very fortunate to have found my passion and I love what I do.

Wonderful Weekend of Burgers, Bloodies and Brunch at the Beach

Deborah Smith, Executive Editor

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November 9, 2009

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The SoCal burger at Harpoon Willy's This weekend was the first weekend of Jersey Shore Restaurant Week and we did it up in style. The kickoff party at the Wonderbar in Asbury Park was a huge success. Surf Taco, the Windmill and Jersey Mikes gave away a ton of good food and we danced the night away to Brian Kirk and the Jerks. Saturday was Burgers, Bloodies and Brews at three locations on the shore: Harpoon Willy’s in Manasquan, The Lake House in Loch Arbor and The Draughting Table in Bradley Beach. The pictures you see here are from our visit to Harpoon Willy’s.

Sunday was designated “Brunch at the Beach” day. We took a ride to Asbury Park to enjoy a gorgeous day and delicious Mexican inspired brunch at Langosta Lounge. I had the enormous breakfast burrito with egg, chorizo, jalepeño, black beans, cheese, olives and pico de gallo. A friend ordered the Eggs Marion which you see here.

bloody mary at Harpoon Willy's in Manasquan, NJ

Eggs Marion Langosta Lounge Asbury Park

Poached Eggs with grilled asparagus and sautéed lobster and shrimp. The other participants in our Brunch at the Beach day were Avenue in Long Branch and Mixx in Manasquan. For more pictures of the food and the fun this weekend, visit the Jersey Shore Restaurant Week’s Facebook Page.

This coming weekend Jersey Shore Restaurant Week has two more exciting events to close out the 10 day event. On Saturday Undici’s in Rumson will host “Wine and Cheeses of Italy” between 12 and 3pm. And, Sunday is the “Great Jersey Shore Martini Contest” at Edgars Pub in Sea Girt. 12 area bartenders will compete for your votes on who makes the Jersey Shore’s best martini. The JSRW committee has even negotiated special prices with Briggs Transportation. So take a cab and come have some cocktails on Sunday. Tickets for Both events are available for purchase online.

And, remember all week long participating restaurants are offering pre-fixed menus. Click here for a list of restaurants and get out to support your local businesses.

Crockpot Asian Lettuce Wraps

Deborah Smith, Executive Editor

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November 4, 2009

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crockpot asian lettuce wrap I’m sorry I don’t have a Win it Wednesday for you this week, but we have an exciting one coming up for you next week when we’ll be giving away some delicious personalized cookies from Splurge Bakery.

I do have a delicious recipe to share with you all today. Last night I made this recipe for the second time and changed it up by adding broccoli and water chestnuts at the end. Both ways are excellent. The recipe below would be good over Jasmine rice if you decided not to do the lettuce wrap thing.

INGREDIENTS

1 package of boneless/skinless chicken thighs (5)
3/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup hoison sauce
2 Tbs. Worcheshire sauce
1 Tbs. rice wine vinegar
1 Tbs. grated ginger
1 green or red bell pepper diced
1 large onion sliced
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 Tbs. honey
1 tsp. sesame oil
2 Tbs. Arrowroot or cornstarch mixed with water for thickening
2 heads of Butter Lettuce, rinsed and dried
unsalted peanuts, chopped (optional garnish)
Fresh Cilantro, chopped (optional garnish)

DIRECTIONS:

Place all liquid ingredients and spices, ginger into crockpot and stir. Place pepper, onion and chicken pieces in next. Secure lid and cook on low for 4 hours. Remove chicken pieces. Add Arrowroot or cornstarch and stir until sauce begins to thicken. If having trouble, pour into a skillet and bring to a simmer on the stove. Shred chicken and return to sauce mixture. Spoon into lettuce leaves, top with garnishes of choice, wrap and enjoy.

I hope you enjoy. If you’ve tried something similar to this through a recipe online, please leave a comment on where we can find the it.

Some Treats for your Eyes and Appetite

Deborah Smith, Executive Editor

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October 31, 2009

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Happy Halloween eyeball-halloween-food Everyone. In my little town here at the Jersey Shore, Halloween is a very big deal. We’ve got one street in particular that becomes a mini-Mardi Gras every year on this day. The folks who own homes on that street go through unbelievable amounts of candy and there is no need to ring doorbells since most adults are on their porches entertaining guests.

Since Halloween is on a Saturday this year, the parties will all be starting early. I’ve got the pork in the Crockpot for pulled pork sandwiches already. I know we’ll be having my friend Jenny’s delicious chili and Jill’s Orzo and Spinach soup.

If you are still looking for some simple and spooky recipes, I’ve found a few that are creative, some are actually good for you and some are down right disgusting.

Do you have a favorite dish you make for Halloween? I’d love to hear about it. Please leave a carrot pumpkin comment and share.

The Eyeball Caprese above comes from Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories. The ingredients are easy to find. Just leave yourself enough time to make the eyeballs. They look a little tedious. Hop over to get the recipe, if you dare.

Now this is a cute idea from A Taste of Home. This is the “last minute Lucy’s” ace in the hole if you ask me. A couple of bags of carrots, cucumbers, broccoli, a few store bought dips and you’re good to go.

Another super easy appetizer idea are Hot Dog Mummies. They’re just your basic mini hot dogs with a crescent roll wrapping, but with a twist. You can find a good example on Diamonds For Dessert.

If you are looking for a main dish that will disgust your guests (at first) this is a fun and creative option from IMakeProjects.com. It’s called “Awful Edible Roasted Fleshworms.” All it is is pork loin wrapped in prosciutto.

Well, if you thought that was gross. Here is the Pièce de résistance: Kitty Litter Cake. I kid you not. Is that the most disgusting thing you’ve ever seen. It comes from a website called Gross Halloween Recipes, and they aren’t kidding about that. The cat poop is melted Tootsie Rolls. I might just h

fleshworm