Executive Chef Gregory Zapantis, of Molos in Weehawken, shared his recipe for pumpkin bulgur and honey fillo pie. Enjoy it with family or friends!
Pumpkin Bulgur and Honey Fillo Pie
Ingredients
3 cups pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, diced small
1 lb. feta cheese
2 eggs
4 oz honey
1½ tablespoons fresh mint
2 tablespoons bulgur wheat
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
1 lb fillo pastry sheets
Directions
1. Slice pumpkin into wedges and roast on in a preheated 375° oven for 50 minutes.
2. Allow the pumpkin to cool slightly and then remove the skin and the seeds.
3. Cube the pumpkin and place in a food processor to puree.
4. In a large frying pan, heat 2 tbsp. of olive oil.
5. Sauté the onion until it is soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
6. In a medium bowl, combine the pumpkin puree with the crumbled feta, eggs, mint, bulgur wheat, honey and season to taste with salt and freshly ground white pepper.
7. Add the onions and mix well.
8. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
9. Lightly grease the bottom of a sheet pan with olive oil.
10. Brush a sheet of fillo well with olive oil.
11. Leaving about an inch margin on the sides and bottom of the Fillo sheet, place a thin line of filling (about 3 tbsp.) along the bottom edge.
12. Fold the sides in and begin to roll the bottom edge up to make a tube.
13. Repeat the above step to fill the sheet pan.
14. Bake the pie logs in a 350°F oven for 45 minutes, or until the fillo is golden brown.
Diwali is celebrated over several days, coinciding with the fall harvest, and traditionally, the darkest night of autumn. This year, the holiday falls on Sunday, October 30. Many Indian-Americans observe Diwali, which celebrates the symbolic victory of light over darkness, or good over evil. People decorate their homes and businesses with lamps (diya) and candles for the holiday. On the day of Diwali, families offer prayers (puja) to Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity. The festival features fireworks, celebratory meals and the exchange of gifts and sweets (mithai). Diwali-themed street fairs and markets (melas) are also common from mid-October through mid-November.
Food, of course, is a centerpiece of Diwali’s public festivals and family gatherings. We are fortunate in New Jersey to have plenty of choices for excellent Indian cuisine, in many regional varieties. Whether you prefer North Indian meats stewed in complex spice mixtures or grilled in a clay oven (tandoor), flatbreads (roti, paratha, naan), and hearty rice biryanis, or fiery South Indian dishes like potato-filled crepes (dosas), spicy lentil stew (sambar), and steamed rice cakes (idli), you can find them all in Jersey.
Dosa Grill
Recommended dishes at the Tick Tock? For supper, the Nicoise salmon salad is a delicious choice at the top of my list. The salmon is broiled to perfection. For lunch, the hot open turkey sandwich is a dependable classic and the best around. The lentil soup is a treat. What about breakfast? You’ll never go wrong with two eggs over easy, accompanied by well-done hash and home fries. The coffee is good, consistent and mellow. Dessert? Allow me to suggest the regal lemon merengue pie.
The current diner features decorative neon lights, glass bricks, a crimson facade, and stainless steel, all of which radiate a retro/contemporary charm. It also retains the classic neon rooftop sign, crowned with the Eat Heavy clock. The avuncular, animated Ramoundos, a larger-than-life figure, coined the expression “Eat Heavy” to greet his customers. This was his friendly way of saying come in, sit down, relax and enjoy a good meal. It was as much about the spirit of the moment as the good food itself. During its lifespan of 64 years, the Tick Tock has come to symbolize all that was and is in the mythic Jersey diner saga.
rst brick-and-mortar outlet in Hoboken in 2010 and proudly celebrated its grand reopening there on October 14, at which time it unveiled refreshed new flooring, artwork, and interior design. Among the sustainable, 20-seat outlet’s signature Mexican taqueria-inspired dishes are its Pescado Taco, featuring crispy catfish, red cabbage, pico de gallo, tartar, and chipotle salsa in a flour tortilla, Al Pastor Taco, made with marinated pork, onion, cilantro, pineapple, and fresh green salsa in a stone-ground warm corn tortilla, and Pollo Burrito, made with red rice, black beans, crema, grilled chicken, lime-pickled onion, and roasted red salsa in a flour tortilla. Following this site and other locations in Morristown and Princeton, opened in 2013 and 2014 respectively, cofounders Jason Scott and Chris Viola look forward to opening another location in King of Prussia, PA in late 2016. “We’re dedicated to providing our loyal local customers with an authentic experience and anticipate that our renovations will allow the community to continue to enjoy the high quality food and service they’ve grown to love for many years to come,” shared Scott, The Taco Truck’s CEO.
Which brings us to Newark. Before the Industrial Revolution, when Newark became one of the largest beer brewing centers in the country, the area had been renowned for its orchards and world class cider. Dubbed the “Champagne of Ciders,” it was often passed off as such by unscrupulous merchants. The heart of Newark’s cider juggernaut was the Harrison apple. Like the area orchards themselves, it all but disappeared. It also became Charles Rosen’s inspiration to revive the glory days of Jersey cider. Following a suggestion from Newark Sustainability Officer Stephanie Greenwood, Rosen employed an apple detective—who knew that was a thing?—and tracked down some trees in Virginia that were being cultivated with cuttings taken from perhaps the last known Harrison apple tree.
