Plainsboro's Asian Food Market A True Gem

 Plainsboro, New Jersey  may be in the shadow of Princeton yet this quaint Garden State country town is standing out. There has been an  uptick in building with restaurants, salons and stores gracing new malls. One that stands out is Asian Food Market a chain throughout South Jersey and Staten Island. This is a breathtaking market that makes American grocery stores pale in comparison.

I had to see this market and was amazed not just by its' size but what it sold. There are mini shops selling tea sets and hand painted ceramic tables. Shoppers can stop at the mini food court in the front of the store and enjoy Korean barbecue and bubble tea. Yet it's inside that's truly awesone.

This is a combo of American barbecue sauce and different sauces. There's all sorts of Asian specialties from Indian ot CHinese.

This is a huge market that has more of a warehouse/ Costco vibe.It's a no frills look, You can buy everything from rice steamers to

                                                             

                                                                 Japanese sweet potatoes.I could not get over the array of 

                                 Japanese milk bread sold around for the day

There are also fancy cakes and cupcakes 

You can also buy noodles,along with Peking duck, pork ribs  and chicken for a quick no cooklunch or dinner.

There are tables where you can eat and enjoy a meal before perusing the long aisles .It's even a great place to stop for a quick lunch.

If you;re in Plainsboro, stop by the Asian Food Market for a fun shopping trip.The store has everything you could possibly dream of.Go there for the variety and a tripo through Asia.

Trouble In A Culinary Paradise

 Imagine working in the most perfect place one can think up. It has stunning views and comes not just with tantalizing job offers but delicious food. Now imagine it all being a big lie. That's what happened to the workers at the Willows Inn on Lummi Island off the Washington State coastline. The ultimate's chef's dream turned into a worker's nightmare.

Regular contributor Julia Moskin, contributed this eye opening report in today's New York Times Food section. She exposed practices better associated with trendy big city restaurants and crimes  that are not at all uncommon in New York, Chicago, Boston or Los Angeles.It started with the famed chef , Blaine Wetzel falling in love with this tranquil island in the San Juan Archipelago. He was only twenty-four and fresh from a two year stint at the famed Copenhagen eatery Noma. Any restaurant would have wanted this rising superstar in the culinary world. Instead he answered an ad on Craigslist posted by an island chicken farmer who owned the century old inn. Its' isolation appealed to him .It had less than one thousand people living on it. There were unspoiled forests along with local fisheries and farms - all perfect for fresh ingredients. It quickly became a global destination with visitors paying a whopping $500 for a night. The dishes were either foraged or fished not far from it. Yet it was nothing more than a fairy tale.

Ms. Moskin interviewed thirty-five former employees for the article and their stories are horror ones.For one those fresh ingredients weren't exactly fresh nor were they local. They were ferried in from the mainland, namely from distributors and other farms. Pacific octopus came from Spain and Portugal. Chicken was bought from Costco. Venison came from a farm in Idaho. Even more disturbing were the allegations against Chef Wetzel for sexual harassment. Underage teenage girls were given potent alcoholic drinks and drugs. There was inappropriate touching by older male workers while Chef Wetzel himself drove home a drunk underage worker, Sarah Letchworth. He wanted to drive her to his place to do shots. If that wasn't bad enough there were biases against female workers. Jen Curtis was a seasoned chef di cuisine when she joined the restaurant's staff. Chef Wetzel promised her a sous chef position as soon as it became available. She was shunted aside for male sous chefs. Then there was also the racism, with slurs being hurled at Asian American chefs.Interns were also abused, as they were forced to work fourteen hour days. Thankfully the inn's former workers filed a class action lawsuit against the chef who was accused of wage theft and provide rest breaks along with misappropriation of tips. 

The Willow Inn can be redeemed by a more compatible, caring chef. it is a paradise with fresh ingredients waiting to be turned into delicious dishes. It can overcome this bad period and enter a more understanding, honest one.

The Best Grain Free Recipe Book

Grain free living doesn't have to have the limitations that normally go with restricted diets.Thanks to a new and innovative cookbook,those with gluten and grain allergies can not only have delicious meals but mouth watering snacks too. It's packed with advice, info and best of all those yummy recipes.

Laura Fuentes, creator of the Momables Meal plan where parents can get recipes and ideas delivered to their inboxes has written a cookbook similar to them. The Best Grain-Free Family Meals On The Planet (Quanto Publishing Group USA) is based on her experiences dealing with her own gluten allergies as well as her children's,They all needed healthier eating for a better life and that required less processed food and more natural.What is most helpful is the section, called Real Life and Food that  addresses picky eaters and what to do at social functions.She recommends bringing all the dishes out on he table and letting the kids choose what looks good to them.As for social functions it's best to bring a lunchbox or thermos. That way the hosts don't have the worry about guests reacting to certain dishes.Ms. Fuentes also has a list of essentials for a complete grain free pantry and how home chefs can clean out theirs. There is a section about where to get ingredients from , growing them to hitting farmers' markets to becoming a member of shopping clubs CostCo and Sam's Club  offer a trove of fresh produce  along with healthy oils and spices. She also recommends shopping online too. She writes about what tools to use and recommends getting a spiralizer, that fun kitchen tool, that turns zucchini into zuccheti along with the usual hand mixers and slow cookers.

The recipes are divided into sections, from breakfasts to lunchbox favorites. There are also  extensive chapters on family meals and snacks and treats. Kids won't have to sacrifice their favorite dishes , thanks to this cookbook. Breakfast recipes are silver dollar pancakes with coconut flour and blueberry maple breakfast sausages.There are also sorts of muffins ,from a peaches and cream one to a chocolate chip. Ms. Fuentes even has breakfast cookies and the exotic Middle Eastern egg and tomato dish shakshura. The lunchbox recipes are great for both school and those vacation days spent at home.Try the recipe for veggie falafels, made not with chickpeas, but with onion, cauliflower and zucchini.,bound together with almond flower.For a healthy lunch or snack make the seven layer Greek cups, loaded with feta, hummus and kalamata olives. Dinner recipes are equally fun . Kids and parents will love the quick mu shu pork and the shrimp scampi with spaghetti squash. There are recipes for zoodles or zucchetti.Ms. Fuentes even makes a ramen soup with them! Snacks and treats are many , each as tasty as the next. There are plantain and beet chips that will surely replace the bought potato ones. There are flourless bites made with raisins as the binder. These come in yummy flavors like cherry chocolate and apple pie along with coconut brownie. A homemade version of Nutella along with ice cream are also included as are grain free cupcakes with rich fudgy frosting.

The Best Grain-Free Family Meals On The Planet is a kitchen must have for those families with gluten allergies. The recipes are easy and tasty, sure to be family classics .Buy it today and start creating these grain free dishes!