Lent The Season Of Sharing

 Today is Ash Wednesdy , the beginning of Lent. It's a time of sacrificing - giving up our favorite foods.Yet we should be giving up our time and what food we have during these terrible days. Giving also make us feel more empathetic to others struggling.

Food pantries will be packed as food prices go up. Donate what you can - even if it's two or three can. Those who work in groceries should convince their bosses to donate slightly expired food or day old breads and sweets. Some like Stop and Shop in the New York metro area already have partnered with not only food pantries but homeless shelters to ensure that any challenged individual will at least have one hot meal daily. You can also donate to the World Food Program USA which provides nourishment for the Ukrainian people fleeing to the Polish, Moldovan and Romanian borders. You can make a donation as low as fifteen dollars if you don't have that much to spare. You can also donate cans of food too.Many Ukranian Orthodox and Catholic churches are taking donations  of not just them but also bottled water  along with clothing , blankets and toiletries. Again give what you can.

You can also do this for your local circle too. Ask elderly neighbors over for a dinner or weekend lunch or supper. Take them to church and then treat them to the usual after services breakfast at the local diner or pancake house. Shop for them and sometimes throw in a treat just to show your appreciation for them. Do the same for friends who are struggling too. Invite them and their families over for a  lunch or bake an extra loaf of bread. This also applies to those in the military too. Now more than ever military families will need our support and gratitude. Our troops can and probably will be deployed to eastern Europe at any moment. Treat  them  now with a gift certificate to their favorite restaurant. Make it into a date night by offering to babysit their kids. Again a shared weekend meal where you can enjoy good food and company is always welcomed.Have a pizza night which is always enjoyed by all, or try a game or movie night. Set up a buffet with  tasty hot snacks like loaded potato skins and chicken wings.

It's Ash Wednesday. It's  time to give up but instead of giving up a favorite food try giving up your time or donations. It will be welcomed and appreciated. 

Appetizer Only Please

Sometimes a full restaurant dinner can be too much. There's so much to slog thourgh that you either waste it or have to take it home. This can leave you feeling too stuffed , more ready for bed than a night out. The best bet is getting appetizers. There's always a wide variety and always more than a few tasty choices.

Most restaurants, big  and small have large lists of appetizers. Some offere everything  from soup to mini versions of their more popular entrees. This is great if you just want to  sample or just prefer something simple before a movie or club. Appetizer lists though have great foods that are just plain fun. Chinese restaurants have beef and chicken on sticks which are fun along with dumplings , either boiled or fried. Italian restaurants  feature garlic knots, pizza dough twisted into knobs that run from marble to plum size These are served with a bowl of hot pizza sauce and do the trick as well as any slice of pizza.

Many chain restaurants along with diners thrive on appetizers. Their offerings cater to large groups of people and different taste. Some places like The Outback have the Bloomin' Onion which can serve anywhere from one to four people. Ohters like TGIF offer the tantazlizing trio of babyback ribs , chicken and shrimp along with chips with different kinds of dips. Diners also also great appetizers from the shareable nachos  to the fried platter. This last consists of fried mozzarealla sticks, chicken wings and shrooms, stuffed and fried mushroom caps.Sliders, those mini burgers are also on many a menu now and make more sense to eat than a huge burger. Instead of a whole meal think about appetizers. They're more fun to eat than the regular meal and easier to finish. Go small the next time in a favorite eating place.

A Good Hot Meal

These days it's hard to have a hot meal, especially if you're still weathering Hurricane Sandy and her after effects. yet whatever the meal, a good solid plate of something hot is beneficial. It helps in  creating more normalcy in a disrupted routine.It also helps to gather your family and friends around just to give thanks and enjoy conversation.

Breakfast is always the most important meal and a good one means a good day ahead. Even having a hot breakfast sandwich at McDonald's is still a hot breakfast, complete with orange juice and fruit. The kids will love it . Most motel rooms have microwaves and you can always microwave eggs and bacon in it as well.Your best bet is a nearby diner. There you can get everything from oatmeal to omelets along with pancakes -a kid favorite .You can also get fresh squeezed juice there and bran muffins. too

Lunch is another matter. Most people will usually settle for a sandwich.If you can settle for burgers which are considered a hot and fun along with a salad, then you've got something good to eat.fast food places are a good place especially if you have picky eaters in your caravan.You can also consider again the diner or bringing in microwaveable meals.Dinner too can be found in your frozen food section(that is if your supermarket is open)Another idea is trying local pizzerias and Chinese takeout. You can eat healthy in both, along with just eating old fashioned pizza and fried rice, comfort foods much needed in these times.

A good hot meal means everything to those who are displaced.Whether it be  breakfast,lunch or dinner, it means the world to those who are now living in motels,hotel, and even shelter. It;s a way of being at home even though you're not.

Diner Food - Cooking From The Heart

As much as I complain about living in New Jersey (the lack of space, the disrespect for wildlife and country, the overabundance of cars) I do love it. The best part of living in the Garden State is its' diners. We have the most out of any state in the union - about 600 alone. Every town has at least one. Some have as many as four or even five. They're more than just a place to eat - they're a place to call your second home.

Diners did not originate here. For that Rhode Island and its' capital city , Providence can take the credit. The first was born there in 1872 when a horse drawn lunch wagon offered just sandwiches and hot coffee long after the local restaurants had closed. Years later during the Golden Age of Diners the 1930's through the 1940s these eateries crystallized into the modern diner with 24 hour cooking and dining. The 1950's saw diners move westward and spread out into the states and US territories.

Somehow these gems managed to mass multiply in Jersey. Everyone has a favorite one. Mine is just down the road from my house and it's appropriately named The Parkway Diner because it's off Exit 159 on The Garden State Parkway's one of the state's main arteries. It's a wonderful place helpfully run by Suzie, the waitress/ manager. Yet' she's more than that. She is also responsible for some of the diner's top requested dishes. Her potato salad, a creamy hearty blend of Idahos mayyo and plenty of love is sheer heaven. She also makes some wicked soups as well. Much ,more than that she's is family to regulars like myself, being everything from sounding board to nurturer. With The Parkway you not only enjoy the many different foods , you enjoy its' caring and attentive staff.

If you're in the Saddle Brook or Elm wood Park area head to this oasis of great food. It's located on the corner of Rte 46 East and the Boulevard (it stands out so it's not hard to miss) Try Suzie's soup of the day which changes daily, along with their various chickens - rice, noodle and matzoh ball.. She';ll bring you hot rolls and butter too along with a generous bowl. The Parkway has humongous salads and the best is their grilled vegetable one, bursting with grilled eggplant, peppers and feta cheese. The diner also serves killer hero sandwiches like Vinnie's Italian one, filled with yummy Italian cold cuts along with sliced red onions.The Parkway is also big on egg dishes serving just simple scrambled ones to elaborate omelets.

Diner cuisine is wonderful .It's homesyle cooking at any hour of the day. Not only that it comes with love from its' cooks and waitstaff. You can't get that in any fancy four star restaurant.

The Parkway 's Suzie and Vinnie have graciously allowed me to published her potato salad and his Italian hero recipes. Enjoy these folks, I do!!!


Suzie's Potato Salad Recipe

Cooked Idaho potatoes
cut up celery, carrots and red onions
Hellman's mayo
salt and pepper to taste.

Boil potatoes until they're done and peel. Add chopped celery , carrots and red onion along with a generous amount of Hellman's mayo. Mix. Salt and pepper to taste. Chill until ready to be served.

Vinnie's Super Hero.

Toast hero bread. Sprinkle oil and vinegar on the halves.Layer on ham,provolone and prosciutto. Finish with lettuce , sliced tomatoes and red onions. Serve.