The Next Food Destination Paterson NJ

 Could paterson , new Jersey be the next foodie destination, Surprisinglly this gritty industrrial town could be on everyone's list to visit int e next few years.It has a thriving immigrant community and with that a thriving food scene. You can find everything from Caribbean pupusas to Turkish piti there. 

Paterson has always been a factory town ever since Alexander Hamilton (yes , that  Alexander Hamilton) showed George Washington the majestic falls known as the Great Falls. It was in 1792 that Hamilton wanted to turn the area into the next Manchester England, an industrial city filled with mills and factories. He succeeded and within a century it became a major US manufacturing city. with it came the first immigrants, namely Irish. However the Piedmontese came from Northeastern Italy to run the silk mills, hence the city's nickname Silk City, They brought such good food as bagna calda , fritto misto and risotto. The Syrians, also skilled in silk making followed and they brought dishes like kibbeh, and the now popular breakfast dish  shakshuka. African -Americans migrated from the South in the Sixties and Seventies and brought with them such tasty dishes as fried chicken and collard greens. The recent wave of South Americans brought a tropical flavor to the city , with such dishes as plantanos and mofungo. 

If you go to Paterson (and it's a quick hop from Manhattan) there are several restaurants to try.Patsy's is one of the oldest , first serving customers in 1931. Their pizzas are legendary and have a huge fan base.. They also have arancini, Sicilian rice balls and clams oreganata that are amazing It's right off Route 20 and is easy to get to. The city has a relatively large Middle Eastern population. There are several places to get sharma and za'atar along with Turkish pizza  or pide This is a long flat bread filled with everything from pastrami to veggies.Pide 28 is one of the best and one of my favorites. I do like their tomato and mozzarella pide but the pastrami one is beyond tasty.Every bite is a mouthful of delicious spiced beef. It's across from another great place Nablus Sweets Bakery. Here you can try all sorts of yummy sweets like knafa, a kind of Middle Eastern cheesecake. The classic Bonfire Restaurant , a paterson staple for decades has reinvented itself. It now serves every kind of mofungo, from the traditional pork infused  to ones full of lobster or goat stew.

Few cities in New Jersey have a multicultural culinary scene like Paterson. Visit it for the history but definitely stay for the food. You'll find a rich and varied menu.

Plantains An Easy To Make Treat

Plantains are the perfect side or snack. Yet many home chefs are scared off by them because they feel the fruit is too exotic. That can't be further from the truth.They're an easy make, especially when using an air fryer. You can have a tasty treat in minutes.

Plantains are basically a tougher cousin of the banana. They aren't as sweet and must be cooked. They can't be eaten raw. You can slice them, which is always good or mash them for mofongo, a garlic infused side dish.

Unlike bananas, which are bought when they're green or yellow, plantains should be bought when they're almost completely black or over ripe. The skins or peels are thicker than bananas' and must be cut or torn off. 

It's then slicing them into medium thick coins or slices . They're a bit slimier than their cousins so be prepared for an icky feeling.

For air frying, use a good cooking spray. I used Stop & Shop's brand.

I then sprayed the slices along with the air fryer's basket. The  recipe I used called for 350' degrees F. but after five minutes, they were not done. I upped the temp to 400 and cooked them for another seven minutes.. This is the result.

I added some sea salt  afterwards. You could also toss the plantain slices in a mix of olive oil and sea salt  first and then air fry.

They were a great side with the vegan chicken patty. The flavor was sweet and salty, the last thanks to the sea salt. The texture was a bit tough on the outside and mushy on the inside, but still tasty.I'm definitely making these again. and trying the oil and salt method  for a crisper slice.

Plantains are simple dish to make, Air fry a batch  to accompany dinner or for a different but flavorful snack. They're a quick, easy make that everyone will like.