Ralph's Ices-A Hasbrouck Heights Treat

 Hasbrouck Heights might have been the epicenter of a recent New Jersey earthquake.It;s also the epicenter of very good food and treats in South Bergen County. One place stands out - Ralph's Italian Ices .This is a taste of the Jersey shore up north.

This was the perfect place to go to after a hot day on the Garden State Park way. I wanted a very cold treat to deal with year another heat wave.Ralph's did not disappoint.

Like Rita's Ralph's is part of a chain that has branches in New York City.It started in Staten Island in 1928 when the original owner and ice maker  Ralph Silvestro . It grew across the island (and attracted even big name Staten Islander's like Saturday Night Live's Pete Davidson.)

This is their cherry cola flavor.I'm a sucker for any of the fizzy pop flavors and Ralph's doesn't;t disappoint.It has a puree, cleaner flavor, unlike other ices and doesn't have that cloying aftertaste many ices have. I can't wait to try the root beer.Their cappuccino sherbet looks interesting too and it's probably more of a  gelato.Another plus is that they are generous with their scoops. This is the small cup and it was more than satisfying.

The weather is still steamy. Stop in at the Hasbrouch Height''s branch or any of the other Ralph's in the New York Metro area. The ice is a cool refreshing break from all this heat.

Family Classic For Summer

 Family recipes and a fresh harvest always make for a delicious meal. This is true for tomatoes provencale. They're made a variety of ways from oven baked to skillet cooked. Anyway they're made , they're just plain tasty, full of so many flavors melded together.

Skillet made ones are a family recipes and one of the first recipes I learned how to make.It;s one of the best ways to use ripe, sliced tomatoes.

I used sliced beefsteaks from the local farmer;'s market. You can use any size but one or two of these slices constitute a whole meal.

Saute them in about three to four tablespoons of light olive oil and a big dollop of butter or in my case I Can't Believe It;s Not Butter. .It;s then topping them with a thick layer of breadcrumbs mixed with oregano.

I used Acme's Signature brand. They're light and produce a good crisp when cooked. You can make your own using steak=le Italian or French bread , pulverized with oregano and rosemary if you want.

Put the butter between the slice before  you add the breadcrumbs.Again I love a thick topping but if you want a thin layer, then sprinkle on a thin layer

Cover the skillet and cook down until the tomatoes look wilted and the breadcrumbs looked soaked with the tomato  juices. This takes about around ten minutes.

I know it; gilding the lily but I had mine with a large hunk of Italian bread.

Tomatoes Provencale are good on their own (especially the breadcrumbs left in the pan) however you can serve with with any meat or fish too for a heartier meal. use smaller tomatoes like the vine ripes if you plan on doing this.

It's tomato harvest time. Make this delicious recipe to enjoy the fruit;'s sweet taste. It;s the perfect summer time meal.

Tasty Treats For Trips And School.

 Everyone needs a boost during those long vacation trips. This is where Unite protein bars come in handy. They are perfect for those hours spent on the roadThey';ll be great for  school as well. 

These are my go to during those long trips to the  New Jersey shore. what I like is that tall the bars have no artificial ingredients The founder Clara Paye, has insisted the base be nit butters as opposed to a base of nit butters..

The flavors are unique, reflecting the country's diverse ethnic population.There is the mellow tasting bubble, tea, the spicy churro, the kid favorite peanut butter and jelly, the exotic baklava and my favorite Mexican hot chocolate. This is delicious with a kick of spice . It's like a chocolate bar but a good for you one. These are perfect add ins to any lunch box. Get plenty of peanut butter and jelly and churro for the year ahead.

UNite Bars are united in giving us a healthy snack when we need it. Pack a few for your upcoming trip. add them to the lunch menu for the new school year. They are perfect bites for anywhere and any time.

The Ultimate Empanada Cookbook

 Nothing beats a  homemade pastry filled with either savory or sweet fillings. empanadas are just this. The dense pastries can be filled with all sorts of yummy fillings from, meat to veggies to even fruit and chocolate They're perfect for lunch dinner and even picnics.  Now there's a new cookbook that has dozens of tasty recipes .

Donna Kelly is the author of a great cookbook titled Empanada (Smith Gibbs Publishing 2025). This is an exciting book.I love empanadas and have always wanted to create my own. Ms. Kelly begins the book with their history - starting in Spain around 700 AD. Most are fried , usually in a neutral oil however Americans tend to bake them. How they're prepared is up to you. She also has several dough recipes ranging from dough for baked or fried pastries along with one for shortcuts - tortillas and ones with traditional masa or corn dough.There are also helpful instructions on sealing them from the traditional rope to the pressed crimp edge.The recipes start off with a section dedicated to traditional Latin ones,The Mexican ones have a blend of potatoes and chorizo while Argentinian ones include the tangy green chimichurri sauce. A great way of using rotisserie chicken is the Venezualan Mojo chicken recipe, packed with the meat and a variety of fiery spices and honey. The Cuban style empanada is full of Havarti cheese, black beans, rice and diced ham. This is a whole meal in one pastry. Again all look so good  and it's a question of what to make first.

There are also North American recipes too that are just as delicious.I can;t decide which one to try.The spinach artichoke one is good for parties but also a great dinner one. The TexMex chili is another on the radar to try. The books also has international , dessert  and holiday recipes too.Pizza empanadas are so good and there is a a recipe for them.Imagine an everything pizza with two kinds of cheese in one empananda. There is also a caprese one stuffed with fresh basil mozzarella and tomatoes. The Korean bulgoki one is an interesting mix of sriracha, soy sauce and bok choi along with ground sirloin.The Halloween empanadas are a must bake for any holiday party. They have jack o'lantern eyes and mouth cut out to reveal a black bean and onion filling. There are even Thanks giving ones, perfect for the day after the holiday. The dessert ones are perfect not just for snacks but also for get togethers. The chocolate raspberry is a definite must bake as are the fruit ones, perfect for the peach and berry harvests going on now. Another plus is the section of dipping sauces from savory to sweet, The avocado sauce would work well with the chicken ones while the chocolate hazelnut one is perfect with the sweet.

Empanada lovers will go made for this cookbook.Empananda  has every kind of recipe from Latin to dessert, American to international and holiday. It 's a definite addition to any home chef's library.

Tomato Caring For These Delicate Gens

 There is no such thing as a tough tomato. They can bruise,They can rot. However they can last with proper care .They can even last longer with the right recipes so the season can be stretched well into the fall and winter,

Regular contributor and chef Genevieve Ko gave tips about this Gemini yesterday's New York Times Wednesday Food section. Ms. Ko tuened to a tomato expert, chef Suzanne Cupps, owner and chef at Manhattan's Lola's. The restaurant is knownfor its' fresh veggies and fruit dishes so her advice is invaluable. She also grew up with a grandfather who gave her tomato sandwiches, slicked with mayo when she was growing up.One good bit of advice that home chefs tend to forget is don't refrigerate them. Storing them in any cool place .it makes the flesh mealy which means for a lesser both feel. Tomatoes are hard to judge. Even the reddest ones may not be totally rip while smaller ones  which may look immature might be ready to eat.Let any tomato ripen outside the fridge. Another must is buy in a range of ripeness. Ripe ones carry the most intense sweetness, tang and juiciness. wen shopping for them, give them, a little squeeze. Choose some that feels like water balloons and set the fimer asides for later eating during the week.

Once home set them stem side down on the kitchen counter to prevent bruising and store in a cool place lik ea basement or pantry to prevent them from ripening too early . If there are mealy tomatoes, don;t fret. These can be used for sauces and soups. Gazpacho is the easiest recipe and the tastiest. Home chefs can also blend mediocre or so so tomatoes with your favorite vinaigrette for a tasty side salad. Add chunks of Italian or French bread for a filling and delicious panzanella or Neopolitan bread salad.Another idea is to cook them down. Take  advantage of the abundance and turn them into sauce for now or later on. More adventurous home chefs can make tomato jam. This s great on burgers but also good on grilled and oiled Italian ,French or sourdough breads. roast or sear them for homemade salsa.i Another idea is adding flavor bombs like chili paste. A tomato rich kimchi soup is a novel at to use them along with trying  a traditional tomato bisque or soup.

If  there are lesser tomatoes do more with them. Treat them with delicacy. Then turn them into stars with a variety of different recipes.

The Lure of Lobster Rolls

 Everyone who loves lobsters and summers' loves a good lobster roll. This quintessential American sandwich is now popular the world over. why is this? There are so many reasons?

Regular contributor and restaurant critic for The New York Times delved into this in todays' Wednesday;'s food section of the paper. Thanks to various platforms lobster rolls have become international sensations. One "lobster shack"  Luke's Lobsters sell them in  even in Singapore and Japan along with selling them in twelve states, Why is this taste of summer on the rise.It could be due to lobsters' lower wholesale price which is perfect for a large profit margin. Most sandwiches sell for a whopping twenty-eight dollars. way above the average burger or hot dogs that these places also sell. Years ago , even as recently as 2012 lobster rolls sales were not so high and the sandwich was not a popular as it is now.Nowadays that's changed McLoons Lobster Shack of south Thomaston ,Maine sells a whopping five hundred a day.Manager Bree Birms at first worked alone but now has a staff of ten full time workers and sixteen part time ones to keep up with the demand. LUke's sells over a million lobster rolls a year throughout the US. For some foodies it's the ultimate stop. Years ago it was go on vacation get a lobster before going home. Now it;s eat a lobster roll and talked a pic of it for social media.

The sandwich may be easy to make and certainly eat, but catching the lobsters is entirely different . Blair Drinkwater is one of the dozen lobster men who catch the sea creatures out on his boat Good Scout. It's about one of the dozen who supply lobsters to Mc Loons. Being a lobsterman is an inherited business, going back generations.There are also restrictions as well as discouraging newcomers from entering the trade.Heading into another fisherman's family waters can result in a dispute , usually settled on the water. However there are times when the disputes have to be settled on land in a courthouse. The breeding grounds are changing with the crustaceans heading to deeper waters. The boats have been following them, setting their taps far from land. This means longer trips, rougher waters and more diesel used to power the boats. The lobsters are lured with salted pig hide ,surprisingly. Once caught they're sold for the surprisingly low $5.50 a pound for the newly molted ones. The ones with older shells go for $6.50 a pound. They're then cracked open, cleaned and portioned out to shacks. Here they're put on buttered, toasted and mayo slicked buns to be served to hungry crowds.

Lobster rolls are a big thing not just for summer but for year round eating. There is a lot of work , form catching to preparing. They are worth every buttery, briny bite.

Vacation Eating On A Budget

 Vacations CNA be fun - and expensive. Yet we have to have three meals a day plus snacks and goodies to make the week or two away enjoyable. what to do? Budget and save. Eating away from home should be no different than eating at home.

If you can book an Air BNB. It's usually cheaper than a hotel room  The same is true if you head to a seashore motel such as the ones in Wildwood, New Jersey, These are equipped with kitchenettes that make eating a bit cheaper and easier. Most cities and town have good and cheap supermarkets to shop in. Check Lidl and Aldi's sites to see if they have stores within driving distance of your location.If not then stock up before you go and pack everything that needs to be chilled into coolers. Should you buy local? Yes if it's from the grocery store, no from farmer's markets. Farmer's markets do cater to people form the area however their prices do go up during the tourist season.  You can splurge on homemade jams and jellies as well as on baked goods. The better prices are found in grocery stores. Also download their apps so you can cash in on any coupons or discounts. Should you cash in on the buy one ,get one free or half priced?  Yes, if you know you'll definitely use it. It doesn't;t pay to get twenty four eggs if there's just four of you on holiday, However get that deal on BOGO pasta, one for now, one when you go home.

What about eating out and how much.? It's always a thing with those who visit the Jersey shore to have at least one breakfast in a diner. They do serve a lot and you and especially the little ones can feel full until well paste lunchtime. However if no one is a big eater then stick to eating in. The kids may prefer a bowl for their favorite cereal as opposed to a platter heaped with French toast and bacon. (you could save that for a breakfast for dinner night,What about for lunch. If you;re not on a site seeing your , then also use the kitchen or kitchenette. A loaf of bread, cold cuts and a few sliced tomatoes plus mayo can go a long way. If you're near a boardwalk, take advantage of their bargains and get the family some hamburgers hot dogs and fries.Dinner really should be the only meal worth splurging on. Ask locals where they like to go for a bargain meal. People are very  open about places that offer great discounts. Look to their recommendations. There may be great eateries that offer some good prices on local seafood or a rack of ribs. Take advantage of all the advice along with checking Yelp reviews, Facebook groups and Instagram pictures. You can always find a really budget friendly restaurant on these platforms.

You can;t enjoy your vacation if you're constantly shelling out money for food. Be wise. Budget and save for a wallet friendly holiday , full of good local food and excellent bargains.