Spring 2019 Issue

Photography By | Last Updated March 21, 2019
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The cover of Edible Jersey magazine - Spring 2019 issue

OF KITCHENS AND HEROES
 

Years ago, I met a lovely woman who had exchanged her McMansion in the Midwest for a railroad apartment in Manhattan. Which also meant that she had spurned her glorious and spacious kitchen, one that she had filled with juicers and mixers and all the latest must-have appliances and gadgetry. These days, she told me, she could barely turn around in her kitchen, and had room only for the basics— a sharp knife, a corkscrew, a small food processor.

The irony was that she found herself cooking far more often in Manhattan than she ever had in her spacious Midwestern home.

Her cooking epiphany had occurred in the kitchen of the James Beard House. She had signed up as a volunteer, working as needed during Beard Foundation dinners, which are showcases for emerging and established chefs. Beard’s brownstone, on 12th Street in Greenwich Village, was preserved following his death in 1985. Chefs who cook at the Beard House often express awe to be cooking in the same space as the great cookbook author and food personality. This is where Beard used to cook for his friends, and where he taught cooking classes. These are Beard’s copper pots on the wall.

The transplant from the Midwest had been awed as well. If Beard could accomplish so much in such a small space, so could she. Who needs a perfect kitchen?

Teresa PolitanoAnd yet.

I too covet a perfect kitchen, filled with gleaming gadgets, wondrous tools. And I wonder what might happen if that James Beard volunteer returned to her McMansion life. Would her spacious kitchen now become a formidable cooking space? Would she be bewitching the neighborhood with her skills? I like to think so.

I also like to think of this issue as our dreams come true issue. We found a way for a regular cook to own a luxury kitchen. Honest. Renovation Angel, page 24, specializes in what I’m calling extreme recycling; this company offers showpiece luxury kitchens at reasonable prices. For charity.

In keeping with our recycling and design theme, we asked restaurateurs, who often are clever inventors because they have to be, for some design tips. See page 28.

Also in this issue, we feature an exclusive interview with Jersey girl and culinary expert Katie Parla, who has spent the past 16 years in Italy. Her latest cookbook, Food of the Italian South, is released this month. See page 32.

I’ve saved the biggest announcement for last. In this issue, we share the winners of our annual Local Heroes contest, six winners who inspire and sustain our culinary community. These winners were chosen by our readers; their stories begin on page 37.

I know what you’re thinking. Dream Kitchens. Heroes. It’s like we live in a fairy-tale over here. We like to think so as well.

SPRING 2019 FEATURES

2019 Local Heroes

2019 Edible Jersey Local Heroes
2019 Local Heroes sponsored by Sometimes, as when I’m drinking a brilliant glass of Gruner Veltliner made in New Jersey from local grapes...

8 Reasons to Join A Community Supported Agriculture Program

produce stand
If you’re thinking about joining or rejoining a CSA program, these eight reasons might persuade you to commit for the 2019 season.

Extreme Recycling - Renovating a Luxury Kitchen

luxury kitchen
Luxury kitchens are an everyday possibility, thanks to Renovation Angel

Upcycled - Design Hacks from Restaurant Professionals

restaurant design hacks
Restaurateurs share a few clever tips for reusing, recycling and repurposing.

A Jersey Girl and the Disappearing Recipes of Italy

Food of the Italian South cookbook
Food of the Italian South, Recipes for Lost, Classic, and Disappearing Dishes

Food Confessions of a Former dancer

ballet dancer
Food and I don’t have a great relationship—probably because I was a dancer.

Pinelands Amaro Herbal Liqueur

pine needles and juniper berries
Pine cones and needles, cedar and birch bark, wintergreen leaves, juniper berries and staghorn sumac, all collected on one day’s walk through the woods. Little did I know it would be my favorite...

Home Bakers Unite - Fighting New Jersey's Ban on a Cottage Industry

home baked good
New Jersey is one of the few states that prohibits home bakers from selling their products.

STORY OF A DISH: Buttermilk Fried Chicken

CHEFS: CHRIS DAVIN and JILL MEERPOHL
Jill Meerpohl and Chris Davin began their married life pursuing a food-lover’s dream.

2019: Year of the Pig - Games for Kids

word games for kids
The Story of the Chinese Zodiac.

Advertiser Directory

Our advertisers make Edible Jersey possible. Be sure to thank them by supporting their businesses. Tell them you saw their ad in the Spring 2021 issue of Edible Jersey.

Gadgets and Gizmos for the Home Cook

wooden spatula
A few members of the Edible Jersey team share their most treasured kitchen tools and appliances:

Spring Spears - Asparagus Starts the Season with Healthy Abundance

asparagus stalks
After months of cold temperatures and hearty meals, nothing is quite as satisfying as the lush green taste of a fresh spring vegetable

Credits - a poem by Joanna Fuhrman

When kids write their bios for school poetry anthologies, they tend to write their favorite food as their bios.

What’s happening near you

October 25 - November 29

Fall Fridays at Old York Cellars

Old York Cellars
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November 22 | 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Bourbon & Steak Dinner Event

Johnson's Locust Hall Farm
Jobstown