If your idea of celebrating the New Year involves an indulgent, pull-out-all-the-stops dinner, here's a recipe for you. Crab cakes courtesy of Westfield resident Margaret Hutchins hits all the culinary high notes, yet aren't overly complicated or time consuming.  "My neighbor says that these are the only crab cakes he will eat. He says he orders them at restaurants just to see if they are as good as mine. So far I am the winner," Margaret said. The difference between a good crab cake and a great one is the crab meat. There are lots of options for crabmeat and they are often confusing. First …

Ivan Alvarez, who owns Grill Creations in Garwood with his wife, Janet and daughter Estephanie, are passionate about their healthy Mexican and Latin American cuisine. We chatted with Ivan to get the scoop on how he serves up his tasty food without a deep fryer in sight. Patch: Tell us about your restaurant? Alvarez: We've been here a little over a year. We feel very happy and blessed to have the community supporting us. They have welcomed us here. Our restaurant is Mexican Gourmet. Latinos say "comida casera," which means homemade food. It not only tastes good but is healthy. Patch: Where did…

With a name like "Devils on Horseback," you know you have to try it. With only two ingredients, how could you not? Quite simply, Devils on Horseback are dates wrapped in bacon and baked into a rich, smoky savory bite. It's hardly a recipe and has been kicked around forever at cocktail parties here and across the pond in England. It's on bar menus at swanky NYC hotspots like The Spotted Pig and just the thing to whip up when you're busy during the holidays. Like any recipe with a few ingredients, pay close attention to quality. Medjool dates (the largest, sweetest and most abundant) are ideal…

If you want to do something special for the teacher that lights up your child's eye, the neighbor who grabs your newspaper when you're not home or for you-know-who coming down the chimney, then this peppermint bark is the perfect gift.   While it couldn't be easier to make, here are a few tricks to make it fool-proof: Melting chocolate: Chocolate should be melted over indirect heat or it will melt into a lumpy and grainy mess and you'll have to start all over again. A double boiler is a pot on top of a pot that you can buy or you can make your own by putting a few inches of water in a pot and…

Patch visited The Greek Store to chat with the Diamandas about their family-run business. From a mini Greek ghetto in Newark in the 1950s to their shop that stands in Kenilworth today, the Diamandas have trusted their Greek heritage, authentic dishes and homemade goodies to keep their store successful. Patch: Tell us a little about The Greek Store? Lia Diamanda: In 1950, my grandfather and his brother opened a local grocery store in Newark on west Market Street. It was like a mini Greek ghetto and their grocery store was where everyone shopped. In the 1960s they moved the store to Irvington …

Bake You Crazy has only been open for two months and they're selling out of cupcakes as fast as they can make them. We got owner Ebru Santore out of the kitchen for just a few minutes to tell us the secret to her success and how she tries to make what your mother did (see attached video). Patch: Where did you learn to bake? Santore: I'm from Istanbul and in Turkey all women cook and bake at home. From my childhood, I've been in the kitchen with my grandmother and aunts watching them cook and helping them.  I was given a knife at a young age to peel apples, so I grew up confident and capable …

When it comes to baking during the holidays, being creative does not have to be complicated. Stained-glass cookies, courtesy of Patch Calendar Editor Kathy Pigott, are a stunning example of how baking cookies can be a beautiful work of art for decorating, eating or both. Stained-glass cookies look impressive and impossible to make, but the secret is simply crushed, melted and cooled hard candy in the middle of a shaped sugar cookie. Kathy recommends using good quality sour balls or Jolly Rancher hard candies, so the stained-glass part has lots of flavor.      "One year, we went to my in-laws…

Christmas in the Steck household doesn’t officially start until the first batch of Lebkuchen comes out of the oven. Ruth Steck has been making this traditional German holiday treat for her family and friends for more than 50 years, and recently kicked off her family’s 2011 holiday season by baking a triple batch of these festive gingerbread cookies.  Ruth and Paul G. Steck were Summit residents for nearly 35 years, moving to Green Village a little over five years ago. After World War I, both Ruth and Paul’s parents emigrated to the United States from Germany and Austria, so both Ruth and Paul…

As we bid farewell to Thanksgiving, we welcome with open arms the "silly season." You know, a few weeks of mad shopping, parties and revelry followed by Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year's Eve.  It's the party season at full tilt and it's fun as long as you're organized.   Taking that first step to managing all the silliness is having an hors d'oeuvre in the freezer that's ready to go. We're not talking pigs-in-a-blanket from Costco. Don't waste your freezer space unless it's catering-quality homemade yet easy, unfussy and tasty. Parmesan puffs are just the ticket. It's amazing what a few well…

Too busy to read this because you're too busy cooking? No worries. This quickie recipe for homemade cranberry sauce can be made in 10 or 15 minutes with minimal fuss and absolutely no hassle. Given to me years ago by my good friend Lorraine Bowyer, I now make a double batch every year at Thanksgiving. The combination of the tart cranberries and orange rind with the warm spices of cinnamon and cloves makes for a very popular dish at the table.   Last minute cooking has its benefits too. Since they are home from school, get the kids involved in the kitchen. They can measure the ingredients, …

Patch visited Carter and Cavero in Summit to chat with part-owner Karen Fulton who told us all about their olive oil including her favorite "pour." Patch: There's a lot of olive oil in here. How many different kinds do you have? Fulton: We have eight extra virgins and eight infused as well as about 15 vinegars. Patch: You must have tried them all. Do you have a favorite? Fulton: Our newest and my favorite is Nocellara from Italy. It's quite diverse. It's great for all-purpose cooking and it also goes great with vinaigrettes, marinades or just for dipping. I also love the garlic olive oil. I'm…

We popped into Antonio Mozzarella Factory Inc., Italian Deli and Specialty Market,  to chat with chef and manager Steve Colantino about the mozzarella they make fresh daily (and he never gets tired of eating it!). Patch: You're having your favorite sandwich with mozzarella, of course.  What else is in it? Colantino: I'm a vegetarian, so this has arugula, red onions, vine ripe tomatoes and fresh mozzarella ($6.95). Most people put prosciutto or grilled chicken in it too. I love the combo together; the crispy bread, soft creamy mozzarella and peppery arugula is fabulous.  Adding salty …

This traditional yet unusual oatmeal cookie recipe is courtesy of Jane Yager-Baumrind of Roseland.  It's an "oldie but a goodie" originally made by her grandmother (see ingredients below) and one Jane grew up baking and continues to bake for her family today.   These cookies couldn't be easier and I was intrigued as I read through the original recipe that has been passed down through the generations. The ingredients were basic and true to a traditional oatmeal cookie recipe with the exception of the corn oil. I never used corn oil in a cookie recipe and had to go to the store to buy some. I …

Trick or treating has a little secret and if you're reading this you probably know what it is. Kids aren't the only ones attached to the candy in their trick or treat bags. It's pretty fun for us old folks to pilfer the goods too. But, trick or treating is for the little ones, so what's an adult to do? Speaking from experience, Halloween night is all about the kids dumping their stash on the kitchen floor, sorting it, trading with siblings and of course consuming massive quantities.   But, once Halloween comes and goes, the vice-grip on the candy loosens up a bit and therein lies the …

Recipe buffs and collectors of old family recipes were in for a treat last Tuesday night at the Fanwood Memorial Library.  Food historian and blogger (www.fourpoundsflour.com) Sarah Lohman was the guest of honor with a wealth of information about old, historic recipes dating back to the 1700s.   Lohman, a 20-something urbanite from Queens discovered a curiosity of very old recipes when she was a teenager working at a "living history" museum in Cleveland. That experience garnered a love of history.  This combined with daily cooking at the museum and the recipes passed down in her own family, …

Food Day, a National campaign to promote healthy eating took place this past Monday, October 24 with seminars, cooking demonstrations and lectures all across the country.     The notion of healthy eating is nothing new, but promoting it as a fun and hands on experience with good-for-you recipes from chefs like Mario Batali and Emeril Lagasse is a great way to educate Americans.   The idea, to raise awareness of healthy, affordable, and delicious food that's produced in a sustainable and humane way is as important to First Lady, Michelle Obama as it is to ordinary citizens who want to live a …

This one-two punch of a recipe, sent to me by Kathy Pigott of Roseland started with, "My family begs me to make this....".  It's not easy finding a weeknight dinner that gets everyone enthusiastically to the table, so I was game. I already had all of the ingredients at home except the chicken, so I was loving this recipe marinated in love before I even turned the grill on. Monday night came fast and furiously. I turned on the grill and got to work cooking my marinated chicken. I laid the chicken on the hot grill, following Kathy's instructions to place it on an angle, just like in a …

Valerie Wass, owner (with husband Jeff) of Muscle Maker Grill in New Providence talks about the signature sauce (zero carbs!) that she just can't live without. Patch: So you're eating the Santa Fe Wrap (Grilled chicken breast, turkey bacon, red beans and brown rice, reduced fat cheddar cheese and zero carb signature sauce in a jalapeno wrap ($7.99). What's the draw? Wass:  I love this wrap becasue the taste of the turkey bacon and cheddar with the beans and rice work really well together.  I alternate between chicken and shrimp.  Today I swapped the chicken for shrimp becasue I was in the …

Les Marmitons, a "gastronomic and social club of gentleman," sounds like it should take place at a townhouse on Manhattan's Upper East Side or on a yacht off the Cote D'Azur or even at a four-star restaurant in any corner of the world. But, the chapter of this Les Marmitons of Cranford is at the Kenilworth VFW right here in Union County. Don't let the location fool you.  It's abundantly clear that these guys mean business in the kitchen.  Les Marmitons, french for "chef's assistant" started back in the 1950s in Basel, Switzerland.  A group of men who loved to cook got together to hone their …

Halloween is one of those holidays where dinner takes a back seat to trick-or-treating, answering the door and sampling a little of everything all night long. While it's tempting to do away with dinner in favor of candy, it's absolutely doable to make something home cooked and delicious.   Since Halloween is still more than a week away, here's a recipe that you can make ahead of time if you choose.  Let's face it, macaroni and cheese is the ultimate comfort food and what could be better than warm cheesy gooey goodness after a hard night of trick or treating.  Even the grandest meltdown or …