Tag: FOOD

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Aramark details plans for upcoming year for Ridgewood Schools

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JULY 30, 2015    LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2015, 11:07 AM
BY MATTHEW SCHNEIDER
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

Ridgewood will have a new maintenance company serving its schools this upcoming year.

Aramark, a food service, facilities and clothing provider, will be taking on the role in 2015-2016, providing services to the district.

“Thank you for allowing us to serve this community,” said Patrick Gallagher, New Jersey district manager for Aramark, at last week’s Board of Education meeting. “We’re very excited about this opportunity.”

“We’re committed to work with problems as they arise, with the goal of service improvement and support for the district, district’s administration and goals,” said Joseph Aidala, general manager of Aramark Education.

The company, founded in 1959, has served schools, sports facilities and healthcare centers.

“Our on-site management team is active throughout the district and is interacting with our employees and the district stakeholders,” Aidala said. “Our sites are currently on a summer cleaning program for the school opening.”

For the summer cleaning, Aramark not only makes sure everything is neat, but also examines everything in the classrooms and offices, ensuring all is in working order, company officials said.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/education/custodial-provider-details-plans-for-upcoming-year-1.1383580

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Kings of Ridgewood to offer Zaro’s bakery Products

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July 28,2015

the staff of the Ridgeood blogRidgewood NJ, Kings Food Markets is proud to announce that Zaro’s bakery will be expanding their delicious bakery selection into each of our stores! Zaro’s products range from layer cakes to pastries, specializing in kosher baked goods including rugelach, challah and babka. Be sure to stop by your local Kings today and enjoy the new selection.

112 N Maple Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
(201) 493-4924
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Historic grocery chain A&P files for Chapter 11

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By James Covert

July 20, 2015 | 8:04am

A&P has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a move that could spell the end of the 156-year-old grocery chain.

The nearly 300-store chain, confirming The Post’s exclusive report last week that such news was imminent, made the filing late Sunday in Bankruptcy Court in New York.

A&P, which also owns the Waldbaums, Food Emporium and Pathmark stores, listed assets and liabilities of more than $1 billion.

It was the second trip to bankruptcy court in less than five years for the Montvale, NJ-based company, which has been outflanked by lower cost chains like Wal-Mart stealing business at one end and higher-priced chains like Whole Foods taking away customers at the other.

The company, which employs 34,000 people, according to its website, has secured $100 million in debtor-in-possession financing from Fortress Credit Corp, according to court documents.

The parent, with its stores stretched across the Northeast, has already struck preliminary agreements to sell or shutter about half of its nearly 300 locations, insiders said. Prospective acquirers aren’t likely to operate many locations under their previous banners, they said.

https://nypost.com/2015/07/20/historic-grocery-chain-ap-files-for-chapter-11/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=NYPFacebook&utm_medium=SocialFlow

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Eat more bacon; it’s good for you€”really!

BACON

JULY 12, 2015    LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, JULY 13, 2015, 12:16 AM
BY GREGORY RUMMO
SUBURBAN TRENDS

Two articles caught my attention last week about one of everyone’s favorite topics—bacon.

The first headlined “High on the Hogs as Herds Rebound,” appeared in the July 3 Wall Street Journal and shared the joyful news that farmers are “on track to produce a record amount of pork this year.”

You may recall in the spring of 2013 the US population of hogs was decimated by an infection called PED, short for porcine epidemic diarrhea. Piglets were born in poor health and many of them didn’t survive more than a few days. It was estimated that anywhere from 7-10 million hogs died and the economics of the U.S. livestock industry being simply one of supply and demand pushed the price of pork to all-time records, and, sadly, bacon along with it.

Fast forward two years and in a startling reversal of fortunes for farmers and bacon connoisseurs, this is all about to change.

2015 is forecast to be a record pork production year in the United States, eclipsing the previous record of 23.35 billion pounds set in 2008.

I can almost hear it sizzling on the griddle!

The price of pork—including bacon—will be dropping as fast as you can say “Budea, budea th, tha, that’s all folks!”

But is eating all that bacon really healthy for you?

 

https://www.northjersey.com/news/business/eat-more-bacon-it-s-good-for-you-really-1.1373110

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Yes there really are farms behind Kings Just Picked Promise Program

John Ploch
July 8th ,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, As you know, Kings’ Just Picked Promise Program is back in full swing again this summer, bringing Ridgewood customers locally grown, farm-fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs within 24 hours of being picked.
Like many of you we were a bit skeptical with the “farm fresh “claim , so we reached out to Kings and they offered us a behind the scenes look at the people who make this program possible…the farmers.

tractor in romaine field
Meet John Ploch the farm owner of Ploch Farms in New Jersey, located south of Ridgewood in Vineland NJ  and is just one of the farms that play a huge role in giving shoppers the benefits of a local farm stand in the convenience of their neighborhood food markets.

John Ploch from Ploch Farms shares his day-to day experience explaining how, “Every day is something a little different, especially if we received weather overnight. We start our day at 5:00 a.m. assessing the harvest and assigning responsibilities to our crews for the day. We’ll then spend the remainder of the morning planting and bringing in produce that is going out that evening or the next day. By midday we have to be in the packing house due to the heat because we can’t harvest when it’s hot out. We finish up reviewing orders for the next day and trying to get as ahead as possible.”

cabbage field
John notes that his farm history goes back to the 1800s with his great grandfather who moved from Germany to Northern New Jersey and started a dairy farm, where they were only a nine acre farm back then. Today, they farm about 250 acres, between the main farm and rented property.

The farm provides Kings’ Just Picked program with greens, including arugula, chard, collards, dandelion greens, kale, lettuce, and spinach as well as its herbs, including basil, dill, mint, and parsley.

When asked what his most rewarding part of his job is, John said, “Working with my father. We both have a great work ethic and work well together – you really can’t beat it.”

Its local farmers like John allow Kings’ Just Picked Promise Program to bring its customers the freshest, seasonal products over the summer months.

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Thomas Jefferson: America’s Pioneering Gourmand

thomas-jefferson

By Laura Schumm

Founding Father, author of the Declaration of Independence, third president of the United States, appropriator of the Louisiana Purchase, gastronome…? Of the numerous extraordinary contributions Thomas Jefferson made to the United States of America, one that is often overlooked is his legacy of gourmet cuisine and sustainable horticulture.

In the mid-18th century, the American diet was still largely influenced by English traditions. Meats were often boiled, baked or stewed, while less-frequently-consumed vegetables were typically boiled. Baked breads, sweet pies and alcohol—usually hard cider, ale and fortified port or Madeira wines—were readily consumed. In 1784, two years after his wife had died, Thomas Jefferson was appointed minister plenipotentiary by Congress and set off for France. It was during this time in Paris, and while traveling throughout southern France and northern Italy, that he developed an enduring appreciation of fine cuisine.

Jefferson arranged for one of his slaves, James Hemings, to accompany him to Europe so that he could be trained in the art of French cooking. Under the tutelage of a few well-known chefs and caterers, Hemings soon acquired the skills necessary to assume the role of chef de cuisine at Jefferson’s private residence on the Champs-Elysees, where Jefferson maintained a garden that included Indian corn from American seeds, along with other fruits and vegetables. The scientific gardener enjoyed exchanging plants with his French companions and experimenting with the most unusual vegetables he could obtain.

While touring the country and soaking up epicurean delicacies, Jefferson recorded careful notes and drafted detailed sketches of local farming techniques and tools as well as cooking methods and utensils. One such observation depicted a macaroni machine for making pasta, a version of which he later procured and had shipped back to Monticello. Although he may not have been the first person to bring pasta to America, Jefferson certainly helped to spread its popularity by presenting macaroni and cheese to dinner guests while serving as president of the United States, and while hosting numerous lavish dinner parties in his home at Monticello.

Another indulgence that Jefferson enjoyed while living abroad was ice cream. By 1796, he had established two “freising molds” back home in his Monticello kitchen to facilitate its production, and several accounts exist of the frozen treat being served within a warm crust or pastry at the President’s House (now known as the White House) during his term in office. A recipe written in his hand for vanilla ice cream is considered to be the first known recipe recorded by an American.

https://www.history.com/news/hungry-history/thomas-jefferson-americas-pioneering-gourmand?cmpid=Social_FBPAGE_HISTORY_20150703_202713420&linkId=15257786

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FISH, a new Ridgewood restaurant, plans soft opening

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JUNE 26, 2015    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015, 12:31 AM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

One of the cornerstones of the Central Business District is getting a facelift, and the general public will have its first official glimpse (and taste) inside the renovated First National Bank and Trust Company building once all inspections are complete.

The re-opening of the iconic building on East Ridgewood Avenue was scheduled for the week of June 29 with the soft opening of its flagship tenant, FISH Urban Dining. Owners of the upscale seafood restaurant, already with an established location in Asbury Park, have been rigorously repurposing the interior of the former bank to create an environment unique to the FISH brand.

Similar to FISH’s space in Asbury Park, the Ridgewood location will use the bank’s vacated features, including the large vault on the main floor, as part of the restaurant.

“It’s cool, fun and interesting to use a space that was created to be something entirely different than what we are using it for today,” said Jim DeGilio, managing partner of City By the Sea Hospitality Group, which operates FISH and other restaurants in Asbury Park and Long Beach Island. According to DeGilio, who runs the restaurant group with his wife, Karen, FISH will offer a fresh and seasonal menu similar to what is found at the Asbury Park establishment “in an appealing and comfortable environment.”

https://www.northjersey.com/news/business/fish-prepares-to-open-doors-1.1363783

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Award-Winning Pizza Chef from Italy Joins A Mano in Ridgewood, NJ

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JUNE 23, 2015

RIDGEWOOD, NJ, Ridgewood, New Jersey’s premiere authentic Neapolitan trattoria A Mano, proudly welcomes to its staf, multi-award-winning pizza chef Michele D’Amelio. The decorated pizza maker from Italy, has been appointed to head pizzaiolo overseeing the Neapolitan pizza-making team, and is already heating things up by crafting special pizzas for the restaurant.

Born in Avellino, Italy in 1988, it was in Lioni, a small town outside of Naples, where D’Amelio was raised, and his fascination with pizza-making blossomed. At a young age, each week D’Amelio played with dough his mother used to bake bread in the family’s wood-burning oven. He quickly learned to make pizza for the family, and years later at age 19, began working at a local pizzeria. In 2010 his passion for pizza pinnacled in the opening of a family-run pizzeria, Chest’é Pizza, in Lioni.After honing his craft, D’Amelio’s competitive spirit kicked in and he entered several prestigious pizza competitions.

In 2010 he took the second place title in the Regina Margherita Association’s Margherita STG competition in Naples, Italy. Next, in 2013 he traveled to Las Vegas, Nevada with the Caputo/Orlando Foods’ team of master pizzaioli and was crowned first place champion in the Italian Style category at the International Pizza Expo. In 2014, D’Amelio was awarded second place in the coveted

Pizza World Championship in Parma, Italy.Eager to promote internationally the product of his homeland, the prize-winning pizza-maker accepted a two-
year consulting position to help open Pizzeria Testa, a Neapolitan pizzeria in the suburbs of Dallas, Texas, and ultimately settled at A Mano. Said D’Amelio, “I am very proud to be able to share pizza Napoletana with people in the United States. There is nothing quite like authentic Neapolitan pizza, and at A Mano, we make pizza with the same methods used in

Naples for more than 300 years. Tradition is important and something that should be passed on. It’s culinary history.”A member of the elite Italian pizza-governing organization APN (Association of Neapolitan Pizza Makers), D’Amelio has been granted authority to ofer APN certification to aspiring Neapolitan pizza makers who train under his guidance.D’Amelio has made his first culinary mark at A Mano by crafting masterful creations which will run as specials on weekends beginning June 26th. Highlights include:

Pizza Fiori: imported smoked bufalo mozzarella, zucchini flowers, zucchini, fresh basil and extra virgin olive oil

Pizza Pugliese: homemade mozzarella, fava beans, Italian ham, peas, fresh basil, extra virgin olive

Pizza Terra Mia (“My Land” – tribute to D’Amelio’s home – ingredients are imported from the Naples’s area): cherry tomato sauce, imported bufalo mozzarella, basil leaves and extra virgin olive oil (cherry tomatoes from Campania, bufalo mozzarella, olive oil and flour from Naples)

A Mano is located at 24 Franklin Avenue (at Chestnut Street), Ridgewood, NJ. Hours of operation are:Monday through Thursday, 11:30AM–10:00PM, Friday and Saturday 11:30AM-11:00PM and Sunday 12:30PM–9:00PM. Tel. 201.493.2000, www.amanopizza.com, www.facebook.com/AManoPizza

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The miracle that cured my son’s autism was in our kitchen

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By Mackenzie Dawson

June 17, 2015 | 4:04pm

When a doctor told Susan Levin her 4-year-old son, Ben, was autistic, she was shocked. It was October 2007, and autism wasn’t mentioned in the media nearly as much as it is today.

“I remember thinking, ‘Oh my God. What are we going to do?’ ” Levin recalls. “Everyone knew autism was a lifelong disorder and couldn’t be cured.”

Except that in Ben’s case, it could be. And it was.

The family’s journey — the many treatments tried and dismissed, from biomedical interventions to speech therapy to occupational therapy and more — is detailed in her new memoir, “Unlocked: A Family Emerging From the Shadows of Autism.”

Levin doesn’t call this particular cure a silver bullet for autism: There is no silver bullet, no one-size-fits-all approach. Rather, she credits his transformation to a number of things, including a home based and child centered social-relational program called the Son-Rise Program.

https://nypost.com/2015/06/17/is-diet-the-key-to-curing-autism/

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Ridgewood Farmers Market

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Farmers Market
Sun, June 21, 2015 – Sun, November 01, 2015
Time: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Location: West Side of NJ Transit Train Station, Ridgewood NJ

Time to eat and cook with New Jersey’s best
fresh foods at the –

Ridgewood’s Farmers Market!

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
June 21, 2015
Every Sunday – 9:00am-3:00pm
Westside of NJ Transit train station.

This farmers market is small in size but big in quality and fresh food…

Jersey’s own corn, strawberries, blueberries, tomato’s, fresh baked goods, pickles, and homemade mozzarella.

For more details, please call us at 201-445-2600 or email info@ridgewoodchamber.com www.experienceridgewood.com

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Gas and food surge sends May prices on a tear

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Reuters

U.S. producer prices in May recorded their biggest increase in more than 2-1/2 years as the cost of gasoline and food rose, suggesting that an oil-driven downward drift in prices was nearing an end.

The Labor Department said on Friday its producer price index for final demand increased 0.5 percent last month, the largest gain since September 2012. That followed a 0.4 percent decline in April.

In the year to May, the PPI fell 1.1 percent, marking the fourth straight 12-month decrease. Prices dropped 1.3 percent in the 12 months through April, the biggest fall since 2010.

Economists had forecast the PPI rising 0.4 percent last month and falling 1.1 percent from a year ago.

A sharp decline in crude oil prices since last year and a strong dollar have weighed on producer prices. While rising oil prices are easing some of the downward pressure on inflation, the upward trend in producer prices will be gradual because of the dollar’s strength.

The greenback has gained about 13.2 percent against the currencies of the United States’ main trading partners since June 2014.

The stabilization in producer prices should support views that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates this year.

Last month, gasoline prices surged 17 percent, the largest increase since August 2009. Food prices rose 0.8 percent in May, the biggest gain in just over a year, snapping five straight months of declines.

Higher food prices were driven by a shortage of eggs after an outbreak of bird flu led to the culling of millions of chickens. Wholesale egg prices soared a record 56.4 percent last month.

https://www.cnbc.com/id/102754716

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Italia di Gusto A Taste of Italy – Now in Ridgewood

ItaliaDiGusto_Ridgewood_theridgewoodblog

June 7,2015

From Scratch, a successful gourmet dinner delivery company now opens the first US Franchise of Italian Company, Italia di Gusto, in Ridgewood

Ridgewood NJ, From Scratch, a Ridgewood-based gourmet dinner delivery company, has announced the grand opening of the first Italia di Gusto, an Italian specialty foods retailer, franchise with a made-to-order casual and authentic Italian eat-in bistro.

This first US franchise retail store and bistro is located at 44 E. Ridgewood Ave., Ridgewood NJ and will hold its grand opening celebration on Saturday, June 6 at 5:00pm. The opening of this store completes Rome native, Chef Claudia Rovegno’s dream to open a storefront in the US.

Festivities will begin at 5:00pm and will include a ribbon cutting, words from Ridgewood Mayor Paul Aronsohn, raffle gifts (including a basket of gourmet Italian products and a board of specialty meats, cheeses and desserts), as well as plenty of food to try.

After moving to the US in 2013 and opening From Scratch in 2014, Chef Claudia embarked on a new project: to open Italia di Gusto. Passionate about sharing great food with others, Italia di Gusto and From Scratch bring a combination of a unique shopping with a warm, yet casual and inviting dining experience to downtown Ridgewood, creating a one-of-a-kind grocery bistro.

In the bistro, you will find “taglieri” which are tasting plates of fresh cheeses and meats shipped in from Italy as well as a selection of paninis, salads, and desserts, all made to order. You’ll also find jarred Italian specialty foods, such as sauces, tuna, and olive oil.

“We hope you to feel like you’ve stepped into Italy when you step into Italia di Gusto,” said owner and chef Claudia Rovegno. “Our goal is to educate you about the food you are eating and the products you see. We want you to experience the same culinary delight you would if you had traveled to Italy.”

For more information about the bistro store and the grand opening follow From Scratch and Italia di Gusto on Facebook.

From Scratch has been delivering fresh, homemade dinners to Ridgewood and the surrounding towns since 2014. Italia di Gusto Ridgewood is the first Italian specialty food retailing franchise to open in the United States. Together, From Scratch & Italia di Gusto provide fine Italian food products and gourmet Italian foods, helping transport visitors to Italy when they walk through the door.

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Anthony Bourdain brings his CNN show to New Jersey

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MAY 31, 2015    LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY, MAY 31, 2015, 2:43 PM
BY ELISA UNG
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

tonight, CNN

Globe-trotting chef and Leonia native Anthony Bourdain has brought viewers to his home state before, but this time he wanted to do it differently.

“It’s easy enough to sell New Jersey if you’re going to beautiful farmland and attractive bedroom communities and fine dining,” he said in a recent phone interview. “And I thought, you know what? I’m going to make Jersey look awesome by going to all the places that have been most traditionally screwed.”

So for tonight’s episode of “Parts Unknown,” he features the history and people of Camden, Atlantic City and Asbury Park. And he tries to “make even the refineries look somehow magical,” he said. “That was the challenge — to look at what most people make fun of about New Jersey or look down their noses at, and still sell it as an amazing place brimming with potential and beauty, if you bother to look.”

His first stop? A childhood favorite – the hot dog stand Hiram’s in Fort Lee, where he says he still goes a few times a year with his daughter, Ariane, 8.

https://www.northjersey.com/arts-and-entertainment/tv/bourdain-s-lesser-known-tastes-of-home-1.1345806

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TripAdvisor® Awards a Certificate of Excellence to memoire in Ridgewood

mémoire_theridgewodblog

Restaurant memoire Recognized as a Top Performing Restaurant

Posted: 28 May 2015

Ridgewood NJ, Restaurant mémoire, a seasonal American eclectic restaurant, announced that it has received a TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence award. Now in its fifth year, the award celebrates excellence in hospitality and is given only to establishments that consistently achieve great traveler reviews on TripAdvisor.

“Winning the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence is a true source of pride for the entire team at Restaurant mémoire and we’d like to thank all of our past guests who took the time to complete a review on TripAdvisor,” said Tom Finnelli, Executive Chef & Owner at Restaurant mémoire. “There is no greater seal of approval than being recognized by one’s guests. With the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence based on guest reviews, the accolade is a remarkable vote of confidence to our business and our continued commitment to excellence.”

Restaurant mémoire is a fresh, seasonal American eclectic restaurant featuring a menu that is made to order. We are happy to modify or even go off our menu to accommodate you in every way. Here at mémoire, the answer is always, “Yes”.

Restaurant mémoire is located at 16 Chestnut St., Ridgewood. call 201-857-8899
www.diningatmemoire.com