Jean, Eggs and Ham

Paterson school lunch - tasty or tasteless?

I just hung with some seventh and eighth-graders at School 7 in Paterson (hollah!) and they ranted about the horrendous food in the cafeteria. Except for the chicken nuggets. I completely sympathize -- I remember the food served in my own high school cafeteria (what, exactly, was in the baconburger??)

So now I wonder: do any school kids actually like what's served in their school cafeteria? Why are school lunches so bad? But are they? These days, I'd be happy to pay a $1.50 for a huge hot lunch consisting of more than one food group -- rather than $5 or $7 basically anywhere else -- even if it was slightly rubbery. I know it's challenging and expensive to serve hundreds of kids; it's not exactly possible to serve up homestyle feasts.

What do you all think?

Recall alert: dried smoked catfish and other seafood

All dried smoked catfish steaks and other smoked seafood products produced by the Hope Food Supply Inc., a food processing company of Texas, have been recalled. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration shut down the food processing company and ordered it to recall all products manufactured since 2007.

The smoked fish, sold nationwide under a different name, might harbor bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes. These bacteria could cause serious illness. The FDA is advising consumers who bought smoked seafood products to check with the place of purchase to determine if the products came from Hope Foods. Customers who may have purchased or consumed smoked fish from the company should call a dcotor if they notice any symptoms of nauseua, stomachache, diarhhea, or fever. Anyone with questions should call 1-888-SAFEFOOD.

1 Paterson market. 4 Newark markets. Say wha?

This ticks me off. I just realized Paterson has one farmer's market while Newark has four, with two more in neighboring East Orange. The only other farmer's market in all of Passaic County is in Ringwood (might as well be Mars). Meanwhile, Bergen County has eight markets, including one in Englewood, another in Teaneck and a third in Hackensack.

Why am I ticked? At a farmer's market, farmers from within a few hours away truck in their freshly grown produce, often picked that morning, to the market for people like you and me to buy. They're great for you, because the product are usually pretty cheap, taste better than the stuff shipped from California or Mexico or wherever, and it's actually, um, healthy food. Markets benefit the farmer, too 'cause they put more money straight into his pocket, and the environment, 'cause the food travels a shorter distance to get from farm to consumer (i.e. less fuel).

So why the eff does Passaic County have a whopping two markets? Hello, Haledon? Clifton? Passaic Anyone else p.o.ed about the lack of markets?

Best bets: Chicken dinner in Paterson, chili statewide!

Not sure what to do this weekend? Try these local food events!

FOOD BANK BENEFIT: Taste fine wines and help re-stock the state's food bank at the Montclair Art Museum's wine tasting, Uncorked, at 7 p.m. Thursday at the museum, 3 S. Mountain Ave., in Montclair, to benefit the Community FoodBank of New Jersey. Tickets cost $200. For tickets call 908-355-3663, ext. 245.

CHURCH DINNER: Westminster Presbyterian Church in Paterson will host a chicken and ham dinner at 6 p.m. Saturday at the church, at 227 Spring Street. It costs $12. For more information, call 973-253-1352.

GROW YOUR OWN: Learn how to grow seasonal vegetables and discuss organic gardening methods at a grow-your-own workshop from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the Newark Conservancy at 202 Washington St. in Newark. Kathy Salisbury, director of education for the conservancy, will lead and light refreshments will be served. For more information, call 973-642-4646.
HOT, HOTTER, HOTTEST: See which New Jersey chilis are too hot to handle at the Annual N.J. State Chili & Salsa Cook-Off from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday in Toms River. Contestants from all over the tri-state area will compete in the event, which will also include rides, games, entertainment and more. For more information call 732-341-8738.

VEGGIE LOVE: Hit up the Veggie Pride Parade in Manhattan Saturday for free veggie food and entertainment! The parade begins at 11 a.m. and ends in Washington Square Park in the West Village. For more info, check here.

SHABBOS FOOD PREP: Not sure how to prepare food for Shabbos? Rabbi Baruch Bodenheim of the Passaic Torah Institute will lead a hands-on demonstration, for women only, at "Laws of Food Preparation on Shabbos: Cold Stuff (mashing, grinding, etc. ...)" at 7:45 p.m. Sunday at the Passaic Torah Institute, 441 Passaic Ave. in Ezras Nashim. For more information call Shuli Mintz at 973-773-1215.

Too much bread for bread and butter

Some (just a tad) good news this morning: after steadily increasing from about March of last year, overall prices stayed about the same over the month of April! How? Although food prices increased, inflation didn't rise much and gas prices increased about as much as they usually do every spring.

Of food costs, those of bread, butter and coffee rose dramatically. Atkins would be happy, Juan Valdez, not so much.

Drive-by foodings: Checker's philly cheese steak in Paterson

Driving in Paterson this morning I noticed a sign for the new Philly Cheese Steak burgers at Checkers in Paterson. Call me a cynic, but how could fast-food cheese steaks compare one iota to the real deal??  It seems sacrilegious! Has anyone tried it?

I'm not sure where one would buy a good Philly cheese steak around here. I've heard some names dropped in Englewood. And there's Philly's Cheesesteaks in Hoboken. Ugh. Anyone?

Free iced coffee at Dunkin's tomorrow

Dunkin' Donuts will be giving away free 16 oz. coffees from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. tomorrow.

DD coffee ain't my fave, but hey, it's free. Anyone else planning to pick up a cup from one of the 10 zillion branches around here?

Chefs at Chengdu 46 in Clifton "stunned" by earthquake

I bet most of us ordering Chinese take-out these past few days haven't thought much about it in relation to the incredibly devasting earthquake in China last weekend that killed 12,000 people.

But the six chefs at Chengdu 46 in Clifton can't stop thinking about it. They all had family and friends in the hardest hit area of China, the Sichuan province, including wives, children and parents, writes my coworker Jennifer Cunningham today. They've just discovered everyone they know is safe, thankfully. Whew. (That's chefs Liu Yong Yi, 48, and Liu De Yuan, 56, in the photo).

Donate to the Red Cross here to help bring food, water and care to China.

-Photo by Chris Pedota

Dieter's tea in Paterson

Diet teas: fact or farce? The owner of Fruti-Mex of the Paterson Farmer's Market in Paterson told me today many customers swear by 3 Ballerina Dieter's Drink, an herbal tea.      

                                                              

I peered at the ingredients: Malva verticellata (Chinese Mallow) and Cassia Angustifolia (Senna). Both known for their laxative and diuretic properties. Hmm, that's not the kind of weight loss I had in mind. Anyone a fan?

Cliftonites to stop global warming, carry canvas bags

I carry around a canvas shopping bag.  Yes, I'm one of those. Those who totally confuses baggers at grocery store check-outs when I haul out my bag and insist they stuff it as much as they can. Those who saunters around with my bag's recycling message in full view, loud and proud (mine quite cleverly reads "Neither Paper Nor Plastic"). Those who shakes her head at the 100 billion plastic bags blowing around our planet and sitting in landfills for 1,000 years. 

Now Cliftonites can be one of those, writes my friend Sarah today. The city handed out 500 cloth bags to city residents last fall and it'll hand out more this Saturday at a health fair at school 16. They may need them more than ever if the state passes a bill that would require supermarkets to host plastic bag recycling programs and only hand out biodegradable bags.

Canvas bags are a no-brainer: better for the earth and a way fab fashion statement, like a newfangled purse, or tie, or watch. The newest eco-sexy accessory. We'll see 'em from Louis, Juicy, J. Crew, Tarjay. They'll be collectibles, rubber-bracelet style, in colors, patterns.  For serious.

Garden State bizarro factor: produce stands at toll booths?

We New Jerseyians loooove our highways. And now there's more reason to love (?) them: toll-side fresh produce stands. 

The NJ state assembly and senate have both approved bills that would allow Jersey grown produce to be sold at some service areas along the Parkway, the Turnpike and the Atlantic City Expressway.

But will drivers toss out their EZPasses and brake for tomatoes? Would you? I'd rather a) stop at a rest stop food a bathroom and a drink if I'm driving, or b) shop at Corrado's for produce.

Tip o' the week: keep foods cool in a power outage

Did anyone else out there lose power today around lunchtime? Our office in Garret Mountain in West Paterson darkened for about an hour. I worried about all the food sitting in our office fridge. Which inspired this tip 'o the week: what to do with refrigeratod foods in an outage.

In an outage, do not unplug fridge and limit the amounts of time you open it (this helps conserve the cold air). Eat foods that spoil quickly first; salvage any packaged or canned goods. Throw out any meats or dairy products that become warm to the touch. Use spoilable foods to bake or prepare into meals that may last longer, like breads, cakes, desserts or salads. If it's winter, stick fridge foods outside. In summer, buy some ice at the corner store and store it in a cooler.

Locals sending less money for food to relatives abroad

Last week, in article about rice prices, I mentioned far fewer immigrants and first-generation Dominicans, Peruvians, Puerto Ricans and others in Passaic County are sending boxes filled with rice and other foods to their family members in other countries. The cost of food has risen so much that it's too expensive to send; they've chosen to send money instead.

Well, they're sending less money now too, writes my friend Sarah today. It's tough to send it when you need it more than ever here.

Reminds me of what the director of one Paterson food pantry told me when I asked her about major low levels of donated food to the pantries: you know things are bad when even the donators (people like you and me) can't afford to buy our own food.

Leave food by your mailbox tomorrow! DOOO IT

THIS IS HUGE: a nationwide food drive will be held TOMORROW and it's really simple for you to donate. Just leave canned foods, cereals, pastas (anything nonperishable) near your mailbox before your mailman/woman arrives. All postal workers will be collecting the food for food pantries around the country, which are dangerously low for this time of year because of decreased donations and increased food costs.

The "Stamp Out Hunger" drive is the largest single-day food drive in the nation, sponsored by The National Association of Letter Carriers and the Campbell's Soup Company. More than 10,000 communities participate in the effort nationally, typically collecting more than 70 million tons of food.

SO DO IT! You'll feel really good about yourself and, trust me, a lot of people will really, really, appreciate any help you can give.

Quick cook: Overnight Oven French Roast

Hey all you people living under a rock: it's Mother's Day Sunday. Most Moms want a break, a responsibility-free bliss. Good luck with that!

But no mother would turn down a delicious brunch prepared by someone (anyone!) else, especially by a child or husband. This French toast is incredibly delicious, with the wonderful flavors from raisin bread, cinnamon, and maple syrup blending over night then baked in the oven rather than cooked on the stove the next morning.

Heck, forget mothers. Make this for your friend, your girlfriend, your roommate, your neighbor (?), yourself! Vive la Francais toast!

Overnight Oven French Toast (serves 8)

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 8 slices raising bread, sliced 1-inch thick
• 4 eggs
• 4 egg whites
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Confectioner's sugar

Generously butter a large shallow baking pan and arrange bread slices in a single layer. Beat together the eggs, egg whites, milk, sugar, cinnamon, syrip, vanilla and salt in a large bowl. Pour mixutre over the bread; turn slices to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate over night. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake the French toast for 20 minutes or until a tester inseted the center comes out clean. Turn the bread and continue baking until golden, about 4 minutes longer. Transfer the cooked toast to warm plates and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

-The above recipe is from "Let's Get Together" by DeeDee Stovel and Pam Wakefield c. 2008. Used by permission of Storey Publishing.

Scrambled eggs with a side of laptop in Clifton

In the Tick Tock in Clifton this morning, I looked around the dining room and noticed something interesting (no, not the incredible cakes teasing me from their glass case). At least five people about 35 and younger in business skirts and shirts had their laptops open; three at the same table hardly made eye contact but stared instead down at their screens.

Expected, I'd say, since business meetings of yore always meant planners, notepads and pens strewn about plates of pancakes and bacon, notes scribbled down between bites. It makes sense that the 21st century equivalent grace our breakfast tables.

But for some reason it weirds me out. Am I an old-fogey?  I mean, I'm online every other second, and I blog. I should be down with this computers during meal thing. I don't know -- somehow, going out to eat is like, sacred. A computer is just so office-y and so intense, even for a business meeting. Plus, who wants ketchup fingers and coffee drips all over the keyboard?

Myanmar cyclone devastates rice crop, raises prices

I mentioned earlier the worldwide increase in the cost of rice -- well, as bad as one might think it is here, it's devastatingly worse in Myanmar (formerly Burma) where a huge cyclone swept through last weekend and killed 22,000 people and destroyed much of the country's rice crop.

Myanmar had had enough rice for itself, avoiding the panic in other countries of a rice shortage. But now it will face its own major shortage and will have trouble importing rice: Bangladesh, India and Vietnam have banned any exports to secure its own supply.

And the cost of rice worldwide will increase even more (it seems pithy to say that in the face of the Myanmar people's tragedy). The U.S. price has already increased about two percent since the storm.

Rice for riches in Paterson and Clifton

People here are massively steamed about the rising cost of rice (well, those who usually eat rice every day (including Dominicans, Filipinos and the Bangladeshi). Three months ago, a 25-pound bag of Thai or Indian rice may have cost about $18. Now it'd cost $23. A 10-pound bag, before $3, now $6. Why the change? Lots of economics and governmental policies here and worldwide.

I spoke with various residents and store owners around Paterson and Clifton about their concerns of rice's price. I learned they all have different ways of dealing: some people have bought several bags of rice at a time, believing that costs will continue to climb in the coming months. In response, stores such as Sam's Club and Costco (including the Clifton store) have limited the purchase of 20-pound bags to four per customer, per trip. Restaurant owners worry about passing the increases on to customers, and parents wonder how they'll feed their families.

Watch a few locals explain their thoughts on the rice price here and read more about the situation here.

Expiration date debate in West Paterson

Expiration dates...to the hungry, they're a conundrum. Should I? Shouldn't I? I err on the side of "should I." This morning I discovered a yogurt in the office fridge I'd stowed away a few weeks ago with an expiration date of 4/23.  Hmm. I peeled off the lid, peered at its decent looking surface and took a sniff. Smelled fine to me!  So I ate it. And so far, so good.

A doctor told me that the expiration dates are usually set a couple weeks before the actual food would technically go bad, and if properly stored (in this case, with the yogurt kept cold, lid tightly in place), it should last longer. Is this true for all foods? Certainly for dried, canned or packaged foods. As for dairy, meat and produce, not so much.

And if I'm not here tomorrow, you'll know the answer for sure.

CJ's in Paterson closed -- Southern restaurant open

A commenter to my post last Friday was right -- CJ Authentic Cuisine has closed and reopened as "eXperience" under new owners as a Southern, Caribbean, Asian-influenced sit-down restaurant. Owners Martin Deane and John Ginn grew up in the area, bought CJ's in April and had a soft-opening May 1.

Has anyone checked it out?