Benvenuti - Where Every Day is Father's Day

Father’s Day is a few weeks away, but I already have a gift picked out for my husband. Reservations to the Daddy Daughter Date Night at Benvenuti on Wednesday, June 20. My husband loves everything about Italy – speaking, eating, living it. No, I’m not sending him to Genoa, he's going to Garwood. For $40 he will enjoy a home cooked meal that I didn’t have to cook or clean, enjoying music (and dancing, space permitting) with his two precious daughters, flowers, dessert and an experience to savor forever. It will give me the house to myself and the night off. Sounds more like a gift to myself.

I am actually a little envious of their date and wish not to be excluded, as I have recently become hooked on their food. Jason White, a co-owner of Benvenuti along with Vincent Spera, gives me a foodie tour of what’s and fresh out of the kitchen each week. I was instantly addicted to their grilled long-stem artichokes. They are lightly charred and just the right touch of smoky. On my last trip I bought out the rest of the platter, not wanting to share.  

They have a snazzy display of prepared salads, veggies, appetizers and sides that tantalizes you while you wait for your order. They serve a fabulous bowl of chicken soup in a ceramic handled crock. I’ve dined on the Chicken Francese and Chicken Parmigiana over pasta with their homemade Marinara. At $6.99 on a Thursday night after 4pm, it feeds my two kids easily.

There is also a large selection of packaged and prepared goodies. This is where I blow my margins from the money I am saving on the dinner specials. Italian cocoa star-shaped cookies are way too precious to bypass, as are dried pastas in every possible shape and size. 

There are wraps, paninis, sandwiches, etc. The fridge holds their homemade Marinara and Vodka sauces, in addition to soups, hand-rolled Mozzarella made on-site and chicken and eggplant entrees that are ready to grab and go. There are also the long, pinwheel sausages in pork and chicken with various herbs and cheeses. The freezer holds an even greater bounty of frozen pastas, like cavatelli, meat tortellini, whole wheat linguini, and pumpkin ravioli.

Oh yeah, and they also have pizza! I almost forget about the pizza, because I get so distracted by the store, food, and freezer. But they have a gorgeous brick oven where they churn out pizzas made to order. Benvenuti claims to have recreated Sicilian pizza with their gourmet brick-oven thin-crust Sicilian pie. The June issue of Hometown Quarterly shows a gorgous photo of their Tomato and Black Olive Pie and includes coupons for a free pie & half-off discounts for their Sicilian Pies. 

Or try something light, like the artichoke roll. Finish your meal off with some fresh cannoli and for a few seconds you will forget all your worries. You could be in Sicily, or Tuscany, or even Brooklyn. But you are only 2 miles from your house, so if you choose not to dine over red & white checkerboard or at an outdoor table, you can bring the best of Italy right to your own kitchen table.

 

Last week as I dined with my daughter and enjoyed a crock of soup, another young family sat next to us. It was Jason’s wife Jessica and their 2 kids, Avery and Zack. I didn’t need the vodka sauce, but she made it sound so good I had to toss it in my basket. Some boys and their fathers trudged in to pick up dinner after baseball on Gumpert Field. A true mom & pop shop, Benvenuti is a real treat to have so close to home. 

Jason White and his daughter Avery

The Daddy Daughter Date Night is Wednesday June 20th from 5-9pm at Benvenuti Italian Specialties & Catering, 512 North Avenue, Garwood NJ 908-389-9999 / www.benvenuticatering.com. Dinner includes a drink, appetizer, entrée & dessert for $30 per couple and $10 each additional daughter. Each Daughter will recieve a rose & each table will have a picture to take home. Due to limited seating this is a reservations-only event. Please email reservations to Jason@benvenuticatering.com.

Westfield Foodie welcomes Melanie Singer as a contributing writer!

Please welcome Melanie Singer to the Westfield Foodie team. A Westfield resident since 2008, she's been eating and enjoying delicious foods since the age of four months!  She comes from a family obsessed with good food - a mother who cooked from scratch regularly, a father that loved to eat out at the finest restaurants and make her try a "bite" of everything, and two brothers that have tried every pizza, burger and cheesesteak in the tri-state area with their lil sis in tow. Now, she's the mother of three young boys and she's hoping to pass on her passion for cooking and food to her family and anyone else that wants to listen.  She pays special attention to providing a well-rounded culinary experience for her family including wholesome menus, organic foods, seasonal fruits & vegetables, low calorie substitutions (if you really can't taste the difference) and finding unique foods, specialty stores, packaged goods, recipes, and information that cover anything to do with food.  She's always open to food suggestions and new products/restaurants to try and is looking forward to getting to know the Westfield community even better.

Enjoy Melanie's first post here, and please make sure to "like" Westfield Foodie's Facebook page! 

In other news, Lauren Weiss will be leaving the Westfield area this summer. As she explores the culinary landscape of Boston's North Shore, she will continue as Managing Editor of your favorite foodie blog and Facebook page from afar to stay on top of Westfield's food news &stories with the help of local contributing writers.  

If you would like to join the Westfield Foodie team as a contributing writer, please send a direct message to our Facebook or Twitter page, or email us at WestfieldFoodie@gmail.com. We welcome your foodie finds, photos, recipes and restaurant feedback. 

Five Westfield Residents Win Prizes in Food Photography Contest

The results are in!  Westfield Foodie is thrilled to announce the 5 winners of the Food Photo Contest it held in February.

The winners, in order of votes received, are….

1^st Place - Spider Cupcakes by Suzanne Welsh

Prize: $25 Gift Certificate to Wild Greens

2^nd Place - Thanskgiving Turkey by Heather Barker

Prize: $25 Gift Certificate to Tom the Green Grocer

3^rd Place - Bread Pudding by Kerry Ann McGovern

Prize: $25 Gift Certificate to Savory Spice Shop

4^th Place - Superbowl Cake Pops by Jen Wallis

Prize: $25 Gift Certificate to Rosie’s Wine Bar

5^th Place - Ironbound Paella by Adrian Pastore and Stephanie Colleton

Prize: $25 Gift Certificate to Jeffrey’s of Westfield

This was a fantastic contest to put together. For a first time contest it was met with savory enthusiasm by the community. We received over 30 entries! I enjoyed reading them, learning about the people who entered the contest, and especially reading the comments by the judging panel. 

A big thank you to the contest’s judges and sponsors: Jackie Nutall and Becky Solheim of Savory Spice Shop, Joshua Rosenberg of Rosie’s Wine Bar, Joe from Tom the Green Grocer, Steve Williams and Jeffrey Rust from Jeffrey’s of Westfield and Daniel Damasek of Wild Greens. They each generously donated $25 gift certificates as a prize.

All 5 winners are Westfield residents, and they all passionately exemplify their love of foodtography. They each captured a particularly momentous food memory with both a picture and words.  I appreciate that you shared a snapshot from your life with us. Thank you to all contestants, we received many photos that were beautiful, captivating and delicious. But every contest must have its winners and in the end relevance to Westfield was considered as a tie breaker. Many entries were sent in from San Francisco that were beautiful but in the end, this is a local food blog.

There were three additional entries that deserve an honorable mention for making it to the final 8, and they include:

Flecks of Salt by Michelle Stavrou

Oxtails on Harrison Street by Alexander Trigaux

Reflections on Quimby Street by Susan Greeley

So without further delay, I proudly present to you to the contest winners Enjoy for yourself these winning entries with the author’s original description, along with editorial from the judges.

1^st Place - Spider Cupcakes by Suzanne Welsh

I made these cupcakes for my son's class at Halloween.  Inspired by something I had seen in a magazine, I thought they turned out pretty cool.  Homemade cake, icing, and chocolate webs, with decorative spiders.  I was so proud of them I took a picture (which I usually do of my creative baked goods) so someday I can remind my children of what I was doing in the kitchen all that time!

  

Editors Note: Wild Greens picked these as the clear winner. “Hands down, the spider cupcakes. They demonstrate a job well done, and the spiders look real!” Savory Spice Shop agrees, they are “adorable, and we love that they are homemade.”

2^nd Place - Thanskgiving Turkey by Heather Barker

Attached is a photo of my very FIRST Thanksgiving turkey ever!  It came out scrumptious and my mother-in-law continues to tell everyone what amazing gravy it made because it was seasoned so well!  So proud!  I had originally bought a Williams Sonoma gravy (as backup!) but didn't need to use it at all! I used a new Rosemary-Garlic Butter Rub recipe from Cooking Light magazine that I rubbed under the entire skin of the turkey.  It included fresh rosemary, fresh garlic, ground coriander, salt and pepper.  Simple but delicious!    It was the first time I had ever hosted Thanksgiving and I was very nervous!  My 93 year old grandmother was coming (and she is an excellent Italian cook!), as well as my brother and mother and father-in-law (and I have 3 kids who ate everything!).  I also made Paula Deen's Green Bean Casserole (which my fam loves!), a butternut squash and goat cheese gratin with toasted hazelnuts (my hubby's favorite), mashed potatoes, and homemade stuffing. I've also included a photo of my mother-in-law, Peggy, and I making the pan gravy!

Editor’s Note: This was Westfield Foodie’s top choice. She eloquently captured the excitement of preparing a turkey for thanksgiving the first time, and bonding with her mother-in-law. That’s a lot of pressure and we’re glad it worked out for you and that you shared your photos and joy with us. The gals at Savory Spice agree.  “Not only is the picture great, but her enthusiasm makes it even better.”

3^rd Place - Bread Pudding by Kerry Ann McGovern

Food helps define our moments together. What kind of moment would bread pudding define? Bread pudding is the moment where you are surrounded by close friends joyously brought together to celebrate the anniversary of knowing each other. The smell of chocolate and banana reminds you of your best times together – being there during the breakups and the accomplishments. It’s comfort in a warm and sweet cake. Smooth vanilla ice cream gently melts into the nooks and crannies of the warm banana and chocolate bread pudding. A spoonful will whisk your espresso into another world. Take a bite!

Editor’s Note: Savory Spice Shop loves this photo. “Now we’re both craving it!”  This was probably the best quality photograph we received, and it has a nice warm story to it. I could see this photo in a professional cookbook. Wild Greens agrees, “it’s a great picture.”

4^th Place - Superbowl Cake Pops by Jen Wallis

What better way to celebrate the Superbowl than a Cake Pop Superbowl Stadium!  Red velvet cake pops decorated as the Giants & Patriots helmets, along with an Oreo Football Truffle.  Go Giants!

Editor’s Note: The guys at Rosie’s Wine Bar are big Giants fans and that helped put this photo into the end zone. This photo is all about dedication, hard work and fun, three things that are prominent at Rosie’s. I find this photo to be endearing, and think of the family time that was spent creating not just the cake pops but the stadium, field and signs. This was a labor of love. 

5^th Place - Ironbound Paella by Adrian Pastore and Stephanie Colleton

Dinner for one turned into lunch for a week when Westfielders Adrian Pastore (pictured) and Stephanie Colleton (photographer) went with their husbands to Adega in the Ironbound section of Newark recently. There was so much of this delicious paella left over that the restaurant sent Adrian home with a large tray rather than a doggie bag!

Editor’s Note: This is a beautiful picture, that tells a story right away. The dish is not only colorful and filled with an unbelievable bounty of lobster, rice and sausage, but the platter is just ridiculously large. It is so big that it is humorous, and I can’t look at the photo without smiling myself. She claims in fed her Westfield family for a week, continuing the happy memory. 

Honorable Mention

Flecks of Salt by Michelle Stavrou

The picture is of edamame at our favorite sushi restaurant in Cranford, NJ at Mizu Sushi.  I love the picture because you can see the individual flecks of salt on the edamame, which is my favorite part.  I've always been a believer that a sushi restaurant's edamame is a reflection of the quality of food you can expect for the rest of your meal.  One glance at this picture and you know the sushi here won't disappoint.

Oxtails on Harrison Street by Alexander Trigaux

Seldom am I compelled to photograph what comes out of a composed dish.  Except with my beloved braised oxtails.  Salted, peppered, seared off and slow cooked for eight hours in beef stock and caramelized onions, the velvety ragout that is every ounce of collagen, marrow and meat rendered into my unctuous final product is juxtaposed by the simple beauty of what remains: bones from which each tiny morsel of flavor has been extracted. They fill me with a timeless feeling of culinary community, imbued with the careworn, slow-cooked recipes and experiences of all those cooks, mothers and fathers and grandparents, who felt it before me. I hope my 8 month old son one day takes his place in this continuum, and comes to see these bones as I do: evidence that ours is a world teeming with largely unseen value, if we only view it, patiently, in the right way

Reflections on Quimby Street by Susan Greeley

I was enjoying treats from The Chocolate Bar and the tray looked so beautiful I couldn’t resist taking a photo. I love the way “gelato & coffee” is reflected twice – first through the window, then through the display case.  You can almost taste the dark chocolate and the salty almonds, and you can practically feel the energy of Quimby Street, and the scent of warm chocolate is very comforting.

Green Bagels, Green Wine & Irish Reubens for St. Paddy's Day in Westfield

They say everyone is Irish on St. Patricks Day. I could use a little luck so while searching for the lucky four leaf clover, I've scoured the best events, food & drink available this side of the pond. 


My first recommendation is to start your day with a solid breakfast. Especially if you plan to stop by Kilkenny's at 10am to kick off your celebration. The early opening is beer only - the kitchen doesn't open until 11! So stop by Manhattan Bagel for an egg & cheese on a green bagel, or better yet, pick up a dozen today and pass them out to your friends.


If you are looking for an Irish pub with traditional fare, there are plenty of options. Jeffrey's invites you to celebrate St. Patricks Day today & tomorrow. Their St. Patrick's Day celebration includes $1 off bottles of Guinness and Jameson drinks and your your favorite Irish dishes. Indulge in Corned Beef & Cabbage, Shepherd's Pie, or Irish Soda Bread.  The Kilkenny House in Cranford presents live Irish music by Dave McBride along with Fish & Chips, Corned Beef on Cabbage or Rye, Bangers & Mash and Irish Stew. The Publick House (formerly Dillons) in Mountainside will be hopping with their year long Irish specialties like Fish & Chips, Shepherds Pie, Bangers & Champ, and Beer Braised Corned Beef.  Their menu features the first soft shell crabs of the season - and get 10% off your bill when you check in on Facebook and tag 3 friends. 


Make sure to stop by CoolVines for their weekly wine tasting - featuring organic, biodynamic, & sustainable green wines. 


Look no further for festive desserts. Bovella's Pastry Shoppe has fresh baked green cakes (green decorations outside with black and white cake inside with fudge), and green frog cupcakes. Crumbs Bake Shop offers the St. Patty’s Cupcake, a vanilla cake tinted green with vanilla frosting and green and white sprinkles and a gold coin. Also, try the Irish Cream Cupcake, a vanilla cake soaked in coffee with vanilla frosting inside and Irish Cream cream cheese frosting on top with chocolate sprinkles. And don’t miss the ever popular Grasshopper, chocolate cake with fudge filling and green mint frosting with chocolate chips with whipped cream. For a true indulgence, stop by Jeffrey's for Bailey's Cheesecake or a Warm Apple Cake with a Jameson Sauce.


Cooking at home? Looking for an alternative to your traditional fare? It's nice enough to barbecue so why not mix it up and try an Irish Reuben? Pile 2 slices of soda bread with spicy mustard, sauerkraut, corned beef and Dubliner Cheddar Cheese (all available at Kings Food Markets). Wrap in foil and grill for 4 minutes per side over a medium flame, or until bread is toasty and cheese is melted. If your Irish luck runs out, prepare inside on a panini press or foreman grill or simply broil. Cabbage is an excellent source for vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, potassium and fiber. So eat something healthy along with your meat, beer & green cakes. 


If you don't like corned beef, try the original Irish traditional dish of bacon & cabbage. The corned beef was an American invention after Irish immigrants settled into US cities where corned beer was readily available and affordable. You can make it super healthy by using turkey bacon, but after a few beers, you won't really mind.


Stay safe, remember to eat and if you find a four leaf clover, the luck of the Irish is truly on your side.


WF

Valentines Day - Last Minute Ideas

Looking for some last minute gift or dinner inspiration for tonight?  Here are some classy suggestions for the procrastinator who is a romantic at heart. And you won't find these at the CVS where you usually go for last minute clutch purchases - your mate will think you planned for weeks. And everything can be scored right here in Westfield.

Cheese and Bubbly - Kings Food Markets carries a Landana red pesto cheese that is unusually bright red. Its pesto taste makes it perfect for anything from a cracker accompaniment to a topping for Valentines Day Pizza. Roll out lightly floured pizza dough, layer with pizza sauce, marinara, red onion, sundried tomatoes or sliced fresh tomatoes, and top with sliced red pesto cheese. Why shouldn't pizza get passionate? Pair with a Prosecco.

Sweet Water's Steak House - Treat your sweetie to a juicy steak that's just pink in the center. This downtown Westfield restaurant has a nice collection of wines to go with everything from salmon to filet. The salads were like works of art - from the stacked tomato, onion and blue cheese to the classic iceberg wedge. The clubby green leather chairs and fire place make it a very comfortable place to relax and enjoy a great meal. Start with malbeque oysters to set the mood, and follow with a cowboy steak or seared scallops. Full bar... it's not too late to try for a rezzie and look like a hero.

Purple sauerkraut - I discovered this by accident last year and filed it away for V-Day. Julienne a red cabbage. Heat a 32 oz jar of sauerkraut to a simmer, I like the Lancaster Farms organic sauerkraut at Alan's Orchard. Add sliced cabbage and bring back to simmer. Cover and cook on low heat for 30 minutes. You will have gorgeous, translucent lavendar sauerkraut, a soul mate to your pork tenderloin.

Chocolates - Charley's Organic Toffees are a natural way to indulge your sweet tooth. Heather Bendfelt Hays, creator Charley's Organic Toffees, recommends the USDA Organic Dark Chocolate Toffee and the Organic Sea Salt Caramels. Find them at Alan's Orchard and at markets around NJ. 

Make sure to photograph your culinary creation or picture perfect restaurant meal and submit it to Westfield Foodie's Food Photography Contest to win gift cards to your favorite Westfield restaurants and gourmet food shops, like Jeffreys, Rosies, Wild Greens, Savory Spice Shop and Tom the Greengrocer.

Food Photography Contest by Westfield Foodie

Do you take pictures of your food?

Westfield Foodie invites you to

win gift cards to your favorite Westfield restaurants & food shops
 with your photos in a food photography contest!

They say every picture tells a story. Share your foodie finds and stories and attach an original photo to enter this exciting contest organized by Westfield’s local food blogger.  Winners will receive gift cards from favorite local restaurants and gourmet food shops, such as Rosie's Wine Bar, Jeffreys of Westfield, Savory Spice Shop, Wild Greens and Tom the Greengrocer.

During the month of February, we will be accepting entrees, I mean entries, for a food photography and blogger contest. You have the food photos right in your iphone - write up what it meant to you and email it to westfieldfoodie@gmail.com to enter the contest. 




Write about something you enjoyed at a local restaurant, a spice or new food you discovered, your latest discovery, the cupcakes you made for your sons birthday, that amazing product you discovered at a specialty shop that changed your cooking forever. It could even be the way the light bounces off your tuna fish sandwich. 



It is all about sharing our passion about food with words and photographs. If you love food, and take pictures of your food, this contest is for you. Be a food blogger for a day and get gift cards to the places that put Westfield on the foodie map.






Foodtography is a trend. 250 million photos are uploaded each day to Facebook. We post eight years of video to YouTube every day. We send 200 million tweets per day. 12% are of food. 52% of people take photos with their mobile phones, and another 19% upload those photos to the web. You are not alone.

How to Enter

To apply you please submit a recent food photo and a brief description of 150 words or less. Email your photo and text to westfieldfoodie@gmail.com by February 29. 


Entry is free and there is no limit per person. All entries submitted by February 29, 2012. All ages are welcome. Photography must be original and taken with a camera or hand held device. Stories must relate to the food in the photograph and must not appear on any other internet sources.

The winning entries from all five winners will be published by Westfield Foodie. Enter online by February 29. 

Sponsored By:

Chipotle Turkey Burger - A Westfield Foodie Original

     Where's the beef? Not on my plate, anymore. I am a turkey burger convert. I've always loved cheeseburgers - the messy red meat kind loaded with lots of cheese and toppings. Like blue cheese and bacon, or pizza burgers from Don's. However, since giving up red meat to lower my cholesterol I needed to replace them with a healthier alternative. Not so easy.  
     I've tried to transform dry tasteless white meat ground turkey into a flavorful burger, and generally I fail. I have mixed in everything from soy sauce to poultry seasoning to dried onion soup mix with egg, oil and butter, all promising to deliver flavor and texture. I would even tinker with various ratios of dark and white ground turkey meat to get my desired results, and nothing really tasting too good. Actually most of them were downright gross.
     I finally found a great all natural turkey burger that is moist, delicious and super easy to cook. It's not a recipe, which makes it even more convenient, since you don't have to squish raw poultry in your fingers. It's a frozen Bubba Burger that goes from freezer to grill. Pre-shaped 4 ounce frozen patties can be cooked individually or stacked for big appetites. Since discovering these, I am making turkey burgers for lunches and dinners on a regular basis and loving it. And since there is no seasoning, just ground 100% white meat, I can get creative with my toppings without concern that they will compete with what's in the meat. And with less fat, cholesterol and calories than beef, I can sneak in a slice of cheese without too much guilt.
     Another benefit to the Bubba Burger is that I can cook them one at a time. My kids are true carnivores, insisting on red meat. Despite my best efforts, they learned to be suspect to my tinkering ways and turkey substitutions. They outlawed ground turkey chili, meatballs and tacos, demanding the real deal. Luckily, Bubba also produces a high quality and tasty Certified Angus Beef Burger. So I use 1 turkey patty for me, 3 beef patties for them, and everyone is happy. With no mess, great taste and a table of satisfied customers, it makes my life a lot easier.
     Why limit the turkey burger to a bun and some ketchup? Here's an original recipe that will give your turkey sandwich a big, tasty promotion. It's more than a burger, it's a healthy lunch packed with lean protein, veggies and a spicy spread. I grill the burger first, then use a panini press to finish the sandwich. I wrap the sandwich in foil before pressing to keep all the cheese and sauces inside the sandwich, a trick I picked up watching them grill my lunches at Wild Greens.  

     I use organic spinach leaves that I get by the bag in the produce section, since spinach made the dirty dozen list of veggies high in pesticides. These clean leaves are ready to eat and full of calcium, folate and vitamins. Cheese is optional, but it really makes the sandwich complete. I combine Marie's Thousand Island Dressing and Cholula Chipotle hot sauce to replicate the chipotle sauce I like on my chicken sandwiches at restaurants. 

     

Westfield Foodie's Chipotle Turkey Burger

- grill 1 Bubba Turkey Burger until fully cooked, according to directions on box
- fork-split 1 english muffin and place on a large square of aluminum foil
- pile organic spinach leaves on half of muffin
- top spinach with 1 slice of cheese (any type)
- mix Marie's Thousand Island Dressing with Cholula Chipotle hot sauce to taste and spread on other muffin half
- add cooked turkey burger 
- close the sandwich and wrap well in foil
- grill on a panini press for 4 minutes or until you hear it sizzle


On a cold day like today, it was a great lunch that will get me through the day. It even inspired me to write this on the spot. Who knows what it will inspire you to do?