Fuji Japanese Cuisine - It's the Bomb! (Roll)

If you like Bomb Rolls, Fuji is your place. Thinly sliced layers of cucumber replace rice as they surround lobster and crab in a spicy Japanese sauce. Sometimes I want a break from white rice, not that there's anything wrong with it...

"Forget the Brown Rice Sushi," says Dr. Oz Garcia, "The Japanese are some of the most long-lived people on the planet, and they only eat white rice."

Thank you for confirming my suspicions. I love brown rice too, but don't want to feel guilty when I eat white rice sushi, because it is otherwise so healthy. Phew!

Speaking of rice and sushi, have you been to Fuji Japanese Cuisine's newly expanded restaurant? It's beautiful, tranquil and the food is as good as ever. I used to come here when another sushi joint promising half priced sushi was too crowed on a Monday or Tuesday night. My girls and I found the food to be fresher and tastier, and priced somewhere between half and full price.

Recently, my daughter and I stopped in to check out the new digs. Doubled in size, with blue and neutral tiling, waterfalls and doting service, we felt like royalty. The waitstaff completely doted on us, to the point where we were almost embarrassed! We ordered our standard order: Rainbow Roll, California Roll, Philadelphia Roll, Tuna Sushi, Salmon Sushi and Spicy Tuna Roll. At $18, it was a bargain! Much less than its competitors, truly half price, and no surcharge per ordered item or to take out. (We left with a slew of food for the sushi-craving balance of my family.)

We inadvertently tested the half-priced offer when we ordered for home delivery last week. I have a deal with my daughter. She competes for gymnastics so if she gets first place in any event, she gets whatever she wants that night. The meet went till 8pm, she was hungry, she wanted sushi and meant business. I placed the exact same order on the same exact day of week 1 week later, and it cost $36. Wow, half priced really means half priced...impressive! Another restuarant might place a $1 fee per item plus a surcharge for taking out. Not Fuji, or at least not yet.

The restaurant has plenty of "New Opening Specials." Catch them before their new opening is old news.

Fuji Japanese Cuisine, (908) 654-6898, 340 South Ave E, Westfield NJ 07090

Eggs are Eggs?

I learned a really funky new egg trick this week, totally by accident. I made soft boiled eggs. They were particulary good - gooey, rich and runny - almost decadent in their richness and play of textures. A dash of salt & pepper and some hot pepper sauce and they are like oyster shooters. A hot, brunchy version of oyster shooters that cost 10 cents a piece? Bring it on!

GEORGE: (sets down his paper) So how were the eggs?

DAPHNE: Eggs are eggs.

GEORGE: (Not amused with her answer) Eggs are eggs. That is very profound. (laughs; Daphne goes back to reading her paper) By the same token you could say fish is fish. Ha ha ha, I don't think so

Eggs are not just Eggs. We foodies know this. Well, who knew that when you have a surplus of these eggs, still in shell, you can refrigerate them for 2 days? and...crack them open, nice & cold 2 days later and the yolk is the exact same consistency of gooey and rich. but cold....YUM! I had no idea and never came across that in any cooking class or cookbook so my Westfield readers, you are now learning something new about egg cookery, my pleasure to share this latest food discovery with my food lovin' peeps.

As for egg eatery, I have three new favorites to recommend, enjoy!

1. Buy your eggs at Trader Joes's. Their branded eggs come only from cage-free hens and cost up to 12% less than other, larger supermarkets in town.

2. Purchase egg salad at Manhattan Bagel. Nothing but egg 'n' mayo. I eat my egg salad with a pungent deli mustard, which apparantly some people think is gross.

3. Eggs Benedict at the Westfield Diner. Ask for the sauce on the side and the dish is actually delicious AND healthy, and you can watch yourself eat in the mirrored ceiling.

Westfield Restaurant Week 2010 - February 21 - 27

Your big chance to have a two or three course meal at your favorite Westfield Eatery or try someplace new is next week! Westfield is hosting another Restaurant Week, click here for participating restaurants!

Nobody Solves a Problem Like Maria, at the Shop Rite Liquors Cheese Counter

The Problem: I need a superior fromage to pair with my wine. The solution: Ask Maria with confidence that you will not only have an exceptional pairing of wine & cheese, but will surely introduce your host or guests to something incredibly new and savory.

Maria is the cheese whiz at the Market Place at Shop Rite Liquors, one of my favorite spots in town for fine wine, imported hard-to-find cheese, fruit spreads, and other gourmet nibbles. I used to come to the store, formerly known as Town & Country Wine & Liquors, for, well...wine and liquor. But now increasingly I am heading first to the cheese counter to see what's new and determine my wine purchases based on my cheese selections.

Everything looks so incredibly delicious, and Maria has never steered me wrong. Piave with Sauvignon Blanc. Chevre drizzed with extra virgin olive oil and sea salt. Robechon with a pear honey. Fig jam with cambozola on pepper infused wafer thin crisps. Mon Dieu!

I could spend hours writing about and tasting these cheeses. A world beyond anything you will find at a supermarket, one taste will transport you to the side streets of Europe. As a bonus, the food aisles are filled with cellophane-wrapped gourmet gift baskets, peanut-free m&m's known as Smarties by Nestle and Walker's chips in distinctly non-American flavors like vinegar and bacon. Who knew a taste of Europe was hidden inside a Shoprite-owned liquor store right here in Westfield?!

Last night, I gave my friend and neighbor a high end wedge of brie for her birthday present, paired with a pear & walnut fruit spread and white Bordeaux. Of course it was a selfish, narcissistic gift, given that I would be enjoying it with her, but c'est la vie. After many many "slivers" were consumed by the six of us, we debated whether or not this Fromage D'Affinois was a brie. I contended that it was, given it's rind, it's creamy consistency and it's French origin. But my friends disagreed, so I googled it and it turns out I am wrong.

According to Murrayscheese.com, "Just because it's made in France, from cow milk, soft-ripened, and covered with a soft, bloomy rind, does this mean it's Brie? No, Fromage d'Affinois is its own cheese, produced from milk that has been specially filtered to yield a silkier texture than Brie. Its sweet, mild flavor precludes the mushroomy earthiness normally found in its identical-looking cousin."

I hope they will accept my apology. I just might have to bribe them with more cheese. Maria....

For an incredibly easy hors d'oeuvre, try a baked brie with nuts and fruit. If you want to go really crazy, wrap in puff pastry, crescent roll or pizza dough. Classic combinations are apricot preserves and slivered almonds, raspberry jam with walnuts, or fig spread with toasted pignolias. Try this ShopRite recipe!

Bon Appetit!

WF

My Child: Pizza Day at School from Gallo's

Hello, I am "Westfield Foodie's" child. I am obviously not my mother, but that doesn't mean that I cannot blog! Today I will tell you about the pizza that I get at school. It is delicious. It is from the Gallo's Pizzeria. But the funny part about it is that they are one of my neighbors. The nice thing about it is that, they just come to our school and deliver it. The P.T.O. drops the boxes off in our classroom and we get to have DELICIOUS pizza for lunch!!! I personally have to say that they are one of my favorite pizza places, (even though I've never actually been to the pizzeria)!

My Child: Finding her inner Julia Child

I'd like to introduce you to my new blogging partner! My daughter is about to turn ten and is as passionate about food as her mama. She has opinions, good taste and knows how to type so we figured why not? We were recently inspired to co-write on Westfield Foodie after watching Julie & Julia. The blog entries written by her will begin with "my child" followed by the subject.

Hello, it's me! This time I am not going to talk about food! :( But the good thing about it is, that I will tell you about a movie in which relates to cooking.........Have you ever seen the movie Julie & Julia??? Well, I have! And it was terrific! It really was, I loved it! (It is a true story). It is about a woman named Julie who "loves" Julia. Julia (Child) has a passion for cooking and trying to get her book published!!! Meanwhile, Julie is writing a blog (coincidence) about food. But, it's not just any food, it is Julia's food! Julie decides to cook all of the recipes Julia's book, in 365 days (a year). If you want to find out more...... you're going to have to watch it yourself!!!

The Best Pizza in Westfield....Is not in Westfield?

You read my blog, you ate your pizza, you cast your vote. It turns out the best pizza is not in Westfield after all...according to my readers it is in Brooklyn, Summit, home made, or as one reader suggested, in heaven with his Zia. One woman even drives her 4 year old twins into the city because they eat so many slices at John's Pizza (who wouldn't?!).

That's not to say there is nothing redeeming about pizza in Westfield. An Ecuadorian reader who grew up in Westfield and still lives here loves the German pizza at Egyptian-owned La Casa. A woman who grew up in Westfield and now lives in Israel misses the fresh mozzarella at Cosimo's. A friend who grew up in Spain and now lives in Westfield doesn't like any pizza here but makes her own tuna pizza. A few people wrote in they love the frozen pizzas at Trader Joes. I agree that they are tastier, healthier and less expensive than their more doughy cheesy counterparts in town.

I'm not saying the pizza here is not good, it's just not great. The "wow" factor I wrote about previously is.... not here. And clearly my readers agree. Oddly enough, the answer to the question I posed, which is "what is your favorite pizza in Westfield" prompted more replies outside of 07090. Nothing really melts your cheese here. As the Counting Crows sang, 'round here, we all look the same.

For the few responses I did receive within Westfield, the most popular votes, listed in order, go to (12) Genarro's, (10) Buona Pizza, (6) Sorrento's, (5) Cosimo's and (1) Ferraro's. No votes of confidence for Brick Oven, which is ironic because they were written up in New Jersey Monthly's best pizza issue this month. In fact, a search for pizza in Westfield, NJ on Yahoo! Local ranked them in last place, even after Papa Johns and Domino's.

So where to go for great pizza around here? My readers tell me to go to Chrone's in Mountainside, Tarantella's in Clark, Joe's Pizza or Village Trattoria in Summit, Gallo's Pizza in Plainfield, Cafe Gallo in Edison or Star Tavern in Orange.

I am reminded of why I moved to Westfield. It is a nice place to live with a great downtown, phenomenal schools and lots of conveniences. I did not move here for the pizza. So I will continue to order from Buona, which is stored on my cell phone, and wait for the hot box to arrive at my door.