Hello! First Post - Soup To Nuts

My name is Allison Fishman and I am thrilled to be writing Soup to Nuts, our new food blog. I am new to New Jersey; I grew up on Long Island (but don't hold that against me), lived in Manhattan and Brooklyn for most of my life, and am now a proud and hungry Jersey resident.

In terms of my food cred, I'm a cookbook author (You Can Trust A Skinny Cook), cooking teacher (thewooden-spoon.com), TV show host (Cook Yourself Thin, Home Made Simple) and most importantly, a cook and an eater. I teach home cooks how to cook--and eat--as deliciously as possible.

Six months ago, I moved to Montclair. I'm the kind of person who likes to learn by putting foodstuffs in my mouth (not unlike a toddler), and I'm slowly getting to know New Jersey this way. I'm, of course, on the hunt for a fantastic cannoli, Italian hero, and I have yet to find a butcher who isn't a tremendous flirt. But these are the obvious things you'll find in Jersey if you want to eat well.

I'm also looking for talented home cooks, Jersey-invented ingredients and food items like turkey London broil. And where's the best chicken Murphy in the state?

Please join (and advise!) me as I hunt and peck to find the best things to eat in this state. And though I won't be reviewing restaurants, I will be eating at food trucks, sucking down buttermilk at Hot Dog Johnny's in Buttzville, and finding you an unexpected cut of meat by a talented butcher.

I'm looking for Jersey's finest foods, right under our noses. A 23-year-old from Maplewood who makes incredible pies, a Korean grocer who gives free Korean specialties to non-Korean customers who buy kimchi. I'll be featuring the special and sublime; Jersey at her most delicious.

Every week you'll find me here, sharing what I've got to eat, and hungry for more.

So let's get this conversation started:

Do you have a friend or neighbor who is an incredibly talented cook? Tell me more--about their background, and what dishes stand out in your mind as delicious.

I'd like to profile local cooks on a regular basis, so let me know your favorite cooks who'd be willing to share their recipes!

I look forward to sharing with you my thoughts, and hearing yours, on everything that relates to food--From Soup to Nuts.

Tags: food | american food | food trends

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Comments

Excited about your blog!

Hi there,

My name is Michele Brigante and I live in Morris Plains, NJ. Like you I grew up in Brooklyn and I also lived in SI for 7 years. I’ve been living in NJ for about 4 1/2 years now. I LOVE to cook. Absolutely not a professional but I am extremely passionate. I have a blog that I started a couple of years ago. I have a full time and part time job so I haven’t been able to post as much as I used to but I still cook practically every night. I started my blog 3 years ago in memory of my grandmother, Emilia. Many of my food memories are with her and I really treasure them. Coming from an Italian family there aren’t many people in my life who didn’t influence me and I am influenced and inspired every day of my life. If you’d like to check out my blog here it is...www.myitaliangrandmother.com.

Posted by: Michele Brigante, Brooklyn, New York | Jul 28, 2011 18:53:42 PM |

Soup to Nuts food blog

My very good friend, Cardie Mortimer is a spectacular culinary chef. He is currently involved in several wonderful cooking ventures. First a short backround for your blog. Cardie has trained for over 30 years in area restaurants and cooking schools in the south ( New Orleans, Savannah, and Birmingham). He has a true passion for making others happy through his cooking, and now devotes much of his time giving back to others using his culinary skills. One of many dishes that stand out for me is Cardie’s fabulous Bananas Foster dessert. His recipe was just featured on this website below.

http://www.myveronanj.com/2011/07/13/spice-it-bananas-foster/

Chef Cardie is involved in his own wonderful cooking program called "Culinary Therapy". He goes to assisted living communities, senior citizen homes, well care and veteran centers. His goal is to leave residents and patients with a sense of happiness and contentment through the comfort of great food and humor. He feels that cooking with love can often add to the healing process for many people. Last week he performed at the Morris View Health Care Center ( which I attended) where he cooked a delicious "Healthy Grilling" menu for the audience. The patients absolutely loved the show and the food. This is why he is my favorite cook!

Mr.Mortimer also has his own private catering company. Cardie and his staff specialize in home based theme dinners, fabulous parties, and cooking demonstrations. You can go to the website cardiecooks for more information on this talented cook and backround.
www.cardiecooks.com

Posted by: Beth, Wayne | Aug 03, 2011 21:32:08 PM |

Hello! Let's Feed Each Other