ETHNIC EATERIES
A new cuisine is now represented in Montclair, a town filled with many ethnic eateries, with the opening of the Peruvian restaurant Costanera, at 511 Bloomfield Avenue. Two fish dishes that stood out from the other items we ate were lime-marinated tuna, prawns, and crab enhanced with aji, a Peruvian hot pepper, and a scrumptious sashimi of tuna dressed with spicy aji amarillo cream and soy-lime dressing. We can also recommend the causa vegetariano, a mashed Yukon gold potato cake filled with marinated artichokes and aji amarillo mayonnaise. Dishes not as successful were the traditional Peruvian rotisserie chicken, which was dressed with delightful spices but was overcooked and dry, the scarcely stuffed tamal de pollo, and a tough grilled Black Angus rib eye. For dessert we tried something new to us, purple corn pudding. It tasted like blueberry pie without the crust and was terrific. We also had alfajores, a cookie filled with dulce de leche and sprinkled with powdered sugar. Think of it as a Peruvian vanilla Oreo. For reservations call 973-337-8289; BYO.
Costanera potato cake.
Photo courtesy of Lowell Saferstein.
Azianne (French for “Asian”), at 183 Glenridge Avenue, Montclair, states on the menu that on offer are “international cuisines and a touch of Asian flair.” This restaurant is open six days a week, closed Tuesdays, from breakfast through dinner and offers unusual options such as egg white, bok choy, and salmon omelet; scallop fried rice omelet; and Horlicks, a hot malted milk drink. We were there for dinner and started with Stuffed Puffs, which were fried bean curd envelopes filled with cucumber and julienned mango and served with a spicy Thai chili sauce; and gojujang (Korean chili paste) chicken and crispy dumpling pockets filled with minced beef, shrimp, and pork. An order of Soup’d Up Dumplings came with three bowls of miso soup, each with a shrimp and a bok choy dumpling. Shangri-La shrimp with a tangy pineapple-mango sauce were delicate and perfectly cooked, but we wished the portion were bigger, as there were only four miniscule shrimp on the plate. Of the three entrées we shared, we thought the sambal, a dish of onions and shrimp with a hot chili-based sauce, was top-notch, but we would have preferred rice rather than the accompanying roti canai (puffed bread). Other entrées were pesto rotini with grilled chicken, zucchini, and peppers, and beautifully presented mango-yuzu salmon with a lip-smacking sauce. The restaurant has modern clean lines, cloth-less wood tables and chairs, and even a sofa with a bookshelf where patrons can sit and read. A few Eastern touches add ambiance to the space: A large Asian bell fills a front window, while a gorgeous carved screen is set in a back corner. For reservations call 973-744-0068; BYO.
Azianne salmon.
Photo courtesy of Lowell Saferstein.
We’ve eaten Afghani food infrequently, as there are very few restaurants serving this cuisine in NJ. The last time was with David Corcoran, when he reviewed Teaneck Kebab House for the New York Times in October 2007. Pamir Restaurant, 11 South Street, Morristown, recently moved to a new location on the green, and we had a chance to experience this type of cooking, which is influenced by neighboring countries in Central Asia and the Middle East. Triangles of chewy Afghani bread, pieces of feta, and olives were placed on the table as soon as we were seated. Our appetizers were souur nakhod (chickpeas and thinly sliced potatoes marinated in cilantro and a lemony vinaigrette) and pakowray fussileya, which was described on the menu as deep-fried green beans, walnuts, garlic, and spices. The beans were not fried individually but mashed and served as a pancake along with a spicy sauce. Better-known options are hummus, baba ghanouj, and grape leaves. All entrées come with a complimentary salad of lettuce, carrots, and beets served on a cold plate with a yogurt dressing. We ordered one beef, one lamb, and one eggplant dish. The quabilli palaw with lamb mixed into a mound of brown rice was topped with julienned carrots, plump raisins, almonds, and pistachios; a ground beef kabob (kofta) came on a skewer with cherry tomatoes, onions, and peppers; and bad-en-jan-chalaw consisted of a mound of cinnamon-flavored rice accompanied by a bowl of eggplant in a tomato sauce topped with yogurt. All of the dishes were lightly spiced, with no one spice overwhelming the dish. Many dishes can be customized for vegetarians, who can also make a meal of side dishes such as sautéed pumpkin, sautéed eggplant, puréed spinach, and gingered carrots. Pamir is open for lunch Tuesday through Friday and dinner Tuesday through Sunday. For reservations call 973-605-1095; BYO.
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COOKING SCHOOL UPDATES
There’s still time to send your child (age eleven to seventeen) to the Teens Summer Cooking & Baking Camp at Chef Central, Paramus Towne Square, 240 Route 17 North, Paramus. Upcoming classes include Teens Baking Camp I (August 23–27), Teens Baking Camp II (August 30–September 3), Teens Cooking Camp I (July 19–23), Teens Cooking Camp II (July 26–30), Teens Italian Cooking Camp I (August 9–13), and Teens Italian Cooking Camp II (August 16–20). Each day of each session is from 9 AM to 1 PM and will cover one major area of cooking, and sessions will finish with a family-style meal prepared by the students. The cost of each week of camp is $425, refundable up to two weeks prior to the start date. First-time campers are required to add a Chef Central toolbox at registration; $75. For more information and to enroll call Chef Jim Edwards at 201-576-0100 or log on to www.chefcentral.com.
Many chefs and home cooks are gravitating toward locally grown seasonal food. It’s healthier for you and your family and helps the farmers and the economy where you live. Farm-fresh foods also taste better. If you’re looking for recipes for all of the delicious produce that’s now available, a Farm to Table hands-on cooking class is being offered at Viking Culinary Center, 4 Sperry Road, Fairfield. Recipes include seasonal soup with seeded herb crackers; market salad with Niman Ranch applewood-smoked bacon; farm-fresh rustic vegetable tart; garden vegetable gratin; and fresh fruit cobbler. Sample recipes for seasonal salsa, fruit-flavored waters, homemade fruit-of-the-season ice cream, and lasagna with ricotta and garden-fresh vegetables will also be distributed. July 20, 6 to 9 PM; August 12, 6 to 9 PM; August 20, 10 AM to 1 PM; $89. For more information and to register log on to www.vikingcookingschool.com or call 973-244-1580.
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ELEMENTS, PRINCETON
Through July 18, executive chef Scott Anderson, co-owner of Elements, 163 Bayard Lane, Princeton, will be offering the same dinner that he presented at the Beard House, NYC, on July 13. Diners who weren’t able to trek to New York can experience the following meal.
Hors d’oeuvres: foie gras torchon with minneolas (tangelos) and Parmesan shortbread; house-made weisswurst with mustard greens and Bavarian mustard; Tubmill Creek Farms steak tartare; tater tots with Blis steelhead roe and crème fraîche; Kindai tuna tartare
(Parigot Crèmant de Bourgogne Brut Rosé NV)
House-made charcuterie of pâtés, wursts, and Mangalica pork with mustards and crackers
(2005 Château d’Arlay Corail Rosé)
Santa Barbara spot prawn with cured melon, banyuls, and Thai basil
(2009 Tenuta Guado al Tasso Scalabrone Bolgheri Rosato)
Bouillabaisse with local fishes
(2009 Domaine Brazilier Tradition Gris)
New Jersey whey-fed pig with black rice soubise and sweet-and-sour peaches
(2009 Buoncristiani Rosato)
Black Forest cake with lambic granité and chocolate sponge
(Lindemans Framboise Lambic)
This dinner will be served during regular dinner hours; $85, with wine pairings $120. For reservations call 609-924-0078.
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FESTIVAL DE HELADOS AT ROSA MEXICANO, HACKENSACK
Rosa Mexicano, Riverside Square, 390 Hackensack Avenue, Hackensack, will be celebrating Festival de Helados through August 1 with a menu of sweet, salty, and creamy flavors inspired by summertime in Mexico. A few of the items offered are sea-salted cajeta ice cream; tomatillo-lime sorbet; pistachio macaroon filled with blueberry crema ice cream and served with tomatillo-blueberry compote; and Mexican banana split. On July 17, executive chef Dennis Lake will host a free cooking demonstration where guests will learn the secret to adding Mexican flavor to homemade ice cream and sorbet. Guests will also have the chance to win an ice cream maker, which will be raffled off during the demonstration. For more information call 201-489-9100.
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SIMON PRIME, ATLANTIC CITY
Kerry Simon, who was nicknamed the rock ’n’ roll chef by Rolling Stone magazine, is the executive chef at Simon Prime, Atlantic City Hilton, Boston Avenue and the Boardwalk, Atlantic City. This contemporary American steakhouse has a seasonal menu and features USDA prime steaks from Creekstone Farms, American Kobe-style steaks from Snake River Farms, and grass-fed dry-aged beef from Eel River Farms, plus seafood, chops, and organic vegetables. For reservations call 609-340-7200.
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DINING DEALS
Farm to Fork Week will be celebrated by South Jersey Hot Chefs from July 18 through 24, with four courses for $35 or $25. For more information log on to www.sjhotchefs.com.
A $12.95 early-bird prix-fixe menu is offered at Attilio’s Tavern, 80 East McFarlan Street, Dover, Tuesdays through Fridays from 4 to 6:30 PM. For reservations call 973-328-1100
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