Chop, Blend, Fry, Eat: Tomato, Mozzarella, Beans, Pancetta, Pistou Salad

Tired of the same old tomatoes and mozzarella with basil? I certainly was and even Izzy began to groan each time I told him what we were having for dinner... yet again.

This version, inspired by The Smitten Kitchen, is made with white beans, pancetta and pistou (which is a puree of basil leaves, olive oil and salt).


Tomatoes and Mozzarella with a Twist

1. 4 large ripe tomatoes, red or yellow, chopped
2. 1/2 lb. fresh mozzarella cheese, chopped
3. 1 can white beans, rinsed
4. 1/4 lb. pancetta, diced and fried or baked,
5. 3-4 tablespoons pistou (recipe to follow)
6. 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar


Toss first four ingredients in a large bowl. Then prepare pistou, see below.

Pistou

1 cup basil leaves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic, smashed
1/4 cup olive oil

Place first three ingredients in blender, add olive oil in a thin stream and puree until smooth. Or grind in mortar and pestle, which is the more traditional way to prepare this.

Drizzle pistou and balsamic vinegar on salad, add salt and pepper to taste, toss and serve.

Makes 4 generous servings.

Not My Father's Tuna

My dad is not from the cooks and one of the few memories I have of him cooking is when he made us lunch on the weekends. It was then he would prepare regular old tuna sandwiches on toast. This meant Bumble Bee White Albacore, with celery and Hellmann's Mayonnaise.

Back in the Seventies, tuna was a mainstay of our diets. I am sure we ate it at least once a week, if not more. In fact it was part of one of my all time favorite dishes, tuna casserole, but that story is for another day.

I recall those innocent tuna days of yesteryear since now I rarely eat it. Which is a shame since I really love tuna but feel a tremendous guilt about eating it. I certainly don't want to play a part in depleting the wild tuna population, nor do I wish to regularly ingest mercury during mealtime (or anytime). And so I save tuna for rare occasions. Today was one of them.

Izzy and I shared a can of "Wild Pole- Caught Tuna" (supposedly less toxic than others) for lunch. I prepared it with chopped baby celery from my csa share, orange zest, a few squeezes of orange juice, mayo and salt and pepper.

I highly recommend adding citrus zest and juice to canned tuna. It refreshes the fish, something mayonnaise alone, cannot do. The sandwich I made may not have been my father's tuna but it reminded me of those tuna days anyway.

High Hopes For Lunch: A 28 Year Reunion

The Facebook world, while frequently irritating and mundane, also holds great potential. For me it is the promise of reconnecting with a great friend from my past. Several months ago, my friend J., who was my summer camp best friend during those delicate teenaged years of 15 and 16, found me on Facebook and we had a brief correspondence. We both shared fond memories of our time together at camp and pondered over why we hadn't remained in touch.

Recently when he posted that he would be visiting the New York area, I suggested that we meet. He offered to come to Jersey City for lunch. We both secretly thought it would be strange but something compelled us to give it a go. He wondered why I would allow "a strange man" into my house, and I wondered over the general oddness of it all. What did I really know about his grown-up self, aside from the fact that he had once dyed his hair black ( I forgot to tell him that I had done the same at one time) and had taken up ballet (forgot to ask if he still does it). Would I know him? How would time have changed the adorably sweet teenaged boy with whom I had frittered away the days playing backgammon and endless blabbing.

And then there was the issue of lunch. I had planned to make lunch for him. I imagined Heirloom Pea Pancakes with a side of Brebis Blanche cheese and a tossed salad. I even envisioned dessert. Alas my plans were far too ambitious.

When morning came, I became caught up with all of the above ponderings and couldn't settle down enough to actually cook. The very concept of seeing such a long lost friend made it too difficult to concentrate on cooking. Despite the fact that I had a fridge bursting with things to be eaten, I decided that easiest would be best.

When J. finally arrived I ushered him into the kitchen and we began to catch up on all of the long lost years. I had food on the table and eventually got around to creating a few sandwiches with Pecararo bread, fresh mozzarella, avocados and basil from the garden. The food was clearly secondary to the conversation as the day would not have been long enough for us to fit in all of those lost years. Our conversation was just as easy as it had been, so many summers ago. Snippets of our lives were pieced together, memories shared and the afternoon floated away, with a brief pause to pick Izzy up from the camp bus stop. J. came along and once back home we looked at pictures.

Izzy was surprised to see how we looked way back when. Below we are in our usual poses, lounging in J's room, chatting the night away.

L.B. Camp White Oaks: circa 1980

J. A.: Camp White Oaks: circa 1980

We finally took a break to take Izzy (and ourselves) to get gelato. Here we are, post-gelato.







We each may have had a few reservations about meeting but they were quickly put to rest. It is plain see that our reunion was a success. Here's hoping that I don't have to wait another 28 years for the next one. And next time I promise to prepare a better lunch!

Peanut Butter, Pickles and a Peach: A Full Lunchbox And An Empty Stomach (First Day of Camp Liberty)

Many parents in Jersey City, eagerly await the day when their child turns six, for that is the age when they are old enough to attend Camp Liberty, a much loved day camp situated somewhere within Liberty State Park.

I can't say that I was nearly as eager as the others but I had heard many good things about the camp so I signed Izzy up. The first day of camp was a big day for Izzy in many ways. It was his first time taking a big, yellow school bus, which picked him up around the corner from our house. We waited for it to arrive, along with many of the neighborhood children. He barely gave me a backwards glance when it was his turn to get on and he waved as the bus pulled off.

I worried about him all day: Would he put on enough sunblock? Would he go swimming? Who would he play with? Would he use the bathroom? And most of all..Would he be hungry? You might think me foolish for worrying but as it turns out, my food fretting was for well-founded.

When Izzy descended from the bus he looked less than pleased. And for good reason.
He was quite hungry. I had packed him an ample lunch which included a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, 2 pickles and a giant white peach. I was told that they were not allowed to have a snack, which meant that he went from 8:15 until noon with nothing in his belly except for 2 blueberry pancakes and a glass of grapefruit juice. He complained that during the morning he was hungry and was told he had to wait until lunch. One needn't be a nutritionist to know that it is not healthy, for child or adult to go nearly four hours without a snack.

When lunchtime finally arrived, Izzy claimed there was not enough time to finish so he only ate 3/4 of his sandwich. Not only that but his peach met a sad fate as it had turned to mush. To add to his mood, he never used to wc the entire day. My poor boy. Is it any wonder he looked so unhappy?

On the bright side, he returned full of many details of the day, the most positive surrounding art projects he had worked on. His pocket was full of pins that he had made and he proudly displayed them and then told of another project in the making.

If only he could snack and have more time for eating, his camp experience might improve. Let's see what tomorrow will bring.

Lettuce In My Lunch...

Just picked from my garden, sprinkled with salt and served with avocado and smoked salmon.

Izzy Protests Asparagus: Two Bad Lunches In A Week.

Today it was Spinach Fettuccine With Ramps and Asparagus. Not my best work, I'll admit. The asparagus did not shine the way they do with a simple mustard vinaigrette, which is the way we usually eat them.

Izzy came home with the remaining asparagus tips, sitting sadly at the bottom of his container. What a shame. Especially since he has been known to fight for the last stalk with his papa.

When I queried as to why he hadn't eaten them the answer didn't surprise. "I just didn't like them. They were not as good as the asparagus that you usually make." I couldn't disagree but tried to explain that even though they were not as good, they were not inedible.

No Lunch Surprises...I should follow my own advice

Moms are always wondering what to pack in their kid's lunchbox and I am always quick to offer all manner of advice. One rule is that you should always pack foods that your child has already eaten and enjoyed. This is a rule I have always adhered to and Izzy has happily eaten nearly all of his lunches.

But the other day my friend S. had prepared a lovely orzo salad with pine nuts and currants for our bbq. Izzy hadn't tried any because he was too giddy with hot dog mania but it was tasty and I was certain he would be happy to have it for lunch the next day. The next morning I packed a container full into his lunch bag and sent him off.

Well imagine my surprise when he returned home, barely having touched it. He said, "Mama. Did you make that lunch?" I said, "No." He said, "Next time don't give me lunch that you didn't make. I only want the lunches you make." If only he had tasted it the night before...

A Warm Sandwich On A Cold Day: Ingredients Count

Izzy and I had this for lunch..good for breakfast too...

Crack a fresh egg from Tello's Green Farm into a small cast iron pan, to which a bit of butter has been added. Allow to set slightly and then stir to break yolk. Flip and cook a minute or two on the underside. Place on top of one slice of bakery fresh bread or roll. Shave a bit of Bobolink Dairy Cave-Aged Cheddar on top, along with a few slices of ripe avocado and some baby spinach leaves.

Singing The Lunchtime Blues...

Sandwiches coming home untouched, pasta barely eaten, Izzy's lunchbox was coming home in a sorry state. Something was surely amiss in the lunchroom but I knew not what. So I adjusted his lunch and instead of the usual two to three items, I put one measly sandwich or a small amount of pasta and vegetables.

Gone were any notions of packing a lunch like Albert's (including a whole array of delicacies) who is a character in one of our favorite story books, Bread and Jam for Frances. Instead I resigned myself to packing a paltry lunch for Izzy and then having a snack fiend arrive home from school at three o'clock and eat non-stop until dinner.

The reason for this odd eating behavior (which has also afflicted many of Izzy's schoolmates): a change in lunchtime. Lunch is now eaten at 11:30 instead of noon. After eating breakfast at 8:30 and snack at who knows when, it is no wonder that Izzy is not quite hungry for lunch at 11:30. Haven't they heard of elevenses?

Parents have voiced their concerns but since the lunch hour was changed as a result of various park issues, the lunch hour is likely to remain as is. It is up to the parents to come up with solutions.

Some mentioned serving smaller breakfasts, which I am opposed to doing. Isn't breakfast supposed to be the most important meal of the day? Other ideas that might prove more effective are: limiting snack portions, offering lighter snacks such as fruit, and allowing access to lunchboxes after park time.

An early lunchtime is certainly not ideal but neither is school lunching in general. If only we lived in France, where many school children still go home for lunch..

Cookbooks Calling: A Visit To "Aunt Lil"

Blogging does have some perks. For that is how I met L., a woman who lives right here in Jersey City. We had been corresponding via email for a few months and I finally had the chance to meet her.

She offered me an opportunity I just couldn't pass up; a visit to see her 86 year old Aunt Lil, who has a cookbook collection that she would like to discard. So I tagged along with L. and her friend J. to meet Aunt Lil and peruse the collection.

Aunt Lil is a real treasure, a feisty Sicilian-American who has more energy than most young people I know. Although she is still quite active, she seemed delighted to be divesting of this vast collection, recognizing that she probably wouldn't be using most of them. In fact she said that ten cookbooks would have been enough for her but collecting just got out of hand.

Her cookbook collection, several shelves and bins worth, spanned decades from the 1950's until recently today. The highlights were a bread section and Italian baking and cooking. She made it clear that the Italian books were off limits for the moment, which was too bad since some of the titles were intriguing. But I couldn't be too disappointed since there were countless other types of cookbooks mixed in, from Amish to Irish, with church in between.

I came away with 25 books (don't tell my husband who thinks I should be tossing the ones I already own), including some classics like The Moosewood Cookbook and a 1953 copy of Better Homes and Gardens.

This won't be the last you hear of those books as I take a closer look at them and try a recipe or too. But our day wasn't only about books.

I also had the pleasure of lunching with Aunt Lil at a brand-new restaurant in Nutley, which L. had spied during her travels. Farm 2 Bistro is an adorable place to stop for lunch or dinner. The limited menu features ingredients from local farmers' markets, along with Palazzolo's gelato.




Aunt Lil had quite an appetite and managed to finish 3/4 of her Monte Cristo sandwich. My pulled pork tacos were filling and tasty too. We were all content with our meals but so full that we had no room to try the gelato. That will have to be for another time.



Overall, this small, rustically decorated restaurant is worth a short detour. If you live in Jersey City, this is but a 20 minute drive and definitely worth the trip.

This Season's Lunchbox

Izzy's old lunch bag finally had to be retired. It had a good life (two years) but with holes poking through the bottom the time had come to bid it adios.

It was easy to find a new one because I went straight back to the Mimi the Sardine website to see what was new. Izzy and I looked together and found this new lunch backpack which is just the right size, roomier than the last bag and so portable. I wanted the jungle version (I might just get it for myself) but Izzy favored the penguins.

These are an adorable safe lunch bag option. No lead, plastic or Dora* to worry about.

*Montessori schools discourage children from wearing or carrying items emblazoned with movie or t.v. characters..bravo to them!

First Day Of Kindergarten: What's In Izzy's Lunch Bag?

My boy has gone off to kindergarten. And what a sad day it was (for me, that is). He scampered off like a puppy dog, nary a backward glance. I guess I'd better get used to it. His kindergarten is a Montessori school that he has been attending for the past two years so it wasn't a scary new school experience. He was happy to return to his comfortably familiar classroom and reconnect with his friends. I knew he would have a fine day. My main concern was his lunch.

Yesterday we were considering lunch together. What he would like and that sort of thing. He said, "You will be eating lunch all by yourself tomorrow while I am at school (sure kid, rub it in)." I told him that although we wouldn't be lunching together, we would be having the same thing. Leftovers! As always, transforming dinner into lunch is the easy way to go.

red quinoa,

mini lamb burgers (cut into bite sized pieces)

yellow and red heirloom tomatoes (cut up into bite-sized pieces)

New Zealand spinach saute

Except for a few complaints, Izzy had a fine day. And a fine lunch too if I do say so myself.

Working Up An Appetite: A Weekend Of Demolition, Concrete Mixtures, All Manner Of Dusty Messes AND Pizza Bread

Why would we spend a such a glorious weekend up to our ears in debris and dusk you ask?

I have only myself to blame. I was trying to perform minor adjustments on our door when I ripped it plumb out of its frame. Something had to be done (which was abundantly clear long ago). A. went to inspect and upon removing the door, opened up a whole new can of worms, involving demolition, step restoration and other things that a five year old seems to find infinitely exciting. So enthralling in fact he wouldn't come near me for the entire weekend, except of course for mealtimes.

All of those walks to Home Depot (at least eight throughout the weekend), along with bang booming, stirring, spraying, mixing, pouring and other strenous tasks, made for two ravenous labourers. I had to provide a rib sticking lunch.



My Saturday bread discovery meshed perfectly with my lunch plans.

Behold the "pizza bread", which is how the owner of Pecoraro referred to this wonderfully soft and pliable round loaf. According to her, "It's perfect for the baby" (I guess 5 is a baby to oldsters). I looks like a giant bialy with a whole in the middle.

Perfect for layering to make a gargantuan sandwich. A pillowy showcase for a classic tomato, mozzarella and basil drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

We devoured two of these between the three of us and I couldn't wait to go back for more on Sunday.

Sunday morning, with the boys already hard at work, I hopped on my scooter and made my way over to the bakery, only to find there was only one left and it wasn't even 10:30 a.m. I should have reserved in advance, which is apparently, what those in the know do.



Not to worry, we still managed. One pizza bread, one olive bread. Two fabulous sandwiches. This time layered with softly scrambled eggs, jersey tomatoes, avocado, mozzarella and basil.

If you live in Jersey City, get yourself to Pecoraro (Newark Ave between Monmouth and Brunswick) and treat yourself to one of these breads. Otherwise go ask them to make it at your nearest Italian bakery.


Pecoraro Bakery: 279 Newark Ave, Jersey City, New Jersey ( NJ ) 07302 Google Map Mapquest Map
Telephone - (201) 798-0111
Open Tues-Sat. Odd hours, get there before 10:30 a.m. for the best selection.

nb: one sandwich serves one ravenous adult. Half serves a ravenous five year old and a quarter or half per regular appetite.

Thursday In The Park With Friends: Our Journey From Cafe Sabarsky To Grom With Plenty Of Park In Between

The fun all began on the East Side, with our friends D. and daughter T., at Cafe Sabarsky, the ideal spot before or after a visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

It is just the right mix of elegance and comfort such that I am drawn to it whenever I am in the neighborhood. I find the spatzle and sausages irresistible. Izzy shares in my affection for the place as we have going there since he was three months old. We both ordered the aforementioned dishes, one for each of us and our friends did the same. They shared with one another but Izzy barely allotted me a forkful of his spatzle and practically licked his plate clean. Not only that but he seemed to have more than enough room for a large slice of quark cheesecake for dessert. At least I had the good sense to get my own dessert, Quark Strudel which seemed more rustic and eggy than ordinary strudel.


After spending so long at the table, the kids needed to go run and jump in the park, instead of the museum which was our original destination. Our stroll to the park turned into a day in Central Park. We stopped at a few playgrounds and wound up at the sailboat pond.


Izzy and T. managed to maneuver their boats while the moms were able to chat (we haven't seen each other in five years!).

Sailboats sailed, it was on to the rowboats.

At first I thought that I would be in charge of all of the rowing but when my arms tired out, D. took over. She managed with a bit of direction. Doesn't she look elegant?

After rowing our mission was Grom gelato, and T. and Izzy were clamoring for it. We got side-tracked on the way when we came upon this...

The Van Leeuwen Ice Cream Truck. All of a sudden we were in the midst of an ice cream tasting. Surprisingly, true artisanal American ice cream is harder to come by in New York than gelato so I was thrilled with our good fortune. We agreed upon six flavors from here, followed by a quick trip up to Zabar's and then back to Grom for some gelato.

It was a blur of ice cream and food shopping and we finally left our friends after six p.m., at which point Izzy was still hungry for dinner. And apparently my friends were hungry for more ice cream as they promptly returned to the Van Leeuwen truck to sample more, since they would be leaving New York and not have another opportunity. This ice cream is worthy of seconds and a detour!

Izzy and were exhausted from all of that walking and eating so we hopped in a cab and met A. for dinner but that is for another story.

Purple Romaine: Our First Harvest

Last week we snipped some leaves from our lettuce crop. Izzy and I tiptoed out on the dewy morning grass and brought in enough leaves for his lunch. He needed to sample one immediately. The verdict? "This is not lettuce. It tastes like purple spinach. Can I have some more?"

I was going to make him a cheese sandwich but all he wanted was "Lettuce and Mayonnaise." At first I bristled at the thought of a mayonnaise sandwich but have since gotten used to it and try to find other ways of incorporating protein into his lunch. Especially since I see many more lettuce sandwiches in his future. Apparently you can snip the outer leaves of the lettuce heads and leaves will continue to grow.

Spice Boy: Definitely His Father's Son

A peek inside Izzy's lunch bag and I can see he is his father's son. As I have mentioned, A. douses all of my delectable meals with hot sauce of one kind or another. More recently, Izzy has taken to adding extra chili oil to his tofu, and I approve since I like a bit of that on my tofu too.

This morning when I told him he was having our leftover tofu for lunch, he asked if he could bring the spice bottle with him. I guess I didn't realize what a crucial component it was to his meal. His teachers must certainly have been amused when he asked them to shake some on his food.

What's next? A stash of hot pepper flakes and a spice bottle to match every food?