Interfaith Hospitality Network Dream Dinner at Hunterdon Central

Hunterdon Central students will host a Dream Dinner to benefit the Interfaith Hospitality Network of Hunterdon County, Inc.

The dinner will be held from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on March 25 in the Commons at Hunterdon Central Regional High School. Adult tickets are available for $8, children 12 years old and under are $3. Tickets can be purchased at the door the night of the event.

The menu includes pasta, salad, bread, dessert and beverages, all donated by local businesses. All proceeds from this Dream Dinner will benefit the Interfaith Hospitality Network.

The Interfaith Hospitality Network is the community response for homeless families. The organization assists homeless and low-income families in Hunterdon County by providing counseling, case management and mentoring services in addition to providing temporary housing, meals and other physical needs.

Guinness glass giveaway alert

Posted via The Food Chain » Flemington

From Mark Spivey of "Draft Picks":

"If anyone's in the area, Little Brothers Beverage Depot on Church Street in Flemington is giving out 2 free 250th anniversary Guinness pint glasses and accompanying Guinness keychains with any purchase of actual Guinness."

Mark says this is a St. Patrick's Day promotion running through Wednesday!

Main Street Manor Palm Reading Class

Joan Narvaez will teach a Palmistry Class from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 7 at the Main Street Manor Bed & Breakfast, 194 Main Street in Flemington. Narvaez will teach the ancient art of palm reading as a fun & powerful tool for modern self-assessment.

As receptors for your entire nervous system, the palms of your hands are the road map of your life. Find out what they say about you and how to read the signs for yourself and others. Joan will take a broom to the cobwebs surrounding palmistry and will teach a modern practice perspective on this ancient art. Both fun and informative, this class will give you all the tools you need to understand and interpret the personality portrait of any hand.
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Two More Child Abuse Arrests in County

FLEMINGTON… Two Hunterdon County men were arrested and charged this week in separate incidents of abuse against juveniles.

The Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office Sex Crimes Unit on Friday announced the arrests of Hany Khadr, 64, of the Annandale section of Clinton Township, and Samuel Sanchez, 31, of the Hunter Hills Apartments in Flemington, on separate charges of abuse against juveniles.

As a result of information received, the Prosecutor’s Office Sex Crimes Unit and Raritan Township Police Department conducted a joint investigation that led to the arrest on March 5 of Khadr. Khadr was charged with one count each of aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child under the age of 13 during the month of March. He was remanded to the Hunterdon County Jail, in lieu of $150,000 bail, no 10 percent.
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Spirit Gallery benefits NORWESCAP’s Career & Life Transitions Center for Women

Trish Woods, Psychic and Medium, will present a Spirit Gallery to benefit the Career & Life Transitions Center for Women at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 12 in the Little Theater at Hunterdon Central High School.

Trish, along with two other mediums, Jeanne Pacheco and Beth Lee, communicate with those in the Afterlife. They will work separately the first hour and in tandem the second hour. Tandem readings with three mediums is something that is rarely seen anywhere in the world. Trish invites you to come and experience the joy and love from your friends and loved ones in the Spiritworld and at the same time support the Career & Life Transitions Center, a vital community support organization. Please view www.trishwoods.com or call 908-722-2439 for further details about this Medium Gallery event.
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HIV-positive Hunterdon man charged with sexual assault against 2nd juvenile

Read more from this author at MyCentralJersey.com: !

Soup update

Posted via The Food Chain » Flemington

From the Rotary Clubs, the results of Monday's Hunterdon County Soup Cook-Off:

Bragging rights to the Best Soup in Hunterdon County was earned by Chef Christopher Beall from Lambertville Station for his “Crab and Corn Chowder.” The Lambertville Station will be able to display the SOUPER BOWL trophy for a year, until the next competition in February 2011.

The Hunterdon Rotary Clubs of Flemington, North Hunterdon, Clinton Sunrise, Lambertville-New Hope sponsored the annual event.

The Silver Medal winning soup was “Tomato Bisque” presented by Joe Clyde of the Sergeantsville Inn. The Bronze Medal winning soup was “Chicken and Sausage Gumbo” presented by Brit Ash of Cook to Order/South Main Bistro in Flemington. More than 300 people attended the event and almost $4,000 was raised for food pantries in Hunterdon County. The event was sponored this year by Shop Rite of Hunterdon County.

The event also spotlighted local Rotary clubs and the service projects of Rotary International in the community and the world. The Haitian Relief effort of Rotary International was demonstrated through the Shelter Box program, which provides a large tent, supplies and water purification for 10 persons.

Other participating restaurants included:
55 Main
Baker's Treat
Basil Bandwagon
Beaver Brook Country Club
California Grill
Max's 22 Ristorante
Milford Oyster House
Mom's Restaurant
Mountain View Chalet

In the soup in Hunterdon

Posted via The Food Chain » Flemington

Augusto F. Menezes/MyCentralJersey

I wasn't able to be at the Hunterdon Rotary's annual Soup Cook-Off at the Hunterdon Central Regional High School Commons in Flemington last night, but photographer Augusto Menezes was, and he captured lots of the steamy goodness being sampled, in his photo gallery.

Tomato bisque, Sergeantsville Inn (LOIS HEYMAN photo)

I don't know who won this year, and Gus didn't find out either, because his deadline rolled around before the winner was announced. But I do know Ed Coss from the Milford Oyster House won last year for his crab soup, and I also happened to have sampled one entry on my own this week, the Sergeantsville Inn's tomato bisque, on their premises. I think I just might have had to vote for that one.

Community Diversity Council of Hunterdon County celebrates Black History Month

The Community Diversity6 Council of Hunterdon County will celebrate Black History Month with a program on Feb. 20.

This evening will be a journey from the past to the present and the future. It will be an evening of African dances, fashions, artifacts and a sampling of food from West Africa.

The event begins at 6 p.m. and takes place at James Toyota Scion Kia, 174 Route 202 in Flemington. Admission is free.

Romantic Central Jersey

Posted via The Food Chain » Flemington

At today's MyCentralJersey.com and in the Courier News and Home News Tribune:

Some of Central Jersey's most romantic spots to dine out on Valentine's Day, HERE. See also the photo gallery HERE.

Bernards Inn Executive Chef Corey Heyer is offering a special "Romance for Two" menu for sharing on Valentine's Day. (LOIS HEYMAN/MyCentralJersey)

Hunterdon Watercolor Society to meet

Diana Wilkoc Patton will demonstrate techniques for working with watercolor on smooth surface paper textures at the next meeting of the Hunterdon Watercolor Society.

The meeting takes place from 7 to 9 p.m. on Feb. 1 at the Hunterdon County Library.

The library is at 314 Route, Building 1, in Flemington. For further details, call 908-782-6912.

Lucie Bennett Scholarship Fund Spaghetti Dinner to raise funds

The Lucie Bennett Scholarship Fund Spaghetti Dinner will be held on Feb. 27.

The event will raise funds to encourage Hunterdon Central High School students to enter into the teaching field of special education. A student who has shown the highest desire and passion to commit to a career in this field is awarded the scholarship each year.

The event runs from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Flemington Elks, 165 Route 31 South, in Flemington. The cost is $10; $6 for children younger than 12.

For further details, call 908-894-0141.

Matt’s Red Rooster events

Posted via The Food Chain » Flemington

(Matt's Red Rooster Grill photo)

Matt's Red Rooster Grill in Flemington is offering two special events in the next two weeks: a wine tasting dinner on Wednesday, and fundraising dinners Feb. 2 and 3, during which you can get your knives professionally sharpened.

On Jan. 27, chef/owner Matt McPherson will prepare a six-course dinner paired with seven award-winning wines selected by winemaker Cameron Stark of Unionville Vineyards in Ringoes. The dinner costs $75 per person, with members of the Rooster E-mail Club saving $15 each. Reservations will be accepted between 5:30 and 9 p.m. at the restaurant prior to the dinner.

On Feb. 2 and 3, patrons of Matt's Red Rooster can have their knives professionally sharpened for $5 per knife as they dine. All proceeds will benefit Around for A Cure for diabetes. Each guest will be limited to bringing five knives, for a maximum of $25.

The three-step knife-sharpening process grinds the bevel to develop an equal bevel on both sides of the blade, sets the edge to strengthen the cutting edge and hones the cutting edge to razor sharpness, eliminating any imperfections.

For more information or reservations to these events, call 908-788-7050. Matt's Red Rooster is at 22 Bloomfield Ave., Flemington.

Government & Military Appreciation Month at Liberty Village Premium Outlets

Liberty Village Premium Outlets is holding Government & Military Appreciation Month through Jan. 31.

All employees who work for government agencies including federal, state and local municipal offices as well as all military personnel and their families are invited to show their ID at the Information Center to receive a free VIP Coupon Book (a $5 value) filled with hundreds of dollars in savings offers at participating stores. Featuring 40 outlet stores, from the world’s leading designer and brand names, offering savings of 25 to 65 percent every day.

Liberty Village Premium Outlets  is at  1 Church St. in Flemington. For further details, go to www.premiumoutlets.com/libertyvillage.

Hunterdon Computer Club to meet

The Hunterdon Computer Club will be meeting on Saturday, Jan. 16.

There will be coffee and bagels at 8:30 a.m., with the meeting at 9:30 a.m. The meeting will be followed by a presentation, “How to Sell Amazon.com Products From Your Own Amazon Store or Your Web site.”

The meeting will be held at Hunterdon Medical Center, 2100 Wescott Drive in Flemington.

For more information, go to www.hunterdoncomputerclub.org/index.php.

Free dance program for seniors begins Jan. 21

Seniors, head on over to the Hunterdon County Flemington Senior Center for a free dance program.

The six week group will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Thursdays, beginning Jan. 21. A partner is not required. Those attending will learn swing, disco and charleston dances.

Hunterdon County Flemington Senior Center is at 4 Gauntt Place in Flemington.

For further details, call 908-788-1359.

Foodie fests

Posted via The Food Chain » Flemington

Carol Todd, pastry chef and co-owner of the Market Roost in Flemington, with a tray of her holiday cookies. (LOIS HEYMAN/MyCentralJersey)

It was fun and not as stressful as actually doing a full season of holiday shopping solely at Central Jersey gourmet food shops —visiting more than a dozen and a half of some of the best places to buy baked goods, candies, savory treats and more opened up a whole new world of options, which I'm sharing HERE, and in the photos HERE.

In this week's Foodbasket column, read about food news and upcoming Central Jersey events. In Draft Picks, Mark Spivey rates Harpoon Brewery's Winter Warmer Ale (but mainly waxes poetic about friends and Hanukkah latkes, as he should!)

I received a message from Marie Sperber at the Friends of the Adult Day Center at the VNA in Basking Ridge, who sponsored the Cookie Walk covered here last week, and she says the cookies took a record 45 minutes to sell out last Saturday. Below are before-and-after photos of the cookie trays, and of event co-chairs Sandy Smith and Marilyn King.

2009 Cookie Walk before

2009 Cookie Walk after

2009 Cookie Walk cochairs Sandy Smith and Marilyn King

Dinner and a movie

The Dunellen Theater is a unique hybrid of tavern and movie theater, and in fact bills itself as “New Jersey’s only cinema cafe.” The neighborhood tavern supplies bar food while the refreshment stand in the lobby supplies favorite movie snacks such as popcorn and candy. On the screen are new Disney films and other family fare; check it out.

Last week, popular Food Network TV star Ellie Krieger brought her easy and healthy style of cooking to Hunterdon Medical Center for a demonstration and booksigning, and our correspondent Dominic Serrao was there.

Draft Picks columnist Mark Spivey reflects on how his Irish DNA predisposes him to be a fan of Guinness.

See what else is happening on the Central Jersey food scene and dig into the Foodbasket.

Celebrate Mexico

At Tortuga’s Cocina in Lambertville

Mexican cuisine is great to have anytime, but I always appreciate the folk-art and homemade food traditions of the Mexican religious holiday, Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), in contrast to the cartoony, over-the-top carryings-on that have come to mark American Halloween celebrations during the same week as the Mexican holiday.

Just a few of the wonderful Mexican cooking available to diners in Central Jersey are  discussed here. See photos here, and continue after the jump for a recipe for Pan de Muerto that was originally posted by Jessie Oleson on www.seriouseats.com, adapted from a recipe in “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” by Barbara Kingsolver. Oleson  shaped one of her breads into a commemoration of the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.
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Dvoor farmers’ market returns with holiday edition

Case-Dvoor farmstead in the 1930s, looking much as it does now

The Hunterdon Land Trust Farmers’ Market regular season ended Nov. 1 but the farmers will be back at Dvoor Farm on the Route 12 circle in Raritan Township for a special holiday farmers’ market 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 22 so that shoppers can stock up on Thanksgiving ingredients and holiday gifts.

All-natural, free-range turkey orders placed with Griggstown Quail Farm will be available for pickup at the holiday market, and Griggstown also will be selling fresh pies, soups and gravy. To place turkey orders with Griggstown to be picked up at Dvoor Farm, call 908-359-5218. Other vendors include Phillips Farm, with a large selection of produce and flowers and Comeback Farm, selling organic produce. Highland Gourmet will offer their grass-fed beef, sweet pies and large cookies. Milford Farms will sell all-natural beef and pork. Readington River Buffalo Farm will be selling “America’s original red meat,” including buffalo burgers, steaks and sausage. A variety of local honey and beeswax products, including candles, spreads and soaps will be available from Tassot Apiaries.

The 40-acre Case-Dvoor Farmstead in Raritan Township recently was added to the New Jersey Register of Historic Places. “The listing of this important landmark is a significant step towards ensuring a bright future for the farm’s buildings, mature forested areas and farmland,” said Margaret Waldock, executive director of the Hunterdon Land Trust, which owns the property.