June 15, 2012 was the last time to grab a delicious burger and shake from the establishment. I was honored that the owners selected me to break the news about their family business closing in this blog.
June 15, 2012 was the last time to grab a delicious burger and shake from the establishment. I was honored that the owners selected me to break the news about their family business closing in this blog. The original blog post and comments can be found on Patch at the above link. You can also enlarge the uploaded document by clicking on Fullscreen.
0 Comments
Pork Roll is about as iconic to New Jersey as Bon Jovi and Springsteen. If you don't know what it is, you're missing out. Come on in, and I'll tell you what it's all about. For those NJ natives, how do you enjoy pork roll? Here are some of my favorite ways and findings of what other Jerseyites feel is the perfect way to sink your teeth into this savory, tangy meat. Pork roll, or Taylor Ham – it doesn’t really matter what you call it – has become as iconic to New Jersey food culture as cheese steaks have to Philly or pizza has to New York. It’s that savory and salty sliced sausage-like meat that you can find at almost every Jersey diner or deli for breakfast or on a late-night menu. People love it so much that there’s a website you can use to have it shipped all over the country, because it’s really hard to get your hands on it outside of the New Jersey / New York area. I was born in New Jersey, but then lived in Florida for a few years as a young child. When my family moved back to the Garden State, one of my first “new” food memories was of my grandmother frying up some sunny-side eggs and Taylor Ham for lunch. The aroma filled her house and seduced me to come in from playing outside in the yard. My younger brother was captivated by the tangy flavor of the meat that was even more delicious after dipping it in the runny egg yolk on your plate. He was a toddler at the time when he would request “hats” for breakfast or lunch, since the round slices puff up in the center before the first flip when you fry them, reminded him of little sombreros. My daughter’s first food that she was able to stab with her fork when learning to eat with silverware was pork roll. The familial love for pork roll must be genetic because she developed a liking for its salty satisfying flavor, too. One of my new favorite pastimes is walking up to the WaWa first thing in the morning and grabbing their version of a pork roll, egg, and cheese on a bagel, and bringing it to the beach with me in my bag. This way I can enjoy the sunrise over the ocean and hear the sound of waves crashing, as I sink my teeth into bite after buttery bite of breakfast at the Jersey shore. A while back, I came across an expansion of the Jersey deli delicacy’s use at a small restaurant when I tried what they coined as the “Dirty Jersey Burger” – Taylor Ham, a fried egg, and cheese served on a bun with your burger. It’s now my favorite way to enjoy my beef on a bun. (As a side note, I’m learning that serving a fried or poached egg and savoring the yolk as it breaks open over many dishes enhances enjoyment of the experience: salads, pasta, and now even on a burger to boot!) Pork roll. Taylor Ham. If you’re from ‘Jersey’ it’s a pretty sure bet you know what this is. But, there are very staunch ideas about the ‘correct’ way to prepare and enjoy it. My friends and I were having a discussion recently about just that point. I think a majority agreed that the quintessential ‘pork roll, egg & cheese’ (sandwich) all begins when you start out with one of those irreplaceable New York / New Jersey bagels you find in any coffee shop or deli throughout the state. The bagel needs to be lightly toasted and sufficiently buttered, though; and the butter needs to melt. But the first point of contention was: do you serve it up with pork roll, egg, and cheese? Or do we omit the egg? I vote for leaving the egg on it. I’ve had it with a scrambled, fried, or an over-easy egg, where you bite into the sandwich and the gooey yellow yolk oozes out a bit and makes a wondrous flavorful sauce to the sandwich. Oh, and the egg, if you choose to put it in this classic New Jersey breakfast sandwich – must be in the middle, according to most NJ residents who have weighed in on the subject. The combination apparently dictates the order of the layers in its name. Who knew? I say that true Jerseyites serve it up, warm and toasty, so the melty butter drips over the juicy pork roll, and the gooey cheese. However, there are those that doctor it up with ketchup, mustard, or both. No matter how you enjoy it, this mouthwatering creation is so notorious; you don’t even need to explain that it is a sandwich! ‘Pork roll, egg and cheese’ will suffice when placing your order at any roadside diner. Some people like their pork roll served up on a bagel, others vote for a roll, some say the roll needs to be very specific: a Kaiser roll at that, and yet there is another camp of Jerseyites who says that an English muffin is the way to go. Then we have the cheese argument. The most popular choice that I’ve seen people agree on is use American cheese when possible. Coming in second place in the informal survey was cheddar. Pork roll also comes in two thicknesses: regular and thick – and I recently learned you can even slice your own. However you slice it or have it sliced, it didn’t seem to make a difference when composing a pork roll, egg and cheese. As long as you have it on your sandwich, you’re good to go. Beyond the sandwich, I find frying it up and enjoying it with some eggs on the side works just fine. And now that I know a burger can be improved upon when adding a slice or two, why not add that to the repertoire of recipes as well! For those testing out the pork roll waters for the first time, here’s what I recommend to do. Fry an egg side by side with 2 slices of pork roll in a pan with melted butter. Flip the pork roll once while cooking. Lightly toast a bagel. Slather the bagel with butter. Stack the pork roll, egg, and then a slice of American cheese in-between the top and bottom of the sliced bagel, and voila! It’s a few slices of heaven in your hands. Several slices of pork roll come in a box and sometimes you may not use them all. Or, if you order your pork roll online, you might be wondering what to do with the extra amounts you receive. Did you know that you can freeze the extra packages of pork roll that you don't want to use up right away? Just throw them in the freezer as soon as they arrive – package and all – unopened. And once you open a package of pork roll, just re-wrap the unused slices in some waxed paper followed by some foil, and it will keep in your refrigerator deli bin for 3 - 4 days. What’s your favorite way to enjoy pork roll? I’m sure it has a lot of versatility and enjoyability! http://hillsborough.patch.com/blog_posts/pork-roll-its-not-just-for-breakfast-anymore http://rumson.patch.com/blog_posts/pork-roll-its-not-just-for-breakfast-anymore-ffd6bb27 The original blog post and comments can be found on Patch at the above links. You can also enlarge the uploaded document by clicking on Fullscreen.
Just witching.... I mean switching it up a bit.... ;) Is he lighting some incense and using aromatic oils? She's always using herbal remedies. What can this all mean? http://rumson.patch.com/blog_posts/something-witchy-this-way-comes-or-does-it-0adc5af7#photo-8423271 http://hillsborough.patch.com/blog_posts/something-witchy-this-way-comesor-does-it The original blog post and comments can be found on Patch at the above links. You can also enlarge the uploaded document by clicking on Fullscreen.
I think it's time for another Constitutional Amendment: The right to eat, drink, or otherwise consume what we want. America is all about the freedom to choose. The government should not get to decide what people put in their bodies, period. I have so much to say about New York City’s proposed ban on large size sugary drinks at restaurants, movie theaters, sports arenas, delis, and fast food franchises, that I don’t know where to start. For one, do we really need a governing body to do something for us that should be within the limits of our own self control!?! I’m outraged, and insulted. First they are trying to tell us how much soda we are allowed to consume – what’s next? Limiting drive thrus to serve you no more than once a month? How about enforcing a law which allows a person to only eat ten French fries per week? Have people lost all sense of moderation that the government sees us as being incapable of deciding for ourselves how much we can and can’t eat? (or in this case drink) Apparently our leaders think that we, the general public, are just too stupid to know when enough is enough. Thanks for the insult, Mayor Bloomberg. If people want to consume more of any substance than they “should”, that’s their prerogative. This kind of legislation will do nothing other than cause cola companies to generate more plastic bottles to pollute our planet, and allow them to get richer at the same time. Sales won’t decline. People will buy just as much soda or sugary juice as before. Except now they will have to buy it in smaller sizes. This leads to a higher production cost per unit for the manufacturer, ballpark, or restaurant; and in turn that cost will be passed along to the consumer. Coke and Pepsi must be loving this legislation. They stand to profit off of it, for sure. If this proposal passes, who is to say that other cities and states won’t adopt the same measures? And if they do, there will be no more picking up a two liter bottle of Coke at the pizza parlor on your way home to share with the family. Why? Because Chinese food establishments and pizza places are restaurants, and they will now only be allowed to stock bottles 16 ounces or less of sweet beverages. There will be no more “super sizing it” either. On this point, I see both the good and the bad. First of all, I really don’t think there’s a need for anyone to consume more than 16 ounces of soda in one sitting. That’s just gluttony. If you’re still thirsty after having that much pop to drink, then perhaps you should hydrate with some good old H20. On the other hand, when people order the largest beverage size, they usually get it with ice, when it’s served in a cup. Ice takes up at least half of the volume if not more. So in reality, even if you sprang for 32 ounces of fizzy liquid sugar that could clean battery terminals or remove rust, you’re still left with about 16 ounces of government okayed soda to imbibe. By the way, free refills would be still be allowed when you order, so you can call it the proverbial back door to working your way around this legislation. Also, this ban is discriminatory. It does not apply to diet sodas or drinks. That’s like saying if you drink as much diet soda as you want to, it’s perfectly fine, perfectly safe, and it won’t make you fat. That is a completely false statement. In large quantities, diet soda has been shown to both promote obesity and the artificial sweeteners increase drinkers’ risk of developing diabetes. And if that doesn’t concern you, what about the increased risk of stroke, cancer, and kidney damage? But I guess if you aren’t “fat”, according to Mayor Bloomberg, you won’t mind having chemo or getting dialysis. I don’t want any governing body force feeding me or preventing me from making personal choices. Instead of legislating common sense, maybe moderation should be practiced on the personal level. Although Bloomberg’s bubbly beverage ban won’t be affecting the town where I live, I am opposed to the precedent that this could set for future legislation. For the record, I have never, ever supersized a soda in my life. There’s just no need. But I don’t believe in a supersize government either. http://rumson.patch.com/blog_posts/bloombergs-bubbly-beverage-ban-a92c0530 http://woodbridge.patch.com/blog_posts/bloombergs-bubbly-beverage-ban-a92c0530 http://middletown-nj.patch.com/blog_posts/bloombergs-bubbly-beverage-ban-a92c0530 http://littllesilver.patch.com/blog_posts/bloombergs-bubbly-beverage-ban-a92c0530 http://matawan-aberdeen.patch.com/blog_posts/bloombergs-bubbly-beverage-ban-a92c0530 http://redbank.patch.com/blog_posts/bloombergs-bubbly-beverage-ban-a92c0530 http://bayside.patch.com/blog_posts/bloombergs-bubbly-beverage-ban-5d08eaf5 http://hillsborough.patch.com/blog_posts/bloombergs-bubbly-beverage-ban http://marlboro-coltsneck.patch.com/blog_posts/bloombergs-bubbly-beverage-ban-a92c0530 http://manalapan.patch.com/blog_posts/bloombergs-bubbly-beverage-ban-a92c0530 The blog post and additional comments can also be found on Patch at the above links.
The version of the blog that went national on Patch is the one that was published in Rumson-Fair Haven. This is where the majority of readers' comments can be found, as well. Subsequently, another writer was intrigued by my blog, and expressed her own thoughts on the matter in a blog of her own. I am very flattered, and think she is extremely courteous for mentioning that my original blog inspired hers. Here is a link to her blog: http://rumson.patch.com/blog_posts/will-bloombergs-beverage-ban-boost-americas-health#comment_3579555 Ready, set, tattoo!? There’s a way to try before you buy the real thing, and I don’t mean the kiddie Cracker Jack box kind. I've been on the fence about getting a tattoo for years. I wonder - what will be the determining factor in my decision to get inked - or not. http://hillsborough.patch.com/blog_posts/temporary-tattoo-insanity http://rumson.patch.com/blog_posts/temporary-tattoo-insanity-047597a1 http://chatham.patch.com/blog_posts/temporary-tattoo-insanity http://baskingridge.patch.com/blog_posts/temporary-tattoo-insanity http://warren.patch.com/blog_posts/temporary-tattoo-insanity http://bridgewater.patch.com/blog_posts/temporary-tattoo-insanity http://madison.patch.com/blog_posts/temporary-tattoo-insanity http://parsippany.patch.com/blog_posts/temporary-tattoo-insanity http://triboro.patch.com/blog_posts/temporary-tattoo-insanity http://middletown-nj.patch.com/blog_posts/temporary-tattoo-insanity-047597a1 http://littlesilver.patch.com/blog_posts/temporary-tattoo-insanity-047597a1 The original blog post and comments can be found on Patch at the above links. You can also enlarge the uploaded document by clicking on Fullscreen. Ever wish schools would offer classes in more practical subjects to prepare you for everyday life? I do. Here are a few suggestions for additional instructive add-ons, prior to graduation. http://hillsborough.patch.com/blog_posts/essential-subjects http://rumson.patch.com/blog_posts/essential-subjects-c786221d http://middletown-nj.patch.com/blog_posts/essential-subjects-1e6f976b http://bridgewater.patch.com/blog_posts/essential-subjects http://longvalley.patch.com/blog_posts/essential-subjects http://morris.patch.com/blog_posts/essential-subjects http://baskingridge.patch.com/blog_posts/essential-subjects http://triboro.patch.com/blog_posts/essential-subjects The original blog post and comments can be found on Patch at the above links. You can also enlarge the uploaded document by clicking on Fullscreen.
I'm officially rolling out the RED carpet! Introducing The Lady in Red Blog - there's no topic too terrific for her not to tackle! http://rumson.patch.com/blog_posts/let-me-introduce-you-to-the-lady-in-red-cd32b5ff http://hillsborough.patch.com/blog_posts/let-me-introduce-you-to-the-lady-in-red The original blog post and comments can be found on Patch at the above link. You can also enlarge the uploaded document by clicking on Fullscreen.
Just when you think greeting card companies have come up with the words to express every emotion for all occasions out there, they come up with more. Happy "Beer"thday! http://rumson.patch.com/blog_posts/a-card-for-every-occasion-i-mean-every-one-d1f50aa0 http://hillsborough.patch.com/blog_posts/a-card-for-every-occasioni-mean-every-one The original blog post and comments can be found on Patch at the above link. You can also enlarge the uploaded document by clicking on Fullscreen.
Weis Markets is opening a location in Hillsborough. Here is an update on when it may happen and where in the process things are right now. The original blog post and comments can be found on Patch at the above link. You can also enlarge the uploaded document by clicking on Fullscreen.
NJ artistic photographer, Daryl Meek, will be debuting many never published, Jersey-centric, custom-framed pieces of photographic art at the HAT Tavern on 5/7/12. The photographs will be on display and available for purchase for several weeks after the opening. Here’s more about his one-man show! http://hillsborough.patch.com/blog_posts/hillsborough-artistic-photographers-one-man-show-to-debut http://summit.patch.com/blog_posts/artistic-photographers-one-man-show-to-debut-in-summit-at-hat-tavern-may-7 http://rumson.patch.com/blog_posts/jersey-shore-artistic-photography-exhibit-debuts-may-7 The original blog post and comments can be found on Patch at the above links. You can also enlarge the uploaded document by clicking on Fullscreen.
|
Brisk's New Home
I wrote a children's book with my daughter! Order your copy on Amazon here (it's in an ebook too!) Would you like a personalized VIDEO message from me? I can wish you
Happy Birthday! I can answer your questions! Or I can just say "hi". Click HERE to order your PERSONAL video of me that you can keep FOREVER for only $10! Read TheLadyinRed's interview with Trainwreck'd Society here!
Read TheLadyinRed's latest interview with PopGeeks magazine here!Exclusive interview with TheLadyinRed in the current issue of
|