Mar 06

Foodie Shopping Deals

Shop Taste of HomeExclusive 2 Book Set now only $15.99! Includes a free subscription to Taste of Home and FREE shipping! Use code LS133 for free shipping

wine.comStock up on all the glassware and wine tools to entertaining this season and save 20%. Code: 20GLASSWARE. Offer ends March 15, 2013. You can also go into their sister site wineshopper.com to receive a $10.00 credit towards your next order. WineShopper — Daily wine deals of up to 70% off and free shipping on $99 or more. Shop now.


Shop Patterns for a Lifetime at Oneida.com

Looking for some flair on your Easter Table? Look no further.
Take an additional 30% off service for 4, 8 & 12 Flatware Sets with promo code FF30! Hurry, Sale Ends 3/6!

Fresh Direct
Whats for dinner? Where is the milk? Having a good answer is always a good feeling. FreshDirect.com is the answer for dependable deliveries of fresher produce, meat, dairy and more. New Customers, get FREE DELIVERY! Use Code AFCN32 at checkout.

May 10

Capalbo’s Gift Baskets – Clifton New Jersey

Capalbo’s is mainly an online store that carries 100’s of specialty and Gourmet Food Baskets. Those that live in North Jersey are lucky enough to be able to visit their walk in shop located at 350 Allwood Road in Clifton. It carries their quality gift baskets and will also take orders for their many gift items. Exclusive to the store you can also find one of the largest candy bin and Jelly Belly jellybeans displays. Here you can make your own assorted bags and containers.

The store is attached to a 30,000 square foot factory. They have the ability to make one special basket or fill an order for 100’s of baskets. The baskets are filled with a wide variety of items such as Belgian chocolate, Hershey chocolate, Primo Dolce cookies, Columbia Crest wines, and Dom Perignon champagne. The fruit is only the freshest Grade A Extra Fancy and the baskets can be made for any occasion, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, sympathy, housewarming, corporate events, and kosher baskets, to name a few.

The Capalbo Family has been in business for over 104 years. Rose and Domenick Capalbo started the business in 1906 by hand selecting fresh fruits and vegetables at market and then delivering them to affluent families in Essex County.

The company evolved by adding gourmet food items, buying in bulk, and then opening a store front in Nutley, New Jersey. Today you can still find a Capalbo family members at work in their Clifton location.

It is nice to know that there is a place in North Jersey that has been able to sustain itself through hard work, great quality, and outstanding customer service. The added beauty is walking in and browsing the Clifton store or having the convenience of a speedy van delivery to local areas. Many gourmet gift baskets also qualify for free shipping.

Capalbo Gift Baskets has also expanded to Wine Gift Baskets and Adorable Baby Gift Baskets for Baby Boys and Girls

Capalbo’s Gift Baskets
350 Allwood Rd.
Clifton, New Jersey 07012

Store Hours:
Mon – Fri 9AM – 6PM
Saturday 9AM – 4PM
Phone: (973) 667-6262 or (800) 252-6262
Fax: (973) 450-1199

Mar 15

Celtic Themes – A Great Place for St. Patrick’s Day Food and Gifts

Celtic Themes in the heart of Pompton Lakes, New Jersey has everything a North Jersey Foodie needs to celebrate St. Patrick’s day. It is actually three stores in one that carries items from Ireland, Scotland, and Nova Scotia. The owner is Gerry Rooney, who was born and raised in Scotland. He has successfully run Celtic Themes for 15 years with 6 of those years being in his current location. He imports all of his Irish specialty food from Dublin weekly. In the large refrigerator next to the front door you will find Irish sausage, sausage rolls, Irish bacon, meat pies, black and white pudding, and bridies. There is also a large selection of Barry’s Tea, scones, marmalade, HP sauces, drinks, and snacks.

The second specialty store is filled with gifts, jewelry, and apparel from Ireland and Scotland. There is a huge selection packed into this store. They carry a wide variety of women’s, men’s, and children’s jewelry that includes brooches, engagement rings, claddagh rings, and celtic for children. There are hand knit scarves, hats, and even hand made wedding gowns. There are nameless crystal, lenox, and pewter wares.

The third section of this store are kilts, bag pipes and other musical needs. They both sell and rent worldwide. If you do not find what you are looking for in the store Gerry will surely search it out for you.

This store is amazing! There are literally thousands of treasures tucked away in this store for every occasion. It is definitely worth the trip.

Celtic Themes
128 Wanaque Ave
Pompton Lakes, NJ 07442
973-839-4761
www.celticthemesusa.com

Feb 11

Top 3 Kitchen Must-Haves

The Top Three Kitchen Tools You Must Have:

1. A good quality chef’s knife: There are a lot on the market to choose from. First determine what size you want. Large men may want a larger handle as opposed to a female needing something smaller in her hand. The size of the handle has no bearing on the size of the blade. The two best options are high carbon stainless steel and ceramic. The high carbon stainless steel knife has minimal rusting, maintains a sharp edge for a long time, and is the most popular. The ceramic blades are so hard they maintain their sharpness for potentially a lifetime. Ceramic blades need more special care. The tip is very fragile and a hard fall may cause a break. One thing you can do to determine which is best for you is to find a local cooking school and take a knife skills class. This will help you determine which feel and size is best for you and how to use it properly.

2. An instant read thermometer: This is essential for the quality of your food. How many times have you bit into a piece of chicken and it was dry or rubbery, or sliced into a steak that was too pink for your taste. This could all be avoided with an instant read thermometer. The probe on the thermometer should be very thin, sharp and short so to let out the minimal amount of juices. It should not be bulky or have any wires attached to it. There are both digital and classic instant read thermometers. One of the most important things to look for is accuracy, which can be tested by placing the probe in boiling water. You will only need one thermometer for sautéing, roasting or grilling so spending a little extra money on one is well worth it.

3. A slow cooker: These now come in single, double or even triple pots. You can be cooking your meat, vegetable, and dessert all at the same time. The size depends on how people you are cooking for. A good size would be 6 quarts but you can purchase one that has 2, 4, 6 quart interchangeable vessels. A nice feature is a programmable timer. This way you can set how long it should be placed on high, medium or low versus the standard cook times. Make sure it has a removable vessel and a stainless steel outside to help keep food warm. You can go from using the slow cooker from once to several times a week with the newer models that also let you roast, sauté vegetables, and sear. These versions are the Rolls Royce of slow cookers but can be used all year round instead of heating up your house in the summer or as an extra oven during the holidays.