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Local Chefs Share Their Favorites!
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CARTOONING WITH RUSSELL CHRISTIAN REGISTER
NOW!
HOLIDAY GIFT SHOW Art by local artists Dec 18–Dec 24
ART FOR ALL AGES Monday to Saturday BIRTHDAY PARTIES Rick Parker’s Art T-shirts Beastly Beasties T-shirts –both on sale at the studio
[email protected]
103 Baker Street Maplewood 973-275-1966 or 862-205-9744
www.geralynsartstudio.com
Luxury Realized Current sales are on pace for a significant 2013 market. Now is the time to ready yourself for a sale and to make the move you’ve always dreamed of. Let me show you the way.
Cheryl Darmanin, SalES aSSoCiatE
CNE
• 20 Years of Sales and Marketing Experience • Acts as a Consultative Real Estate Partner committed to Customer Service and Timely follow up • Affiliation with Exceptional Brokerage Brand providing a Full Service Real Estate Environment
555 Millburn Avenue, Short Hills, NJ 07078 mobile: 917-696-0802 office: 973-376-8188 e-mail:
[email protected] Facebook:www.facebook.com/pages/Cheryl-Darmanin Twitter: twitter.com/CherylDarmaninLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/cheryl-darmanin/3/ab4/a81
ON THE COVER Some of our area’s finest “foodies” shared some of their favorite Thanksgiving recipes. Bread Pudding scented soy candle, $22. Perch Home, 9 Highland Place, Maplewood, 973-831-4852, www.perchhome.com; Velvet pumpkins from Perch Home: Ceramic message tile with dry erase marker, $24.95. Kitchen a la Mode, 19 South Orange Avenue, www.kitchenalamode.net. This page: Pumpkin pie from The Able Baker, 187 Maplewood Avenue, Maplewood.
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Featuring Local People, Places and Things that Matter Since 1990
2012
November Molly Matters
© Dally/Duncan 2012
Vol. 23 Issue 10
contents Heart of the Matter Vintage Setting
Local Matters
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9
The buzz around the towns
12
Bloody Good Gig
The life of a monster maker
Giving Thanks
16
Recipes from our area chefs
26
Love Matters
Cheryl Blatt & David Hendrickson
Two Towns, One Photograph Submit your shot LIKE us on Facebook!
@mattersnj
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heart of the matter
November 2012
Matters
©
Featuring Local People, Places and Things that Matter Since 1990 PUBLISHER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Karen Duncan MANAGING DIRECTOR Rene Conlon SUPERVISING EDITOR Joanne DiPasquale FEATURES EDITOR Tia Swanson ADVERTISING SALES Ellen Donker H. Leslie Gilman Mary Jo Malone Kathryn Wile GRAPHIC ARTISTS Lyman Dally Joy Markel COPY EDITOR Nick Humez CONTRIBUTORS Beth McCourt, Frank Raso
Please address all correspondence to:
Visual Impact Advertising, Inc.© 9 Highland Place Maplewood, NJ 07040
973-763-4900
www.mattersmagazine.com Matters Magazine© is owned and published by Visual Impact Advertising, Inc., 9 Highland Place, Maplewood, NJ 07040. Published in print 6 times a year, and online 12 times a year. Matters Magazine is free, with editions directly mailed to the residents of Maplewood and South Orange and distributed to businesses and surrounding communities totaling 20,000. Subscriptions are available to non-residents for $30 (U.S.) $40 (Foreign) annually. No part of the publication may be reprinted or otherwise reproduced without written permission from Visual Impact Advertising, Inc. CIRCULATION VERIFIED BY U.S. POSTAL RECEIPTS.
READ & RECYLE
Vintage Setting Special occasions will always include Aunt Hattie’s china
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BY TIA SWANSON
The set of china that now belongs to me spent the first 40 years of its life in a corner cupboard in the dining room of my grandmother’s house. The house was in a small village in the middle of the Pennsylvania woods, only a few paces up the road from my childhood home. My grandmother was widowed early and so returned and raised my mother in the very house where she herself had been born. In my memory, the house belonged to my grandmother and my two great aunts, neither of whom ever married. They all three were retired school teachers: loving but formal Methodist ladies. The dining room table always had a cloth on it, plastic-coated for everyday, stiffly ironed linen for Sundays and holidays. There were often fresh flowers on the table; my great Aunt Hattie, the youngest and the most housewifely of the three, was both an excellent cook and a talented gardener. Sunday dinner – which we had at the house at least once a month, immediately after church -- was eaten on china plates, with sterling silverware. The household had two sets of china: the one we ate Sunday dinners on, a lovely, but comparatively modest set that belonged to my grandmother and might even have been bought piece by piece at the grocery store; and the one that came to me. Aunt Hattie had bought this other, revered, set of china, on one of her two trips to Europe, trips that as a small child living in the woods seemed exotic, almost otherworldly. And so it must have been to these three schoolteachers, for the china never was used. It came out twice a year, for cleaning; I once came across it stacked on the dining room table on just such an occasion and the fact of its being out of its cupboard filled me with a kind of awe. When I got older, and occasionally was called on to get something from that
cupboard, I would hold my breath, and move in slow motion, so as not to bring that china to harm. In all those years, all those Sunday dinners, and Christmases and Thanksgivings and special birthdays – all duly and elegantly celebrated -- the china never was taken out, not once. And then, when my Aunt Hattie died a few months before her 100th birthday, it came, unexpectedly, to me. I had not properly registered when I was engaged, and so the china was my first really grown-up set of dinnerware. And what a set: It is a service for 12, complete with square luncheon plates and several serving platters and both round and oval serving dishes. Of course, at first it seemed heretical to put it to use. My mother bought me fabric china storage bags and I packed it carefully away in the attic because I had no corner cupboard to keep it safe. But in time, I came to rethink my decision. It was one of the dearest possessions of my beloved Aunt Hattie, and I wanted to treat it as well as she had. But it was only a set of china, after all, not the woman, or all she had given me. And so, when we moved to a new house, with downstairs storage, I gave my set of china a new home right next to the dining room. Now I get it out all the time: honoring those three sisters and their love for beauty and order and occasion. True, my tablecloths are never ironed, and my garden flowers are often a bust, but, at Thanksgiving time especially, when we gather round the table to acknowledge and celebrate the most elemental needs of humanity, food and kinship, it seems only proper to serve the meal in as fine a manner as we can muster. For me that will always include Aunt Hattie’s German china. And someday, I’m convinced, I’ll get it out without even holding my breath.
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The GenWealth Group Walks for Hope included 70 women who participated in a 3-mile walk through Maplewood Village wearing pink T-shirts as a reminder that prevention is the key to surviving breast cancer. Together, they raised more than $10,000 for a cure. Decorating for the holidays can become a creative adventure w h e n yo u c o m b i n e n a t u r a l materials and beautiful flowers. At the November 5 meeting of the Maplewood Garden Club, Laura Clare, floral designer and event planner, will demonstrate techniques and ideas for creating holiday décor. Clare specializes in exquisite arrangements and elegant décor for everyday and special occasions. Her trademark designs are a synthesis of fine European style and American inventiveness. Stemming from her love of nature and gardening, Clare’s background includes a four-year degree in GenWealth Walks for Hope raised more than $10,000 for a cure for breast cancer.
horticulture from Cornell University and numerous apprenticeships with well-known American and European designers. The Club meeting on November 5 at 7:30 p.m. at the Maplewood Memorial Library, 51 Baker Street, is open to the public, admission is free and refreshments (often homemade!) are served. For more information, visit www.maplewoodgardenclub.org.
Event and floral designer Laura Clare will share her design expertise at the November meeting of the Maplewood Garden Club.
We are not just tutors… We are not just a learning center… We ARE academic coaches who focus on all-around enrichment
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We see the potential in our students. We guide and support them so they can achieve ambitious goals.
Open House SATURDAY November 10, 2012 - 9am
70 Whippany Road, Morristown, NJ 07960 973.539.3032 - www.mbs.net
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November 2012
merry christmas and happy new year from all of us at St. James’s Gate
“May your thirst for life never run dry” Experience the best of Ireland’s Pub traditions Family Friendly • Good Cheer Raw Bar on Fridays 4–7 p.m.
LIVE, TRADITIONAL IRISH MUSIC Sundays 2–5
Check our website for upcoming events
Authentic Irish Cuisine, Irish Coffee, Fine Wines and Irish Whiskey worthy of Celtic Kings
Join us fireside for lunch and dinner 167 Maplewood Avenue Maplewood Village 973-378-2222 HOLIDAY APPAREL FOR GIFT GIVING • GIFT CARDS NEW WEBSITE: www.stjamesgatepublickhouse.com
Humpty Dumpty and The Big Book of Nursery Rhymes will be at SOPAC on November 17.
South Orange native Jessica Kirson and friends perform at SOPAC on November 17.
South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC), One SOPAC Way, offers varied entertainment this fall. Rebellion’s Intimate Voice: Carolyn Forche & the Alexander String Quartet will appear November 8 at 7:30 p.m.; Midtown Direct Rep in the Loft will present By and By, by Lauren Grunderson, November 11 at 7 p.m.; Stephanie Mills will perform November 9 at 8 p.m.; the Jazz Knights of West Point will present a free concert November 13 at 7:30 p.m. Bring the family to see Humpty Dumpty & the
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Shop | Dine | Local This holiday season enjoy special savings, events and extended shopping hours all in downtown Maplewood Village. Happy Holidays!
Small Business Saturday – Saturday, Nov. 24 Holiday Open House – Saturday, Dec 1 Moonlight Fridays – Late night shopping December Fridays Dickens Village – Throughout December Thanks for shopping and dining locally.
November 15th and December 6th Call for a Tour!
I have sold the home next door or around the corner. We may have met raising funds to build a playground, chaperoning a class trip, chatting at a local fundraiser, or volunteering with the homeless. I’ve been privileged to participate in this community for 25 years and to represent it as a Realtor since 1995. I am proud to have marketed some of the most beautiful and beloved homes in Maplewood and South Orange. I’ll be proud to be your Realtor too. Call me if you are thinking of buying or selling a Maplewood or South Orange home.
Sarah Z. Macyshyn Your Hometown Realtor
Sarah Z. Macyshyn Sales Associate Towne Realty Group 511 Millburn Avenue, Short Hills, NJ 07078
CLICK HERE!
Sarah Z. Macyshyn More Than Real Estate
Cell 973-960-9513 Office: 973-376-5300
[email protected]
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November 2012
Bloody Good Gig The life of a monster maker BY FRANK RASO
Jeremy Selenfriend with just a few of his creations (left) and (below) sculpting a bust of Vincent Price, an actor who was well-known for his performances in a series of horror films.
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The pale, rotted, expired flesh of a young, pink-haired, pig-snouted girl is the most welcoming sight upon entering Jeremy Selenfriend’s studio in East Orange. A 6-foot-tall alien with sharklike teeth, multiple open wounds, and a jaw span the size of an average watermelon is a close second. Three severed heads, two devil horns, and a partridge in a pear tree later, not even the bravest of souls can escape at least a slight tinge of uneasiness. “Anyone in this field was always the weird kid growing up,” says Selenfriend, 34, owner and founder of Monster in my Closet FX studios, a private company
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Kimaya Kāma Flagship Store: 108 West South Orange Avenue, South Orange, NJ 07079 (2 blocks from the South Orange Train Station, next to Reservoir Restaurant) Store Hours: Mon-Fri 11am to 7pm, Sat 11am to 8pm Tel: 973.762.2385 www.kimaya.com Email:
[email protected]
that specializes in make-up, special effects, prosthetics, and props. The studio is often responsible for figuring out where to draw the line between what is physically practical and what must be accomplished digitally in film, television, and theatrical productions. Selenfriend says he remembers decorating his home for Halloween while growing up on Harding Drive in South Orange. “The first memory I have with anything like this was filling a sweatshirt and sweatpants with newspaper and then cutting out fabric to make it look like blood that wouldn’t wash away outside,” he says.
Unique Handcrafted Gifts for All Occasions Wed – Sat 10-5:30 • Sun 11-4
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Above: On set, Selenfriend prepares a victim for Bloody Night. Below: Collections from the past in the Monsters in My Closet studio.
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Further cementing Selenfriend’s childhood attraction to the horrific and supernatural were 1980s bootleg copies of Return of the Jedi and Ghostbusters. But it was not until his high school drama teacher, J.C. Svec, directed a production of Agnes of God that he was actually inspired to pursue makeup and special effects as a profession. Svec wanted to turn a 15-year-old girl into a 65-year-old nun. Selenfriend’s realization that he could accomplish such a feat gave him the confidence necessary to pursue an education in the field. Notable professionals such as Dick Smith and Rick Baker, whom he has always considered heroes, provided additional inspiration. Since then, Selenfriend has participated in dozens of independent horror projects, collaborated with a special effects team to construct a full animatronic alien creature suit for an Animal Collective music video and worked alongside a star-studded cast including Tina Fey and Amy Poehler while turning 30 Rock guest star Margaret Cho into a fake Kim Jong Il. He has even received an Emmy nomination for his involvement with a full body burn in the second season of Boardwalk Empire. Business is good, he says. Though he remains unsure of what tangible effect the Emmy nomination (Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Miniseries, Movie, or a Special) will have on his bottom
Jeremy Selenfriend with his wife, Holly, and their daughter, Zoe, in his studio. “Zoe has seen my work for years, and she realizes, even at the age of 3, that it’s pretend.”
Selenfriend poses with one of his creations from Bloody Night.
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antiques • collectibles • giftware • vintage candy consignment • estate sales • staging • furniture upholstery & refinishing
50 west south orange avenue • south orange • 973-763-9090 On set, Selenfriend prepares another victim for Bloody Night.
line, Selenfriend says he views the nod as an acknowledgement of his professional capabilities that legitimizes his work. “It’s no longer just me playing around in the woods with blood and latex,” he says. “Someone can actually say, ‘Wow! That’s a viable profession. Look at that.’” Quick to dismiss the idea of simply splattering blood on a subject and referring to the work as magic, Selenfriend points out that he makes every effort necessary to ensure that his gore is anatomically accurate. This often includes consulting the medical expertise of his wife, Holly, a microbiology tech at Hackensack University Medical Center. His affinity for the macabre and grotesque notwithstanding, Selenfriend’s expanding company has allowed him to explore genres outside of the horror/mystery realm, and he particularly enjoys working on comedy sets. He smiles while describing his experience onset with NBC’s 30 Rock, explaining how comedy actors and actresses have the tendency to improvise, and that there is twice as much material happening on stage than what a viewer gets to see on a television at home. In contrast to the lighthearted comedy environment in which backstage personnel are consciously trying not to laugh, horror films and heavy dramas often create a longer, tedious, more
intense environment in which personnel attempt to remain quiet. “When a woman spends an hour screaming, it gets to you,” Selenfriend says bluntly. Selenfriend’s job regularly requires him to spend months at a time on a single large-scale project, such as the alien he is designing as a pitch to the Sci-Fi Channel. And the hours can be extraordinarily unpredictable. When one “day-plays,” or bounces from project to project, Selenfriend says an effects artist is very much at the mercy of production. One project coordinator did not inform him of the time or whereabouts of his booking until 3 a.m. the morning of his appointment. In the end, it is all about doing what you love. The 8-yearold Jeremy Selenfriend was in an accident that temporarily put him in a wheelchair. Stacks of get-well cards from friends and family members featured pictures of Robert Englund as the infamous Freddy Krueger. Today, a sinister, latex bust of a bald man with blood trickling from his eyes, nostrils and what appears to be a knife wound above his right brow is casually positioned outside Selenfriend’s office. The monster has matured and grown, but some things never change. Frank Raso, a senior at Seton Hall University, has never looked over his shoulder so many times during an interview.
Don’t let Thanksgiving get the best of you. Kitchen a la Mode has all your essentials, hostess gifts and more.
Ben’s Thanksg iving Check List: All available at Kitchen a la Mode!
THE ESSENTIALS Roasting Pan Roasting Rack Turkey Lifting Forks Fat Separator to Make Gravy Meat Thermometer Brining Bag Carving Knife Carving Fork Carving Board Turkey Stuffing Bag Turkey Lacers Butcher’s Twine Baster and/or Basting Brush Potato Masher or Ricer Peeler Ladle Pie Server
FOR THE TABLE Candles Gravy Boat or Pitcher Serving Spoons, Forks & Tongs Salt & Pepper Shakers Tablecloth Platters & Serving Dishes Napkins & Napkin Rings Trivets Stemware Flatware Plates and Bowl
HANDY TO HAVE AROUND Parchment Paper or Silpat Cheesecloth Nutcracker Cocktail Napkins Oven Thermometer Hand Soap & Lotion Pie Crust Shield Tea Towels Thanksgiving Cookie Cutters Knife Sharpener Meat Injector Roasting Bag Electric Hand Mixer Pastry Blender Soup Stock Dish Drying Mat Guest Towels Fashionable Apron
Let me be the first to wish you, an honorary member of my extended family, the happiest and most delicious of holidays.
“A toy store for grown-ups.” – Star-Ledger, 2010
19 South Orange Avenue, South Orange
973 821 5145
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Giving Thanks Check out these unusually delicious recipes from some of our best local chefs. Food styling by Beth McCourt
Tea towel with kitchen measurements, $25. Perch Home, 9 Highland Place, Maplewood, 973831-4852, www.perchhome.com.
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In autumn, Lauren Dwyer, owner of Maplewood’s The Laurel (175 Maplewood Avenue), loves delicata squash. “It has to be one of the most underrated foods of autumn,” she says. “It’s overshadowed by the acorns, butternuts, and kabochas. Like other squash it tastes best roasted, but the difference with delicata is that the skin is edible and delicious! I love to thinly slice delicata into moon-like crescents and roast them until they’re crunchy and sweet. Now these are a perfect healthy snack on their own, but they really shine in salads.” She shares one of her fabulous recipes.
Beechwood slotted spoon and mixing spoon $6.95 each. Kitchen a la Mode, 19 South Orange Avenue, South Orange, 973-821-5145, www.kitchenalamode.net.
The Laurel’s Salad
Roasted Delicata Salad with Avocado Dressing Serves 4- 6
Salad: 4 cups mixed greens, washed and dried 1 pound delicata squash, halved, seeds removed, and thinly sliced crosswise 2 fresno peppers, julienned 2 ounces queso fresco, crumbled 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds, toasted olive oil paprika cumin sea salt pepper
Dressing: 1 ripe avocado 2 tablespoons peanut oil 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 tablespoon lime juice 1 jalapeño pepper, finely diced (or less depending on how hot it is) 1 handful of cilantro leaves, chopped 1 small clove of garlic, minced 1/2 small shallot, minced drizzle of honey, to taste pinch of sea salt, to taste water, as needed
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Slice squash into thin crescents and place in a medium bowl. Drizzle with olive oil to coat and sprinkle with paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. Arrange squash on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes, turning half way through. Keep an eye on them during the last 5 minutes, as they burn easily. While your squash is roasting, start on the salad dressing. In the same medium bowl, combine all ingredients except avocado. Cut the avocado in half. Scoop out one half, add it to the mixture, and blend until smooth. Add water to thin the dressing to your desired consistency. Dice the remaining half of the avocado and add it the dressing. Combine mixed greens, delicata squash, fresno peppers, sunflower seeds, and queso fresco and toss with dressing. Enjoy!
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Round wooden serving board, $42. Perch Home, 9 Highland Place, Maplewood, 973-831-4852, www. perchhome.com.
Honey Bourbon Caramelized Mushroom Caps 1 package baby bella/crimini mushrooms 4 tablespoons butter 1/4 cup honey bourbon 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon rosemary powder Fresh ground pepper Finishing salt
Ben Salmon, owner of Kitchen A La Mode (19 South Orange Avenue, South Orange) cooks with little measuring. “I like to try it and then tweak,” he admits. But our food stylist said this recipe was so perfect, so delicious, she’s never having Thanksgiving again without these mushrooms. “This is a great recipe to relegate to the back burner while you’re working on dishes that require more of your attention,” Salmon adds. Our stylist felt her guests would gobble them up as an appetizer.
Take the stems out of the mushrooms and wash the caps. Keep the caps whole. Air dry or dry gently with a dish towel. Preheat a stainless steel skillet on low to medium low heat. Add the butter, honey bourbon and Worcestershire sauce. When heated, add the mushrooms and coat with the liquid. Add rosemary powder and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Continue to simmer on low to medium low heat for approximately a half hour or until they’re nicely browned and have shrunk considerably. Stir occasionally. Taste and finish with salt if necessary. Caramelizing mushrooms takes some time, so don’t rush it. I prefer to go longer at a lower heat and let them finish at their own time (they’ll need time to release their water and cook it off). If you find the glaze or mushrooms sticking to your pan, deglaze with some bourbon and lower the heat. Make your holiday a little more festive with a signature cocktail. Kitchen A La Mode’s Ben Salmon shares one of his favorites.
mattersmagazine.com
Apple Amaretto Martini Equal parts Apple Liqueur, Honey Bourbon, and Amaretto. Garnish with a slice of apple. For some extra fun serve in these adorable Red Neck martini glasses. The Original Red Neck martini glass, $12.95. Kitchen a la Mode, 19 South Orange Avenue, South Orange, 973-821-5145, www. kitchenalamode.net.
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Park Wood
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1958 Springfield Avenue • Maplewood (973) 313-3990 • fax (973) 313-3991
Parkwood Pumpkin Soup 3 pounds pumpkin, cut up and seeds removed 4 medium, or 3 large, carrots, peeled and diced 2 medium onions, diced 5 stalks celery, washed and diced 6 cups chicken broth or stock 1 garlic clove 2 cups of cream (we used nonfat and it worked beautifully) 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon ¼ teaspoon ground ginger ¼ teaspoon. nutmeg Salt and pepper to taste
The chef at Parkwood Diner (1958 Springfield Avenue, Maplewood) keeps many of his treasured recipes secret so getting this one is a score. We thought it was heavenly. It makes a lot, and can easily feed a crowd. This recipe could be halved and serve 4-6.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut up pumpkin and remove the seeds. Brush with olive oil, sprinkle salt and pepper and roast for about 40 minutes, or until tender. In a pan, melt the butter and then sauté carrots, onions and celery about 10 minutes, until tender. Transfer ingredients to stock pot. Add pumpkin, the broth or stock and the clove of garlic. Simmer for a few minutes. Transfer to a food processor and pulse until smooth. Transfer back to the stock pot, and add the cream, sugar and spices. Simmer for a few minutes and serve.
Branch handle serving spoon and fork set, $24. Perch Home, 9 Highland Place, Maplewood, 973831-4852, www.perchhome.com.
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It’s hard to remember Maplewood Village without The Able Baker (187 Maplewood Avenue). Owner Julie Pauly shares one of her Thanksgiving favorites. Honestly, many of us might prefer just to order one of her delicious desserts. But for those wanting to challenge their baking skills, give this delicious pecan pie a try.
The Able Baker’s Pecan Pie 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed 1/2 cup corn syrup, dark 2 teaspoons Jack Daniels (or bourbon) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 4 large eggs 4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped 2 1/2 cups pecan halves Mix first four ingredients until smooth. Then beat in eggs and melted and cooled butter. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare your favorite pie crust by freezing. Line with wax paper or aluminum foil, fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove foil. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees. Sprinkle chocolate on bottom of hot crust and then spread when melted. Fill crust with pecan halves and pour filling over. Bake hot oven for 30 minutes. Wrap crust with foil if it gets too brown. Pie will be golden and center set. And you’ll need one of these: Ceramic 9” pie dish with fluted edge, $39.95. Kitchen a la Mode, 19 South Orange Avenue, South Orange, 973-821-5145, www.kitchenalamode.net.
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St. James Gate Publick House (167 Maplewood Avenue) has been affectionately known as The Gate since it first opened in 2003. Now a staple in Maplewood Village, the owners share their famous Irish cheese soup recipe. It’s a nice change from more traditional American Thanksgiving fare, and would be a delicious addition to a weekend of football and family.
Irish Pub Cheese Soup Serves 4
2 tablespoons salted butter 1/4 cup onion (one medium), diced 1/2 cup celery (one medium stalk), diced 2 tablespoons flour 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard 1 12-ounce bottle of Harp beer 1 cup whole milk 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded In two-quart pot, melt butter, cook onions and celery for two minutes. Stir in all ingredients, except the cheese, slowly; bring to a boil for one minute, then simmer on low. Gradually stir in cheese, until all cheese is melted. Garnish with chives or shredded cheddar cheese and serve.
Vintage style Pilgrim candles, $9.95. Kitchen a la Mode, 19 South Orange Avenue, South Orange, 973-821-5145, www. kitchenalamode.net.
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Early Childhood through 8th Grade • Voted Top 100 Framing Retailers by Decor Magazine • Creative Design Expertise • Hand Crafted Mouldings
Expect Wonders …with an extraordinary education in a dynamic learning environment
Information Session Saturday, January 12, 2013 9:45 – 12:00 noon Please call to reserve a space. Photo by John Rae
where minds expand and spirits soar 21 Cutler Street, Morristown, NJ 07960
Zakiya’s Way Floral Designs
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Educating young minds for more than 40 years.
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Preschool (Starting at 2 ½ years old), Pre-K, and Kindergarten Programs Full and Half day sessions Extended day hours are available School year program, as well as a summer camp Largest and most accessible outdoor play space
Our chef is making the switch to naturally raised livestock & local farm produce for a wholesome, fun & casual menu.
177 maplewood avenue n maplewood village 973 327-2247 n www.codamaplewood.com
Join us for Live Music at our Sunday Brunch 11:30-3
Tours are scheduled for Fridays: 11/16, 1/18 and Saturday: 11/3 Please email:
[email protected] for more information.
461 Vose Avenue, South Orange 973-762-6451 www.socds.com
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New World Thanksgiving “Left-over” Shepherd’s Pie Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients 3 cups cooked stuffing 1 cup cranberry sauce, plus more for topping (optional)*** 1 pound sliced, cooked roast turkey. 10 ounces vegetables (peas and carrots are great, but any left-over veggie will work) 1 cup gravy 3 to 4 cups mashed potatoes 3 tablespoons butter, melted Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9- to 10-inch pie plate or rectangle baking dish with nonstick spray. Mound stuffing on bottom; layer with cranberry sauce, turkey, and veggies. Drizzle with gravy. Spread potatoes over surface to sides of dish. Place extra mashed potato in a plastic zip-lock bag, snip the corner and pipe the mashed potatoes around the edge of the dish. Brush the potatoes with the melted butter. Place dish on a baking sheet, and bake until heated through and potatoes are golden, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool slightly. Pour remaining warmed gravy over top when ready to serve. OPTION: This can be frozen. Cover very tightly with plastic wrap, then tin foil.
New World Catering (1753 Springfield Avenue, Maplewood), has a stellar reputation as one of our area’s most creative caterers. Now, owner David Zelaney shares a recipe that puts all your Thanksgiving leftovers into one amazing dish. “This is the easiest dinner to prepare – because all the work is already done,” he says. This was a huge hit with our taste testers. And the cranberry recipe was perfection, and got even better the second and third day.
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***
New World Cranberry Sauce
2 bags fresh cranberries 1 cup water 1 cup fresh orange juice zest of the orange 1 cup sugar 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier (optional) chopped pecans (optional) Mix the ingredients and put all over low heat. Watch carefully and stir frequently with wooden spoon. When the cranberries are tender, remove from stove and cool. Add Grand Marnier and/or chopped pecans. This relish goes great with turkey sandwiches, grilled and broiled fish and chicken.
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Jim: 17 yrs
Gracie: 5 yrs
Liliana: 15 yrs
Manuela: 13 yrs
Tsega: 17 yrs
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Cheryl Blatt & David Hendrickson at their October wedding in New Hampshire.
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Love Matters
It is not every bride (or groom) who runs 12 miles on the morning of her wedding, but then Cheryl Blatt is not your run-of-the-mill bride. A physical therapist who is finishing up her doctorate by doing a final clinical rotation in California – far from either the site of her wedding or her intended, and with much more weighty topics on her mind most of the time – Blatt planned most of the wedding by phone, with a healthy dose of both perspective and luck. It all began in 2004 when Blatt, who was then a special education teacher in Boston, decided to move to California on a whim. She went with a friend, and the friend had a friend who could put them up in San Francisco. The friend in San Francisco was David Hendrickson, a native Texan, who on Oct. 14 became Blatt’s husband. Blatt says it wasn’t love at first sight. “I wasn’t even thinking about that. I was moving to California…I didn’t have a job; I didn’t have a house.” She didn’t, in fact, even really know anyone. And that’s apparently what kept her hanging around the friend in San Francisco; he was really the only person she knew.
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But it all changed relatively quickly. “Within one week of moving to California,’’ she wrote in an e-mail, “I had a job, place to live, and had met a guy. I think my mom thought I was more productive in one week in California than I had been the last seven years in Boston!” Blatt’s mom is Leslie Blatt; her dad’s name is also Leslie Blatt and both Blatts have long lived in Maplewood. Cheryl grew up here from the age of 5 or 6 and is a 1996 graduate of Columbia High School. She got her bachelor’s degree from Boston University. After a couple of years in California, Cheryl and David eventually made their way back to Boston, for more education, she in physical therapy and he for a post-doctorate fellowship at the Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology Lab at Harvard University. They got engaged earlier this year and started looking around for sites that might work, with an eye on a wedding in 2013, when both of them would have finished up their various programs and be ready to pick a state and house to live in. Nothing in Boston felt quite right and they ended up looking to marry in New Hampshire; the small wineries there reminded them of California and they are an outdoorsy couple; they fancied long hikes and runs in New Hampshire’s woods and hills. And then it became apparent that there was an open date
at the winery they liked for October – that is, October, 2012. And, even though Blatt was scheduled to be in California then for her clinical rotation, and even though Hendrickson would still be doing his post-doc, they jumped on it. The Leslies were a bit taken aback. “My parents’ social calendar,’’ Blatt said, laughing, “apparently fills up more quickly than mine.” But the wedding got thrown together. Blatt flew in on the Thursday before the wedding and back out, minus her bridegroom, that Monday. A month-long wedding trip to Australia will wait until the end of this year and the beginning of next, when they both are finished with their degrees. But for a couple who took a slow and steady route to the altar, Blatt seemed undeterred by the whirlwind nature of her wedding. A week or so before the day she admitted to obsessively checking the weather forecast . But otherwise she was completely calm. “I’m in California; it’s in New Hampshire. I’ve got my plane ticket home, my dress and the man I’m supposed to marry,’’ she said. What more is there to worry about? And it turned out she was right. It rained on their 12-mile wedding day run. But, she reported, the skies had cleared by the time the ceremony started and the sun even peeked out during their wedding pictures.
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November 2012
MATTERS MAGAZINE 2012 PHOTO SHOWCASE
The Ryan brothers climbing a tree in South Mountain Reservation, South Orange, summer 2012
Two Towns. One Photograph.
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We can’t wait to see what you come up with! BY KRISTEN RYAN
Remember the Sesame Street anthem, “Who are the People in your Neighborhood?” I often think of it as I go about my appointed rounds. Each of us sees our two towns differently, with our own people, places and memories, and we’d like to see Maplewood and South Orange through your eyes. I love how life in our towns is often similar to my own rural, Midwest upbringing – but with fewer cows. We have small-town festivals, parades, the duck races and long hikes in the woods. We spent a recent Sunday with our children hiking in South Mountain Reservation, where there is no indication that you’re 15 miles from Midtown Manhattan. In the same day I can switch from hiking boots to high heels and dine in one of New York’s finest restaurants. If I had to choose one image, one memory or one impression of our town, it might be from one of those hikes. Or it could be my family, rocking homemade costumes, in the Halloween parade. Or maybe it’s half the neighborhood splashing in our silly, inflatable pool, summer after summer. What image represents our two towns to you? We’d like to know, so we’re hosting an open forum for submissions. Send us one photograph that defines your town for you. Photos must be taken in Maplewood or South Orange and they can feature anything that sums up your town in one shot. E-mail at
[email protected], or drop a disc at our office. Mark your name, E-mail and phone clearly and mail to 9 Highland Place, Maplewood, NJ 07040. We’ll feature the photos in an early 2013 issue of Matters, and they’ll even be shown in a public gallery show at the MAP building in Maplewood. Details on that to come. Photos must arrive to Matters Magazine on or before December 15, 2012. Come one, come all! Kids or adults, pros or amateurs. Two Towns. One Photograph. We can’t wait to see your shots!
mattersmagazine.com
A view from St. George’s Church, Maplewood. October 30, 2011.
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November 2012
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OPEN DOORS
OPEN MINDS Imagine the possibilities.
OPEN HOUSE
Saturday, November 10 Saturday, December 1 RSVP at 973.379.3442 or farbrook.org
FarPre-K Brook School through grade 8
Matters 52 Great Hills Road, Short Hills, NJ farbrook.org
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Featuring Local People, Places and Things that Matter Since 1990
2012
holiday NOVEMBER 28
Beloved holiday program Chanticleer Christmas will come to SOPAC November 29.
Big Book of Nursery Rhymes on November 17 at 11 a.m.; laugh along with South Orange native Jessica Kirson & Friends at NYC’s Top Stand-Up Comedians, featuring Kyle Groom, Lenny Marcus and Jodi Wasserman, November 17 at 8 p.m.; Blues in The Loft will kick off with Shari Pine November 18 at 5 p.m.; and the Grammy Award-winning vocal ensemble will perform its beloved holiday program, Chanticleer Christmas, November 29 at 7:30 p.m. The Pierro Gallery at the Baird, 5 Mead Street, South Orange, will hold an opening reception November 8 from 7 to 9 p.m. for Ugo Giannini: Drawing D-Day, an Artist’s Journey. The exhibition features drawings by West Orange artist Ugo Giannini made on the spot in 1944 during the Normandy invasion on Omaha Beach. The exhibit will be at the gallery until December 20. For more information, call 973-378-7754 ext. 1, or visit www.thebaird.org. Registration is underway for a variety of winter sports, activities and cultural art classes sponsored
Pierro Gallery will present Ugo Giannini: Drawing D-Day, An Artist’s Journey.
by the South Orange Department of Recreation & Cultural Affairs. During the school holiday November 8 and 9, there will be a special all-day workshop for children ages 7 to 12: “Build Your Own Robot.” It will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at The Baird. Registration for the Jaguar Track Club indoor winter program for kids ages 7 to 16 will take place in person at The Baird on November 7 between 7:30 and 9 p.m. and November 10 between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. Winter sports include basketball, lacrosse, soccer, baseball, tennis and tae kwon do for kids from third grade through eighth grade; there are also some activities for adults and special needs children. Arts classes span both visual and performing arts and serve students from infants through adulthood. Many classes are new and all are taught by professionals. Complete program details and registration are available at the Baird, 5 Mead Street, South Orange and online at www.thebaird. org. Far Br ook School in Short Hills invites parents of
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Far Brook School invites parents to information sessions this fall.
children interested in Pre-K and kindergarten to an information session on November 10 between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. Parents of students interested in Grades 2-7 are invited on December 1 between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. Campus tours will be offered, as well as special presentations and a panel discussion. Private tours of the school can also be arranged through the Admissions Office,
[email protected]. Far Brook School is an independent, coeducational day school providing child-centered education for 226 students from 34 surrounding communities in pre-kindergarten through grade eight. To register or to learn more, visit www.farbook.org. Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel, 432 Scotland Road, South Orange is offering some monthly events for parents and children. Positively Parenting Young Preschool Child is an informal, relaxed monthly parenting discussion group that takes place one Wednesday each month between 9:15 and 10:30 a.m. Topics that matter most to parents of preschoolers will be addressed. Parents will learn what works for others and share experiences. Tot Shabbat takes place on the first Saturday of each month and is open to all. Parents and children come together for a brief service of musical play, Torah march, family blessing and a craft followed by a light oneg. For more information or to RSVP contact Andrea Dean at 973-763-4116 ext. 264 or email at
[email protected]. Essex County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) will be conducting training classes this fall for volunteers interested in becoming child advocates for children in foster care in Essex County. The 33-hour training course will be offered from November 13 through December 10. Court Appointed Special Advocates are volunteers appointed by the Family Court to gather information about a child’s needs while in foster care and to represent a “child’s voice in court”. To
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be considered for the training, interested applicants need to complete an application, an interview and background check. For information contact Carol Costello at 973648-3351 or
[email protected] or visit the website at www.casaessex.org. BASF Corporation, the world’s leading chemical company and Newark Museum, 49 Washington Street, Newark, are partnering to provide the BASF Kids’ Lab program for children ages 6-12 and their families. The program is offered free of charge with admission to the museum. Kids’ Lab is an award-winning science program designed to raise children’s interest in chemistry through safe and engaging hands-on activities coupled with interactive demonstrations. Kids’ Lab will take place on select Saturdays from November 17 thorough December 15. Each workshop is 45 minutes long and will be offered twice a day at 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Participation is free but space is limited. For advance reservations, call 973-596-6563 or 973-5966565. For general information, visit www. NewarkMuseum.org.
Kids and their families experiment at the BASF Kids’ Lab programs at the Newark Museum.
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