The Peasant Wife

The Peasant Wife is the Garden State’s independent news source for all things culinary. We'll bring you stories focusing on people, place and process, and const

[The Peasant Wife @PeasantWife]

Flavor Forward: Nothing shy about our latest Fab 5, which includes plush foie gras with a counterpointing conserve; super-smoky charred cauliflower; and a bold cilantro salad that goes pungent-on-pungent. In our latest Fortnightly Five.

[The Peasant Wife @PeasantWife]

Lunar New Year: Plot, plan, organize feasts fit to toast the holiday. But be open to whatever might beckon when you shop your local Asian market. In our latest Sunday Kitchen.

[The Peasant Wife @PeasantWife]

Ehren Ryan: After working on three continents, the Australian-born chef who is this month’s chef-picked honoree planted a flag in Millburn. Can a menu be rooted in local seasons but also borderless? In our latest Chef Train.

[The Peasant Wife @PeasantWife]

Gub Khao Thai: Simplicity and complexity converge at a newcomer in a food-centric city that showcases the talents of a chef who cooks for diners much like he cooks for himself at home. In our latest Restaurant Revue.

[The Peasant Wife @PeasantWife]

Ben’s Commandments: An architect by trade who sees both food and shelter as “the staffs of life,” Ben Walmer and his fellow foragers and chefs love to gather and collaborate at Whittemore, a unique preserve in Tewksbury Township where community, culture and conservation converge.

[The Peasant Wife @PeasantWife]

With its wide range of fine-tuned pastries, this French-accented bakery plays at a high level, for sure. But don't ignore its savory fare, which sits at the intersection of classic and creative and brings uncommon culinary muscle to its part of the menu.

[The Peasant Wife @PeasantWife]

Magnificent in Magenta: Radicchio is the valentine of vegetables, a leafy chicory of ravishing beauty. Saute the leaves of a winter-grown head and you’ll be sending a message of love to those you serve. In our latest Sunday Kitchen.

[The Peasant Wife @PeasantWife]

Emily Stocker and Dean Buttacavoli of Cabbage Throw Farm, a market farm within the legendary Mark Canright’s Comeback Farm in Bethlehem, grow produce year-round, feeding the needs of a burgeoning community of people who value eating fresh, local organic foods every day.

[The Peasant Wife @PeasantWife]

Ed Schoenfeld: When the ground-breaking envoy for Chinese cuisine died last week at age 72, the Garden State lost a friend, a fan, a force of nature who foraged for everything edible, and an inspiring guide to creating cutting-edge restaurants. In our latest Restaurant Revue.

[The Peasant Wife @PeasantWife]

Winter Warmups: Heat can come from brewing methods, added ingredients or the grip of a hand around a snifter of a chilled beer. Shawn’s picks this month guide you to the best of the wide-ranging cold-season genre. In our latest What's Brewing?

[The Peasant Wife @PeasantWife]

Chef Kevin Berg, hyper-focused and determined to play Pied Piper into the world of Montreal smoked meat, scores a hat trick with sandwiches, a trio of gravy-, cheese- and brisket-topped fries, and sides that just might surprise. In our latest Restaurant Revue.

[The Peasant Wife @PeasantWife]

Comforts & Joys: Swaddle yourself in smoked salmon. Cuddle up to chocolates. Ogle that fat in a classic oxtail dish and just dig in. Favorites of right now are designed to soothe. In our latest Fortnightly Five.

[The Peasant Wife @PeasantWife]

50 Ways to Use Your Hummus: Love the creamy, nutty, downright delicious stuff? You’re in good company. But you can do lots more with our beloved chickpea spread than you think. In our latest Sunday Kitchen.

[The Peasant Wife @PeasantWife]

Do you grow food? Do you cook food? Do you eat food? Do you care about the quality of your food? Any, all? Then tune in the last weekend of this month to NOFA-NJ’s virtual Winter Conference and sop up all the 411 the Garden State’s premier educational agriculture event offers.

[The Peasant Wife @PeasantWife]

Marcel Bakery & Kitchen: It’s hard to stop ordering at this Middle Eastern/Mediterranean storefront that has taken in its older sibling (MishMish) and now holds double the pleasure for diners both eat-in and takeout. In our latest Restaurant Revue.

[The Peasant Wife @PeasantWife]

Better than Zingerman’s? On the main drag of Highlands, next door to Sandy Hook, is a small shop that stocks a United Nations of ingredients designed for curious culinarians and adventurous home cooks. More, please?

[The Peasant Wife @PeasantWife]

Convenience Foods: A friend believes food-shopping at farmers’ markets is only for those with time to spare in the kitchen. Not so. With the freshest fundamentals on hand, it’s simple to make quick work of a wholesome supper. In our latest Market Meal.

[The Peasant Wife @PeasantWife]

Esposito’s: If sesame-seed crust pies are on your go-to map for pizza, put this spot (or its sibling in Matawan) on your dine card. Tip on a hit: the vodka sauce pie. In our latest Restaurant Revue.

[The Peasant Wife @PeasantWife]

Artisan Food Artistry: The Garden State’s culinary craftsmen and women are known for taking foods from our farms and spinning them into the something-extras that elevate our everyday meals. Are they convenience products? Yes. Of a very high level. In our latest Sunday Kitchen.

[The Peasant Wife @PeasantWife]

In this, the last installment of our four-part series, TPW’s chief photographer Mike Peters brings background to his images that reflect people, place and process with truth and grace.