Pour Little Bottle...Perhaps, We Will

You are having people over for a nice meal and want to finish it off with an after dinner drink that will leave your guests well fed and content. Most of what you have in your living room bar is old hat and run-of-the mill, we bet. Got any Sheridan?

Sheridan? What's that stuff?

Sheridan is a liqueur first introduced in 1994. It is produced in Dublin by Tomas Sheridan & Sons.

Sheridan is a two component drink where a white vanilla creme liqueur is floated on to the surface of a dark coffee-chocolate liqueur, resulting in a drink similar in appearance to an Irish coffee. With its white liqueur having a white chocolate richness, and the black of warm coffee and whiskey, the whole taste experience is rounded off by a chocolate & nutty finish. Pour it into a lowball glass and watch the cream rise to the top. Yum. It is so good.

Now that we've excited you enough about this product, here's the rub. ...Sheridan is not sold in the States. It is readily available in duty free shops around the world, but not at your neighborhood liquor store. Cruise lines also sell small and large bottle of Sheridan on board their ships. But, if you aren't planning to cruise, no dice. You'll have difficulty getting your hands on some. Bummer, huh?

Oh...you might find Sheridan online, but you'll pay top dollar for it. We think it is a bargain at any price, since it is so rare and extraodinarily good. Try Amazon.com for Sheridan. I have heard that they offer it for sale from time to time.

So, how good is this stuff, really? Is it is so good that it merits going to the ends of the earth to get some? It is very, very good and others obviously agree:

Wow! Nice! I don’t drink much, but I do like to drink on special occasions. We took a cruise to Barbadoes this past January and saw Sheridan’s at the duty free shop on board. I passed it several times thinking about buying it, but didn’t till the end of the cruise. Boy am I glad I did. They gave out samples in little small cups which I loved!

We ended up buying two. We gave one to a friend and I kept the other. I just opened up mine and did a perfect pour. Great drink!

----- Stacy DeWine 02.02.13 21:03

This is not exactly a liquor for wimps, by the way. The alcohol percentage is 18.5 combined .But the black coloured part ,coffee chocolate liqueuer has a huge 19.4% alcohol the other part, vanilla cream liqueur contains 17% alcohol. So its quite strong stuff, but on saying that you don`t realise when you`re drinking it at all, you could be drinking a Chocolate Mocha alcohol-wise and not tell the difference. Take care you don't drink enough to fall on your face. Drink it responsibly.

Sheridan stands alone very nicely, but you can create some interesting drink recipes using it. Here is a list of coffee drink ideas to borrow RECIPES.

We curently have an unopenned bottle of Sheridan in the fridge. It's been there for the past year. We fear opening it and running out of the stuff. We have no cruises or international travel booked and protecting the one bottle we have. Heck...I guess if we finish the bottle, we can bribe our son to pick us up some more as he travels the world. Cheers!

"I Can't Believe I Ate the Whole Thing" at Harold's New York Deli (NJ)

That's Harold Jaffe on the right.


You would think that the most well known corned beef sandwiches and knishes would be found in New York City. Maybe that's still true, but the biggest and best are found in central New Jersey at Harold's New York Deli; located inside a hotel in the middle of an industrial park in Edison. For those of you with a GPS, the physical address for Harold's is 1173 KING GEORGES POST RD. EDISON, NJ. 08837

Hidden and unknown? Not with all the parking spaces taken and with an average wait of twenty minutes for lunch and dinner. Harold's is a very popular place among BIG EATERS serving AWESOME Kosher-style deli food. Hold on to the word AWESOME for a bit. It has an entirely different meaning at Harold's. We'll come back to that in a moment or so and explain.

"Harold" is Harold Jaffe, a guy who cut his teeth - years ago - at New York's famous Carnegie Deli and later at the lengendary Claremont Diner in Verona, New Jersey. Harold knows from good food and he is glad to offer his patrons lots of it - whatever you order is supersized.

Oh yes, that word we mentioned earlier - AWESOME? OMG!!! Foot high sandwiches; mixing bowl size soup portions with softball size matzo balls! How about cakes the size of hat boxes? We are not kidding you. You have to see it to believe it. If you don't love food, you will be repulsed by the portion sizes.

We bring all of our friends to Harolds just to watch the expressions on their faces when the food arrives on the table. They all say the same exact thing: "who can eat all this food?"

Well, in most cases the food is ordered to be shared with three to four others or taken home for tomorrow's lunch or dinner. And, the next day and the day after that! In fact, at Harold's huge pickle bar (comes free with every meal) there is plenty of delicious rye bread to make many more sandwiches from the one your ordered.

Harold doesn't really care what you pile on your plate from the pickle bar, as long as it enhances your Kosher deli experience. Pickle Bar foods can NOT be taken home, except for the rye bread. You'll need that, for sure.

The "World's Famous Pickle Bar" also includes: cole slaw, sauerkraut, cherry peppers, pickled tomatoes and dill, sour, half-sour pickles and some of the best little corn muffins you've ever eaten. You can sneak a few of those suckers into your doggie bag, too.

Now, you may be thinking that size doesn't always mean quality. At Harold's every item on the menu is made with the best of the best ingredients, especially the meats he uses. he buys and moves a ton of it each week - maybe even more! Whether you order corned beef, roast beef, brisket, turkey, pastrami or tongue, you are getting fresh, lean and tasty meats every time. There are also some wonderful side dishes offered to top off the huge donner plates. Try the potato pancake(s) and or knishes. Yum. They are super-sized too and very delicious.

Here is a typical Harold's customer comment to chew on:

Harold's is famous for serving HUGE portions. Four people could eat a turkey sandwich and have leftovers. The food is very good, especially the giant cakes. You can go here for the food, but it seems many people go for the experience. Plan on splitting things, because they give you way too much to eat.

Spot on! That says it all and there is so much to share - BOTH on the plate and among your circle of friends. They will want to go there. This place is the real deal. Someplace very special. Out of the ordinary. A must visit.

So what from Harold's can you try making at home? His Health Salad - on the Pickle Bar - is to die for. Here is the recipe for that:


Harold's New York Deli Health Salad

2 T sugar
3T vinegar
2T salad oil
1T water
1t salt

1 cucumber sliced
1 carrot sliced
1 green pepper sliced
1 bermuda onion sliced
3/4 head shredded cabbage

mix sugar, vinegar oil,water and salt in a lidded jar.
add to vegetables and let marinate overnight.
bring to room temp before serving.

Make us much of it as you like and stop by Harold's for a full dinner; it will leave you full but wanting more - your leftovers. By the way, that's Harold Jaffe seating you. Nice guy. He'll treat you like he's known you for years. He is one heck of a hard worker and always looks tired. Pray for him. We need him to keep Harold's going for many more years to come!

Baking Ammonia Never Tasted This Good

Just as you are settling in with your new found Berger Cookie delights (earlier post), I have more great news from Baltimore. Could it be that Baltimore is the cookie capitol of the world? It very well may be, because it is also the home of Otterbein's Bakery, another Baltimore tradition that began way back in 1881, when Adam Otterbein’s opened the family’s first bakery.

Otterbein's is more than a one trick pony with its own brand of cookies. They offer a variety of thin, crisp delights that all have a home-made taste. They aren't too sweet, with a great crunch and wonderful flavor. I defy you to find anything as good as Otterbeins among the familiar national brands.

Here are some of the wonderful cookies made available in stores throughout Maryland and DC and - thank God - online :

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Sugar Cookies
Lemon Sugar Cookies
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Ginger Cookies

These are award-winning cookies that have gone head to head - in competition - with Berger Cookies and have beaten them. Don't just take it from me. Read the following review from a worthy food critic:

Excerpt from The Baltimore Sun Paper, May 24, 2006

Chef Shirley Coleman, a chef instructor at the Baltimore International College, says the Otterbein cookies have retained a homemade look and taste. " They look like they were made with love," she says. " It wasn't thrown together" Coleman says she can taste butter as the primary fat in the cookies, instead of shortening. "I could tell someone took a little bit of extra time making them." Chef Faith Kling, another chef instructor at the college, says the key to the thin Otterbein cookie is to bake it just the right amount of time - long enough to let the moisture evaporate and make the cookies crisp without burning them.

Otterbein's uses only the best ingredients in their baking and that can only be confirmed by kowing how "bad" these cookies are for you. A normal serving size is considered 4 Cookies (if you can stop there!. A serving equals 130 calories 40% of which is from fat, which means MARGERINE (not butter), in this case. Moderation folks, but NOT avoidance. LIFE IS TOO SHORT.

The ingredients are simple sugar cookie ingredients; they use margarine instead of butter. The secret ingredient for crispness is baker's ammonia.

Actual company recipes are hard to find, but a few ambitious bakers have tried to duplicate the taste of Otterbein's cookies with some unverified success. Here is one such recipe:

AMMONIA SUGAR COOKIES

2 cups sugar
1 cup shortening
2 eggs
3 teaspoons baking ammonia dissolved in 3/4 cup milk
5 cups sifted flour (I use a little more)
1 tsp salt
1 tablespoon lemon or vanilla flavoring

Cream shortening, sugar, eggs and milk mixture together.

Add flour, salt and flavoring. Mix, adding more flour if needed, till you have stiff batter.

Roll out on floured board and cut out into desired shapes. Place on lightly greased baking sheets.

Bake at 350 degrees F till light brown.

I have no idea if anyone can really do as good a job as Otterbeins, themselves. If you can, let us know. Until then, buy the real thing and enjoy these yummies.

Pie Equals Delicious Squared

Yes, New Jersey; there is something good in the middle of nowhere - and it's a pie. Correction. It's is a ton of pies. Double correction. It is a ton of pies that each weigh a ton. It's Penza's Pies at the Red Barn Cafe in rural Hammonton, NJ.


2 miles north of Route 30, in Hammonton, New Jersey, at mile marker 2 on Route 206 IS the middle of nowhere. Most "nowheres" are known for something, though. Considering that the entire American continent was once a "nowhere", until Columbus stumbled upon it, Hammonton is much less of a "nowhere" to many folks in New Jersey, especially those most apt to "phoan hoam" to Philadelphia or Delaware. This "nowhere" is definely a somewhere for foodies!

In any case, Betsy and I just happened to stumble upon a little red barn near Hammonton on the way to visit a local winery called Valenzanos. This little red barn had one of those typical hand-made signs advertising fresh produce and home-baked pies. And, so we stopped in to check it out.

At the door, we were immediately overwhelmed by the heavenly aroma of fruit pies of every type baking in the oven. If that wonderful fragrance wasn't enough, we nearly fell over a counter filled with just-baked sample treats. Who can resist such an offer to taste these local culinary icons?

Yes, icons. A whole wall of reviews by everyone from the New York Times to NBC's Big Al Roker, said so. We soon learned that "Big Al" once broadcasted from Penza's. Probably, BEFORE his stomach stapling took place.

Having sampled a few of the pies used as bait, there was nothing left to do than buy one or two. Problem is. There are too many choices. They are all equally good. And, they are a little pricey at over $20 for the smaller size of two. There is only a slight price differential between small and large. Frankly, whatever size you decide on - these goodies are worth their heavy weight in gold. They are all magnificent works of calories!

This time, we opted for the "Very Berry," which is only available during the summer months. Penza's bakes its pies according to the season. They are currently offering Easter treats. By the way, they also make and sell other good stuff in the round such as a fine line of savory pies. Great, if you are more into cheese and spices on your plate than fruity pies.

Evelyn Penza really runs the place and we are fortunate enough to be able to share one of here amazing pie recipes here for you. Penza's is especially well known for their Ricotta Blueberry Pie. So, you bakers can give it a shot and see if it equals the value of driving out to Hammonton to get the bakery version.

And, this from another Yummy Finder that already has a love affair with Penza's Pies:

One of a kind delicious homeamde pies!. I picked up a delicious Pumpkin Ricotta pie at the Red Barn, after hearing about the cafe on The Food Network. The pie was fantastic, possibly the best I've ever had. It's rare to find any bakery that makes ricotta pie, let alone a mix of ricotta cheese and pumpkin. They also carry a long list of other varieties, such as Apple, Apple & mixed fruit, Blueberry, etc. These pies are worth every penny!

We fully concur!

Tasty Raison, Rosemary and Wine

Betsy and I are cracker people. In fact, Betsy considers them "delivery systems" for fancy spreads and flavored cream cheeses. The cracker - itself - is nothing more than a means to an end "starring" its rich and creamy topping.

Recently, we came across a very unusual taste in crackers at Trader Joes Supermarkets. These are the Raison Rosemary Crisps(above).

The cracker is a bit on the brittle side, loaf-shaped and loaded with raisins, rosemary, flaxseeds and sunflower seeds. They're savory, sweet and yes, incredibly crispy.

Trader Joes recommends enjoying Raison Rosemary Crisps with French Brie or some Prosciutto & Roquefort. We think these crackers stand well enough on their own as a snack - maybe with some honey butter and definitely a nice glass of dry Reisling.

As we do in most of our reviews, we seek out and share home-made recipes for store bought products when we can find them. If it's great out of the box, home baking can often improve on a winner. Here is a RECIPE for Raison Rosemary Crisps that happens to be low-carb and gluten-free.

As for the store bought version, there are 90 calories in a 12 piece serving of Trader Joe's Raisin Rosemary Crisps. The calorie breakdown is as follows: 23% fat, 65% carbs, 12% protein. Anything in moderation is OK to enjoy as long as it tastes extraordinary and you remember not to overdo it. Why waste a single calorie on the unremarkable?

As is our usual practice we also like to share the opinions of others, who have tried the products we enjoy and recommend. Another fan of these crackers sums up these delights with the following:

These crackers are an absolutely delicious little snack! Imagine tiny and thin little slices of toasted French bread that are slightly sweetened with raisins and nicely flavored with rosemary. They have just the right amount of crunch and nuttiness too because of the flax and sunflower seeds. I just tried them at a party where they were served with a variety of cheeses and the flavor just exploded in my mouth. I just went and bought two boxes of these I liked them so very much! Yum, they melt in your mouth.

We just bought a box and are already running low. We'll be heading to Trader Joes again, very soon.

Best Cookies found in Mars

Traveling around the planet, it is easy to come across regional and local treasures that excite the palate. On a recent trip to Washington DC, we traveled the backroads to and from the nation's capitol and stumbled upon a supermarket we had never seen before or had ever heard of - Mars. Apparently, Mars is a local chain of grocery stores in metropolitan Baltimore, Maryland. There are currently 17 locations in the Baltimore area.

Bad news, first. Despite its celestial sounding name, Mars is pretty unremarkable and generic as most Supermarkets go. Our measure of Supermarket superiority or inferior status is usually determined in four areas of the store: The gourmet deli Counter, the bakery, the produce section and whatever aisles just happen to feature local goodies you can't easily find elsewhere. We like to visit the snack aisle for local chip and pretzels. The soda aisle often features unusual brands and flavors. And, the packaged cakes section sometimes displays items not found out of a particular area.

It was in the fourth place we checked - the packaged cakes aisle - that we found something very special - Berger's Cookies. Now, THESE are special cookies.

According to its website, the nineteenth century baking company that makes Berger Cookies describes itself and its trademark delight in the following manner:

"From its modest roots Bergers has continued to prosper, and has grown into one of the most recognized –and beloved cookie companies in the Mid Atlantic region. We still maintain the same recipes, with some minor adjustments to adapt to the processing of raw ingredients, as in the 1800’s. Our commitment to produce a quality product… one that our loyal customers can continue to enjoy, and new customers discover, is maintained in our production today."

Berger Cookies are a kind of cookie made and distributed by DeBaufre Bakeries. They are topped with a thick layer of chocolate fudge that derives from a German recipe, and are a cultural icon of Baltimore. The box seems to weigh a ton and are priced just under $5.00 - at least at Mars Supermarket. If you can't get down to the Baltimore area, Berger Cookies can be ordered from the company's website - just not during the warmer months of the year.

Boy are these suckers good, though some may consider them a little rich. You can thank the 1/8" of chocolate fudge weighing down the soft shortbread cookie buried in it. The two tastes make a great combination. Each cookie is about 140 calories of which 40% is fat. But, who cares when it tastes so good. It is too rich to eat more than one at each sitting. Problem is - you might be inclined to have another sitting as soon as the richness wears off!

There is another way to enjoy Berger Cookies. You can make them at home and here is the RECIPE

If my opinion on these cookies need any additional support, here is what another Yummy Finder thinks about this awesome tasting cookie and posted a review on Yelp:

When I was a kid, I could put away four of these easily. These days, I'm lucky if I can eat two in one sitting before my internal sugar police starts strapping on the riot gear. Nonetheless, the wonder that is Berger Cookies still puts a smile on my face whenever I arrive home to a care package from my aunt and uncle in Baltimore.

Over the years, I've gotten three friends, five roommates, and four coworkers hooked on these cookies. Picture, if you will, a plain vanilla cookie. The cookie is nothing special. The cookie is, indeed, nothing more than a token vehicle for the chocolate fudge topping. This chocolate is sugary, delicious, and tastes unlike anything else I've ever had. It will impress and overwhelm you. You'll probably need a drink of milk. And then another cookie.

Yes, Berger Cookies are YUMMY!