Chef's Pantry

May means Graduations and Weddings

Mon, 14 May 2012 13:54:00 GMT

Wellness
Value
Innovation
Community Culture

Wellness: The month of May means great produce, Cinco De Mayo, Mother's Day and here on the campus of Hudson County Community College, graduation. Here at the Culinary Conference Center we are preparing for Graduation Parties and Weddings.

In May comes such great cooking ingredients as jicama, apricots, asian pears, mint for ice tea and cannellini beans for hummus.

Our Tuesday Culinary Cafe on May 8th will feature Cinco De Mayo items so please join us for lunch between 12 noon and 1:30 pm.

Value & Innovation: The Culinary Conference Center prides itself in offer great value packages for graduation and weddings. Our graduation party packages start at $36 per person and our wedding package start at $79 per person. Our wedding packages are an especially great value as they include open bar and wedding sheet cake.

Community Culture: We continue to cultivate our presence in the community the destination for weddings and graduations. We have hosted several weddings for Jersey City residents and hope to do more. We have become very popular in the community as the place to have your graduation party. We hope that we can expand our efforts in the community by attracting weddings from neighboring towns like Union, Hoboken and Bayonne.

We are proud to be working with Broadridge to bring food to the Homeless Shelter in Hoboken on a monthly basis. We find this to be rewarding and a great way to give back to the community.

April a time to rejuvenate your teams with team building activities

Thu, 10 May 2012 16:05:00 GMT

Wellness
Value
Innovation
Community Culture

Wellness: The month of April is a time for renewal, planning and spring crops. Here at the Culinary Conference Center we prepare for Graduation Parties and Team building activities. It is a time when companies plan team outings and retreats to rejuvenate their teams.

In April comes such great cooking ingredients as asparagus, lentils and spring potatoes. Even rhubarb with strawberries are wonderful for a great crumble, cobbler or crisp.

Value & Innovation: Since the Culinary Conference Center is on the campus of Hudson County Community College we begin to prepare for Graduation in May. We have put together some great Graduation menus starting at $36 per person for those planning a Graduation party.

The Culinary Conference Center is also an ideal location for cooking team building events. We have hosted plenty. We even have team building cooking theme around such holidays as Cinco de Mayo. Ask about our combo package for businesses, a half day meeting plus a cooking event for $100 per person.

Because we have such spacious kitchens with windows they are an ideal setting for film productions as well. We have played host to several production companies shooting both commercials such as Progresso and television series like Buddy Valastro’s the Next Great Baker on TLC.

We offer a great location minutes from NYC by PATH and accessible to much of the New Jersey area.

Community Culture: We strive to be a part of both the business community and the general community in Journal Square.

We look forward to being "the" destination for Graduation parties in our community. For all the many students graduating in Jersey City and the surrounding area.

We also look forward to providing the perfect place for businesses in our community to come together and enjoy team building cooking events, meetings and retreats all at the Culinary Conference Center.

March - Springtime - time for planning corporate retreats and teambuilding

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 13:59:00 GMT

Wellness
Value
Innovation
Community Culture

Wellness: The month of March is when we begin to put away the heavy coats and sweaters. We are ready to be outdoors and have some fun! March is a great time for blood oranges, pears, fish and red quinoa. In honor of St. Patty's Day I will be doing an irish soda bread tasting. To celebrate Women's History Month we will be doing a business card raffle to win Giada De Laurentiis' cookbook.

Value: The Culinary Conference Center is a great corporate retreat location near NYC offering everything from meeting rooms to cooking team building events.

Here at the Culinary Conference Center we offer half and full day meeting packages for those people looking for a corporate retreat locations near NYC and the New Jersey area. Our corporate retreat packages for March include seasonal and healthy menu items such as: freshly baked lemon poppy scones and date nut tea breads, fuji apple asian pear, greek yogurt parfait with black berry coulis, pomegranate blueberry shooters, balsamic grilled vegetables and seasonal greens, cajun chicken salad sandwiches.

For those looking for conference centers in NJ look no further. We are happy to be your conference center of choice and provide outstanding food for your conference.

Community Culture: We look forward to celebrating Women's History Month in March and welcome women businesses for corporate events big and small. Our cooking team building events are a perfect way to end a day and get to know your co-workers better.

We are thrilled to celebrate Women's History Month and provide space for women businesses to host corporate retreats, meetings, seminars, training and team building activities. We look forward to serving the women in business in Hudson County and the surrounding areas.

February Corporate Training

Wed, 23 May 2012 16:04:00 GMT

Wellness
Value
Innovation
Community Culture

Wellness: February is a great time for cara cara oranges, tangerines, mandarin oranges, bartlett pears. Superbowl. Valentine's Day. Mardi Gras.

For Valentine's Day I look to incorporate foods that remind me of romance and can be interactive and easy. Something as simple as strawberries dipped in dark chocolate is a perfect example and can be made together or with a group. Dark chocolate contains a number of antioxidants (nearly 8 times the number found in strawberries).

In honor of Valentine's Day we are offering 1/2 dozen Strawberries dipped in Dark chocolatefor $10. Pre-order at the Culinary Cafe on Feb. 7th and pick-up on the 14th.

I will be putting together a Mardi Gras menu for Fat Tues., Feb. 21st. Check out our Tues., Culinary Cafe menu as we get close.

Value & Innovation: February is a great time of year for planning corporate retreats, corporate off-sites and team building events. Here at the Culinary Conference Center we offer great half and full day packages for those people looking for a corporate retreat venue in the New Jersey area. We offer everything you need from meeting rooms to dining for your corporate retreat. Our corporate retreat packages include seasonal and healthy breakfast and lunch menu items such as: freshly baked muffins and tea breads, smoothies with seasonal fruit, homemade granola, balsamic grilled vegetables and seasonal greens.

Add on a team building cooking event to your day meeting. A great way to end your day and learn more about your co-workers in a more relaxed setting.

Community Culture: We are thrilled to be in the heart of Journal Square able to provide a space for the business community to hosts corporate retreats, meetings, team building cooking events, seminars, training, conferences and corporate social events. We look forward to serving the business communities in our neighboring towns of Bayonne, Hoboken, Newark and the surrounding areas.

January is a time for planning...a Wedding

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 18:51:00 GMT

Wellness
Value
Innovation
Community Culture

Wellness: January reminds me of all the great citrus that is available to us. Clementines, navel oranges, tangelos as well as asian pears. I love planning for Superbowl this time of year. I prefer to take a healthy approach to some of the appetizers I create for Superbowl.

Value & Innovation: New Year's Eve is often a time when couples get engaged We cater to couples looking for a New York venue or New Jersey venue. At the Culinary Center we offer value to couples searching for a wedding venue in New Jersey or New York City. I have designed affordable Wedding Packages that start as low as $79 per person. The Culinary Conference Center's Wedding packages are a great value.

I have incorporated innovative items like: Balsamic Grilled Chicken, Lime Marinated Hanger Steak, West Indies Spiced Mahi Mahi and Spinach Tomato Strudel into our Wedding Menus. I strive to make the Culinary Conference Center one of the premier wedding venues in New Jersey.

Community Culture: I consider our role as a unique wedding venue in New Jersey and more importantly in the Jersey City, Journal Square area important to the community. It is vital that there be a local venue for wedding receptions and family parties where people gather and enjoy themselves. We hope that we can become the center of the community to share wedding receptions and other milestones as the years go on.

December, Teambuilding and The End of The Year

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 18:51:00 GMT

Wellness
Value
Innovation
Community Culture

Wellness: December is a great time for navel oranges, bartlett pears, clementines and tangerines. Hot drinks like peppermint hot chocolate and holiday spice chai tea are perfect for for keeping you warm.

Value & Innovation: December is a good time to plan for the new year. Planning corporate team building events and scheduling training this month gets a jump start on the new year. I love leading culinary team building activities. I have developed a couple of special menus for team building activities. One focused on New Year's and the other on Superbowl. Either one is guaranteed to get your team going and working together as one cohesive unit.

Community & Culture: Because we have so many business here in Jersey City I hope they will take advantage of the Culinary Conference Center for business meetings, corporate team building and business training. We strive to be more involved in the business community providing the perfect venue team building activities, business luncheons, business meetings and seminars.

November means Thanksgiving - Conference Center In Jersey City

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:34:00 GMT

November means Thanksgiving.

Recipe suggestions, substitute some local and seasonal vegetables from your local farmers market.

Caponata of Rstd. Vegetables and Feta Whole Wheat Pita

Recipe By : Yield: 18, 6oz portions Caponata/ Sandwich
Serving Size : 18 Preparation Time :1:00

Amount Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
46      ounces        Eggplant -- Medium Dice
22      ounces        Yellow Squash -- Medium Dice
22      ounces        Zucchini -- Medium Dice
   8      ounces        Red Pepper -- Medium Dice
10      ounces        Portobello -- Medium Dice
12      ounces        Red onion -- Medium Dice
16      ounces        Tomato -- Medium Dice
   8      ounces        Yellow Pepper -- Medium Dice
   6      ounces        White Balsamic Vinegar
   4      ounces        Extra Virgin Olive Oil
   1      teaspoon      Kosher Salt
   2      ounces        Sugar
   1      teaspoon      Black Pepper -- Ground
   3      ounces        Garlic -- Minced Finely

   2      ounces        Olives -- Pitted, Minced
   4      ounces        Feta Cheese -- Crumbled
   1      ounce         Fresh Parsley -- Minced Finely
     1/2 ounce         Fresh Basil Leaves -- Minced Finely
18      each          Toufayan Brand 6 ounce WW Pita
18      ounces        Green Leaf lettuce -- Washed, Chopped
18      ounces        Tomato -- Sliced Thin

1. Toss all the vegetables in the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, black pepper and sugar. Place on a sheet pan and roast in a 400 F oven for 12 minutes, remove and chill.

2. Place vegetables in a bowl and toss crumbled feta cheese, minced olives, parsley and basil.

TO ASSEMBLE.
1. Split pita in 1/2. Place 1/2 ounce of both lettuce and tomato in each half. Place 3 ounces of the caponata in each half and serve.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Wellness: November begins the season of eating and giving thanks. November brings great foods like cranberries, winter squash, pears and apples. This time of year is a great time for cranberry spinach and pears. I love making cranberry chutney, pear & shaved parmesan salad and roasted pear & goat cheese crostini.

Value & Innovation:

I am thrilled that we are holding another winetasting dinner on Wed., Nov. 9th from 6:30 to 8:30 PM.

I have created a menu to compliment the wines. Below is our menu:

First Course

Baby Potato Leek

Seaglass Sauvignon Blanc

Second Course

Organic Greens

New Jersey Vegetable Caponata

Feta Crouton

Main St Chardonnay

Third Course

Dual Entree

Beef Tenderloin

Wild Mushroom Risotto

Tasso Ham wrapped Jumbo Shrimp

Spaghetti Squash Pancake

Folie a Deux Merlot

Fourth Course

Balsamic Brie

Griddled Crepe

Montevina Barbera

Fifth Course Dessert

Toasted Almond Rice Pudding

Cranberry Orange Cookie

9 Vines Moscato

$60 per person

$100 for couples

$500 for a table of 10

(includes tax & gratuity)

Call us at the Culinary Conference Center at 201-360-5300 to book you seat.

With the coming of the holidays the Culinary Conference Center is the perfect location for those looking for Jersey City Banquet Halls for their holiday celebrations. I have put together a special dinner menu for the holidays that includes beer and wine, dinner and service all for only $55 a person. We hope that those looking for Jersey City Banquet Halls will consider the Culinary Conference Center.

Community Culture: Being in the heart of the Jersey City community we offer the ideal conference location for the Jersey City community. We strive to serve the local community by hosting diverse conferences making us the premiere conference location in Jersey City. Community organizations searching for conference locations in Jersey City have found that the Culinary Conference Center serves the community well. We hope to continue to grow our participation in hosting conferences and become THE Conference Center in Jersey City.

October a festive time of year

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 18:52:00 GMT

October is a festive time of year with Oktoberfest and Halloween.

Wellness
Value
Innovation
Community Culture

Wellness: October mean pumpkins, apples and beer. Some of my favorite dishes this time of year include: Apple pie, strudel, cobbler and apple cider. Apples are a super food packed with vitamin C and a rich source in antioxidant compounds. Pumpkin spiced hummus, pumpkin muffins and pies and roasted pumpkin. Pumpkins are packed with vitamins A & C.

Whole GRAINS! Look for them on the Tuesday, Cafe menu, salad and/ or side.

We are celebrating Oktoberfest with a Beer and Food tasting on Thursday, Oct. 6th from 5:30 to 7:30. Tickets are $35. Call our offices at 201-360-5300 to purchase in advance.
I have put together the following menu:

Austrian Swiss, Cauliflower Soup

Pickled Herring, Black Bread, Sweet Onion Cream

Smoked Loin of Pork, Onion New Jersey Ale Gravy, Braised Red Cabbage

Bratwurst Slider, House Made Beer Mustard

Weiner Schnitzel, Pretzel Roll Sandwich

Bavarian House Made Pretzel

Apple, Raisin Strudel

We will be tasting some tasty beer that include:

Shiner Octoberfest

Hofbrau Octoberfest

Spaten Octoberfest

Becks Octoberfest

Weyerbacher Pumpkin

Brookly Pumpkin

and many more.

Hope to see you all there!

Value & Innovation: October is a great time of year for corporate retreats and corporate off-sites. Here at the Culinary Conference Center we offer great half and full day packages for those people looking for a corporate retreat venue in the New Jersey area. We offer everything you need from meeting rooms to dining to for your corporate retreat. Our corporate retreat packages include seasonal and healthy menu items such as: freshly baked muffins and tea breads, smoothies with seasonal fruit, homemade granola, balsamic grilled vegetables and seasonal greens.

Community Culture: We are thrilled to be in the heart of Journal Square able to provide a space for the business community to hosts corporate retreats, meetings, seminars, training, conferences and corporate social events. We look forward to serving the business communities in our neighboring towns of Bayonne, Hoboken, Newark and the surrounding areas.

Look for our Argentinian menu this month in the Tuesday Cafe!

September brings autumn and holiday planning

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 18:53:00 GMT

September means back to school, harvest time and holidays approaching.

Corn and Grilled Pepper Relish

Yield: 1 Quarts
Serving Size:16 portions/ 2oz. Preparation Time =0:35mins.
Relish

Amount Measure

------------------------------------------
   6      each          Ears of Local Fresh Corn
   1      each          Small Red Onion -                         Finely Chop
   1     each          Small Red Pepper -Grilled-           Small Dice
   1      each          Small Green Pepper -Grilled-       Small Dice
   4      each          Fresh San Marzano Tomatoes -    Small Dice
   1     each           Lime Juice and Zest
   1      teaspoon   Ground Chipotle Powder
   4      Ea. Sprigs  Fresh Cilantro -                         Finely Chop
   4      oz.            Tomato Juice
   1      teaspoon    Kosher Salt

1. Pre Heat Oven. 350 Degrees. Peel back husk carefully, remove corn silk and roast corn while still in its husk for 20 minutes.
2. Cool corn, remove husk and cut kernels from cobb. Reserve
3. Cut the peppers into 1/4's and remove the seeds. Rub lightly with olive oil and grill until golden brown and tender. Cool.
4. Cut peppers into Small dice, combine with remaining ingredients.

5. Rest the relish for at least 5 minutes before serving.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

September means back to school, harvest time and holidays approaching

Wellness: In September we enjoy an abundance of sweet local corn. I enjoy making roasted corn salsa, corn and tomato salad as we enjoy the last harvest of corn.

Value & Innovation: As September arrives autumn begins and we get back to school and work. I enjoy this time of year as I begin planning for corporate holiday parties. Please check out my holiday menus as you begin to plan for your corporate party. I have included such tasty items as on these menus as: Cornish Game Hen with Apple Cider Ginger Gravy, Chicken Parmigianino Sliders and Pan Seared Tilapia Filet with Herb, Tomato Relish.

We have holiday party menus that start as low as $29 per person. We offer the best value for people searching for a corporate holiday party venue in the New York and New Jersey area.

Community Culture: We are proud to offer a convenient space for companies in the Journal Square area to hold their corporate parties year round. It has been great to see so many people who work in the neighborhood at our Tuesday Culinary Cafe. We look forward to hosting corporate parties for these local businesses as we become the center of the business community for important celebrations such as retirement, birthdays and corporate parties.

August Means Tomatoes

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 01:45:00 GMT

As the summer comes to an end we enjoy an abundance of great tomatoes and peaches.

Wellness
Value
Innovation
Community Culture

Wellness: August is a great time of year for tomatoes and peaches. Tomato salsa and bruschetta or tomatoes with fresh mozzarella and basil are especially good. Peach smoothies, peach cobbler are packed with flavor and Vitamin C.

Value & Innovation: August is vacation time and often a time when couples get engaged while away. We cater to couples looking for a New York venue or New Jersey venue. At the Culinary Center we offer value to couples searching for a wedding venue in New Jersey or New York City. I have designed affordable Wedding Packages that start at $79 per person. I have incorporated innovative items like: Balsamic Grilled Chicken, Lime Marinated Hanger Steak, West Indies Spiced Mahi Mahi and Spinach Tomato Strudel into our Wedding Menus. I strive to make the Culinary Conference Center one of the premier wedding venues in New Jersey.

Community Culture: I consider our role as a unique wedding venue in New Jersey and more importantly in the Jersey City, Journal Square area important to the community. It is vital that there be a local venue for wedding receptions and family parties where people gather and enjoy themselves. We hope that we can become the center of the community to share wedding receptions and other milestones as the years go on.

Spring has sprung

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 16:13:00 GMT

As we get into the warmer weather I would like to introduce my approach to this blog. I want to focus on 4 areas each month.

Wellness
Value
Innovation
Community Culture

Wellness will cover our FIT foods, healthier beverages and super foods.

Value in the foods we serve, our Culinary Café lunch on Tuesdays at $8 is a great value or our great meeting packages.

Innovation in our new menu items and great service.

Community/Culture in relation to sustainability, local farms, spotlight on ethnic cuisine and local partnerships.

Superbowl Party Recipes

Sun, 30 Jan 2011 22:28:00 GMT

As we get over the holidays and winter sets in, I always look forward to entertaining at home. One of my favorite times to entertain is during the Superbowl Season.

I enjoy putting a twist on old favorites with simple and healthy alternatives. Check out my version of chips and salsa with Cinnamon Tortilla Chips & Fruit Salsa and instead of buffalo wings, Teriyaki Wings. Check out these recipes and others to create your own great Superbowl party.

Cinnamon Tortilla Chips and Fruit Salsa

Serving Size: 12

6 6-inch Flour Tortilla
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Vegetable cooking spray

FRUIT SALSA

4 each plums -- pitted and diced
2 2/3 each navel oranges -- peeled, sectioned, chopped
1 1/3 each peach -- pitted and diced
1 1/3 cups raspberries
1 1/3 tablespoons mint -- minced
1 1/3 tablespoons crystallized ginger -- minced
1 1/3 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon orange rind
1 cup orange juice

Cut each tortilla into 6 wedges. Arrange in single layer on sheetpan.
Combine sugar, cocoa, and cinnamon.
Coat wedges with spray; sprinkle half of sugar mixture over wedges.
Bake at 350F until crisp

SALSA

1. Combine first 10 ingredients in a large bowl. Toss gently, cover and chill.

Teriyaki Wings

Serving Size: 26

TERIYAKI GLAZE

1 quart White Wine
1 quart Soy Sauce
3 cups Sugar
2 cups Apricot Jam
1/2 cup Cornstarch
4 ounces Water

10 pounds Chicken Wings -- Disjointed, Tips Removed
Cornstach

Boil soy sauce and white wine, add apricot glaze and sugar.
Mix cornstarch and water to make a slurry, add to sauce and stir.
Simmer until thickened.
Dredge wings in cornstarch and deep fry to 165F.
Toss in glaze until evenly coated.

Enjoy!