Book Review: Dishing Up New Jersey

Katie June 3, 2016 0 Comments

Dishing Up New Jersey contains 150 recipes from The Garden State. With it being called The Garden State, you’d expect a lot of farms and gardens in the state, which is true – there are more than 9,000 farms!  Jersey is in the top producers for several major crops – corn, tomatoes, blueberries and cranberries, to name a few.  The book even has a chart for fruits, berries and vegetables and what are the key harvest dates for each of them. Pretty handy – it tells you when is early harvest, most active and late.  Now that we know all about the harvests, we can get into the recipes!

I was not surprised to see Taylor Ham mentioned in the book.  I wasn’t exactly sure what it was before opening the book, I just knew that it was somehow linked to New Jersey.  Pork Roll is the state’s official breakfast meat, but a lot call it Taylor ham.  There are a lot of breakfasts mentioned in the first part of the book – almost enough to make me want to head to a jersey diner for breakfast!

There are also a lot of salads featured in the book, which was also not a surprise.  Remember, it is The Garden State!  And of course, with The Jersey Shore there is a chapter all about the seafood.

I thought I was safe reading this late at night after I was done with dinner, but this has got me so hungry. So many great recipes and ideas!

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

New Jersey native John Holl searched from Sussex County to Cape May to find the best recipes New Jersey has to offer, and the result is this rich and unique cookbook celebrating the foods, flavors, cultures, and traditions of the Garden State. These 150 recipes include dishes featuring New Jersey’s own produce — tomatoes, corn, cranberries, blueberries, apples — along with deep-fried boardwalk treats, late-night diner bites, and recipes contributed by casinos, bison and dairy farms, food trucks, old-school delis, famous bakeries, and more. You’ll find Pork Roll Surprise, Sauteed Ricotta Gnocchi, Cucumber Gazpacho, Ukrainian Holubtsi, Radish Bread, Dry Vegetarian Curry, Funnel Cake at Home, Tomato and Onion Salad, Thai Fish Cakes, Jersey Green Clam Chowder, Sunday Gravy, Saltwater Taffy, Traditional Amish Chili, Classic Lawrenceville Mac & Cheese, Kielbasa and Sauerkraut, Jersey Disco Fries, Jamaican Jerk Meatballs, Fresh Jersey Corn Cakes, Honey Thyme Caramel, Black and Blue Cobbler– and a classic Taylor Ham, Egg, and Cheese Sandwich. Beautifully photographed, this collection is the ultimate tribute to New Jersey’s best.