food

STORIES

Our stories are all about the interesting people, places and things in Maplewood.

Read some here or page through our online issues.

Ilysse Rimalovski

Apr 267 min read

THE COOK NEXT DOOR By Ilysse Rimalovski; Photos By Julia Maloof Verderosa

Cottage food operators innovate from home Perhaps you’ve been perfecting loaves of crusty sourdough in your home oven, wondering how to...

MOM COMPARISON: THE NEXT GENERATION by Olivia Mack McCool

ellencdonker

Oct 6, 20223 min read

MOM COMPARISON: THE NEXT GENERATION by Olivia Mack McCool

Peeking behind the Instagram curtain If you type my name into Instagram, what you’ll be presented with are many little colorful squares...

ELEGANT AND IMPRESSIVE, YET SECRETLY SIMPLE by Olivia Mack McCool

ellencdonker

Nov 26, 20216 min read

ELEGANT AND IMPRESSIVE, YET SECRETLY SIMPLE by Olivia Mack McCool

A holiday centerpiece and irresistible cookies to match I just love the notion that so many of the foods we love (think boeuf bourguignon...

WHAT MATTERS THIS SEASON by Ellen Donker

ellencdonker

Nov 26, 20213 min read

WHAT MATTERS THIS SEASON by Ellen Donker

Honoring our traditions even as they shift As the holidays are upon us, I’m looking forward to any excuse to be with family and friends...

ellencdonker

Oct 1, 20216 min read

THE SNOWBALL EFFECT by Tia Swanson

Changing the world, one child at a time Lorraine Kerry Barnett grew up poor in the Central Ward of Newark during the dark period that...

ellencdonker

Aug 13, 20213 min read

THE JOBS OF SUMMER By Ellen Donker

They’ll have value past August This summer, my kids gave me a gift: All three of them found employment. I exhaled a big sigh of relief...

SAYING GOODBYE TO OUR HOUSE, WITH LOVE By Tami Steckler

ellencdonker

Jun 11, 20213 min read

SAYING GOODBYE TO OUR HOUSE, WITH LOVE By Tami Steckler

Thank you for these 21 years Dear House, I remember the first time I saw you. To be honest, I didn’t love you then. I thought your rooms...

ellencdonker

Mar 12, 20213 min read

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES by Ilene Moreno

A family tradition with a plant-based twist Is there anything better than the smell of chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven? Growing...

CHANNELING A LOVE FOR COOKING by Ellen Donker

ellencdonker

Nov 27, 20206 min read

CHANNELING A LOVE FOR COOKING by Ellen Donker

Seth Boyden fourth grader hosts his own cooking show Jacob Case never expected to be sharing cooking videos on Facebook. After all, he’s...

EDUCATING KIDS ON TRASH by Georgia Madiba

ellencdonker

Aug 14, 20203 min read

EDUCATING KIDS ON TRASH by Georgia Madiba

A summer walk turns into a waste audit Playgrounds reopened in July after being closed due to the pandemic and, naturally, my two...

GETTING LOST IN THE PANDEMIC SUPERMARKET by Donny Levit

ellencdonker

Jun 19, 20203 min read

GETTING LOST IN THE PANDEMIC SUPERMARKET by Donny Levit

My first COVID-19 shopping spree sets the pace Shopping list. Check. Shopping bags. Check. Travel-size bottle of hand sanitizer. Check....

SERVING UP MORE THAN TENNIS by Abby Sher

ellencdonker

Mar 15, 20205 min read

SERVING UP MORE THAN TENNIS by Abby Sher

From Chris Evert to clothesline bacon, a famed tennis club evolves with the times When Orange Lawn Tennis Club opened its doors in South...

ellencdonker

Mar 14, 20206 min read

PEACE AND EGGS by Ellen Donker

Our neighbors weigh in on raising hens in the suburbs When Kate Dial moved with her husband Michael Carrico to Maplewood, raising...

ellencdonker

Nov 21, 20193 min read

PARTY ON! by Ellen Donker

Rent Party closes in on a decade fighting hunger If you’re Chris Dickson, there are two kinds of people in Maplewood and South Orange:...

CHOCOLATE BISCOTTI STORY by Karen Tedesco

ellencdonker

Nov 21, 20193 min read

CHOCOLATE BISCOTTI STORY by Karen Tedesco

Let the crumbs fall where they may Biscotti are one of my favorite cookies to make, not least because they’re a satisfyingly crunchy,...

ellencdonker

Nov 21, 20193 min read

WHAT'S IN A TRADITION? by Ellen Donker

Life. Every family has its own way of celebrating holidays. In our home, the most eagerly anticipated gathering is our Christmas Eve...

FILLING THE HUNGRY WITH GOOD THINGS by Adrianna Donat

ellencdonker

Oct 3, 20194 min read

FILLING THE HUNGRY WITH GOOD THINGS by Adrianna Donat

A local charity reaches out to those in need on two continents One day about 10 years ago, Jane Collins-Colding was on her way to do...

SLOW AND TASTY FOR THE WIN By Karen Tedesco

ellencdonker

Oct 3, 20193 min read

SLOW AND TASTY FOR THE WIN By Karen Tedesco

Welcome to the ultimate one-pot meal My grandmother was a true believer in the Crock-Pot. She was a working woman in a time and place...

ellencdonker

Oct 3, 20194 min read

AN UNEXPECTED CALLING by Abby Sher

How Amie Ruditz found herself curating Tuscan retreats Local entrepreneur Amie Ruditz remembers the precise moment she found her calling....

donny levit

Aug 19, 20193 min read

WEEKNIGHT WONDER by Karen Tedesco

A classic Italian comfort-food recipe, updated for the modern family.