…more than 20 foremost restaurants in the New Brunswick area will participate in the food and wine gala at the newly renovated New Brunswick Hyatt
By: Pat Tanner
I hardly know where to begin in describing all the good work that Elijah’s Promise, the New Brunswick-based organization, does to help low-income people in central New Jersey. Since 1989, its mission has been to "move people from hunger to wholeness," and
its services have expanded to include a soup kitchen that has evolved from
simply providing much-needed calories to serving food with optimum nutritional
value to about 300 people a day, and from offering information and referrals
on medical care to establishing its own health care clinic.
On June 11, this nonprofit will hold its largest annual fundraiser, Elijah’s Promise Chefs Night, to support another of its important projects: Promise Jobs Culinary School. Now in its 10th year, this state-accredited school trains low-income individuals for employment in a field that, as Elijah’s Promise director Lisanne Finston says, "pays them a living wage." It
is only fitting that more than 20 foremost restaurants in the New Brunswick
area will participate in the food and wine gala at the newly renovated New
Brunswick Hyatt, including The Frog and the Peach, Stage Left, The Palace at
Somerset Park and Panico’s. They will be joined by newcomers Catherine Lombardi
and Christopher’s at the Heldrich Hotel, as well as eateries with ties to the
Princeton area, among them The Bent Spoon, Chauncey Place Conference Center
and Nova Terra, the sister restaurant to Princeton’s Mediterra.
The evening also includes live jazz which, having attended
the gala in past years, I can attest is first rate, and a silent auction that
includes fabulous vacations, restaurant meals, entertainment, sports outings
and artwork. To view the auction items and to bid on them in advance visit http://elijahspromise.cmarket.com.
Included in the artwork is a table with a handmade earthenware
tile by Elijah’s Promise’s multitalented in-house chef and instructor, Abby
Hoffman. An exhibit of Ms. Hoffman’s tiles was a big draw at the Chapin School’s
gallery last year. She also heads up Promise Jobs’ cooking classes, which are
open to the public and held at the organization’s brand new facility at 211
Livingston Ave. in New Brunswick. Her May class focused on spring vegetables
and included everything from a salad of pea shoots, radishes and goat cheese
to wild mushroom ragout and chocolate silken tofu pie with strawberries. Two
of her simple but savory recipes from that class follow. For information on
upcoming classes, which range from $40 to $55 and are held on evenings or Saturdays,
phone (732) 545-9002, ext. 124.
Rounding out the gourmet and ethnic cuisine at this year’s Chefs Night are: Hyatt Regency, Brandl, Harvest Moon Brewery & Café, Delta’s, Portuguese Fisherman, Café Z,
Sophie’s Bistro, Double Tree Hotel (Somerset), Thyme Square, a Tavola, Front
Street Smokehouse, Chocolate Fondue for You and Fiddlehead’s.
ROASTED NEW BEETS WITH LIME BUTTER
Abby Hoffman, Chef, Elijah’s Promise & Promise Jobs
4 to 6 small to medium beets, scrubbed and dried
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Lime butter:
¼ cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
½ teaspoon lime zest
Pinch of salt
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place unpeeled beets in a large piece of aluminum
foil. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast 50 to
60 minutes, until fork tender. - Make the lime butter: Combine
ingredients using a fork. - Peel beets, if desired, and cut into bite-size
pieces. Dab with lime butter and garnish, if desired, with additional lime
zest and chopped parsley or cilantro.
Serves 4.
OVEN-ROASTED TOFU
WITH MINT AND CORIANDER PESTO SAUCE
Abby Hoffman, Chef, Elijah’s Promise & Promise Jobs
2 pounds extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed between a towel
For the marinade:
2 tablespoons low-sodium tamari soy sauce
1 tablespoon safflower or grapeseed oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
For the pesto sauce:
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro (coriander) leaves
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ cup sliced almonds or whole pine nuts
1/3 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
- Slice each block of tofu
into even 1/2-inch slices. Combine the marinade ingredients and pour into
a baking dish. Add the tofu slices, turning to coat, and marinate, covered,
for 1 to 2 hours. - Meanwhile, prepare the pesto sauce: Place
all ingredients in blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Keep
at room temperature until ready to use. - Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Drain the
marinated tofu slices. Place slices on a wire rack set inside a baking sheet.
Brush slices with some of the pesto. Roast tofu for 10 to12 minutes on each
side, basting occasionally with more pesto. Slices should be firm and browned.
Remove from oven and serve with remaining pesto and a whole grain such as
brown rice, spelt or quinoa. (Soy and whole grains make a complete protein
in a meal.)
Serves 4.
Elijah’s Promise Chefs Night takes place from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday, June 11, at the Hyatt Regency, New Brunswick. To order tickets, at $125, phone Michelle Wilson at (732) 545-9002, ext. 126, or email [email protected]. For information on Elijah’s Promise and Promise Jobs Culinary School, visit www.elijahspromise.org.

