Guess who's coming for dinner?

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No. I didn't invite Jerry's to dinner at my house tonight, but most of the food we'll be eating comes from his Italian specialty store, which is even more alluring during the recession.

Oh, it's not just the free cheese, bread, olive oil and other samples I enjoy when shopping in the South Dean Street store in Englewood.

It's the good value you get there, like the homemade potato focaccia with onion and tomato ($3.99 for a hefty 24 ounces) that I'll be serving as an appetizer tonight, possibly adding sliced provolone (photo) at a friendly $2.49 a pound.

For our entrees, three of us we'll share two restaurant-quality "Meals To Go" -- grouper and tilapia with such side dishes as spinach lasagna, artichokes and orecchiette pasta with broccoli rabe and sausage (which we'll discard to keep our meatless pledge). They are only $6.99 and $4.99 after 4 p.m.. if there are any left.

Red wine and salad will complete our meal.

Jerry's Gourmet & More, 410 S. Dean St.,
Englewood; 201-871-7108.
Jerry's Homemade

Jerry's 'Meals To Go' went fast

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If you've ever had one of the complete dinners called "Meals To Go" from Jerry's Gourmet in Englewood, you know what a delicious bargain they are. What I didn't know is that the Italian specialty store drops the price to $4.99 from $6.99 at 4 p.m.

A restaurant-quality meal -- entree, vegetable, pasta and other side dishes -- is already a steal at $6.99. At $4.99, well ... they really fly out of the refrigerated case, as I found out when I showed up a little after 5 p.m. today and they were gone. My consolation prize was free samples of a half-dozen cheeses Jerry's puts out every day.

I remember well the  "Meal To Go" with Chilean sea bass (photo), and others with flounder and other seafood, which we have been eating in place of meat since Sunday.

Tonight, I took a cup of  leftover Mexican green sauce with a little fish in it, added six eggs, tomato, red pepper and onion, and poured the mixture into a large, non-stick frying pan with hot extra-virgin olive oil. I put pieces of sliced yogurt cheese on top, and let it cook on the stove for about 15 minutes. I finished it under the broiler.

We ate the frittata with leftover spaghetti and sardines in tomato sauce and broccoli rabe from our dinner last night.

Jerry's Gourmet & More, 410 S. Dean St., 
Englewood; 201-871-7108.