Two lunches: Trip to the Middle East and exotic seafood close to home

Trip to the Middle East, a hot appetizer served in the cafe at Fattal's in Paterson, could feed two or three people for lunch.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

After picking up a menu at Fattal's in September, a hot appetizer called Trip to the Middle East stuck in my mind.

Dips, stuffed grape leaves, kibbeh, falafel, pies, pickles and more -- this one dish has many of the great Syrian comfort foods I enjoyed growing up in Brooklyn.

On Tuesday, I finally ordered one to eat in the specialty food store's small cafe, but took home plenty of leftovers, because there was enough to feed two or three people ($14.99).

As I ate, I realized my hunger was driven in part by the anniversary the next day, Dec. 7, of the death of my mother, Grace Ashkenazi Sasson, who was born in Aleppo, Syria.  

Substitutes

I don't eat meat or poultry, and had to work out substitutions for the deep-fried kibbeh stuffed with ground beef, lamb, onions and walnuts; the grape leaves with meat and the meat pies.

Fattal's makes wonderful grape leaves stuffed with vegetables, and terrific pies with vegetables, including sweet pepper, and olives. 

I also got two more falafels (made with chick peas, fava beans and spices) in place of the two kibbeh.

I loved everything, but thought the tabbouleh could have used more bulgur, and at least one more Syrian pocket bread should be included.

Then, I went into Fattal's grocery aisles for a dozen cans of Al-Shark brand Sardines in Tomato Sauce to take home (99 cents each).  

My next stop was Costco Wholesale in Wayne, where I picked up eight bottles of red wine, including Kirkland Signature Malbec from Argentina ($7.99), and a boxed set of four Bordeauxs from France ($29.99 or about $7.50 per bottle).

Kirkland Signature Prosecco, a sparkling wine from Italy, is an easy to swallow $6.99; and at only $19.99, the house label Champagne (Brut) from France is less than half the price of some other brands.

You'll find the cafe at Fattal's in the back of the store, past the pastries, spices, gold jewelry and bread racks.

I ate sandwiches of grape leaves and falafel stuffed with tomato, pickles, hummus and baba ghanoush.

Three-liter bottles of California red wine at Costco Wholesale in Wayne.

Details

Fattal's, 975-77 Main St., Paterson; 1-973-742-7125. Open 7 days. Large parking lot. Syrian bread, groceries, meat and poultry, gold jewelry, cafe.

Costco Wholesale, 149 Route 23, Wayne. Open 7 days. Members-only warehouse also sells wine, champagne and prosecco, including Costco's Kirkland Signature label.

A Seafood Trio --Char-Grilled Swordfish, Halibut and Octopus -- served over Stewed Lentils was one of the lunch specials on Monday at Seafood Gourmet, the fish market-restaurant in Maywood, below.

Exotic seafood

If you love seafood, don't miss the imaginative specials from Chef Dave Fuentes at Seafood Gourmet, the fish market-restaurant on Maywood's main street.

On Monday, I met a friend there for lunch and enjoyed two of the specials, a cup of Bahamian Conch Chowder ($3), and a Char-Grilled Seafood Trio swimming in a soupy stew of lentils and other vegetables ($16). 

The conch in the soup and the octopus in the Seafood Trio were unusually tender, and the latter was served with a spoon so I could enjoy all of the lentil-and-vegetable stew. 

After lunch, I stopped at Maywood's Marketplace for a large head of Romaine lettuce ($1.29) my wife wanted, and looked over the impressive selection of takeout food and wine.

Nearly all of the fresh fish in the market at Seafood Gourmet can be enjoyed in the small dining room or is prepared and available for takeout, below.

The produce section at Maywood's Marketplace, above, and takeout food, below.

Above the creamed spinach are mashed sweet potatoes.

Details

Seafood Gourmet, 103 W. Pleasant Ave., Maywood; 201-843-8558. BYO, free street parking, closed Sundays.

Maywood's Marketplace, 78 W. Pleasant Ave., Maywood; 201-843-8361. Open 7 days.

Falling for tasty meals hook, line and sinker

Organic whole wheat shells in marinara sauce with Moroccan sardines, organic baby spinach, organic diced tomatoes and fresh garlic. Ingredients are from Whole Foods Market in Paramus, Costco Wholesale in Hackensack and Fattal's in Paterson.

A multi-fish platter with Earthbound Farm Organic Spring Mix and Sunset-brand English Cucumbers, both from Costco. From left, canned pink-salmon and yellow-fin tuna salad with Dijon mustrard, ground cumin and lime; Kirkland Signature smoked wild sockeye salmon slices from Costco and Alaska Smokehouse wild sockeye salmon fillet. 

Editor's note: When you have a bad restaurant meal, as I did this week at P.F. Chang's China Bistro, a chain restaurant in Hackensack, you learn to appreciate food you buy and prepare at home. Even if you go organic, you'll save plenty of money over dining out on mystery ingredients -- VICTOR E. SASSON.

Costco sells frozen Norwegian mackerel fillets that are processed in South Korea, prepared here with sweet pepper, garlic and onion, and served with Chinese takeout brown rice and breadfruit from Jamaica. The fillets aren't well trimmed, and I found a few small bones in them.

Two organic eggs with Kirkland Signature Basil Pesto and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, all from Costco Wholesale, served with leftover whole wheat shells.

On Tuesday morning, I loaded up my car with recycled plastic shopping bags, dry cleaner bags, food wrapping and other bits of plastic packaging and packing material, and recycled them at the ShopRite in Paramus. ShopRite is the only chain I know that recycles plastic bags and gives shoppers 5 cents back for every reusable bag they bring with them.

On the way home from a doctor's appointment on Tuesday afternoon, I stopped at Whole Foods Market in Paramus, above, where there were few signs of the panic shopping I saw at other supermarkets before a Jan. 2 snowstorm that dumped 7 inches on Bergen County.

My purchases at Whole Foods included about 2 pounds of Organic Lacinato Kale at 40% off (two long bunches for $4). I fried chopped Christopher Ranch California Garlic from Costco until it was fragrant, placed the washed pieces of kale into the pan to cook -- covered -- with a couple of ounces of inexpensive sake, and ate it with our dinner of ackee and salted codfish. 

A simple Kirkland Signature Egg Whites omelet with two reduced-fat cheeses, all from Costco, served with leftover Chinese takeout brown rice moistened with Valentina Mexican Hot Sauce (Black Label).

Worth the detour: 99-cents sardines, cheap wine

Bottles of wine imported from Italy, Spain and Hungary were $3.99 to $5 at Corrado's Family Affair on the Clifton-Paterson border.

A bottle of Charles Shaw California Cabernet Sauvignon (Two-buck Chuck) from Trader Joe's, left, supposedly contains the same 750 milliliters as the imported bottle next to it. The Charles Shaw bottle costs $2.98 at the Westfield store.

Editor's note: Today, I discuss a shopping trip to Paterson's Middle Eastern food bazaar; a canned-fish salad with chick peas, feta cheese and spinach; and plastic-bag recycling.

I still jump into my hybrid car and drive 10 miles to Paterson's Middle Eastern food-shopping district for the best prices on sardines, wine, yogurt drink and other products.

At Fattal's Bakery on Sunday, I picked up 20 cans of Al Shark-brand Moroccan Sardines in spicy oil or tomato sauce for 99 cents a can (4.23 ounces and 4.38 ounces, respectively).

A 1-gallon container of Merve Ayran Yogurt Drink was $8.69.

Parking at Fattal's (975-77 Main St.) is far easier than at Brothers Produce in the Paterson Farmers' Market, another source of 99-cents sardines.

Then, I drove a short distance to just over the Paterson-Clifton border and Corrado's  Family Affair for 1-pound bags of salted cod fish, but the store didn't have any.

So, I picked up store-made crumbled feta cheese ($2.99 a pound) and a bunch of fresh spinach ($1.69 a pound) I needed for a recipe.

In Corrado's liquor store, I bought 5 bottles of imported red wine ($3.99 to $5 each).

Canned-fish salad with chick peas, apple, feta cheese and spinach, served over fresh spinach leaves dressed with extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Fishing for salad

I had seen a tuna salad with chick peas, feta cheese and spinach on the cold food bar at the Whole Foods Market in Paramus, and decided to try it with the items I got at Corrado's.

But I didn't stop at tuna, adding cans of pink salmon and sardines with their liquid to my canned-fish salad.

Then, I diced a Gala Apple and celery, including the leaves; drained, rinsed and added a can of chick peas; and crumbled feta cheese.

I washed the fresh spinach leaves and cut them into ribbons and added that to the salad with spinach stems.

The dressing was Dijon mustard, fresh lime juice and ground cumin, all added to taste. 

Canned-fish salad with organic spring mix, beefsteak tomato, olives and garlic cloves.

Recycling bags   

ShopRite is the only supermarket chain in North Jersey that accepts plastic bags for recycling, but we also put plastic food wrapping, plastic food seals and any other flexible plastic in the same bag.

     

ShopRite in Paramus has two large bins for recycled plastic bags.

Golden Pineapples were 2 for $5.

I didn't go home empty handed, picking up 2 Golden Pineapples for $5. 

When I told the cashier I would take the pineapples without a plastic bag, she gave me the 10-cent credit for customers who bring a re-usable bag.

Finishing touches: Aleppo pepper, za'atar and pesto

Coarsely ground Aleppo red pepper is around $8 a pound at Fattal's Syrian Bakery, 975-77 Main St., Paterson. The mildly spicy pepper is the perfect accent for organic brown eggs from Costco Wholesale, above, fish fillets or hummus.

I ate the eggs with pasta and mashed sweet potatoes.

Za'atar is a thyme mixture from the Middle East that is also available at Fattal's. Other ingredients include sesame seeds and wild sumac. You can buy za'atar bread or use the mixture on ripe tomatoes and olives, above. Za'atar is also good with eggs and broiled chicken or fish.

 

Refrigerated Kirkland Signature Basil Pesto from Costco Wholesale is terrific spooned onto cooked fish or with an open-face, egg-white omelet, above. The omelet, with a slice of reduced-fat Swiss cheese and sun-dried tomato, is thin enough to cook through from the bottom of a non-stick pan.

Half of the omelet made a terrific breakfast with fluffy organic quinoa and a can of organic diced tomatoes prepared in an electric rice cooker the night before. Egg whites, pesto and quinoa came from Costco Wholesale in Hackensack. Quinoa has fewer carbs than brown rice or whole-wheat pasta.

New package doesn't stop salad rotting

This delicious Earthbound Farm Organic Spring Mix comes in a new package, below, but the dark leaves can still rot days before the use-by date on the front label.

The new package eliminates a flexible plastic sealing strip.

Editor's note: Today, I take a second look at the new Earthbound Farm salad package and discuss food shopping in South Paterson.

The new Earthbound Farm organic salad package is more environmentally responsible, eliminating a flexible plastic sealing strip I'd cut with a scissor and recycle with plastic bags. 

But I'm still finding that the dark leaves in the Organic Spring Mix or Organic Half & Half salad can rot days before the use-by date.

I buy my 1-pound package of Earthbound Farm salad at Costco Wholesale in Hackensack, where the price of $4.99 or less beats all competitors. 

The way Costco stores the salad, and the temperature it is stored at, may be the problem. 

The first time I brought home the new plastic tub, I tore off a strip of plastic and thought it wasn't much of an improvement over the old, which was sealed with a flexible strip of plastic.

The next time, I saw the word "HOLD" on the tub and "LIFT HERE" on the cover, and easily separated the two without tearing away anything.  

Starbucks Hot Cocoa mix at Costco Wholesale.

Starbucks Hot Cocoa Classic mix, another item I found at Costco, makes a rich cocoa drink when you use the recommended two heaping tablespoons and 8 ounces of milk.

One of Paterson's most popular produce stores is in the Farmers' Market.

I made a special trip to Paterson this morning to get good deals on salted cod fish at Corrado's Family Affair and on Moroccan sardines at Brothers Produce.

I also bought yogurt drink, yogurt, Syrian cheese and extra-virgin olive oil at Fattal's Bakery.

Corrado's, which is on the Paterson-Clifton border, has raised the price of a 1-pound package of salted cod fish to $7.99 from $6.99.

This salted cod fish is a product of Canada.

 

I bought 7 packages of the salted cod, which freezes beautifully.

I also picked up a half-liter bottle of Corrado's Balsamic Vinegar, which contains no artificial color ($2); some red and yellow sweet peppers and a few mangoes.

I wanted to buy a liter bottle of Corrado's Extra Virgin Olive Oil, but the label said only it was imported from Italy and packed in Italy, not that it was made from Italian olives.

Is this oil made from 100% Italian olives?

At Fattal's, on Main Street in Paterson, I found a 3-liter bottle of Laziza Extra Virgin Olive Oil for $17.59 that is labeled "Product of Tunisia."

I also bought Romi's Syrian Cheese ($6.99 a pound), which is made in Paterson; Romi's Plain Lowfat Yogurt ($2.99 for 32 ounces), and a gallon of Merve Ayran Yogurt Drink ($7.79).

At Fattal's, not all of the large bottles of extra-virgin olive oil are a full 3 liters.

At Brothers Produce on East Railway Avenue, I bought 18 cans of Al Shark Moroccan Sardines for $1 each.

I noticed the can holding Al Shark Morroccan Sardines in Spicy Oil is now slightly smaller than the regular sardine can. 

Many of the extra-virgin olive oils at Brothers are blends from several countries, even one 3-liter can that says, "From Kalamata" (Greece).

Many Corrado's shoppers fill their tanks before their shopping carts.

Corrado's Family Affair, 1578 Main Ave., Clifton; 973-340-0628.

Fattal's Bakery, 975-77 Main St., Paterson; 973-742-7125.

Brothers Produce, 327 E. Railway Ave., Paterson; 973-684-4461.   

There is Thai -- and then there is Wondee's

Tom Yum Soup at The Green Papaya in River Edge. The medium-size bowl contained mostly spicy broth, in addition to a couple of shrimp, okra and other vegetables.

Editor's note: Today, I discuss The Green Papaya, a Thai restaurant; the use of za'atar thyme mixture in tomato-and-egg dishes and lazy shoppers at Costco Wholesale in Hackensack.

My friend Stanley invited me to lunch the other day at The Green Papaya, a Thai restaurant in River Edge I had driven past many times before.

I had never eaten there, convinced as I am of the superiority of Wondee's Fine Thai Food and Noodles on Main Street in Hackensack.

My first -- and last -- meal at The Green Papaya started with Tom Yum Soup ($3). I also had Green Papaya Salad ($5). 

Neither compared to Wondee's versions. My friend had Pineapple Fried Rice with chicken ($8).

Pineapple Fried Rice with chicken at The Green Papaya.

A nice touch is a welcoming cup of tea and refills.

I met my friend at the restaurant a little before noon. By the time we left, the place was full, and over customers' conversations I could hear the stir-frying of food in woks from the open kitchen in the back.

My friend, who lives in River Edge, said he didn't know about Wondee's.

Compare the Green Papaya Salad served in River Edge to Wondee's salad, below.

Wondee's salad cost more, but is big enough to share with one or two others.

The Tom Yum Soup served at The Green Papaya contained a surprise -- a couple of pieces of pineapple -- but there was more broth than shrimp and vegetable.

My Green Papaya Salad had a nice crunch, though when I finished it, there was way too much dressing left in the bottom of the dish. 

It also was missing the fresh green beans in Wondee's salad, as well as lettuce leaves you could use for wrapping the green papaya.

When we lived in Englewood, we enjoyed many Thai dinners at Pawana, but after moving to Hackensack in 2007, Wondee's has been our go-to place for Thai food from an extensive menu, including whole fish and vegetarian dishes.

Now, Pawana is closed. 

The Green Papaya, 110 Kinderkamack Road, River Edge; 201-678-1888. BYO. Parking lot.

Wondee's Fine Thai Food and Noodles, 296 Main St., Hackensack; 201-883-1700. BYO. Parking in rear.

Organic eggs with za'atar, sun-dried tomato and cheese shavings.

Exploring za'atar 

The Middle Eastern thyme mixture called za'atar is usually found on chewy, fresh bread, moistened with olive oil.

You could roll it up and eat it, or toast it until the mixture's sesame seeds sizzled.

The mixture, sold in green and brown versions, contains dried thyme, wild sumac, sesame seeds and salt -- it's both sour from the sumac and crunchy from the seeds. 

Another version is to sprinkle lots of za'atar over fresh bread spread with yogurt cheese.

Since I pretty much gave up bread to lose weight, I've sprinkled za'atar over sliced tomato, and in the past, I used it on broiled chicken. 

Now, I'm adding it to egg-and-tomato dishes.

An open-face omelet with cheese, Campari tomatoes and za'atar.

You can buy za'atar at Fattal's Bakery, 975-77 Main St., Paterson; 973-742-7125. 

But don't come home without eating at Aleppo Restaurant (939 Main St.), and visiting Brothers Produce in the Paterson Farmers' Market and Corrado's Family Affair just over the border in Clifton.

At Costco Wholesale, the lines were short, but the parking lot was a zoo.

Lazy shoppers

Costco Wholesale members must be fairly fit to handle all of those very large economy sizes the warehouse store is famous for.

Shopping carts are oversized to accommodate enormous rolls of paper, cases of spring water and 50-pound bags of rice.

If you fill up your cart, it takes quite an effort to push it to the car.

So, I'm floored every time I go to the Hackenack Costco on a busy Saturday at the laziness of many shoppers, who insist on parking in the rows closest to the doors and who clog up the single entrance road.

That was the case on Saturday, when cars were backed up to River Street.

Inside the store, I mentioned the problem to one of the employees, and said Costco should hire someone to direct traffic, but she dismissed my suggestion, saying the store can't do anything about drivers who clog up the entrance road.

Two other employees were just about as helpful when I asked whether Costco had discontinued Della-brand Organic Long Grain Brown Rice, which was missing from its usual spot.

Both told me to go look in the rice aisle, where I had just been. One didn't even break stride or stop eating something.

Another worker checked the computer, and said the Hackensack store no longer carries Della brown rice.

When I got home, I went online and ordered Lundberg Organic Brown Rice from Amazon.com -- six 2-pound packages for about $20.