Food photos: Spicy seafood soup, tuna salad, home cooking and more

At Ewha Won, a Korean-Chinese restaurant in Closter, a seafood soup with green noodles and oysters, called jampong, costs $1 more when you ask for the extra-spicy version containing cut up whole chili peppers ($13.99). The large bowl of soup, which will leave your lips tingling, is a filling meal for one or can be split, if you order an appetizer or another dish.

Ewha Won, at 570 Piermont Road in the Closter Commons shopping center, served us three complimentary side dishes, including crunchy radish kimchi, above, and black bean paste for the soup.

If your soup isn't spicy enough, you can always use a shaker of ground red pepper on the table. On Saturday afternoon, after a large group of parents and children were seated for a birthday party, it was difficult for me and my wife to get a refill of our water glasses or extra napkins.

The Mediterranean Salad at the Suburban Diner, 172 Route 17 north in Paramus, includes white tuna, mixed greens, Kalamata Olives, Feta Cheese, Capers and Artichoke Hearts, dressed in a vinaigrette of extra-virgin olive oil and lemon ($13.50). I took home leftovers. Organic tea is $2.50.

Jerry's Gourmet & More, 410 S. Dean St. in Englewood, was out of takeout seafood dinners when I stopped there after 4 on Friday afternoon, but I picked up two steak dinners -- complete with pasta, vegetable and salad -- for the meat eaters in the family at a reduced price of $5.99.

I'm happy with a dinner of pasta, salad and wine at home, especially when I prepare it with Luigi Vitelli-brand Organic Whole Wheat Fusilli, Kirkland Signature Basil Pesto and Organic Pignoli Nuts, the last two from Costco Wholesale in Teterboro.

After lunch on Thursday at the Suburban Diner, I stopped at Trader Joe's, 404 Route 17 north in Paramus, for two 3-pound bags of Organic Sweet Potatoes ($4.49 each). The next day, I boiled the potatoes from one bag with whole peeled garlic cloves, mashed them with extra-virgin olive oil and seasonings, and had some for breakfast with an egg-white omelet and sauteed spinach, above and below. I baked the others.

I stuffed the omelet with smoked wild salmon and fresh organic salsa, both from Costco, and dusted it with Ras el Hanout, a Moroccan spice mixture.

A kitchen-sink Frittata I made at home on Saturday morning contained slices of smoked wild salmon, chopped black olives, whole eggs, egg whites, grated cheese and fresh tomatoes. I served it with leftover organic brown rice and fresh organic salsa.

For Sunday night dinner, we shelled and deveined 2 pounds of raw frozen wild shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico that were on sale at the Paramus ShopRite ($19.98), preparing them with fresh spinach, extra-virgin olive oil, pitted green olives, fresh tomatoes, shredded cheese and lemon juice. They were ready after 10 minutes in a preheated 400-degree oven. 

At the Costco Wholesale Business Center in Hackensack, a 2-pound bag of Mayorga Organic Cafe Cubano dark roast coffee beans was $13.99, perfect for my built-in coffee machine, which grinds them for espresso, lattes and other drinks.

The Hackensack Business Center also sells 2.2-pound bags of Lavazza espresso coffee beans for about $10 less than I have seen them elsewhere.

KIND Fruit & Nut Bars are 18 for $18.99 at the Costco Business Center. The warehouse also sells 1 pound of Earthbound Farm Organic Spring Mix -- with lettuce, arugula, radicchio, spinach and chard -- for $4.29.

 -- VICTOR E. SASSON

Why is Trader Joe's trying to fatten me up?

If you're on a diet or watching your cholesterol, you might want to avoid Trader Joe's in Paramus until after the holidays. 

By VICTOR E. SASSON
Editor

Not just egg nog, but Egg Nog Ice Cream.

And Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Covered Peppermint Joe Joe's (sandwich cream cookies); Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels, Dark Chocolate Collection and Pound Plus Extravaganza.

You'll find all of this high-calorie, high-cholesterol food lovingly described in Trader Joe's Fearless Flyer, the guide to holiday foods the chain mails to customers, and in stores.

I stopped at Trader Joe's in Paramus this afternoon for Applegate Naturals Sliced Smoked Turkey, Sliced Ham and Sliced Roast Beef, as well two bottles of 100% juice blends.

The naturally raised, preservative-free cold cuts were $3.99 for 7 ounces or about $2 less than what ShopRite and other supermarkets charge.

Sixty-four ounce bottles of Carrot Tropical Blend and Dynamo Plus Calcium were $3.49 and $3.99, respectively.

It's a good thing I don't have a sweet tooth and that my step quickens when I see one of Trader Joe's displays of chocolates, cookies or other unhealthy food in the store at 404 Route 17 north.

Trader Joe's promotional flier also is filled with lots of prepared food I shy away from, including Camembert Cheese & Cranberry Sauce Fillo Bites, Scallops Wrapped in Uncured Bacon with Brown Sugar Glaze, Beef Tenderloin Bites and Chicken Parmesan Lollipops.

I'll stick with Trader Joe's organic and conventional sweet potatoes, organic whole wheat pasta, uncured hot dogs and bacon; 100% juices, frozen grass-fed beef from New Zealand and a few other items.

The dessert case at the Suburban Diner on Route 17 north in Paramus is one of the first things customer see as they walk in.