Eating In: A wide world of flavors dress up homemade meals, sandwiches and snacks

A pinch or two of a crushed red pepper named after the embattled city of Aleppo, Syria, where my parents were born, can elevate fish and egg dishes, such as this breakfast of organic eggs with Chinese broccoli, and leftover organic whole-wheat pasta with a ragu of sardines and anchovies.

Kirkland Signature Basil Pesto from Costco Wholesale brings the flavors of Italy (imported basil, grated cheese, extra virgin olive oil and pine nuts) to fresh wild cod from Iceland, served here with organic quinoa and a medley of vegetables. The refrigerated pesto also is terrific as a sandwich spread.

-- HACKENSACK, N.J.

By VICTOR E. SASSON

EDITOR

Crushed red Aleppo pepper, a fragrant pesto made from basil or mint, a fiery Mexican hot sauce; and za'atar, a dried thyme mixture, are some of the flavors from around the world I love to use in my meatless cooking, sandwiches and snacks.

A pinch or two of the mildly spicy Aleppo pepper can elevate any fish or egg dish, and you can sprinkle it over a hummus made with plenty of lemon and garlic. 

My source for Aleppo pepper and canned hummus from Lebanon is Fattal's at 975 Main St. in Paterson, a Syrian bakery, grocery and butcher shop with its own parking lot.

See this video for a falafel sandwich that reveals multiple layers of flavor as you eat more and more of it:

I've been on a no-bread, no-pizza diet for years, but an occasional guilty pleasure is the toasted end of a loaf of Dave's Killer Bread, an organic loaf with 21 grains or seeds sold at Costco, spread with a homemade mint pesto.

A small Za'atar Bread from Fattal's Cafe is another guilty pleasure. I had the bread in the freezer, but warmed it up in the oven and drizzled olive oil over the dried mixture: thyme, sour-tasting sumac, sesame seeds and salt.

Kimbap (seaweed-and-rice rolls) and Cabbage Kimchi add a spicy Korean accent to a simple egg-white omelet.

My wife rubbed a Jamaican Jerk Sauce into antibiotic-free, vegetarian-fed chicken wings from ShopRite, and roasted them until they were a golden brown. The chicken is sold under the Wholesome Pantry label.

Greek extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar from Italy are all the dressing I need on my almost nightly salad of Earthbound Farm Organic Spring Mix with hothouse cucumbers and Campari Tomatoes, all from Costco.

Valentina Mexican Hot Sauce from Guadalajara, Mexico, is a modestly priced sauce that doesn't obliterate the taste of your food, if used sparingly (the "extra hot" version has a black label).

I like to use Valentina with the Jamaican national dish, Ackee and Salt Fish, which combines salted cod with hot and sweet peppers, a bland fruit called ackee and a side of boiled and mashed green bananas.

Eating Out + Eating In: In chaotic times such as these, I hunger for comfort food

EATING OUT: An appetizer of crispy, fried falafel ($3) at Aleppo Restaurant in Paterson's Middle Eastern and Turkish shopping district.

I improvised a falafel sandwich with hummus, muhammara and Arabic Salad.

 -- HACKENSACK, N.J.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

In stressful times, eating well and eating healthy is the best revenge.

I can't think of a better way to flip off America's industrial farms than to enjoy a hearty breakfast of organic eggs over organic whole wheat pasta in a red sauce with wild-caught sardines.

Our environment may be going to hell under President Trump, but in my small corner of the world, there is plenty of naturally raised or grown food to enjoy, and we buy and prepare as much of it as possible.

Fresh, wild-caught fish and Gulf Shrimp are widely available at stores big and small -- Costco Wholesale, Whole Foods Market and The Fish Dock in Closter, to name just a few -- so no one has to eat artificially colored farmed salmon or other farmed fish raised on harmful antibiotics.

When eating out, I take the most comfort from the small plates of Syrian specialties served at Aleppo Restaurant in Paterson, the closest I can get to the food my Sephardic Jewish mother (who was born in Aleppo) prepared when I was growing up in Brooklyn.

In second place is a Korean meal, but definitely not one with low-quality barbecued meat.

Instead, we go for a comforting soft-tofu soup surrounded by small dishes of spicy cabbage kimchi and other free sides.

Read:  A visit to Paterson with Aleppo on my mind

Read:  A 2016 visit to South Paterson

EATING OUT: At Aleppo Restaurant on Thursday, one of the great spreads begging to be scooped up with fresh pocket bread was Muhammara ($5) -- pureed sweet red peppers, hot pepper and chopped walnuts moistened with olive oil.

A simple plate of tasty Hummus ($5) was beautifully composed.

The Arabic Salad ($5) -- chopped tomatoes and peeled cucumbers -- was dressed with olive oil, lemon juice, parsley and fresh mint.

We started with a small bowl of Aleppo Restaurant's Lentil Soup ($3), which is served with a wedge of lemon.

Mohamed K. Jello, the chef-owner of the halal restaurant, is a devout Muslim, and customers are not allowed to bring alcoholic beverages with them. Aleppo Restaurant is at 939 Main St., at Thomas Street, in Paterson's South Paterson section, below. Phone: 1-973-977-2244.

TAKE-OUT: At Fattal's, 975 Main St. in Paterson, we picked up a package of the bakery's medium pocket bread ($1.50), Bulgur with Vermicelli ($2.99), Crushed Red Aleppo Pepper ($6.99 a pound), a large package of Bay Leaves ($1.60), and Fattal's Spinach and Cheese Pies ($10.19), below. Fattal's has its own parking lot. Website: Don't miss the cafe

At The Paterson Museum, 2 Market St., "Electric Valve" was one of the 16 designs in the "Paterson Echo-Chic" exhibit, made with recyclable, discarded or upcycled material donated by Paterson factories and other businesses. If you go, turn right at the end of the parking lot to find spaces reserved for the museum.

No visit to Paterson is complete without seeing the Great Falls, but Overlook Park, the traditional viewing spot, was closed. We strained to see what little water was falling on Thursday.

EATING OUT: AT BCD Tofu House, 1640 Schlosser St. in Fort Lee, spicy cabbage kimchi is one of the seven free side dishes served at lunch, including a small battered and fried croaker (not shown), above and below.

I ordered an appetizer of Kale and Veggie Dumplings ($6.12), center, and my wife chose Pork Soon Tofu Soup ($11.99), below, which came with rice and a whole egg to crack open and cook in the steaming broth.

You can order your soft tofu soup without hot red pepper or as spicy as you want. My wife chose medium spicy.

We also shared a  grilled Seafood Pancake made with rice flour, squid and other seafood, cut into wedges ($10.29). If you go to BCD Tofu House for a late lunch on a Saturday, as we did, try to arrive around 3:30 p.m. to avoid screaming children on top of the usual din of chattering customers and clattering plates, below. Website: Belly busting tofu lunch  

EATING IN: Fresh wild Atlantic Cod coated in Asian Indian spices, above, and Fresh Wild Sockeye Salmon, both from Costco Wholesale in Teterboro, have made preparing summer meals a snap. The wild salmon is ready in just 8 minutes when grilled on top of the stove, and the cod bakes in around 15 minutes in a preheated 400-degree oven, below.

I lined a large pan with parchment paper, and added fresh spinach drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil, serving pieces of cod coated in spices, fresh tomatoes, pitted black olives, capers, grated cheese and fresh lemon juice.

Cod & Vegetable Medley. Fresh wild Atlantic cod from Iceland usually sells for $7.99 a pound at Costco Wholesale in Teterboro.

Organic Whole Wheat Linguine from ShopRite in Paramus in organic red pasta sauce with wild-caught sardines and anchovies.

Two organic brown eggs from Costco Wholesale (2 dozen for $5.99) over leftover organic whole wheat fusilli in bottled pasta sauce with sardines and anchovies.

An omelet made with cage-free 100% Egg Whites and Wild Alaskan Smoked Sockeye Salmon, both from Costco, over leftover organic whole wheat fusilli, available for about $1.50 a pound at Whole Foods Market, ShopRite and Trader Joe's.

Also from Costco Wholesale, Fresh Wild Sockeye Salmon ($9.99 a pound) with prepared Basil Pesto, and fresh herbs from my garden, above and below.

A filet of about 2 pounds yields 7 or 8 serving pieces.

I use spray oil on a stovetop grill placed over two burners turned to a medium flame. I start the serving pieces skin side down for about 5 minutes, then flip them over for the remaining 3 minutes.

The week before, I served crisp-skin wild salmon over a Honey Mustard Sauce made with non-fat Greek Yogurt instead of mayonnaise.

Two organic eggs prepared with smoked wild salmon over leftover organic whole wheat pasta shells with sardines. A 1-pound box of the pasta, from Whole Foods Market in Paramus, sells for $1.49.

I added Costco's Basil Pesto and fresh chopped herbs from my garden after I plated the shells.

I buy Earthbound Farm Organic Spring Mix at Costco Wholesale in Teterboro, where a 1-pound package has been selling for as little as $3.69.

A wild Gulf Shrimp & Vegetable Medley I prepared at home with organic kale from Costco Wholesale in Teterboro and shrimp from Whole Foods Market in Paramus, above and below. The Whole Foods fish-counter employee gladly deveined the shrimp.

Like the cod, the shrimp were ready in 15 minutes after I placed the pan in a preheated 400-degree oven.

Kirkland Signature Canola Oil Cooking Spray is now non-GMO. To avoid genetically modified vegetable oils, I have been using only olive oil in cooking and to dress salads. Two 17-ounce cans of the spray oil were $5.29 at the Costco Wholesale in Wayne, where I also purchased bottles of red wine. Kirkland Signature Malbec was $6.99 and Cotes du Rhone Villages was $6.89.

At ShopRite, Forest Avenue and Route 4 in Paramus, not only was this 3-pound bag of North Carolina Sweet Potatoes for $2.99 misplaced over a sign for Red Onions, the bag described the contents as both "YAMS" and "SWEET POTATOES." Yams are starchier, but sweet potatoes are low in calories and a great bread substitute, baked or mashed with extra-virgin olive oil and seasonings, including cinnamon and curry powder, below with leftover cod and homemade tzatziki.

At Costco Wholesale in Teterboro, Season-brand Plain Sardines in Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil (12 4.375-ounce cans for $11.99) are a better buy than 6 4.375-ounce cans of Skinless-and-Boneless Sardines in Pure Olive Oil ($9.99), even when they are sale for $6.99, as they were this month, below. I use three cans of sardines per pound of pasta, including the oil.