Our first entry : A blog is born
The idea to start a blog came to us when we were redesigning our website. I told our web designer to go ahead and put a link up to our blog, since I would probably have my first entry within a week or so. That was almost a year ago. My life is a blur, and a year just blurred by.
If I were to step outside of myself and view my existence as a chef, I would see a core of intense energy - that part of me that is coordinating and executing the logistics of any given night at the restaurant. Around that core is a more diluted layer of energy that feeds the core - sleeping, eating and a precious few down moments with my boys. Just beyond that is the layer that I so desperately need to get to - the guilt belt. This layer sucks away at the core, like so many jabs at a bull in a ring, and its many notches include relatives that I haven’t seen or spoken to, full mailboxes of voicemails that I’ve begun erasing in batches, just because I cannot bear to hear the potentially pleading voices from days or weeks ago, missed games with the boys, missed birthdays, missed weddings, and missed oppurtunities to write about the things that I really want to write about.
So here, at least I get to chip away of one of those notches on that belt - one more step in the direction of balance and sanity.
I purchased Campania 2 1/2 years ago, and it has evolved. The people involved in it have evolved. We have all evolved in a common direction. We have all learned immensely and we are blooming, yet we continue to discover and each time that we do, we remember just how little we all really know. For me, that’s the draw - the real excitement. The excitement of stumbling across a scape while pruning back a garlic plant at my friend’s farm (Todd, about to toss them before asking me if I could use the things, packs a bag for me), and bringing them back to the restaurant to cook them every which way imaginable. Then at night, googling the odd ingredient only to find out that chefs have been paying a premium for these short-seasoned gems for years. Today its a scape, tomorrow may be a new technique for making pasta. What’s the fun of keeping all of this to myself?!
This blog will evolve and may, organically, take on a life of its own, as did Campania. Now that we have started the ball rolling, we will continue to update with stories, recipes, methods, and anything else that we think matters to our fellow guests and foodies.
So here’s what you can expect:
Jessica, our pastry chef, has been on fire lately - words don’t do much justice for the ciabatta that she churns out each day for the tables . Look forward to her methods on bread baking and ice creams - she’s a bit obsessed lately. Jessica’s dessert roster changes constantly - give her a flat of of fruit and in an hour she’ll have it pureed, poached, turned out into gelato, semifreddo or granita, or just use it in a way that my savory mind would not quickly comprehend.
Everald is one of the best chefs that i’ve had the oppurtunity to work with. When I arrive back from the farm, him and I survey our landscape of ingredients, spend a few minutes talking about our options, and within minutes come up with some great menus. Him and I can communicate with very few words - when I express an idea for a dish, he’ll just nod and I know he’s got it. That natural synergy is irreplaceable.
Dave, our new sous chef, seems to have plenty of interest in curing meats. We’ve already rolled out our house cured guanciale (pigs cheeks). Looking to start up pancetta and sopprasetta soon. What you guys will probably enjoy most are funny Dave stories (oh, there will be plenty).
The Keuhm family supplies us with most of our vegetables throughut the spring and summer. We’ll keep you up to date on what’s eating well locally.
Jessica and I will be doing a free cooking class at Chef Central this Saturday (June 21st) at 12pm and a 3hour paid cooking class at Adventures in Cooking in Wayne on Monday July 21st (we’ll be making mozzarella, burrata, and lots of our signature cheese courses). We’ve got plenty more classes coming up and will keep you current as the dates roll out.
So let’s make this a great forum - we give us your thoughts, you give us yours. Let us know what you think along the way and what you’d like to hear about. And, have some patience - i’m sure there’ll be kinks and lapses. But one thing is for certain - you’ll be learning and discovering in real time with us chefs just as quickly as we can get to our computers!
Joe Cerniglia
Chef
Posted in General
June 28th, 2008 at 7:46 am
Nice… great idea getting this blog going my man. Not a lot of restaurants have hit this space and they should… the payoff could be huge. Now you just have to post to it.
July 5th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
Hi Joe and Jessica!
I had such a great time at your restaurant on July 3rd. All of us were there to celebrate Arlene’s birthday. I have never eaten so much food before! Not to mention I enjoyed every bite and ate every last bit! The homemade bread and gnocchi were my favorite. Not to mention the desserts at the end which included of course my favorite, chocolate. I am already making plans to visit you again in August when my father-in-law comes to visit from New Mexico. I can not stop raving about you and Jessica to everyone I speak to. Keep up the great cooking!
Lots of love
Christina
from Adventures in Cooking
July 7th, 2008 at 11:35 am
Just dropped by to say Hi and to let you know that I recently veiwed your episode on Kitchen Nightmares. I know that it was awile ago but I am curious to know if you are now making headway with the changes that were made. Sort of a where are they now thing.
I wish you nothing but success and blessings for you and your family.
BTW good I idea having a blog.
=)
John
July 8th, 2008 at 10:21 am
I will be checking out this blog every day. Look forward to it. The only time I saw cured pig cheeck was at my Uncle’s house in the Bronx. Bravo Giussepe!
July 14th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
Hi Joe and Jessica! What a pleasure it was to meet the both of you! You ROCK. Joe, keep up the fantabulous fresh, high quality ingredients and I will keep stalking you guys. Also, the gluten free quinoa pasta we talked about is from Ancient Harvest which can be ordered directly at there website @ http://www.quinoa.net
So hopefully, you can add some “Gluten Free” items to your menu - I bet it will be a big hit! Talk to you soon my fellow italian genius dears!
Ciao!
Catherine
July 14th, 2008 at 6:48 pm
Hey,Thanks so much for putting some real recipes on here, it gives me a chance to make some good food for my family down here in Virginia.Since its rare to come by a genuine italian restaurant down here in virginia.However,there is truly nothing like having a wonderful, peaceful and fulfilling dinner at Campania. That’s why we will always come back to Campania restaurant when we visit New Jersey.
Take Care.
Lisa Phelps
Table 29 Guest from Virgina
July 15th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
OK, I have been around food my whole life, always appreciative of the fresh and well done dishes.I am such a fan of your talent from the intricate to the classic roasted chicken you never fail to exceed my expectations. Jess, the homemade bread is a killer!! Ask Jes to make you her Zeppoles an Italian classic that she has lifted to an all new high. I am anxiously waiting for your new creations as the season change.
Molto Grazie for amazing visits to Campania, and for the mussels Joe. YOU SO ROCK!
July 15th, 2008 at 6:52 pm
Ciao Paisans,
I love the new blog!! This is definitely something that was needed. I look forward to checking it out regulary. Keep up all the great work. Talk to you soon. Ciao for now!
State Buon’,
Tony Mangia
July 21st, 2008 at 1:19 am
Just watched the episode of you on Gordon Ramsay’s kitchen nightmares, its on youtube by the way so I gather you will hear from many more other fans…I found you guys to be the most sincere and you all had heart and wanted the restaurant to achieve…I loved where Gordon told that old bag off haha. By the way Joe, your mother is lovely and so sweet, she really shows her love for you on that episode. Keep up the good work and I will be dropping in to the blog for updates and cant wait to try some of the recipes..all the best guys, Kathy from Australia xoxox.
July 21st, 2008 at 6:32 pm
Finally, the site is working right. Love your blog.
Thanks for the fantastic cheese class tonight. Phenomenal!!!!
Your food is always wonderful.
You and Jess are super.
Will see you as soon as we can.
Love you both.
July 22nd, 2008 at 4:56 am
Joe, your class at Adventures last evening on cheese was most inspiring and Jessie your input was excellent. Looking forward to going to Campania with the Adventures Book Club in July.
July 22nd, 2008 at 1:56 pm
I attended the cheese-making class at Advetures in Cooking last night and loved it. Joe and Jesse make a great team.
I need to get Jesse’s two-hour focaccia recipe that she mentioned after the class outside to me. I need fast breads that don’t take 8 hours to rise if I’m going to make them with dinner.
Oh, and if Campania would take a part time volunteer sous chef, I’d love to know about it.
July 25th, 2008 at 6:03 am
You say Burratta, I say Burratta.
Thanks for the great class at AIC.
Joe and Jess:
You guys ROCK together as a team and it was a real pleasure working with you.
The food…. outstanding.
PS: Do you know a good drummer who is looking for a home?
http://www.myspace.com/shotsband
Let me know … see you soon.
July 30th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
Another great meal last night. The AIC Book Club had a dinner last night to celebrate summer and Joe did not dissappoint. Each and every dish fresh with the abundance of the season’s. My favorite last night was the Eggplant Mufetta….there are no words for Joe’s genius.
Jess’s infamous bread was only outdone by her dessert of Warm Peach crostada with honey Semifreddo.
Thanks for another memorable experience.
Happy Birthday Joey.
July 31st, 2008 at 5:49 pm
Just wanted to thank you for a phenomenal dinner on July 29th. Everyone was impressed with the food. No one was disappointed and I believe that everyone left with a “doggy bag” and a desire to return as soon as possible for another marvelous dinner.
Thanks again!!
August 1st, 2008 at 6:52 am
I just wanted to drop in and say that I just finished watching the Gordon Ramsay episode, and it was the best in the entire series. If you look at that series you would see that most of the owners or head chefs would not allow Gordon to help them and they were very immature about it. But you guys were so mature and wanting to make it better, that you did, and were not afraid of the hard work. Congratulations to all of you for making that restaurant successful and I pray that when I make a trip to the US, I will have the honor of eating there.
Dave from Canada
August 4th, 2008 at 6:58 pm
Just stumbled on this after catching up with Bill’s blog … Joe and Jessica, this is fun! I discovered scapes on the “vegetable boat” that visits the island where I spend the month of July every Tuesday - love ‘em … great in a lobster or crab roll! Just back Saturday and looking forward to some of my favorite restaurant food very soon (I’ll bring Ted this time!)
Susan from (201)
September 29th, 2008 at 12:39 am
Hi Joe and Jessica,
Just wanted to drop by and leave a comment. I just watch the KN episode of you guys in Campania, and I wanted to say the you out of all the episodes I’ve watched we’re most open to changed, and the episode is heart warming.
Plus I have always been a fan of Italian Cuisine and would love to be in you’re place when I return to the states. BTW, I’m now in my native country - Philippines, and always based on NY when I’m in the states. Hopefully I get to sample your dishes when I’m there.
More power to the resto and Good luck ;P
Christina
November 20th, 2008 at 7:51 pm
Joe, I’m so happy to see a fellow ‘Busta U assa’ doing well. I felt Ramsey’s pain, imagine that…yes I saw it. When he was talking to your Wife and he promised his heart felt help. I’m coming next week !! Keep it real,I’m looking forward to it. Congratulations.
Chow
November 20th, 2008 at 10:10 pm
Just watched your episode on Kitchen Nightmares - it’s probably from a while ago. Looks like you guys have the right idea and great food. I really hope that you are succeeding (and digging out of debt). Joe you have 2 wonderful women in your life - your wife and mother seem so sweet. Anyways, keep working hard! If I ever make it to Jersey I’ll stop by and see ya!
January 28th, 2009 at 6:06 pm
hey just wondering….i just saw the kitchen nightmare with that ramsey guy, how has the restuarant improved since the show???
January 28th, 2009 at 9:00 pm
Great job you guys! Just watched Kitchen Nightmares (repeat) but you guys rock-so happy for you that things are going well!!!