buzzworthy
Montclair
VANILLAMORE COMES TO YOU
Good news for anyone who was devastated when Montclair restaurant and dessert bar Vanillamore closed in 2020 : Chef / owner Risa Boyer is back , making food in private homes for dinner parties , through her business , VANILLAMORE CULINARY EXPERIENCES .“ I wanted to do something that was more manageable lifestyle-wise ,” says Boyer , who became a mom about a year ago . “ It gives me the ability to do the part of the restaurant industry that I love — cooking .”
Boyer will bring the ingredients and equipment and prepare and serve everything in your home . Tableware , clean-up and wine pairing suggestions are included . Appetizer selections include ricotta with honey and hazelnuts ; bay scallop ceviche and chorizo with figs and polenta . Entrees include skirt steak ; roasted chicken with lemon-herb pan sauce ; and roasted duck breast . Boyer ’ s beloved dessert options include almond cake with lemon curd , coconut angel food cake , and strawberry thyme galette with vanilla cream and oat streusel . Dinner parties include charcuterie , three appetizers , two entrees and two desserts .
Boyer also offers a more hands-on , cooking class experience , where guests can learn to make the dishes they ’ ll later dine on . These meals include charcuterie , two appetizers , one entrée and one dessert . Vanillamore Culinary Experience can accommodate from two to 12 people . Boyer says she can manage uptosix people on her own , and for an additional $ 150 , will bring in asous chef to help with larger parties . Dinner parties cost from $ 100 to $ 125 per person . Cook with the Chef is $ 150 per person , up to eight people . Tableware rental varies in price , and aserver ( if needed ) is $ 100 .
• chefrisa . com — REBECCAKING
Montclair & Little Falls
THE NEW MISSNEW JERSEY USA ATTENDSMSU
CELINDA ORTEGA , 26 , a first-generation Dominican-American , will be representing New Jersey in the MISS USA PAGEANT on Nov . 29 . Ortega is currently working on her second degree in biomedical science at Montclair State University . After she was diagnosed and treated for a near-fatal flare-up of lupus , she became passionate about health , and plans to apply to medical schools in the near future .
Ortega competed for the title in 2018 and 2019 , and finished in the top 20 . “ When they announced my name , I immediately started crying tears of joy . It was such a surreal moment . It also felt so rewarding to see my years of hard work and dedication pay off ,” she says . Awin as Miss USA would make her the first Miss New Jersey USA to represent the U . S . at Miss Universe . “ I am so excited to make the most of my year of service by continuing my advocacy for lupus research and expanding my girl empowerment workshops with my nonprofit , Stellar Role Models ,” she says .
— JOHN FLYNN
SUPPORTYOUR LOCAL FAVORITES !
VOTING STARTS OCTOBER 11 AT njersy . co / votemontclair
VANILLAMORE : KEVIN R . WEXLER ; MISS USA : COURTESY OF CELINDA ORTEGA
8 FALL 2021 MONTCLAIR MAGAZINE