Jenn Hall

Inside Jersey: The Inspiration / Made in Jersey – Sara Setzer Feltworks

April 3, 2018 by jennhallwrites

Felting is an art steeped in history. Look back a millennium, and you find the link: women transforming wool into warmth using enduring techniques. This connection inspires fiber artist Sara Setzer, 35. “Fiber arts are a deeply rooted women’s craft,” she says. “The fact that you can take a single hair from an animal and turn it into a fabric that’s super-strong just by using water and soap and some elbow grease … there’s something magical in there.” Read more… […]

Categories: design

Edible Jersey: A Conversation with Alice Waters

April 3, 2018 by jennhallwrites

Alice Waters speaks with the cadence of a poet. She talks of food the way one might of a treasured companion, with warm reverence. And while she is most associated with California, her formative experiences happened here, in Chatham, NJ. Alice Louise Waters was born in April 1944, the daughter of a stay-at-home mom with a love for gardening and brown grains and a father who worked for Prudential and who adored jazz and coconut cake. “I grew up at […]

Categories: food, sustainability

Edible Jersey: America’s Favorite Companion – Smitten Kitchen’s Deb Perelman

April 3, 2018 by jennhallwrites

The beauty of home cooking lies in its ability to be delicious, unpretentious and—dare we say—triumphant, all at the same time. That’s the conviction explored by beloved food blogger and Jersey native Deb Perelman, with her trademark wit, in her second cookbook: Smitten Kitchen Every Day: Triumphant & Unfussy New Favorites (Knopf, 2017). It’s a mission she has brought to millions of Smitten Kitchen blog readers since 2006, an unheard-of run in the fickle turbulence of the internet. There’s a reason […]

Categories: food

Edible Jersey: Road Trip – Bordentown

April 3, 2018 by jennhallwrites

In Bordentown, history’s echo is inescapable. Red-brick buildings date back centuries and harbor stories. The city has housed rabble rousers, inventors and exiled kings, including Joseph Bonaparte, big brother to Napoleon. If you are of a certain temperament, you might say it feels a bit haunted, right down to the rambling millworks by the railroad tracks and the Revolutionary-era tombstones in Christ Church Graveyard. Yet to spend time here is to sense an upswell of new energy. Downtown, colonial-style lampposts […]

Categories: food, travel

Taste of Home: 15 Vintage Food Brands that are much Older than You Think

April 3, 2018 by jennhallwrites

In food world driven by trends, it’s easy to forget that many of our pantry staples have been around for centuries. Learn which vintage brands are still alive and well today. Read more… Published March 14, 2018

Categories: food

Edible Jersey: From Appalachia to Bourbon Country

January 30, 2018 by jennhallwrites

One of the eye-opening things about exploring America by car is witnessing the changes, natural and cultural, that give rise to sense of place. In that way, Kentucky is singular. From the gray-tinged mountains of Appalachia to the stately fields of bourbon country, high and low intersect by the mile—and the genesis point for elegance isn’t simply demarcated. For a hungry traveler, it’s tough to say which region produces the most crave-worthy experiences. Along the rocky spine that juts up […]

Categories: drink, food, travel • Tags: road trips

Edible Jersey: Jersey by the Glass

January 30, 2018 by jennhallwrites

When you think bourbon, New Jersey may not be the first place that comes to mind. Yet interest in “granddad’s spirit” is rising, especially among younger imbibers. Stop into any bar worth its salt, and you’re bound to encounter riffs on the Manhattan or Boulevardier alongside new creations. And these days, Kentucky isn’t the only game in town. An increasing number of Jersey distilleries are offering their spin on the Bluegrass State’s most famous export, so those classic cocktails may […]

Categories: drink

Edible Jersey: Road Trip – Collingswood, NJ

January 30, 2018 by jennhallwrites

When people hear that you live in Collingswood, there is a near-universal response: “Collingswood! Amazing restaurants, and we love that they’re BYOB.” Nestled between Haddonfield and Camden, the town draws eaters of all stripes, and for good reason. Restaurants that ascend the state’s best-of lists share street space with funky-fresh upstarts like Constellation Collective, which offers a DIY spin on seasonal eats. Bonus: Philly is only a 12-minute train ride away. Truth be told, this could be considered Philly’s secret Jersey […]

Categories: food, travel • Tags: road trips

Inside Jersey: Creative Spirits – Where to Craft & Sip Across NJ

January 30, 2018 by jennhallwrites

If New Jersey were a paint-covered canvas, with each color representing a paint-and-sip studio, it would resemble Jackson Pollock splatters everywhere. During the past decade, a wave of indie and franchise spots has roared down our main streets. They offer easy access to acrylics, canvas and gentle instruction: no creative talent required. Pinot’s Palette. ArteVino. Canvas & Grapes. The list goes on, and the camaraderie, booze and grown-up play have clearly struck a nerve. Part 1: Sip & Soap, Plant Nite, Board & Brush […]

Categories: travel • Tags: road trips

Edible Manhattan: The Magic of a Jersey Kid’s City Christmas

December 27, 2017 by jennhallwrites

For lots of kids, there is an upside to divorce that crystallizes like a snowflake every December. Unlike those with strange, stable families, you get two Christmases. There’s no need to be smug about it, what with the disappointment of a broken family, and yet… During our ’80s-era childhood, my sister Becky and I celebrated our “main” Christmas with mom in Jersey. Then there was a bonus holiday with our father. Read more… Published Dec. 25, 2017

Categories: essay, food • Tags: essays, holidays

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