IN THE KITCHEN WITH: Maria Weingrad

A passion for home baked goods leads to creating a special cafe and sharing recipes; By Laurie Gordon Lafayette — When native New Yorker Maria Weingrad and her family moved to Sparta 16 years ago, they quickly discovered that something they’d taken for granted in the city was missing: the type of homemade foods found at corner bakeries and delis. At a young age, while growing up in Brooklyn, Weingrad became an apprentice, learning how to cook traditional meals from scratch at her grandmother’s side. “My grandmother made many old Italian delicacies such as honey balls, pizzadulch (Italian cheese cake), Easter bread and meatless meatball,” Weingrad recalled, “I always enjoyed working with her in the kitchen, kneading dough and creating such wonderful things to eat that everyone would enjoy.” Weingrad and her husband Bob found their New York City home base had changed a lot from when they were kids. “It had become dirty and overcrowded and we weren’t happy with the school system,” she said. This prompted the move to Sussex County. Weingrad was a stay-at-home mom until 2007, when she became a businesswoman. Nagged by the lack of a traditional homemade shop in the area, she and her husband started exploring options to open something of their own. It all started one day, after stopping at a bakery and enjoying a less than satisfactory confection. Weingrad told her husband she didn’t think many people were baking from scratch anymore and said, “Wouldn’t it be nice if we had an establishment of our own where we would make everything homemade.” She looked at him and asked “What would we call it?” He said,“You just said it ‘EveryThing HomeMade.’” A business was born. From that moment on every waking moment went into research and development. “I became a corporation, had gotten my food handlers certificate and license, put up a Web site and rented a commercial kitchen. I started with cookies, packed them up beautifully and a friend of mine had a shop in which she let me sell them in. I had a dream to open a shop of my own and with the encouragement and help from my friends and family, here I am today.” The doors of EveryThing HomeMade opened in Old Lafayette Village in July. Word quickly spread and EveryThing HomeMade was buzzing. “We like to participate at charitable events,” Weingrad said. “We have just finished up with our adult winter baking classes and soon you will see us advertising on the Food Network.” Weingrad’s husband works with her to create specialties, which include a chewy baked oatmeal and deep dish French toast for breakfast, lunches are replete with quiches, café salads, unusual sandwiches and decadent desserts along with a huge café and catering menu. Her daughters, Christina and Karolanne, are now out on their own, but Weingrad said, “[When we started] I had hardly any food service experience and both had been waitresses. Without their help, I never would have gotten the business off the ground. Now they have moved onto their own passions but If I need a little help now and then, they are always there for me.” Weingrad’s goal with Everything HomeMade was “to create a warm and cozy atmosphere and offer great food. I’ve been told by many of my customers that our little French country café feels like home and that we have great food and awesome baked goods.” Everything HomeMade is located at 68 Olde Lafayette Village. Visit them on the web at www.everythinghomemade.com.

Grandma’s Apple Pie
2 pie crust rounds
6 Granny Smith apples (peeled, cored and sliced)
1/3 Cup Sugar
1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1/8 tsp. Nutmeg
1/8 tsp. Salt
1-1/2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
1 Tablespoon Cold Butter (cubed)
Egg Wash
Roll out and line pan with pie dough. Toss together apples, sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and cornstarch. Place apple filling in pie pan. Dot apples with butter, top apple filling with pie dough, crimp edges, brush with egg wash, slit top and bake at 350* for 1 to 1 ½ hours or until apples are tender when pierced with a toothpick. Pie should be a dark golden brown and juices should be bubbling.
Pie Dough
3 Cups Flour
1-1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 Cup Sugar
20 Tablespoons Cold Butter (Cubed)
1/3 Cup Shortening
1/2 Cup Ice Water
Stir together flour salt and sugar. Cut in butter and shortening or rub together with hands until butter resembles the size of peas. Slowly stir in ice water until dough starts to come together. Dump dough out onto work surface and knead until dough stays in a ball (wrap and refrigerate at least one hour before rolling.