Chef - See

Crossword puzzle

Across

1 Tripoli’s country 6 College grad 10 Kill, as a dragon 14 Thorny plant 15 Latina toon explorer 16 Scrabble piece 17 If Nicholson sang, danced and acted, he might be called __ 20 GQ or Cosmo 21 Photographed 22 Inhumane 27 Salty drops 31 Big name in PCs 32 __ pork: Chinese dish with pancakes 35 “High” afternoon meal 36 Forbidden 38 Series of missed calls 40 If Robinson left En Vogue to sing in Jerry Garcia’s group, she might be called __ 43 Dog food seller 44 Crop up 46 Soul, to Sartre 47 Polar parka 50 Passionate about 51 Winona of “Stranger Things” 53 Brings good luck to 55 Taunt 58 Drone or worker 59 If Tomlin came from San Fernando, she might be called __ 67 Trim, as a photo 68 Dry forecast 13 “Roundabout” rockers with a positive name 18 Word before hand or land 19 Capitol feature 22 Cave hanger 23 Plato’s school, with “the” 24 Paid back, as a purchase incentive 25 Tweezer targets 26 Whirlybirds 28 Realizes, as a goal 29 Entertains with a bedtime story 30 Give in to gravity 33 Recital rebuke 34 Flower bed tool 37 Province on four Great Lakes 39 Spooky 41 Bass ending 42 Pendulum direction? 43 Links standard 45 Seemingly forever 48 Orange-yellow gemstones 49 Ukraine’s capital 52 The Nile runs through it 54 Detectives’ aids 56 Bosom buds, in texts 57 Nouveau-Mexique, par exemple 59 TV screen type 60 Fury 61 Easy throw 62 Laid low 63 Cut (off) 64 JFK alternative 65 Maximum borders? 66 Oft-candied veggie

69 Religious doctrine 70 Credit card balance, say 71 Benchmarks: Abbr. 72 Jerk or twitch

Down

1 JFK’s successor 2 Nest egg initials 3 Flickable lighter 4 Go on and on 5 Kitchen allure 6 Samuel Barber’s “__ for Strings” 7 Cyberchortle 8 Web addresses 9 Subject with numbers 10 Georgia or Washington 11 Pot cover 12 It may be blonde or pale

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Sudoku

Continued From Page 1

over a thousand attendees and various food services businesses to the Elks Lodge. “We had a meeting here and the Elks donated the use of their large building for free. “I feel like before you couldn’t see the all the banners of all of our sponsors and it was hard to figure out the whole room but this is really nice,” Homiek said. The former Toms River site on the grounds of Toms River High School North attracted many northern and central Ocean County restaurants but many from the southern end of the county were well represented during the most recent fundraiser held earlier this month. The event featured Lacey’s popular The Captain’s Inn, Pine Tar Bar and Grill and some familiar favorites like Ob Co Donuts of Toms River, Klees of Seaside Heights and Joe Bella’s Italian Kitchen of Toms River and many more. “We have numerous restaurants from this area and it’s important to get representation from all over the county as we go all the way down in Little Egg Harbor,” Homiek said. “We had 31 sponsors who committed to coming and they have banners all over the room and 20 restaurants besides the vocational restaurants. We have the Brick Center, we have the Waretown Center and we have Cuisine on the Green so three of our centers here as well,” Homiek added. The multi-level event drew some notable attendees such as Ocean County Board of Commissioners Deputy Director Virginia Haines who recommended Joe Bella’s mushroom truffle. “I had two plates of that - it was delicious.” Others includes Ocean County Sheriff Mike Mastronardy, Jackson Mayor Michael Reina and Lacey Committeeman Peter Curatolo among others. Each roamed the crowded rooms to sample some of the fine dishes that included everything from crab cake sliders, to pasta to the Brick Center’s orange cheesecake. Noting the approach of Saint Patrick’s Day, Klee’s Restaurant offered up a unique offering of an Irish Egg Roll which were Asian style eggrolls with an Irish twist filled with potatoes, corn beef, sauteed cabbage and Swiss cheese served with Thousand Island Dressing. Homiek said funds from the evening’s event will provide money “for scholarships so the more money we make at these events the more scholarships we can present. It can be not just monetary it can be tools or equipment that a student needs to get better in their position. The Foundation is really good with that.” She noted that the Jackson Center will be seeing some expansion in the near future. “We are going to be putting three brand new programs to the Center, though not new to the district. We’ll be putting in welding, electric, plumbing and medical assistant programs.” “Those are three programs we have waiting lists for. They will be housed at Jackson upon completion of the addition. These programs are in high demand throughout the county by local businesses and industry. We are looking to meet what industry needs right now,” Homiek said. “We have about 1,900 share time students and we have 700 academy students which doesn’t include our adult students,” she added. Cosmetology program teacher Barbara Stewart joined a number of her OCVTS students as volunteers for the evening wearing their Chef’s Night Out aprons and helping to make the event run smoothly. A large number of gift baskets were available to win with the purchase of a raffle ticket purchase. For more information about what OCVTS offers visit ocvts.org.

Gift baskets were part of a fundraiser.

─Photo by Bob Vosseller

SolutionS

Sudoku Crossword puzzle

Omarr’s Astrological

Forecast For the week of MAR 19 - MAR 25 By Jeraldine Saunders

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Something seemingly free of charge could have strings attached -- there may be a price to pay for that free lunch. In the week ahead, your reputation may be boosted through the efforts of supporters and well-wishers. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Don’t catch your heel on the revolving door while it is still turning. You may be attracted to people and things that quickly move on. Avoiding distractions and a bit of skepticism could serve you well in the week ahead. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Your work ethic makes you a powerhouse, but your strategies and tactics may also be influenced by a desire to get along with others. During the week ahead, you might become more ambitious and practical. CANCER (June 21-July 22): An insight into someone’s motivations might put an end to a dilemma. Ask questions to better understand a partner’s ambitions. As the week unfolds you might encounter frequent interference from friends. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Your sympathies may be easily aroused in the week to come. Someone who is riveted on getting the best end of every bargain might gladly switch places with you. Appreciate a loved one’s wisdom and financial expertise. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): This week should bring your key relationships into focus and offer information that can be food for reflection as you move forward. Before the week is over, you may wish to make a commitment to an ambitious project. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Attract one bird and the whole flock could follow. You may meet numerous people who challenge your beliefs and loyalties in the week to come. Heads up -- few things can be more costly than relying on wishful thinking. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): It could be tempting to dream away the hours on fantasies. In the week ahead, however, you can cut to the chase when faced with obstinacy or foolishness. Focus on being realistic about achieving your goals. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): There could be many demands on your financial resources in the upcoming week. You may enjoy group outings and family entertainments but could become more ambitious about achieving material success and security. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): A friendly and open-minded demeanor can offer family members a congenial backdrop for conversations. Business expertise and passion for excellence may earn more respect and admiration in the week ahead. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Make things work. Use your people skills to accomplish your goals in a practical way. In the week to come, you might find that you prevail even when someone opposes your will or challenges your authority. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Stay on point once the day begins. Start by gathering inspiration, but then shift gears and apply a realistic approach to your daily tasks. Utilize sensible strategies to keep your home organized in the week ahead.

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A FEW TIPS AND TRICKS WILL ENSURE YOU BAKE THICK, CHEWY COOKIES EVERY TIME

By America’s Test Kitchen CHEWY CHOCOLATE COOKIES

Makes 12 cookies

1/2 cup (2 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 2/3 cup (4 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 1/3 cup packed (2 1/3 ounces) light brown sugar 2 tablespoons sugar 1 large egg 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. 2. Place chocolate chips in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Heat in microwave at 50% power until melted, 2 to 3 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to stir chocolate until completely melted and smooth. 3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl if using a handheld mixer), combine softened butter and the sugars. Mix on medium speed until well combined, about 1 1/2 minutes. Scrape down bowl. 4. Add egg, vanilla and melted chocolate. Mix on low speed until combined, about 2 minutes. Scrape down bowl. 5. Add flour mixture. Mix on low speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down bowl and stir in any remaining dry flour. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. 6. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. 7. When dough is ready, use your hands to roll dough into 12 balls (about 1 heaping tablespoon each). Place dough balls on parchment-lined baking sheet, arranging them in staggered rows and leaving 2 inches of space between balls. 8. Bake cookies until edges have just begun to set but centers are still very soft, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer baking sheet to a cooling rack. Let cookies cool completely on the baking sheet, about 30 minutes. Serve.

Recipe note: We prefer Dutch-processed cocoa powder in this recipe.

(For 25 years, confident cooks in the know have relied on America’s Test Kitchen for rigorously tested recipes developed by professional test cooks and vetted by 60,000 at-home recipe testers. See more online at www.americastestkitchen. com/TCA.) (c) 2022 AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN. DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC.