Mangala’s Chicken Curry Tastes of Home is a Food Matters series celebrating the rich culinary traditions of our local residents. The aromas flowing from Mangala Rajan’s kitchen stir hunger, memory and tradition all at once. Coriander and cumin are blooming in hot oil, signaling the rich, layered experience of the meal to come. Rajan readies her spices and chopped vegetables for making chicken curry. “With chicken curry, you can be as simple or as sophisticated as you want,” s

It feels good to be behind the wheel image by pngtree.com When I was growing up, getting a driver’s license was a big deal. It was a...

SOMA Hoops draws local youth to the court League founder and commissioner Taylor Valentine inspires team spirit among the fifth grade...

A whole entire response to redundancies I n response to my last column describing the new(ish) use of the possessive “and I’s,” a reader...

Get ready to audition for the MAPSO Family Follies Talent Show The Lipman Family Circus wowed last year’s MAPSO Family Follies audience....

Her motto: We win! Sjocquelyn Winstead gets ready to start her second year as Columbia High School’s Athletic Director. Sjocquelyn...

Maplewoodshop is making hands-on learning cool again Left: A tent card reinforces class lessons on how to use a hammer. Center: Mike...

Written by Harriet Sigerman. Photography by Carlos Sanchez. High School’s Past The volunteers who work its archives The Columbia High School archivists L to R: Anne Wessel Dwyer, Hannah Edelman, Carol Moran Petrallia and Kate McMorrow Brown. T he Columbia High School Archives is a meticulously organized two-room work space in the new Media Center at Columbia. With its neatly labeled file cabinets and shelves full of books by Columbia graduates, the archives exudes an atmosphe

My daughter starting school brings out my inner child Photo by Stephen McFadden on Unsplash My daughter is starting elementary school in...

Classes teach everyone water safety At local pools, swimming isn’t just a summertime activity – it’s a life-saving skill. Knowing how to...

Getting treats with my kids Aiden and Addison Cramer tasted ice cream at six local shops In the delicious stretch of Maplewood and South...

The calling of a historical documents dealer Stuart Lutz has amassed one of the largest collections of Vietnam War material in the world,...

Bob Ziegler is the singer for Skyfactor. It’s a sunny Friday afternoon as I sit in my Maplewood room and stare down at the unopened box...

There are many. The Old Barn Milk Bar was the site of many ice cream outings. Most people have a good story involving ice cream, probably...

It started with two fifth graders Sylvie Brown and Aryana Pimplaskar (with Aryana's dog) prefer using their reusable water bottles...

Community gardens bring residents together Jennifer Thomas, president of the Maplewood Community Garden committee, plants tomatoes at the...

Do you enjoy language and watching it evolve over time? Perhaps you’re a grammar nerd whose heart sings when the right verb form is used....

Vietnamese Summer Rolls As bunches of mint, cucumbers and tender lettuces fill backyard gardens and farmers markets, we naturally crave the foods that reflect the vitality of the season. Vietnamese summer rolls (gỏi cuồn) are the ideal portable summer lunch or light appetizer, requiring minimal cooking and maximum freshness. Served chilled with a dipping sauce, these rolls are traditionally stuffed with rice vermicelli, raw shredded vegetables, herbs and a protein such as shr

Ingredients for most Turkish recipes are available at local markets. For specialty items, visit Bereket Marketplace in Monmouth Junction. When Mutlu Bascillar’s family members left their Turkish hometown of Kilis in 1966, they thought they were coming to America for an extended visit. An invitation from a beloved uncle who had settled in St. Louis evolved into a nine-month immersion in language, education and settling here for new opportunities. The Bascillar family left Turk

Finding renewal among our towns’ blossoms This mix of spring blooms gives cheer on a walk in South Orange. My husband and I moved to...