The following article was published June 17, 2009 in the Asbury Park Press

Think beyond the sandwich for the perfect meal

Whether packed in a old-time wicker basket or in an insulated cooler, a picnic lunch is a wonderful way to enjoy a day at the beach or a park, especially when the cooking is done by someone else. A bit of preparation — calling at least two hours ahead to order food — helps create a perfect picnic for one to four people. At least a few days of notice is needed for a larger group, say area specialty store owners. Picnics can be all cold foods, all hot foods or a combination, but when planning cold foods, forget the old-time standards of potato or macaroni salad. "Take an oil-based pasta salad instead," says Laurie Lottimer, manager of Drew's Market on Route 71 in Spring Lake Heights. "Anything with mayonnaise that sits out in warm temperatures will curdle. Onions and mayonnaise together can make someone ill if it's out in the sun too long." The store has a variety of freshly made cold salads with an olive oil base, says her husband, Peter Lottimer, who works the counter and handles deliveries and more. "The pasta jardiniere has fettucine, red and yellow bell peppers, fresh spinach, lemon pepper and oil," he says. "People love it. On weekends, we go through several full trays." Another popular cold pasta salad is the "Joe DiMaggio," says owner Drew Filoramo, adding that although Drew's is an Italian specialties market, the store does all kinds of cuisine as well as catering. "It's a tricolor pasta with plum tomatoes and grilled eggplant," Filoramo says, adding a chilled penne pasta with fresh basil and tomatoes is good too. "On summer weekends, all of our beach lunches come from here," says Robin Brendle of Spring Lake Heights, executive director of CBS Sports communications in Manhattan and a customer since Drew's opened here eight years ago. For Mother's Day, she had the store cater a luncheon of grilled chicken with roasted red peppers and mozzarella on a 3-foot-round ring of Italian bread along with the penne salad. Sandwiches — or wraps — are an easy, good cold entree, Filoramo says. A sandwich might include the store's freshly cooked turkey London broil in a lemon-basil sauce, fine cold or hot.