The definitive collection of New Jersey's odd, wacky, and most offbeat people, places, and things, for New Jersey residents and anyone else who enjoys local humor and trivia with a twist. Whether you're a born-and-raised New Jerseyan, a recent transplant, or just passing through, New Jersey Curiosities will have you laughing out loud as Peter Genovese takes you on a rollicking tour of the strangest sides of theGarden State. Learn the proper way to cook a garbage can turkey, get the skinny on the real birthplace of baseball, and hear the story of Waving Willie, New Jersey's friendliestroadside character. Meet the undisputed Weenie Queen of Garfield; a Hickory Dickory Dock clock-covering car artist; and a gas station-turned-restaurant-owning undertaker.Feel the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat at the New Jersey Cockroach Derby, and relive the OK Corral shoot-out and shoot cap guns at bad guys in Wild West City. In addition to being a very funny guy, Peter Genovese is a feature writer for The (Newark, NJ) Star-Ledger and author of Roadside New Jersey, Jersey Diners, and The Great American Road Trip: US 1, Maine to Florida. Winner of various state press association awards, he was also nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for his series on Rwanda. Genovese is responsible for overseeing and writing the paper's popular Munchmobile series, a weekly road trip during the summer where a team of reporters drives around the state looking for New Jersey's best hotdogs, pizza, Italian, Chinese, Mexican, ice cream, etc. In addition, he writes a weekly food review column, "Eat with Pete." His books have led to appearances on CNN, The History Channel, etc., and to coverage and reviews in The (New York) Daily News, The New York Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, etc. In 2005, he published The Food Lover's Guide to New Jersey with GPP.