(Field Trip Fridays capture interesting, fun, food-related and/or fishing adventures that I like to share with you!). It’s a treat to get away from the “busy-ness” of our everyday lives, isn’t it? That’s exactly what I was thinking as I drove with my friend Robin on Fruitville Road, heading east from Sarasota, Florida. As we…
Filling the Creative Well
I’m taking a break from blogging this week, folks. Time to get away from my kitchen, recharge my batteries, gain new inspiration and have a change of scenery. I highly recommend it, if you can do it! This is a solo road trip, making my way through Florida, Georgia and North Carolina, visiting friends and…
Nopales Salad & Fried Plantains
I recently visited the Sarasota Swap Meet to do some research for an article I’m writing for Visit Sarasota. There weren’t many vendors, but that’s probably because it was Sunday, off season, and a scorcher of a day. I saw lots of gently-used treasures, but the best stuff was at the Latin produce vendor tent…
Mango-Lime Curd
I recently joined an online cookbook club and my first task was to make something from Dorie Greenspan’s lovely booked Baking Chez Moi, filled with delicious recipes. I was determined to find something that seemed easy to make (let’s be honest, I was not going to tackle puff pastry from scratch) AND incorporated in-season ingredients,…
Gold Rush Griddle Cookies
While digging through my grandmother’s recipe box, hoping to find inspiration for a post this week, I came across “Gold Rush Griddle Cookies” and my heart warmed. . . Since I was a kid (early 1970s, that is), my mom made these as breakfast treats. I’m not sure if she found the recipe first, or…
3 Uses for Chives
Years ago I read a wonderful book by Julia Cameron called The Artist’s Way, a self-paced workshop of sorts, with lots of thoughtful exercises and writing assignments, all designed to unlock inner creativity. Julia’s theory is that once you do that, you can apply creative thinking to all facets of your life. I live with a…
Lime, Honey & Rosemary Popcorn
When I was a kid my mom made popcorn in her pressure cooker pan (without the valve, of course) on the stovetop, and that pan always made a perfect batch. Today, I still like to cook it at home — finished with just a simple dusting of salt (or none at all, for that matter)….
Lemon-Orange-Rosemary Granita
June 21 marked the first day of summer, but here in Florida it has felt like summer for the last two months. Needless to say, it has been pretty hot, and two weeks of rain greatly increased our infamous humidity levels, making it ultimately feel like the surface of the sun. For those of us…
Pan Fried Catfish
If you fish in Florida, you have surely felt the exhilaration of getting a bite on your line! But that exhilaration can quickly turn to despair when you realize it’s a big ‘ole sailcat (i.e, catfish). . .which only grows only deeper when you notice that the fish has gotten your gear, your line, and…
Sustainable Seafood!
In honor of World Oceans Day (June 8), I thought I’d write about some lesser known fish that carry a big punch. Some call them ‘trash fish’ but I prefer to call them ‘under-loved’ — species like Amberjack, Jack Crevalle, Mullet, Porgy, Sheepshead and Spanish Mackerel are just a few that may not necessarily be…
New England Clam Fritters
Fritters are basically small cakes made from a batter of milk, egg, cornmeal or some type of flour, plus their primary flavor ingredient (corn, apple, potato, zucchini, clam, etc.). They can be deep-fried or pan-fried, sweet or savory, flat or round. They’re flavorful, a little crunchy, tender, with bits of whatever that primary ingredient is….
Grilled Peaches, Ricotta, Honey & Thyme
Florida’s (short) peach season has come and gone, and I never did get my hands on any local beauties — it seems markets were either sold out or they just didn’t arrive in the volume expected. Alas, I’ll just have to wait until next year. . . But I did get my hands on some…