It seems like the humble sweet potato (or yam) is on just about every Thanksgiving table. Who would have thought that a root vegetable with origins dating back roughly 5,000 years would still be so revered? If you’ve ever grown them yourself, you know how fun it is! This marks my second year and my…
A Picnic in the Sky
If you’ve traveled by plane recently, you’ve surely experienced the limited array of snacks offered by some airlines. . . In spite of these limited options, why do we still look forward to seeing that beverage cart? Maybe it’s because we’re bored and the anticipated visit from a friendly flight attendant is welcome. Maybe the…
Field Trip Friday – Boston!
(Field Trip Fridays capture interesting, fun, food-related and/or fishing adventures that I like to share with you!) I recently traveled to Boston for my college’s homecoming events. While there, I soaked up fall scenery, visited special people I haven’t seen in ages and, of course, enjoyed delicious food. I grew up in southern Massachusetts, and though…
An Insider’s View to Stone Crabbing
Since October 15 marked the start of Florida’s Stone crab season, I thought it might be fun to give this 2016 post a little extra love. It was content I originally published on Visit Sarasota, offering a behind-the-scenes look at crabbing in southwest Florida. Give it a read to learn a little more about the folks…
Curried Lentils & Rice
Several years ago, the documentary Forks Over Knives hit the streets. It was all about the benefits of eating plant-based (vs. animal-based) food in order to ward off cancer or other unhealthy stuff. I didn’t watch it until recently, when I re-upped my Netflix subscription, and I found it eye-opening. . . I believe there are…
Pumpkin Spice Granola
Yes, it’s time to think about Fall dishes like warm soups, cocoa, roasted root veggies and, of course, all-things-pumpkin! If you love pumpkin, there are endless opportunities to enjoy the Fall-inspired squash and its signature pumpkin spice flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice and cloves. You’ll find that magical stuff in bars, pies, cookies, lattes, cold…
Raisin Cake
I called my mom this week to confirm history and details of an old family cake recipe. I hadn’t realized my husband heard my conversation but when I hung up he said “I bet your mom loves it when you call her about recipes.” His comment got me to thinking how she and I have…
A Classic Mussel Dish
You might remember the recent Field Trip Friday I wrote about my visit to Westport, Massachusetts, in which I referenced an awesome day searching for quahogs, clams and mussels. A great way to spend the day, digging in the muddy banks of a beautiful body of water and pulling out something awesome, like these mussels:…
The Best Smoked Mullet Spread
This week I hosted a workshop called “The Amazing Mullet” at Historic Spanish Point in Osprey, Florida. The folks at HSP are all about preserving and celebrating Florida’s past, and this was part of a new series called the Frances Newton Culinary Institute. Its mission is to highlight dishes using seasonal fish and produce, and…
Brussels Sprout, Pear & Prosciutto Salad
Hard to believe we’re seeing memes on social media counting down the days to Christmas, when Thanksgiving is just 76 days away! Which means it’s a good time to start queuing up ideas for holiday entertaining 🙂 I’m sure you’ve got lots of family-faves like green bean casserole, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, and grandma’s famous…
Apple & Butternut Crostini
Once Labor Day hits, I go into “Fall mode,” despite the fact I live in Florida, where 90 degree temps are still a daily occurrence. It’s the wonderful time of year for hard squashes, apples, pumpkins, cinnamon sticks and other good stuff piled high at markets. And it all gets us thinking about cooler weather…
Summer Tomato Bruschetta
It’s Summer! But for those of you who live in Florida, you know what I mean when I say I’m actually looking forward to Winter. . . Yes, there are so many great things about living in Florida, but let’s be honest, we are having exceptionally hot and humid weather, day after day of torrential…