(Field Trip Fridays capture interesting, fun, food-related and/or fishing adventures that I like to share with you!) Ever have a moment when you pinch yourself because you simply can’t believe what you’re doing? Maybe it’s something you always dreamed of (like meeting Bono), or you just nabbed the perfect job, or you found an amazing…
It’s Stone Crab Season!
October 15 marks the opening day of Florida’s stone crab season! If you’re new to the stone crab world, here are 9 things you might like to know: 1) In Florida, stone crabs are harvested October 15 – May 2. 2) Commercial & recreational harvesters typically use baited traps; each has identifiable floats. 3) Commercial crabbers…
Summer Squash Ribbons
If you grew up with a garden, like I did, you know what happens near the end of summer, when it seems like everything needs to be picked at the same time! But oh, how glorious it is to simply walk to your garden, pick something beautiful and get it onto the dinner table. One…
Crab & Wasabi Appetizers
Recently I was asked to bring an appetizer to a get-together and thought I had plenty of time to make something. Unfortunately, my day got away from me and I found myself an hour before the event with no ideas. Ever been there? So I dug through my pantry and came upon a can of…
Basil Infused Whipped Cream
For years I’ve tried to grow basil in a pot in my home, only to see the poor plants get more withered and sad by the day. . . Well, things have changed at the Coudal house ‘cause we now have a garden and my basil is growing like gangbusters! The plants look so happy,…
Southern Style Cornbread
During a recent trip to Nashville to visit dear friends, I finally got to meet one of my blog’s biggest fans, with whom I had been corresponding for some time. Jeanette is an octogenarian who was born in Mississippi and has lived much of her adult life in Nashville, so she knows a thing or…
Cheddar, Rosemary & Blueberry Jelly Thumbprints
Homemade cookies are my weakness. I love baking and eating them, and I’m sure I’m not alone. Each year at holiday time, I plan to bake just one cookie recipe for gift-giving. My strategy is that by making only one type of cookie, it reduces the chances that neither my cookie-loving husband nor I will…
Olive Oil & Orange Cake
Several years ago my friend Rosemary and I took a cooking class in Sarasota with Pamela Sheldon Johns, a talented chef who splits her time between California and Italy. She has written many cookbooks specializing in regional Italian cuisine, and she loves to share her passion for cooking with others. Her farm, Poggio Etrusco, is…
Olive Oil Poached Cod with Rosemary, Garlic & Lemon
Cooking fish can sometimes be daunting, especially if you don’t do it all the time. Even those of us who cook it regularly can experience it getting away from us, resulting in a dry, tough, or smelly mess. But there’s a foolproof way to achieve moist, flavorful, tender and “velvety” fish. Poaching! You’re probably familiar with…
Calabaza Squash w/Lime, Garlic & Cilantro
Even though current temps in Florida reveal no hint of “Fall” approaching, I’m starting to get the bug to cook Fall-type dishes, which always includes hard squash. I absolutely adore Butternut, Acorn, Hubbard, Kabocha and Pumpkin, and am open to any other, if presented. In my house, cooking squash is a sure sign that temperatures…
Halibut with Warm Chourico & Corn Relish
My friend Glenn recently took a trip to Homer Alaska and nabbed huge fish, including Lingcod and Halibut. Here are just some of the big Halibut those anglers caught (they all look pretty happy, especially Glenn on the far left): Luckily for me, he shared some when he got home, and I graciously accepted. This…
Baked Eggs with Moringa, Bacon & Tomato
Breakfast in our house usually consists of scrambled eggs with tomatoes and whatever herbs we have on hand, OR a bowl of old-fashioned oatmeal with toasted nuts and fresh fruit. Let’s be honest, sometimes it’s not that exciting, but it gets the job done and sets us on our path for the day. But once…