I recently visited the Mote Aquaculture Park in Sarasota to learn about how they’re raising Red Drum (Redfish) and sea vegetables (see Field Trip Friday – Mote Marine Aquaponics). Afterwards, I was curious about differences there may be between farm-raised and wild-caught fish, so I set out to answer my own question. The first thing…
Old-Fashioned Date Nut Bread
My family has a few cooking traditions around the holiday season and one recipe on the “must make” list is this delicious date-nut bread. It’s moist, dark, crunchy, not too sweet, and very tasty when topped with soft cream cheese. And if you really want to be authentic, it’s best to enjoy it as a…
Fish Wellington with Herbs and Prosciutto
My husband and I work from home, so we get to share lots of meals together. And it’s usually during lunch (or sometimes even breakfast) that he asks “What are you thinking of making for dinner?” Ok. Does anyone else think it’s funny that he’s already wondering about his next meal, while enjoying his current…
Field Trip Friday – Gleaning
(Field Trip Fridays capture interesting, fun, food-related and/or fishing adventures that I like to share with you.) Gleaning is kind of a funny word for such a meaningful task. It’s the process of picking crops in a field that has already been harvested, dating back to the Old Testament, when farmers were told to leave…
Bacon Crusted Grouper
Grouper is a great fish that can be prepared in several ways and it’s always delicious. It’s also pretty sturdy, so it can handle direct grilling, searing and sautéing, but I prefer the pan-searing method because, to me, that really locks in the moisture of the fish. Recreational Red Grouper is currently closed in Gulf…
Yummy Sweetmeats
I’m pretty well-versed on my family’s traditions and recipes, so it’s not too often that I find something that stumps me. But that’s just what happened recently while going through the dessert section of my grandmother’s recipe box. It was titled “Lebanese Sweetmeats” but I didn’t remember her ever making what appeared to be a…
Apple Cake with Cream Cheese & Bourbon Cream
It’s officially Fall, but it certainly doesn’t feel like it in southwest Florida. In spite of our high temps, I’m still moving ahead with my Fall traditions! One of them is this delicious, fresh apple spice cake. I love the smells that emanate from the kitchen when it’s in the oven — comforting and definitely…
Sweet & Spicy Refrigerator Pickles
This time of the year can produce a lot of late season crops, so I wasn’t surprised to see tons of cucumbers at the farmer’s market recently. I happily picked up a bunch of the little guys, thinking I’d be so good and snack on them all week. What was I thinking?!? After only 3…
Sweet Butternut Squash with Rosemary
I love Fall for many reasons, not the least of which is having easy access to Butternut squash — a wonderfully delicious, sweet and nutty winter squash. I especially love it roasted or pureed, but I also enjoy it in cakes, pies and salads (all equally delicious). Some of my favorite flavor pairings with Butternut…
Shrimp-Stuffed Poblano Peppers
When I was in college I got a job as a waitress at a Mexican restaurant. I had no idea what I was doing and prayed that my manager wouldn’t figure it out and send me packing because I really needed cash! Surprisingly (for me), I picked it up pretty quickly and really enjoyed the…
My Grandmother’s Banana Bread
My banana trees recently produced a huge bunch that have finally ripened after many weeks of watching them closely to keep the squirrels away. This variety is sometimes called ‘apple’ banana (I think the origin is Cuban) — they’re not only sweet, but they also reveal hints of delicate apple. Their skin is thinner than…
Stuffed Winter Squash
This time of year we can find plenty of winter squash varieties at supermarkets and farmer’s markets. It’s just one of the reasons I love Fall! I grew up eating lots of winter squash in New England (especially Butternut and Blue Hubbard) because our neighbor grew them and we had a standing order for a…