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…
Appetizers & Snacks
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…
Summer Crab Salad
Summer is in full swing — a great time to make a dish that’s not only tasty, but also, easy to transport to beach, pool, or picnic. So when the folks at Edible Sarasota asked me to create a crab recipe for their Summer issue, I decided on a salad, but one that’s a little different…
Mussels with Miso, Ginger and Lime
This week I decided to highlight a post from 2017 – a tasty (and healthy) recipe made with farm raised mussels, miso, ginger, and zippy lime. It’s easy to prepare and oh-so-delicious with crusty bread. The reason I’m posting it? A few, actually: June 1 marks the start of hurricane season, a time when those…
Kale & Broccoli Bruschetta
In Sarasota this week, Sunshine Community Compost is hosting a “Compost-A-Thon,” a special event for folks to try composting. It’s a cool concept – pay a small fee, get a bucket, save your kitchen scraps all week, then bring the bucket to the event, weigh it and transfer to a bin to start the composting…
Papaya with Lime
If you need a tasty dish for a Cinco de Mayo party, look no further than the papaya in your backyard or at the farmers market. Papayas grow well in Florida and a mature tree can yield many, many pounds of fruit, so it’s common for neighbors and co-workers to share them with the “papaya-less” crowd. Just…
Ham & Cheese Puff Pastry
I was just a kid in the ’70s and Easter was a big day because it meant a visit from a magical rabbit who left me and my brother treats, including huge, chocolate-filled eggs that took weeks to eat, sliver by sliver, because they were so big. Our baskets were full of Russell Stover jelly…
Quick-Pickled Veggies
Visiting Florida farmers markets this time of year is so fun. It’s easy to find beautiful carrots with their greens attached, huge celery bursting with crunchiness, bright greens, deep purple eggplant, colorful peppers, big bunches of fresh herbs, and more. I don’t have a bag or basket big enough to carry everything I’d like…
Strawberries & Cinnamon Mascarpone
“It’s time to get off the sugar train!” I exclaimed to my hubby Monday morning. To my surprise, he said he was ready to disembark, too. As I write this, 96 hours have passed since deciding to cut out refined sugar and carbs (for one month, that is, in order to push the reset…
5 Uses for Fresh Lemongrass
Lemongrass is a lovely, citrus scented herb in the grass family – it has a very pleasing lemon scent, and cooking with it offers none of the bitterness of the actual lemon, so it’s versatile in sweet or savory dishes, spicy or mild. But do you find yourself with lots of lemongrass and don’t know…
Crispy Corn Fritters
Cinco de Mayo! It’s the day Mexico commemorates its unexpected victory over French forces in 1862 during the Battle of Puebla (I just learned that). Here in America we join in the celebration by enjoying all those tasty treats that run deep in Mexican heritage and I, for one, will be enjoying cold margaritas, (many)…