Recipes

The Taste's Sarah Schiear Makes Bourbon Shrimp and Grits: Here's The Recipe

Home town contestant Sarah Schiear was on fire both literally and figuratively on the first day of full-blown competition on ABC's The Taste.The home cook and blogger, who hails from Fort Lauerdale, managed to make two great dishes in-between setting fires in the kitchen.  Schiear, who is on Lu ... More >>

Too Many Damn Mangoes? Make Strawberry-Mango Muffins (Recipe)

For the most part, the brutal heat of the south Florida summer means death to almost anything growing outdoors. Lettuce burns. Tomatoes shrivel up. It is the time of year despised by professional and home gardeners alike.On the bright side, the mangoes thrive. The onset of mango season is generally ... More >>

Vegan Cupcake Recipe: Leaving the Nest Almond / Caramel / Chocolate Cupcakes

​Earlier this month, while some high school seniors were ditching classes to catch up on lost episodes of 16 and Pregnant (it's too addictive to avoid), one impressive Nova High School senior took pen to paper and later spatula to bowl to craft the perfect sticky sweet sendoff as she leaves her fa ... More >>

Vegetarian Easter Dishes: Feed Your Meat-Free Friends

By Aussiegall via Creative Commons There's plenty for the bunny huggers to eat besides carrots.​ As a vegetarian, Easter is one of several holidays where I struggle to muster half the enthusiasm for the menu as most everyone else in the room. If, like me, you've ever gone riffling through the East ... More >>

Recipe from Daniel Ramos of Market 17: Saute of Canaveral Shrimp with Jalapeno White Cheddar Grits

Grits are just the beginning of this delicious dish.​Saute of Canaveral Shrimp with Jalapeno White Cheddar Grits, Swiss Chard, creamed leeks and Garlic Thyme Pan Sauce Grits 1 cup yellow grits 4 cup water 1 jalapeno diced and seeded 1 cup shredded white cheddar ½ cup unsalted butter Salt a ... More >>

The Best Thanksgiving Turkey Ever

​Awhile back, I wrote plugging the Best Chicken Ever, a dry-brined bird based on a recipe developed by Judy Rodgers of San Francisco's Zuni Café.   Rubbed with salt and pepper and stuffed under the skin with fresh herbs, then left to "brine" in the fridge for 24 to 48 hours and roasted ... More >>

Putting Your Pizza Stone to Work: Whole Wheat Butternut Squash Pizza

Crackly crust, sweet butternut squash, sage, and caramelized onions -- the flavors of fall in pizza form.​Yesterday, we talked about pizza stones and how you can improve upon those store-bought ones with cheap unglazed quarry tiles purchased at Home Depot. Today, let's put those tiles to the test ... More >>

Easy, Low-Fat Recipe: Summertime Orzo Pasta Salad

John Linn​When I think of summer food, I think bright, bold flavors that won't weigh you down. And this summertime orzo pasta salad delivers on all fronts. It's got everything you'd want to awaken your palate in this brutal heat: There are woody kalamata olives; tart marinated artichoke hearts; co ... More >>

Grilling Something Different: Grilled Chicken Pasta With Gorgonzola Cream Sauce

John Linn​This Fourth of July, you don't have to just grill something and slop it on a plate. Grilled food can make a wonderful addition to a larger dish, like in this pasta with Gorgonzola cream sauce.This bold, hearty pasta is livened by roasted red peppers, onion, and bacon, while the addition ... More >>

How to Make Jerk Chicken and Ribs To Die For

​Whether it's smoking low and slow or grilling fast and hot, I absolutely love making chicken and ribs during the Summer. And my favorite preparation for making each at home has to be Jerk-style. Good jerk just has so much going for it. The spiciness makes you sweat and actually cools you off in t ... More >>

It's a Pasta, It's a Frittata. . . It's a Pasta Frittata

​Everybody needs a "kitchen sink" recipe, a quick and easy dish that you can throw together from whatever you happen to have hanging around in the fridge--leftover meats, small chunks of cheese, the last salvageable vegetables.  In addition to the time saved shopping and cleaning up refrigera ... More >>

Recipe: Chorizo Skewers with Spanish Orzo

​Every cook needs a few flavor bombs in their kitchen, ingredients that can take a dish from tasteless to tasty with minimal time and effort.  Salt is the most basic flavor bomb, even more useful now with the availability of various flavored, smoked and sea salts. Artisan olive oil and real b ... More >>

Summer Comes to Steak 954

​Happy Memorial Day!Today ushers in the unofficial start of summer, the time of year when it gets so hot that people start looking for any way to cool down. Well here's one way to make that happen: check out the new, summer exclusive ice cream sandwich at Steak 954.The frozen treat costs $15 and c ... More >>

Memorial Day Grill Recipes: Mango Barbecue Sauce, Fish Marinade, Slaw

Recipes for grilling on Memorial Day or for any cook-outs.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to: Traditional Eggs Benedict

Flickr: bunbunlife​When we're kids, Mom always tells us not to buy her anything, that she is perfectly happy with whatever we make her. In my house, she was thankful if my three brothers and I let her sleep in. Mother's Day has always proven to be the busiest day of the year for restaurants. In o ... More >>

A Blossom Recipe Blossoms

​Now that the Sunshine State has actually seen a couple of weeks of sunshine, all those fruits and veggies that were hiding out for our wretched winter are now, well... blossoming. And with our weekend farmers' markets in full swing and such full-time produce markets as Harvest Time (4361 Hypoluxo ... More >>

Last call at Savor the Avenue - and Caffe Luna Rosa's Ceviche Recipe if You Miss Out

Very few seats left at Savor the Avenue, but make this ceviche at home and pretend you're there.

Dish Deconstructed: Char-Grilled Artichoke at La Cigale

​"It was a brave man who first ate an oyster."  Jonathan Swift said that, but he could have just as easily been talking about the artichoke, a member of the thistle family with spiky little thorns that looks like the Jolly Green Giant's fist. You gotta give credit for at least a little braver ... More >>

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Banana Pancakes

Flickr: love2bake.nl​Whether it's the first time they've woken up at your place, the 100th, or the 1,000th - I personally believe there is no better way to impress someone the morning after than to make them breakfast.Don't make eggs. Because eggs are like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches: speci ... More >>

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Blondies

Photo by flickr user Little Miss Amanda.​Some time in high school I realized that I was good at baking. And brownies became my go-to dish: they were simple and, surprisingly, people got excited about eating them. After awhile, though, even a great brownie baker needs a change of pace. &nb ... More >>

It's Cold Outside, So Let's Get Stewed

Photo by Flickr user ulterior epicure​When I was a kid growing up in the Northeast, cold weather was good news. I'd get outdoors early to enjoy the snow and chat up cute girls in puffy down jackets. And I'd spend the entire day outside, trying to stay upright on my minibike while running wide open ... More >>

Dish Deconstructed: Chimichurri Steak

John Linn​ Some steak sauces claim they're "how steak is done." But in my opinion, no steak sauce is better than chimichurri. With fresh herbs, garlic, and citrus, nothing brightens up the bold, earthy flavors of a steak quite like it. Not to mention it's totally easy to make.

What Holiday Dishes Are You Cooking?

John LinnA homemade cranberry dressing makes this easy salad a holiday treat.​ The most important thing about the holidays next to family? What's on the table, of course. My family usually starts preparing their holiday meal a day in advance, and this year is no different. We're going to be doing ... More >>

Dish Deconstructed: Pumpkin Spice Soup

John LinnWarm, spicy pumpkin soup is a winter time treat.​ Now that we're enjoying one of our rare cold fronts, you may as well make the most of it by making some wintery, homemade soup. This pumpkin spice soup takes canned pumpkin puree and turns it into an easy, cheap, and tasty meal that will w ... More >>

Meat Pies: Australian for Food

Photo by Flickr user Mr & Mrs Stickyfingers​A couple of years ago, I went to a Christmas party in New York City. It wasn't a dinner party, but more of a "stand around and chat while you swirl wine in a glass and look fancy" kind of deal. I prefer sitting, preferably with my legs up and a bowl ... More >>

Order Up: Beachside Grill

​With the Holidays right around the corner, it seemed like an appropriate time to review Beachside Grill, a retro bar and restaurant in Lauderdale by the Sea thats specialty is Sunday gravy. Beachside's version is chock full of tender pork and Italian sausage, and while it's hard to take it over y ... More >>

Dish Deconstructed: Baked Halibut

John Linn​This delicate fish is so simple, even the most inexperienced cooks can make it. Start with inch-thick fillets of the fleshy white fish -- fresh is best, though even the frozen packages available at Publix are of decent quality. Just be sure to defrost properly by placing the fillets in t ... More >>

Dish Deconstructed: Brined Pork Roast

Photo by flickr user su-lin.​I made this pork loin last week while staying with my fiancee's family in cold, western Colorado. I wanted to cook something that would feel special, so I bought a six-pound pork loin that still had a nice layer of fat attached to the top and decided to brine it. The r ... More >>

Purge the Bird and Braise Yourself Some Short Ribs

Photo by Flickr user Dave Lifson​I love me some good poultry. I've basked in the glory of wings, become reverent in the presence of a well-cooked turkey, waxed lyrical about Thanksgiving leftovers. But it's right about this time every year that I find out I have a poultry limit. It's time to flush ... More >>

Saving Thanksgiving, One Pumpkin Bread at a Time

Matthew HorbundThis moist pumpkin bread can offset any dried-out turkey.​By Dori Zinn Thanksgiving, in all of its food-coma glory, comes but once a year. And for eating my Aunt's dried out, overcooked, over-prepared turkey, once a year is entirely too much. Some family members suck it up and eat ... More >>

Even Fast-Food Giants Know: It's Not Hard to Make an Awesome Wing

Photo by Flickr user sokolokophoto​I hate chain restaurants, and they seem to be multiplying. Every time I turn around, there's another squatting smugly across the parking lot from Best Buy or snuggled into the corner of a mall, waiting for trans-fat-hungry customers to order some sort of deep-fri ... More >>

Dish Deconstructed: Matteo's Linguine Frutti di Maré

Bill Citara​Matteo's is the kind of upscale Italian-American restaurant that's as common as Botoxed foreheads and lipo-ed thighs in its tony Boca Raton neighborhood. The menu doesn't plow any new culinary ground, but what it does it does pretty well, and one dish it does really well is the classic ... More >>

Shepherd's Pie: Meaty Perfection in a Pan, or, Proof that the English Really Can Cook

Photo by Flickr user mitchenall​For a time, when I was a lad growing up in New York, I went to an obnoxiously upscale grade school called St. Bernard's (pronounced with Connecticut lockjaw of course, as in BERnerd's, not BerNARD'S). I still have a copy of the school's Christmas card from when I wa ... More >>

Stealing From the Restaurant: Canyon's Stuffed Poblano

​Find me someone who doesn't like fried cheese and I'll show you an awful, unpatriotic, humorless, demon spawn who shouldn't be drawing breath. That or I'll show you someone who is lactose-intolerant (just a step above humorless demon spawn, in case you're keeping track). Lactose intolerance is no ... More >>

Stealing From the Restaurant: Tuna Burger with Teriyaki Aioli

Bill Citara​When John Montagu, First Lord of the Admiralty and avowed Satanist (!), asked his valet to slap a hunk of meat between two slices of bread in 1762, the Fourth Earl of Sandwich could hardly have known that almost 250 years later a restaurant in Boca Raton would nestle a juicy slab of gr ... More >>

Improvising With Leftovers - Bok Choy Quiche

John LinnQuiche in a skillet - now that's an interesting idea.​One thing I can't stand is having extra ingredients go bad in my fridge. Last week, I was in Oriental Square, a Chinese Market in my neck of the woods that has amazing deals on produce. I buy all types of fresh vegetables and herbs the ... More >>

Stealing from the Restaurant: Anthony's Meatball and Ricotta Pizza

I'm a sucker for Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza's meatball and ricotta pie. The combination of the thin, crisp, slightly charred, and bubbled crust with a simple tomato sauce, a little mozzarella, tiny meatballs, and blobs of rich ricotta is hard to resist when the urge for takeout pizza strikes.  ... More >>

Putting a Chef Through Misery for One Great Meatloaf

Photo by Flickr user mooshee85​My sister had a business partner in her restaurant for a number of years, who, to protect his identity, I'll call him Tattoo. He was a vegetarian -- I know, I know, but you can't argue with crazy. Tattoo didn't just avoid eating meat, he was grossed out by it. Not ... More >>

Skip the Smoker; Pulled Pork Just takes Patience -- and Red Stripe

Photo by Flickr user Another Pint Please... As a young man, the subtleties of pulled pork were lost on me. Technique, patience, care: pointless wastes of time to my still immature, I-want-it-fast mind. "Grab the pork," I thought, "and pull it. It's not rocket science."With maturity, though, cam ... More >>

A Burger Goes to Spain

Clean Plate Charlie is obsessed with burgers. Hey, it's better than sneaking out of the governor's mansion to rub the bacon with former Argentine TV reporters or performing unnatural acts on small farm animals.   Charlie's burger fetish plays itself out by coming up with patties that chann ... More >>

Stealing From the Restaurant: Pork-Stuffed Shrimp at Home

Clean Plate Charlie had this really cool idea. Take one of your favorite dishes from one of your favorite restaurants and, applying a little time, a few tablespoons of culinary knowledge, and a willingness to eat the inevitable mistakes, attempt to re-create it at home.Since Charlie absolutely adore ... More >>

Cucina Verite: La Grande Bouffe

Andrea Ferreol and Philippe Noiret devour each otherI had to skip last week's Cucina Verite because it took me a full 10 days to get through the entirety of Marco Ferreri's La Grande Bouffe, and frankly, I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about it. When the film was first shown at Cannes in 1973 ... More >>

Cucina Verite: Mostly Martha

Too many cooks make one lovely soupI love to serve them roasted.It gives them a more robust taste.A wonderful side dish would be ravioli with boletus --truffles with wild mushroomsor chanterellesdepending on the season.But you need a good pigeon.It must be meaty or it'll dry out.You could also cook ... More >>

First Bites: What's Your Favorite Mom Dish?

Most of us have at least one or two "fond memories" (which may be code for: burned into the brain traumas) of Mother in the kitchen -- whether she was a gourmet cook or a baked-beans-in-a-can afficionado.  My own mom was no great whiz at the stove. We ate a lot of canned weenies and beanies dur ... More >>

Post-Easter Regression: The Triple-Pork Sandwich. With Peeps.

Peeps' Last Meal My friend Peggy Jean was in town over the Easter holidays. Peggy Jean is a real Southern cook, which means that just about everything she makes calls for many pounds of butter, cartons of heavy whipping cream, half and half, bacon fat, salt, and variations on the theme of sugar (tur ... More >>

Post Holiday Depression Diet

If you're like me after the holidays, a person who routinely has trouble pushing herself away from the table**, you're feeling fat and broke. So I looked up some traditional Depression Era recipes, hearkening back to the days when everybody was skinny because they ate so much cabbage, noodles, beans ... More >>

Bakin' & Boozin': Karen's Cranberry Loaf, etc.

One of my favorite holiday breads comes from my friend Karen Horan in Key West -- handed down from her grandmother. She finally took pity on me and gave me the recipe last year; I guess she got sick of having to bake me a loaf every time I came to visit. This bread is insanely addictive because of t ... More >>

Good Things in Personalized Packages: Mason Jar Pies

Homebrew: Sue's Brazilian Fish Stew