Beer of the Week: Lindemans Pêche Lambic

A friend stopped by for dinner recently with a bottle of Lindemans Pêche Lambic. He had to leave before dessert, and not being a fan of fruit-flavored beers, I have to admit I was glad I didn’t have to open the bottle he brought. Now that I have, Jim, sorry…

Cheap Wines That Don’t Suck Thanksgiving Edition

Cheap Wines That Don’t Suck (for Thanksgiving) There’s nothing like a holiday to bring the latent suckitude in everyone and everything. Sucky relatives, sucky jobs, sucky airports, sucky traffic, sucky food, sucky weather, sucky expectations. . . it’s a sucky world, and we’re just living in it.  But even if…

Saving Thanksgiving, One Pumpkin Bread at a Time

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 it anyway, hoping to numb their taste buds by drowning…

Beer of the Week: Bell’s Amber Ale

Unrepentant beer drinkers, rejoice! Each week, Clean Plate Charlie will select one craft or import beer and give you the lowdown on it: How does it taste? What should you drink it with? Where can you find it? But mostly, it’s all about the love of the brew. If you…

Thanksgiving Recipe Roundup

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, kiddies. Are you ready? There’s a lot to prep for, from getting that Big Bird defrosted to queuing up your side dishes. Not to mention making sure you’re caught up enough at work to take two weekdays off (ack!). If you’re still undecided on…

Dish Deconstructed: Sauteed Broccoli with Garlic

Pictured: Wok-sauteed broccoli with garlic and chili. Prep: Clean and trim broccoli into inch-wide pieces. Steam using steamer basket for about 5-6 minutes, or until broccoli becomes bright green and flesh softens slightly. Immediately shock in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking and preserve color. Drain. Dice…

Florida Doesn’t Have a Top 50 Craft Brewer

At least not according to the Brewers Association, the organization that advocates for the craft brewing industry. Out of the top 50 craft brewers in the country, Florida isn’t represented by one. In fact, Florida is among the states with the fewest number of breweries per capita with one per…

Beer of the Week: Avery Salvation

Unrepentant beer drinkers, rejoice! Each week, Clean Plate Charlie will select one craft or import beer and give you the lowdown on it: How does it taste? What should you drink it with? Where can you find it? But mostly, it’s all about the love of the brew. If you…

Dish Deconstructed: Lobster Risotto

Pictured: Lobster risotto with asparagus tips. Lobster: Poach two whole Florida lobsters in water along with celery, onion, carrot, and lemon. Once lobsters turn red (about 15 minutes), remove and extract tail meat. Add shells back into pot and allow to steep for 45 minutes. Strain and reserve stock.Asparagus: Blanch…

Recipe: Park Avenue BBQ and Grill’s Sweet Corn Fritters

My favorite thing at Park Avenue BBQ and Grill is not barbecue at all — it’s the sweet, deep fried corn fritters ordered a la carte from the menu. Unlike hush puppies or typical corn fritters, Park Avenue’s version are cakey and moist and totally absent of rough, corn meal…

Beer of the Week: Delirium Nocturnum

Unrepentant beer drinkers, rejoice! Each week, Clean Plate Charlie will select one craft or import beer and give you the lowdown on it: How does it taste? What should you drink it with? Where can you find it? But mostly, it’s all about the love of the brew. If you…

Dish Deconstructed: Steak and Egg Burger

Pictured: Steak and egg burger on a croissant.Burger: One pound of sirloin steak, fat left on. Chop into one-inch cubes. Place in food processor. Pulse 15-18 times or until coarsely chopped and not too fine. Gently form into four equal patties.Sear: Place iron skillet in oven and preheat to 400…

Beer of the Week: Sierra Nevada Anniversary Ale

Unrepentant beer drinkers, rejoice! Each week, Clean Plate Charlie will select one craft or import beer and give you the lowdown on it: How does it taste? What should you drink it with? Where can you find it? But mostly, it’s all about the love of the brew. If you…

Dish Deconstructed: Matteo’s Linguine Frutti di Maré

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 linguine…

Group Slaughter Is Group Therapy for Some Carnivores

One of the arguments for vegetarianism often comes in the form of a challenge. It goes something like, “If you are able to slaughter an animal yourself, you can feel justified being a meat eater.” Little did vegetarians know that carnivores across America would take that challenge so seriously.One of…

Dish Deconstructed: Chinese Pork Ribs

Pictured: Chinese-style grilled baby back ribs.Marinate: Whole rack of baby back ribs. Hoisin sauce. Minced Garlic. Rice wine vinegar. Cilantro. Black Pepper.Grill: Low heat, membrane side down. Cover. Flip once. Cover. Flip again. Baste with marinade. High heat, finish. Slice. Top with additional cilantro. Enjoy…

Weekend Food and Booze Events

• Remember the pie-eating contest scene from the ’80s classic Stand By Me? Now picture that, but with raw fish. (I’ll give you a moment to compose yourself.)All better? Good. Because you’ll need your strength for Sushi Jo’s second annual sushi-eating contest, going down on Saturday at 5080 PGA Blvd.,…

Beer of the Week: Abita Turbodog

Unrepentant beer drinkers, rejoice! Each week, Clean Plate Charlie will select one craft or import beer and give you the lowdown on it: How does it taste? What should you drink it with? Where can you find it? But mostly, it’s all about the love of the brew. If you…

Dish Deconstructed: Winter Salad

Pictured: Winter seasonal salad with mixed greens, sliced pears, spiced pecans, dried cranberries, roma tomato, and Gorgonzola cheese. Serve with roasted apple vinaigrette.Roasted apple vinaigrette: Sliced apples. Roast. Pulse. Olive Oil. Salt. Pepper. Dijon mustard. Champagne vinegar.Enjoy.  …