Why Mal Carne Is Not Blogging
Mal and legendary mixologist Francesco LaFranconi making a Hibiscus Kiss.
Tampa Bay Food And Wine Fest: LIVE BLOG!!!!!
It’s rather strange. Stumbling through sugar sand, ankles throbbing from use not intended for humans, the mist from a large fan blowing in my face, and the smell of 500 wines and liquers eminating the Florida air.
It’s now been 4 hours since the start. The start of a bewildering drinking and eating fest. I believe Ron Jeremy just walked by, but I acn’t see past ny booze goggles. Could the wooly hedgehog really be here? Why? Why we would he grace his large member upon our graces?
That was definately JAG. You know. The guy who got kicked off Next Food Network Star for lying. Hmmmm, that seems to be a trend in St Pete.
Suddenly, silence deafens the bosterous crowd. Robert Mondavi has died. We raise a glass in honor.
Welcome. Welcome to the Tampa Bay Food & Wine Festival. If none of this makes sense, I bare no responsiblity. Mal is already hammered and I am but two sheets left to the wind. I’ll not edit, spell check or correct in any way. This is real baby. Real.
Mediterranean Inspired Chicken Kebabs, Good For Apps or Entrees
Stemming from our love of Greek, Mal created this recipe using traditional Greek flavors with a Provincial twist. It’s so good, eating one is not an option.
(Jeff, you’re right. It does look like a crucifiction.)
One thing not so commonly known about the Tampa Bay area is our Greek culture.
Just over a 2 mile bridge sits Tarpon Springs, a little Greek oasis. Authentic Greek foods are scattered through out by 5th and 6th generation Greek families. Baklava, Gyros, Souvlaki, Mousaka, and my favorite Dolmades, can be found in every restaurant.
Greek food migrated its way over to Tampa during the Cigar boom in the early 1920’s. Immigrants found solid work in a similar climate and founded a new beginning.
OMG! We Made The Cover!
The stars must have been aligned, because we got the cover of the Trib!
Any columnist knows how exciting your first cover is. It would be comparable to your first record release or your first signed food show (Anyone? We’re cheap?). We published five great recipes. One was cut for space, but don’t worry we will include it.
An Inexpensive and Super Thoughtful Mother’s Day Feast
This dish was actually one of the first things Mal ever made for me, beach picnic and all. At first I was like, “Oh, god bean salad. Gag” and then I tasted it.
OMG! The brightness of the lemons and the sharp, fresh oregano paired with the tartness of the beans. Then topping it all with Ciabatta (which he also made), razor thin slices of proscuitto and the creamy, fresh mozzarella cheese. I truly fell in love and I guess he did too.
Originally published in The Tampa Tribune/ Flavor May 7, 2008
Make Her Feel Special, Put Mother’s Day In The Basket
“Quick! Everyone PANIC! Mother’s Day is this Sunday!
Pizza Bones For The Kids
There’s been a lot of food bloggers posting pictures of their children, lately. I want to play too (!), but I am a childless woman or so the government would consider me.
I disagree.
I have six gorgeous furry babies, whom I love as if I bore myself.
What happened to radishes?
I’ve been pondering radishes, of late.
As a kid, I had radishes a few times in salads, and remember absolutely hating them. They were simply little disks of crunchy vegetables that burned. They were peppery to my young taste buds - I simply would not, could not eat them.
Fast forward a few years to culinary school, (and subsequent learning years in old school, what-passed-for-fine-dining-in-1988-Tampa kitchens) and I was making radish roses. More radish roses than should ever be unleashed on the face of the earth - adorning countless country club-crappy buffet tables and crudite platters. They were vibrant red and white, they added color to polish the turd that was the food that they were disguising, they were cheap. I never tasted a single one. Those childhood memories of spicy disgust were just too strong in my mind.
Fast forward another 10 years and I was in a taqueria, contemplating a plate of barbacoa, garnished with the ubiquitous lime and… some radish slices. What the hell? Give them a try. They were crisp, cool, but rather non-descript in anything other than texture. They were OK, I could eat them, but I certainly wouldn’t put them on top of my “favorite things that come out of the ground” list.
Reminder: Good Food Doesn’t Have To Be Hard
One of my favorite things in the whole world is breakfast, which is really odd because I am not a big egg fan.
Welcome To Crazy Town
They’re okay, but I can only eat a small amount at a time before getting grossed out by the fact I am eating an unfertilized embryo.
I’m good with egg whites, but the yolk and I don’t always get along. Will you see me scarfing down a plate of Eggs Benedict ladened with Hollandaise and poached eggs? Yes. That’s because I pretend I am not eating eggs.
I know, we have passed the crazy town exit a long time back, but its what I have to do to enjoy what most of you take for granted and no one else is affected by my craziness, so what’s the big deal.
Back to Breakfast
Hmmmmmm….Snnnaaappppeerrrrrr
It’s Wednesday! You know what that means. Our Tampa Tribune column is out for your reading pleasure.
This week we tackled sustainable Florida fish. Mal came up with an amazingly delicious recipe for pan seared Yellowtail Snapper with a herb salad and grapefruit with white truffle vinaigrette. Sounds super complicated but it is not at all.
If you can’t find Yellowtail in your area, any mild, firm fish will do the trick. Farm raised Red Snapper anyone?
Ah..balon… even I can’t use a pun this bad.
Yesterday, while we were buying grouper for TUE’s (The Urban Eater) sandwich, there was an air of excitement in the fish market.
“Have you seen this? We’ve got ABALONE!”
