Floridian Foods

 Florida has been in our thoughts and prayers lately. It is  a beautiful state , rich with scenry, sunshine and culture. It also had a wide array of different dishes that are worth trying.They can be Cuban influenced or made with the states's citrus crops.

One of the most popular dishesin the Miami area is the Cuban sandwich. This is a hearty hero type of sandwich that has layers of hot roast pork, ham, pickles, Swiss cheese and pickles.It's served on thick Cuban bread and hasn;t changed since it was first introduced to the state in the early Twentieth Century, Miamians also snack on chicharrones, deep fried pork belly rings  They're fried in their own fat like bacon and spiced. Croquetas or ham croquettes are another popular Floridian dish, reflective of the heavy Cuban influences. These are a tasty mix of minced ham and onion, bonded together by eggs  and then rolled in cracker meal These are then deep fried and can be eaten plain or with sauces. Of course fish are eaten on this peninsula. Fish lovers enjoy broiled flounder, pompano or snapper along with grouper. There are also  stome crabs and pink shrimp to try too. Do Floridians eat gator? Yes!! The tail is

usually deep fried and tastes like chicken nuggets. Restaurants feature it as an appetizer along side wings and crab cakes.

The state has always been known for its' citrus, The Spanish brought the fruits over in the 1490's when they first  colonized the Caribbean. There have been orange groves since the mid 1800's and Floridians and visitors have been enjoying fresh juice ever since. Lemons have been grown there  for commercial use since th e late 1800's. Grapefruit is another citrus fruit that the state produces and it originates from the Indian River area in Melbourne Florida near the Atlantic Coast. They're shipped everywhere from the United Kingdom to South Korea.The warm climate and sunny days are also perfect for growing limes and even homeownrrs have a tree or two in their backyards. This brings about the state's most popular and delicious dessert Key LIme pie.it was first made in Key West. home of Ernest Hemingway in the 1890's. the main ingredient was coindensed milk which people fo the time used since fresh milk was so scarce. Most long time Floridian families have their version of this  but it's mostyl an eggless custard zinged up with the juice of eight to ten limes.

Our hearts and prayers are with Floridians right now as they try to rebuild after Hurricane Ian. See the state as a great culinary one. It's full of interesting dishes and flavors.

Laissez Le Bon Temp Roulez!!1

Today is Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday a  day of complete celebration and sybaritic revelry before the austerity of Lent. The town that invented it  was New Orleans and with it came a wide parade of delicious foods.These are a blend of sweet and savory  but all united in tremendous flavor.

One of the most famous is the King Cake, This came from Quebec to the Crescent City through French Canadian explorer Pierre le Moyne D'iberville.It is a sweet, yeasty buttery treat, first served at Epiphany December 6th  through Twelvth Night up to Mardi Gras. A trinket , usually a toy baby doll , is placed inside it. This toy, represents the baby Jesus and is considered lucky to find  with the finder  being declared king or queen of that party.The icing is symbolic too, the purple means justice, green is faith while gold is power. Wash it down with two famous drinks of the season, the Hurricane or the Vieux Carre, named for the famed New Orleans hotel. The first is a wild mix of light and dark rum mixed with orange and passionfruit juice with a touch of grenadine.The second is a rye whiskey and cognac cocktail.These can also be great washing down  spicy andouille sausage and dirty rice or super crispy southern fried chicken with a Cajun spice batter. Another must have is cheesy grits. These are grits mixed with scallions and cheddar made creamier with eggs and butter. Depending on where you are gator is sometimes on the menu. The meat from those snappy creatures can be made into fritters to be served with a remoulade,a fiery and easy to make mayo and mustard mix.

Mardi Gras goers may go wild over the many beads they collect but they equally go crazy over jambalaya. Shrimp and sausage are the anchor ingredients of this classic stew but there  also the Cajun holy trinity of onions, celery and bell peppers added for color and flavor.Tomatoes and garlic are included for more taste along with dried thyme and bay leaves.Long grained rice is also served with it to sop up this wonderful stew. NOLA kitchens are redolent with the smell of gumbo during Carnival time as well. This is a heavy stew of shellfish and tomatoes , sometimes thickened with okra Okra is call gumbo too, depending on where you are in southern Louisiana. The dish is usually seafood but it can sometimes be made with chicken, duck or beef and even squirrel and rabbit on the city's outskirts.Andouille sausage is also added to either to give it a piquancy .Of course the Cajun holy trinity is added too along with sassafras for color. Vegans can enjoy gumbo z'herbes, usually cooked for Lent , that is chock full  of turnips, mustard greens and spinach. The day ends with King Cake or the classic beignets. These are fried puffs of heaven made with flour, eggs and milk. Yeast gives them their airiness  and their golden brown coloring comes from a fry in vegetable oil. They are heavily dusted with confectioners sugar and served with New Orleans style coffee, a blend of rich dark coffee blended with chickery and boiled milk.

Laissez le bon temp roulez. Let the good times roll during this festive time. It is celebrated with good food ,good drink and a night of endless good revelry!