Tea Time at Blush Tea & Coffee in St. Petersburg, FL

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• February 28, 2025 Fortu’s Refined Pan-Asian Cuisine is Unique and Delectable

  I originally reviewed Fortu in their second month of operation in January 2024. Since then, about 90% of the original offerings in my review have left the building, and were replaced with even better items. Fortu was excellent then, and is even better now. In the little over a year that Fortu has been open they have become one of the most popular restaurants in St. Pete. First, a little background. The name Fortu is a made-up word that pays homage to fortune and Asian culture. The restaurant is located in the former location of Ceviche, attached to the Ponce De Leon Hotel, which was constructed in the 1920s. It’s old, and it looked old when Ceviche was there. Walking in there now, you would never know it. The design and renovation team did a spectacular job of transforming the place into a modern Asian eatery. The service was top notch, and of note was my first inquiry. Roku Gin is an excellent Japanese gin, and Suntory, it’s maker, suggests to have it as a gin & tonic with a fresh ginger matchstick as the garnish. This is not how the drink is usually served, but by special request, I was accommodated. A couple examples of the fine-dining level of service provided at Fortu – when asked for a straw for a tall glass drink, or a serving spoon for a shared plate, they were delivered on a platter, on a cloth napkin – whenever any crumbs or condensation soiled the table, they were immediately cleaned in between each dish. Lori started her night with a wonderful drink named Seaside in Osaka. It has Beefeater 24 Gin, Kleos Mastiha, cucumber, and lemongrass. It is light and refreshing with just a hint of sweetness. It’s not only a great drink, but has a quite interesting ingredient. Mastiha (mas-tee-hah) is a resin secreted from the skinos tree, found only in Chios, Greece. It is one of the most ancient superfoods known for its healing properties, used as a health and beauty supplement, and as a culinary spice. It is found on only one island in the world. You can learn more about it here. We started our night with the Japanese A5 Strip Steak as it comes as an appetizer portion. This is one of the most luxurious steaks you can have. It has a balance of sweetness and umami, with a rich, meaty flavor. It is tender and juicy, with a delicate melt-in-your-mouth quality. The accompaniments here are fermented egg yolk, black garlic sauce, truffle butter, and Cabernet salt. We enjoyed the steak with no additions, but tried them all as well. Lori’s favorite was the fermented egg yolk, and my two were the black garlic sauce and the Cabernet salt. The menu doesn’t mention it, but the A5 strip is sourced from Japan’s northernmost island of Hokkaido. Lots of great Japanese foods come from there. Some of our other favorites are Hokkaido scallops, salmon, salmon roe, and tuna. The above photo shows a hunk of the short loin primal before the chef cuts our steak. Just look at that marbling. After jumping to the steak section, now we will go in order of the menu. FOR THE TABLE Our three items from the “For the Table” section were all culinary masterpieces. Mille Feuille literally means “a thousand sheets”, and I could eat the Crispy Potato Mille Feuille 1,000 times. The potatoes are sliced paper-thin, salted, buttered, par-baked and then compressed with heavy weights for a day. They are pan-fried to finish with a crispy outside, and soft, buttery middle. Paring with the black truffle aioli completes the flavor-bomb and provides a nice creamy texture contrast with the crunchy outer layer of the potatoes. The chopped chives and finely grated cheese complete this gustatory pleasure. I’m frequently let down when I order gyoza. Not this time. Fortu’s is different as it is Wagyu beef instead of the usual pork, but it is on the same delightfully delicious level. I like the unique wrapping and the perfect char. The Spicy Pork Wonton with chili garlic crisp is craveable from the first bite. I could eat this every day. The wrappers are chewy and silky at the same time with the perfect amount of pork filling that is flawlessly seasoned. When we finished, I so badly wanted to pick up the bowl and drink the rest of the sauce. The spice level is approachable for most people. RAW BAR From the Raw Bar section of the menu we ordered the King Salmon Hand Roll with Togarashi and Sesame Seeds, and the Hamachi Crudo with white ponzu, chili oil. We thought both of these were good, but a little light on flavor and not something memorable. SIGNATURE DISHES We had four of the five signature dishes and they were all perfect. I love that Fortu added Orange Chicken to the menu. It’s a classic Chinese-American takeout item that is super popular, but I’ve never seen it offered on a fine dining level. What fun! The flavor and crunch was just right without having too much gloopy-gloppy-stickiness that you often find with takeout. The scallops were buttery with a flavorful sesame cream. The choy saum, which is a mustard green was cooked where it was crisp, but not hard. The XO sauce completed the dish nicely. The Wagyu Ribeye with shiso chimichurri was impeccable. It had a hard sear with a perfect medium-rare cook on the inside. It was juicy and packed with meaty flavor. Miso Black Cod. Michelin Star Chef Nobu Matsuhisa created this dish and introduced it to diners in the 1980s at his Beverly Hills restaurant Matsuhisa. Fortu executed it quite nicely. It is served on a houba leaf from the Japanese magnolia. It comes with pickles of daikon radish, eggplant and cucumber. Side Note: Black Cod is actually just a nickname, as the fish isn’t cod at all. It is Sablefish and comes from the Pacific Ocean. Actual cod comes […]

• February 11, 2025 Tchotchke is an Oasis of Great Fresh Food on the South Side

  Unfortunately, the South Side of St. Pete has the most limited food choices of any part of town. I went to Tchotchke when they first opened about a year ago, and decided I would give them time to get things worked out. They are located diagonally across from Mullet’s Fish Camp, so if you are a frequent flier there, you might want to give Tchotchke a shot next time you’re in the neighborhood. They are just under a three mile drive, or seven minutes from downtown St. Pete. They have hearty and delicious breakfast, lunch and brunch items from 7:00 am to 3 pm seven days a week. They close at 3 and reopen at 5 pm for dinner every day except Tuesday and Wednesday. Their food offerings are a mix of traditional and traditional with their own unique twist. They have beer, wine, and cocktails as well. It is a totally scratch kitchen. Nothing comes out of a jar or can, and after four visits in three weeks I can tell you that it is true here. Our first visit was for lunch where I ordered the Reuben sandwich and Lori ordered the Smash Burger. On a recent trip to Chicago, where we had a ton (almost literally it seemed) of great food, I also had the worst Reuben sandwich of my life. Thankfully, Tchotchke’s Reuben (spelled “Ruben” on their menu) helped me get over the trauma of the Chicago sandwich. Tchotchke’s Reuben is perfect. It is everything a Reuben sandwich should be. If I ever do a top 10 list for Reuben’s, this would be on it. The ratio of all the ingredients are just right. Some places pile on so much meat that you can’t taste the other ingredients. The cheese is perfectly melted. The meat is juicy and flavorful. The sourness of the sauerkraut balances out the salty meat and cheese, and the tang of the Russian dressing pulls it all together. The rye bread is fresh and flavorful with good texture and is not overloaded with caraway seeds. The accompanying fries were quite good as well. The Smash Burger that I had almost a year ago was what had me not coming back. The one that Lori had was actually quite moist and tasty, and the bun was much better than their original choice. Here is a copy / paste from my “Best Burgers in St. Pete” article about “Smash Burgers”. <–start copy / paste–> “The original smashburger is 2.5 – 3 oz of meat. It is rolled into a meatball and then smashed flat with a metal press. It is smashed so flat that it is thin enough to get very crispy edges and is about a quarter of an inch thick or less. Then, there is the restaurant chain with the name Smashburger. They DO smash their burgers, and they do get caramelized, but their “Classic Smashburger” is 5 ounces of meat and looks like they are about a half inch thick instead of a quarter inch or less. There are several restaurants in St. Pete that offer a “Smash Burger” that do not fit the traditional definition. They are all larger and less smashed without crispy edges.” <–end copy / paste–> Tchotchke’s Smash Burger has two 4 oz patties topped with yum yum sauce, black pepper American white cheddar, shredded lettuce, and house made pickle. Here’s a better look at the ingredients with the burger cut in half. Tomato added by Lori. This is a really good burger that will satisfy your burger craving. The pickle is definitely housemade too as it has a unique flavor. Our only criticism is that the meat could have used more seasoning, but we often eat highly seasoned food. It likely won’t be an issue for most people. For our next visit, we went for breakfast, which was also quite satisfying. I had the “Traditional Beni” and Lori ordered 2 Eggs Your Way – in this case, two eggs over easy, home fried potatoes, sour dough toast – plus an added sausage link. This is a pretty straight forward breakfast – the eggs, toast were good, the home fries great, and the sausage was the most interesting. We liked it. It’s not the typical American breakfast sausage. It is actually an English banger that they purchase and then smoke in-house. It was quite delightful. I ordered the “Traditional” Beni – traditional because it comes with ham (not Canadian bacon, which is pretty much ham anyway) along with the poached eggs and hollandaise sauce. Not traditional because there is a biscuit instead of an English muffin. All of the eggs Benedicts come with a biscuit to put Tchotchke’s unique twist on this popular brunch item. The biscuit is good. However, it makes this dish difficult to eat as it falls over making it hard to get the perfect bite – all components on the fork and into your mouth at once. The biscuit is about three times the height of an English muffin half and placed with the flat side up to hold the other ingredients. This has the rounded side down making it quite unstable. A good solution would be to cut the rounded part of the top off. All of the flavors were there though, and I liked the thinner ham that gets a bit crispy whereas Canadian bacon doesn’t. Here’s our second lunch visit. The “Ah Yes, Cuban B” Cuban sandwich looked great, was constructed perfectly and pressed just right. It had good texture between the bread, meat and cheese. Unfortunately, the house-made pickle stole the show in a bad way. There was no contrasting tartness from a dill pickle. Is this a sweet pickle? It tasted like cinnamon and covered up everything else. It overrode the wonderful salty porkiness that you should get, and I’m not sure if the mustard was present either. It IS a good sandwich that eats well, but it fails the Cuban taste test because of a pickle […]

• February 11, 2025 Best Wings in St. Petersburg FL 2025

  There are a TON of places offering chicken wings in St. Pete, and this year our list has 15. They are not ranked, but are listed in random order. First, A Little “Wingstory” I’ve been bingeing on food history, and gorging myself on culinary education for the past several years, and the more I learn and experience, the more I find out about disagreements and controversy everywhere. Should you use the water pan or not in your Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker? Chili with or without beans? What’s the best pizza dough recipe? In this case, it’s about who invented Buffalo wings. If you couldn’t care less, then just skip down to the list like half of the readers already did. (By the way, it’s not a ranking. They are listed in random order.) If you like a good food story, then keep reading. Buffalo wings were invented in 1964 in Buffalo, New York. The Anchor Bar claims to have invented them. Some feel this is dubious because the bar specialized in Italian food. Also, three different people, two of them owners and one an employee, all have a different story of how they originated. Even the husband and wife original owners can’t agree. The most popular story is that their son’s friends stopped in late one night with the drunk-munchies, and didn’t want the regular Italian fare, and asked for something off the menu. Mom, Teressa Bellissimo, thought about the “useless” chicken wings order that they received by accident that day, and decided to discard the tip, and separate the drumettes, and flats, fry them up, and then toss in Frank’s Red Hot Sauce and butter. Ta-Da! Buffalo Wings are spontaneously invented!  To this day they have a sign saying “Home of the Original Buffalo Chicken Wings”. Another story goes that John Young, an African-American, actually invented Buffalo wings before the Anchor Bar. Back then the chicken wing was considered a throwaway part of the chicken, and they also were only sold as a full wing that included the drumette, the flat and the tip in one piece. John Young’s Wings and Things started selling chicken wings in 1963, a year before the Bellissimos claim to have invented them. SIDE NOTE ON PRICES: Hand-written notes of Young’s from 1963 show that chicken wings cost the restaurant 25¢ a pound back then. A local restaurteur tells me about prices today. “It fluctuates a lot, but it’s typically no lower than $2/lb, and lives in that range until Super Bowl, where it peaks around $3.25 lb. During the height/peak price of the pandemic they were at $4.50/lb. We took them off the menu when they hit $3.50/lb. The fluctuation is typically completely related to demand from sports bars and pizza places during football and basketball season. Come April, it starts to go down after March Madness.”   So, do we have black people’s food being appropriated by white people, albeit Italian-Americans? An argument could be made either way. John Young was selling chicken wings in Buffalo before the Bellissimos. Back then, more well-off people did not eat chicken wings. They were considered throw-away parts of the chicken, but poorer people would eat them because they were more affordable. However, Young’s were different than the Bellissimo’s in a couple of ways. The Bellissimos made them in the way we still think of Buffalo Wings today—separated flats and drumettes, and hot sauce with butter, amongst other ingredients. John Young left the wings intact, including the tip. He had his own sauce called Mambo Sauce which is completely different than Buffalo wing sauce. There’s a myriad of more details to the full story, but that’s a sum up of this story, and a warm up for our list of the best wings in St. Pete. Best Buffalo Wings & Chicken Wings in St. Pete Wings remain one of the hottest food items, literally and figuratively—proper use of the word, ‘literally’ (you’re welcome)—and St. Pete’s eateries are happy to oblige. Here are the Best Wings in St. Pete for 2025   Tchotchke 3920 6th St S St. Petersburg, FL 33705 (727) 202-8833 Tchotchke Website Tchotchke is the newest addition to our best wings list. These are wings that I could eat every week. Not only are they great chicken wings – they are great smoked wings. They are marinated for 24 hours which gets the Buffalo sauce really soaked into the skin and packed with that great Buffalo flavor without having to add extra sauce. After the 24 hour marination they are house smoked, and fried to a crispy skin. They have a great crunch and addicting flavor. The blue cheese or ranch dressing are house-made, and you can tell. Lori appreciated the fact that they just offer Buffalo flavor so she doesn’t have to wade through a long list of options when Buffalo is really the best anyway.   Mullet’s Fish Camp 3901 6th St S St. Petersburg, FL 33705 (727) 205-6313 Mullet’s Website Mullet’s Fish Camp was the first place to smoke chicken wings on the south side. They have been doing it since 2021. They have tons of local fans and they are always busy. They have huge wood-burning offset smokers that are always going to keep up with the demand for their wings. They first slow smoke them to give them a nice smokey flavor that is just the right level of smoke. If you stopped at just smoking them, you would have rubbery skin, so when an order comes in, they get a quick deep fry to heat them up and crisp the skin, and then they are tossed in a light amount of sauce. (Next time I’m going to ask for extra sauce on the side though.) Choose your style from Dry Rub, House Merman Sauce, Signature Dirté sauce, or Classic Buffalo. The Burg Bar & Grill 1752 Central Ave St. Petersburg, FL 33712 (727) 894-2874 The Burg Website From Haley: The wings at The Burg Bar & Grill are outstanding. Choose […]

• February 10, 2025 Best Mexican Restaurants in St. Petersburg FL 2025

  Must Eat Mexican Treats in St. Pete If you search this site for “Mexican”, you may notice that I do all of the Mexican restaurant reviews. Why? It’s because I love Mexican food so much that I could literally eat it every day for a week straight. (I actually have done that before.) Two and a half decades ago when I traveled all over the country in sales, I would try a different Mexican restaurant in every town—going to a new town every day. Something else I’d like to mention is that I have been to Tijuana, Mexico City, Oaxaca, Zihuatanejo, and Cancun—although I’m not sure Cancun counts. I mention my Mexico travels because it came up in the midst of discussions in our Facebook Group. I was asked if I ever went to Mexico because my iteration of “authentic” was being questioned. We learned something interesting while posting our Mexican restaurant reviews. The word “authentic” tends to trigger an avalanche of criticism and disagreement. It reminds me of the “Slowly I Turned” sketch – a popular vaudeville sketch wherein a character is relating a story and is triggered into violent outburst when the listener inadvertently utters a triggering phrase. – Wikipedia (My favorite is Abbott & Costello’s Niagara Falls.) To try to put the “authentic” issue to rest, I asked, what is authentic American food? There’s more than one style. Just look at all of the different types of barbecue for example. Just like there are different regions and styles in the US, the same goes for the United Mexican States. Our friend Robert has been traveling around Mexico for a little over two years now, and when we were talking to him about Mexican food, he said, “There’s no such thing as Mexican food. There’s Oaxacan food, Tapatío (Jalisco), Yucatan, Sonoran food, etc.” If you go to Mexico and say you are looking for authentic Mexican food, no one will know what you are talking about. It’s all REGIONAL FOOD. Most “Mexican” in the US is either Tex-Mex or Mexican-American food, and there are regional variations here too, which often cause debates to break out. Californians think they have the “best most authentic Mexican food”, but don’t tell that to a Texan because they really “know what the best Mexican food is.” Ok, on to the list! THE LIST IS IN RANDOM ORDER. Best Mexican Restaurants in St. Pete, FL for 2025 Chile Verde Authentic Mexican Food 2801 22nd Ave North St. Petersburg, Florida 33713 (727) 800-2679 Chile Verde Facebook Chile Verde has been going strong for a little over five years now. The Tacos Mexicanos are done traditional Mexican-style with just meat, chopped onions, and cilantro. That’s it. The meat is well-seasoned and the tacos are delicious. The meat choices are steak, barbacoa (bbq beef), chicken, pork, tongue, tripe, and lamb. You can see that it’s not fancy, served on a styrofoam plate, but it is tasty. They also have Tacos Americanos where you get the tomatoes, lettuce and cheese. There is a small Mexican market inside with hot sauces, canned refried beans, chiles, tortillas, corn meal, etc. Order at the counter, and the food is brought to your table.   Carmelita’s 5211 Park St North St. Petersburg, FL 33709 (727) 545-2956 Carmelita’s Website Here’s another Mexican family using their recipes from home serving up the St. Pete area for over 40-years. This one is quite traditional too. When they have Menudo on the menu, it’s a good sign. You can also tell that the salsas are made fresh every day. Carmelita’s actually has five locations: Pinellas Park, Largo, St. Petersburg, Dunedin, and New Port Richey. They are all run by separate Mexican families, but with the same menu and recipes.   VIP Mexican Restaurant & Lounge 10625 Gulf Blvd Treasure Island, FL 33706 (727) 360-5062 VIP Website VIP on Treasure Island has somewhat of a cult following. It is a unique experience, and the two most important things you need to know are: 1. Go early. 2. Get the Beef Tamale. Although the tamale doesn’t look pretty in the above photo, it is so so good! This place is so small and so good that there is always a wait. We went at 5:00 pm on a weekday during slow season and had a 40-minute wait. You can’t be shy or claustrophobic here as it is so tight, you are right on top of each other and there is no such thing as a private conversation … yet there is a wait every night … for good reason. VIP also has a location in Indian Rocks Beach now.   TacoMiendo St Pete Mexican Restaurant 4747 66th St N Kenneth City, FL 33709 (727) 498-6369 There’s nothing elegant, no fusion, or frilly plating. It’s just darn good Mexican food made and served by Mexicans. There’s Tex-Mex too as most diners expect this when they go to a “Mexican” restaurant. Don’t be surprised if your server speaks better Spanish than English. They are open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch, and dinner from 10 am to 8:30 pm. Breakfast items are available all day. I went three times for lunch, once with a friend, and the other times solo. Everything is made in-house. The Tinga empanada is shredded chicken in a tomato and chile sauce, and other ingredients. It was good, but instead of a wheat-flour based pastry shell it had a corn-based dough, which is a texture like a tamale, but fried. It’s quite tasty. On my second visit I was in the mood for a big fat burrito packed with flavor, so I went with the “Mexican Sausage”, which is what they call Chorizo on the menu. It was a fiesta in my mouth. The flour tortilla was perfectly browned on the outside, and packed with sausage, cheese, lettuce and tomato on the inside. This burrito cures all hunger ills. They have great tacos too that I’m saving for the best tacos list.   Taquitos Mexican 9617 Bay […]

• February 10, 2025 Best Taco Places in St. Petersburg FL 2025

  As I sat down to write this, the first thoughts that popped into my head were 1) Everybody loves tacos, 2) There sure are a lot of different types of tacos these days, and 3) what is the actual origin of the taco—is it really Mexican, and how close to the original are they to what we eat today? So, I Googled, “What is the origin of the taco?” There’s a bunch of stuff out there, but I liked The Smithsonian’s article the best, as it was the most interesting, and the most credible, in my opinion. Whatever you do, don’t bother with the one from Ortega. It is so stupid, stating that the very first tacos had “salsa, onions, guacamole, and lime.” I don’t think so. To sum it up, tacos were most likely invented by Mexican silver miners in the 18th century. Mexican Americans in the Southwest reinvented it, and businessman Glen Bell mass-marketed it to Anglo palates via the crunchy Taco Bell shell. (By the way, Taco Bell is crap.) The first taco meat was likely offal meat – internal organs and entrails, which aren’t that bad when a chef that knows what they’re doing prepares them. Tacos evolved naturally when Mexicans immigrated to the U.S. and two things happened. First, they had to use what was available—ground beef instead of offals. Plus, they were no longer dirt poor, and could afford better meat. The other thing that happened that is similar, is that they were influenced by the American, or Norte Americanos, as they would call us, (Mexicans considered themselves “Americans” too)—they were influenced by the American foods, which is how lettuce, tomato, and cheddar cheese found its way into the taco along with ground beef. Everyone always argues about what’s “Authentic”. It’s almost a useless word that gets overused a lot in relation to Mexican food. There’s really no such thing as one kind of authentic when describing an entire country’s food, especially Mexico. Did you know that before the Spanish came over that the only meat the natives ate was Turkey? They didn’t even use dairy, so no cheese! The Spanish introduced pork, chicken, beef, goat, and sheep – and fried in pork fat. Al Pastor actually comes from Lebanese immigrants to Mexico. So, what is “Authentic Mexican Food”? There’s no such thing. It’s all regional. Now, there are all kinds of fillings and toppings, and taquerias are continuing to be more inventive every day, which is definitely evidenced by many of our top picks below. Some of the places are sit down, full-blown Mexican restaurants, and others are hole-in-the-wall former gas stations, and everything in between. And yes, I went to all of the places and ate every one of these tacos, some of them many times over. (All photos are my own unless otherwise indicated.) Ok, on to the list! THE LIST IS IN RANDOM ORDER. Here are the Best Places to get Tacos in St. Petersburg, Florida for 2025. Grumpy Gringo 2510 22nd Ave N St Petersburg, FL 33713 (727) 851-9800 Grumpy Gringo Website Grumpy Gringo’s flavors are amazing, the service is quick and cheerful, and you must try the house-made hot sauces. The Street Taco is a corn tortilla, steak, onions, cilantro, and cilantro lime sauce. I got it just how it comes, although there are several extra items you can add. On the Cochinita Pibil (shredded pork) I added jalapeños, and cheese and had a soft flour tortilla. I ate half of each without hot sauce so I could really taste them the way they come, and then ate the remainder trying the house hot and extra hot sauces. They are both excellent. Just be careful with the extra hot. Lori felt the hot was already extra hot, and couldn’t imagine what the extra hot would be like…and didn’t want to. If you like it really hot, you’ll love it. All of the meats at The Grumpy Gringo are well seasoned, fresh, moist and juicy. The tacos without hot sauce taste fantastic, and with hot sauce they are excellent as well. Lori tagged along on the second visit and got two tacos—Carne Asada, and Barbacoa. She said they were well-seasoned, had good flavors, and nice tortillas that were better than most.   Poppo’s Taqueria 1033 Central Ave St. Petersburg, FL 33705 (727) 289-1121 Poppo’s Website Poppo’s is fantastic and unique San Francisco / Mission-style tacos. There is nothing like them around here. They have great flavors, lots of options and everything is fresh made in-house. They pressed our tortillas right in front of us. They use the highest quality, and freshest ingredients. They do not have a freezer or a can-opener in the place. The meats are super well seasoned. Lori ordered the build your own carne asada and al pastor tacos and I had the Poppo’s Taco with al pastor and the Classic Taco which comes with carnitas. Fast-Casual – order at the counter, and food is brought to your table.   El Huarache Veloz Restaurant 7100 49th St N Pinellas Park, FL 33781 (727) 525-6028 El Huarache Website El Huarache is the real deal. It’s a small place with only seven tables, and they are here to feed the blue-collar Mexican workers in the neighborhood. This is the food you would likely get if you went to someone’s house in Mexico. Aside from me, every patron was Mexican, and speaking Spanish. The menu is even in English and Spanish. They open early at 10 am, but they also close early at 8 pm (9pm on Friday and Saturday), so keep that in mind when planning your visit. As you can see from the photo, they do give you the option to gringo-ize your tacos. I had the Pollo Desebrado (shredded chicken), Al Pastor (marinated pork), and Cabeza (beef head). All tacos come with onion and cilantro. I added lettuce, tomato, and cheese. They were really loaded and the first one was going all over the place. For the second two, […]

Recipes

• December 4, 2024 Sausage, Pesto & Peperonata Flatbread Recipe

  In this recipe, we are transforming simple ingredients into an elevated flatbread that is ideal for enjoying on these cooler December evenings. All of the elements involved in this sausage, pesto & peperonata flatbread are not only complementary together, but they are equally as delicious when used in different applications. The pesto can be tossed with your favorite pasta or served alongside arancini (we actually did this for Thanksgiving this year and it was a hit). Peperonata can serve as an easy appetizer spooned onto crusty slices of bread, or as a tangy topper for sandwiches, crispy cutlets or even with a steak. You can use any type of flatbread for this recipe. On a busy weeknight when time is of the essence, I suggest grabbing a flatbread option that is already baked in the package – naan could even work well here. Rollin’ Oats Natural Food Market sells a few different variations like O’Doughs flatbread, which happens to be gluten free and vegan. If you’d rather bake a homemade or store-bought dough and have the time, I recommend going for it. This way, you can control the thickness of your flatbread. The bake time is only about ten extra minutes, if you opt for this route. The ground Italian sausage brings the the whole flatbread together with its subtle touch of savory spice. Ground Italian sausage is my preference, but if you’d rather a fully-cooked version, you can’t go wrong. Simply slice it into rounds and arrange before baking the flatbread in the oven. Sausage, Pesto & Peperonata Flatbread Recipe In this recipe, sweet and sour peperonata, pesto and sausage are combined to create an elevated take on flatbread. You don't have to make your flatbread dough from scratch in order to get the most out of this recipe – there are plenty of suitable store-bought options available. Pesto5 cups basil (5 packed cups, fresh)3/4 cup parmesan cheese (finely grated)1/2 cup pine nuts3 garlic cloves (peeled and smashed)3/4 cup olive oil1 tsp salt (plus more, to taste)1 tbsp lemon juice (from 1/2 of a small lemon (optional))Peperonata3 bell peppers (about 3 cups, mix of colors of choice, thinly sliced)1/2 cup olive oil1/2 white onion (medium in size, sliced thin)4 garlic cloves (peeled, smashed and sliced very thin)5 sprigs fresh thyme2 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegarsalt (to taste)Flatbread Assembly1 flatbread (homemade or a mix like Bob's Redmill or an already prepared flatbread of choice (naan would work great too))1 lb cooked ground sausage1/2 cup parmesan cheese (grated )basil or parsley (chopped (optional)) PestoHeat your oven to 325F and spread your pine nuts on a parchment lined baking sheet. Toast for 6 minutes. Add pine nuts and all pesto recipe ingredients, except the oil, (including lemon, if using – this will add a touch of brightness) to a food processor or high powered blender. Blend or process on high while slowly streaming in the oil until the pesto is smooth. Add more salt as needed. Set pesto aside until you're ready to assemble the flatbread.PeperonataHeat oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add in peppers, onion, garlic and thyme and cook for 6 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low to cook the mixture slowly until peppers and onions soften, about 25 minutes. Discard thyme sprigs, stir in red wine vinegar and season with salt to taste. Set aside.Flatbread AssemblyHeat oven to 400F. If using a homemade or store bought dough, roll it out onto a parchment-lined baking sheet to your desired thickness. Top with a few spoon fulls of pesto (evenly dispersed), cooked ground sausage and half of the grated parmesan. Bake for 20 minutes. If using an already baked flatbread or other bread like naan, repeat steps with pesto, sausage and parmesan and bake for only 10 minutes.Remove flatbread from the oven and increase oven heat to 425F. Top flatbread with peperonata and remaining grated parmesan. Bake for another 6-8 minutes.Carefully remove the flatbread from the oven, drizzle with more pesto and garnish with chopped basil or parsley.Slice flatbread as desired and serve. Appetizer, Dinner, Main Course, Main DishAmerican, Cajun, ItalianSausage, Pesto & Peperonata Flatbread

• November 13, 2024 Ricotta & Mushroom Stuffed Rigatoni Recipe

  The temperature here in Florida may still be quite warm, but it is in fact fall and I can’t help but shift into comfort-cooking mode. For me, that means that lots of pasta dishes and comforting soups are frequently in the dinner rotation. A few months ago, I made stuffed rigatoni for the first time and fell in love with both the process of making it and the end result. The rigatoni was filled with a mixture of ricotta, mozzarella and provolone cheese and minced mortadella and was served in a spicy tomato sauce. While enjoying this dish, a number of alternative filling possibilities entered my mind and a simple mixture of ricotta and mushroom was one of the first. I’ve been making marinara at least once (sometimes twice) per month, usually on Sundays, for at least ten years now. Over the course of these ten years, tweaks and changes have been made to the recipe and a few years ago, I landed on what works best for my taste. The ingredient list is simple, but depends heavily on quality ingredients – like premium whole peeled tomatoes, 24 month parmigiano reggiono rinds and some good red wine. Luckily, Rollin’ Oats is a mecca for premium ingredients. For the sauce, they have a few canned tomato offerings that I recommend, like Cento and also organic variations from Muir Glen and Bionature. And we all know that they have a wonderful selection of great wines to choose from and a few experts on their staff to help you make a selection. You’re only using 1/4 cup in this recipe, but I always recommend using a wine that you would drink when cooking. You could undoubtedly assemble this recipe on a weekday, however, I think it is best enjoyed on a slow Saturday or Sunday. In the recipe, I suggest cooking the sauce for at least an hour, but you can definitely allow it to simmer for up to a few hours. The smell of marinara flowing through the home is one of my favorite scents ever. You can use this sauce in many other recipes like meatballs, chicken parmesan or other pastas of course like spaghetti. Ricotta & Mushroom Stuffed Rigatoni Recipe This comforting pasta dish is comprised of rigatoni that is stuffed with a mix of creamy ricotta cheese and savory mushrooms that is then baked in a simple marinara sauce. ovensafe skillet or large dutch ovenBlender Marinara1 tbsp olive oil1/2 white onion (medium in size, roughly chopped)3 garlic cloves (peeled and crushed)1 tsp dried oregano2 tbsp tomato paste1/4 cup red wine (pick a red that you would drink)2 bay leaves1 28oz can crushed or whole peeled tomatoesparmesan rind (optional)1 tsp salt (plus more to taste)Ricotta & Mushroom Filling1 tbsp olive oiltsp tsp salt (divided)8 oz mushrooms (diced into very small pieces – shiitake, baby bella, or most any other mushroom will work)10 oz ricotta cheese1 eggRigatoni & Assembly16 oz rigatoni (you may have leftover rigatoni – save them for another use)1 tbsp olive oil1/4 cup parmesan (grated)1/4 cup fresh basil (roughly chopped or torn) Ricotta & Mushroom FillingHeat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add mushrooms and 1/2 tsp salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid from mushrooms has evaporated completely – about 10-12 minutes.Add cooked mushrooms to a bowl with ricotta, beaten egg and remaining 1 tsp salt. Allow mixture to cool in the refrigerator while you prepare the marinara.After filling has cooled for an hour, add filling to a sandwich-sized ziplock bag. Cut a very small opening into one corner of the bag (smaller than the size of the opening of the rigatoni).MarinaraHeat a dutch oven or pot that is medium in size over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp olive oil and chopped onion. Cook onion, stirring occasionally, until it softens (6-8 minutes). Season with 1/2 tsp salt.Add in crushed garlic cloves and dried oregano and cook for one minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant – about one minute. Stir in tomato paste and cook until it takes on a brick red color. Pour in wine, deglaze pan, and allow the wine to reduce for 2-3 minutes. Add bay leaves, tomatoes, parmesan rinds (if using) and another 1/2 tsp salt to the pot and stir to combine.Bring marinara to a simmer, reduce heat to medium low, and allow sauce to simmer gently for about one hour. Season with more salt as needed. After an hour, discard bay leaves and parmesan rinds and blend sauce with an immersion blender or in a high powered blender until smooth. Add sauce to a large oven-safe skillet (like cast iron) or a large dutch oven and set aside until ready to fill rigatoni.Rigatoni & AssemblyHeat oven to 350 F. Cook pasta 1-2 minutes less than package instructions (you want an al dente texture to keep the rigatoni from ripping – they will cook further in the final steps of the recipe in the oven). Strain and rinse with cold water, add to a large bowl and toss with 1 tbsp olive oil to keep the rigatoni from sticking together.One at a time, pipe filling mixture into each piece of rigatoni and arrange in a single layer in prepared skillet/dutch oven with pureed marinara until you run out of room (you want to nestle them into the sauce so they are mostly covered).Repeat with remaining pieces of rigatoni. Distribute half of grated parmesan over the stuffed rigatoni in marinara.Place skillet into the oven until cheese melts and begins to take on a light golden color- 20-25 minutes. Top with remaining grated parmesan and basil and serve immediately. Dinner, Main Course, Main DishAmerican, ItalianRicotta & Mushroom Stuffed Rigatoni

• October 16, 2024 Beef Kofta and Toum Sauce Recipe

  Elevate your appetizer game with these beef kofta skewers that are laced with irresistible spices and baked to juicy perfection. A drizzle of zesty toum sauce adds a garlicky kick, while a cucumber and tomato salad brings a refreshing crunch that complements the meat beautifully. Serve this all with some warm naan bread to round out the dish. Kofta is a popular Middle Eastern dish that is typically made from ground beef, lamb or chicken that is mixed with spices, herbs and often garlic and onion. The mixture is then formed onto skewers and usually grilled or sometimes baked. Kofta is often served with rice, flatbreads, vibrant salads and a sauce like tahini or toum. There are many different variations and it is a beloved dish across many different cultures. I like to serve kofta as an appetizer for a group and often as an entree for my husband and I. My sauce of preference with kofta is usually a homemade toum sauce. Toum sauce is a recent discovery of mine that I had while dining with friends and after one taste, I knew that I loved it and needed to recreate it. It’s a creamy and flavor-packed condiment that is made from a few simple ingredients – a head of garlic, neutral oil, lemon juice and salt. The mixture is formed in a food processor until a creamy sauce forms (similar to the consistency of yogurt). We use ground beef in this kofta variation – a very high quality organic and grass-fed ground beef that can be found at Rollin’ Oats. They have a few different options, but I prefer the Simply Balanced 90/10 selection. Quality is always of the utmost importance to me when it comes to sourcing any ingredient that I use and I can always trust Rollin’ Oats to have the absolute best. Beef Kofta with Toum Sauce Recipe Savor the spiced flavors of juicy beef kofta paired with a garlicky, creamy toum sauce that elevates this Middle Eastern dish to a whole new level. skewers Beef Kofta1 lb ground beef1/4 cup white onion (minced)2 tsp garlic (minced)1/4 cup parsley and mint (finely chopped)1 tbsp olive oil2 tsp all spice2 tsp paprika1 tsp cumin1 tsp coriander 1 tsp salt1/2 tsp cinnamon1/2 tsp black pepperToum Sauce1 cup garlic cloves (peeled)3 cups neutral oil (grape seed, sunflower, vegetable or canola)1/2 cup lemon juice2 tsps Kosher saltCucumber & Tomato Salad1 tomato (ripe, medium in size & diced)1/2 cup cucumber (diced)1/4 cup basil (finely chopped)1/2 tsp salt (plus more to taste)To Servenaan breadlemon wedges Toum SauceSlice the garlic cloves in half lengthwise and remove any green sprouts. Transfer the sliced garlic cloves into a food processor and add the kosher salt to the garlic cloves. Process for a minute until the garlic becomes finely minced. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the food processor afterwards. While the food processor is running, slowly pour one to two tablespoons of oil, then stop and scrape down the bowl. Continue adding another tablespoon or two until the garlic starts looking creamy.Once the garlic looks emulsified by the few tablespoons of oil, increase the speed of pouring the oil and alternate with the ½ cup of lemon juice until all the oil and lemon juice is incorporated. This will take about 15 minutes to complete.Transfer the sauce into a glass container and cover with a paper towel in the fridge overnight. Makes about 4 cups. The next day, replace the paper towel with an airtight lid and keep in the fridge for up to 3 months.Cucumber & Tomato SaladCombine all ingredients in a bowl, season with salt and refrigerate until the kofta is finished.KoftaIf you're using wooden skewers, soak them in water for at least 20 minutes. This will prevent burning. Combine all kofta ingredients in a medium-sized bowl with your hands until everything is mixed well. Refrigerate the mixture for 30 minutes. Heat the oven to 450F. Place a wire rack onto a baking sheet and brush it with olive oil. After the mixture has been in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, divide it into four even-sized portions. Form each portion into a snake-like shape around each skewer.Bake the kofta for 13-15 minutes or until the beef is cooked through and beginning to brown on top.To ServeServe kofta on a platter with naan, cucumber and tomato salad, toum and lemon wedges. Appetizer, Dinner, Main DishMiddle EasternKofta, Toum Sauce, Baked Kofta

• September 4, 2024 Slow Roasted Salmon with Citrus & Spicy Chili Crunch Recipe

  Low effort and high reward is the name of the game with this take on slow-roasted salmon. The slow-roasting process ensures tender and flakey salmon that melts in your mouth with each bite. The addition of citrus makes this dish quite refreshing while the chili crunch sprinkles in bold and spicy notes. Though the ingredients involved are minimal, together they are the utmost well-balanced. There isn’t a ton of produce in season right now in Florida, but citrus, including orange varietals and grapefruit are goods that you’ll find plenty of during this time of year. Marrying together the invigorating flavors in citrus with a high-quality, fatty piece of wild salmon is quite lovely. The chili crunch aids in adding some texture and the torn fresh dill (or basil) rounds out the dish. Avocado, which is also in season in September, pairs well with all of these ingredients too. If you’d like to also incorporate that, use 1/2 of a ripe avocado and slice it into thin pieces. You can certainly go the extra mile by making your own variation of chili crunch or chili crisp (trust me, it’s much easier than you may think!), but there are plenty of solid options on grocery store shelves these days. One of my favorites is from Momofuku and you can find this at Rollin’ Oats (it’s actually on sale currently). They offer a regular chili crunch, spicy and also a hot honey version. Another reputable brand at Rollin’ Oats is by Mr. Bing – they have a mild and spicy option. When it comes to selecting your salmon, I always suggest reaching for the wild caught versus the farm raised.  Rollin’ Oats doesn’t have a dedicated seafood counter; however, they offer quality frozen wild caught salmon that works great for this dish. Just make sure to safely thaw the salmon prior to roasting it. Slow Roasted Salmon with Citrus & Spicy Chili Crunch Recipe Discover a new favorite low-effort dinner with this slow-roasted salmon which is paired with vibrant bits of citrus and a spicy assist from chili crunch. 16 ounces salmon (skin on and preferably wild-caught – 1 large piece or two 8 ounce pieces are recommended)1 tsp olive oil1/2 lemon (sliced into thin rounds)1 grapefruit (peel and pith removed and cut into thin rounds and then into halves and quarters)1 orange (peel and pith removed and cut into thin rounds and then into halves and quarters)1/2 tsp salt (plus more, to taste)2 tbsp chili crunch (plus more as needed – choose your favorite brand – I love Momofoku which can be found at Rollin' Oats)dill or basil (fresh & torn into smaller pieces (garnish, optional))avocado (sliced (optional)) Heat oven to 250F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the salmon on the lined baking sheet brush with olive oil, season with salt and top with the lemon slices.Roast the salmon for an hour and remove from the oven – the salmon should be quite tender and should pull easily away from the salmon's skin in pieces. Don't worry about keeping the salmon filet in one piece – we want it to flake a bit into chunks.To plate, arrange the flaky salmon pieces with citrus and avocado (if using) on a serving platter – there is no right or wrong way to do this, so feel free to get creative with your plating. Top with 2-3 spoon-fulls of chili crunch and garnish with torn dill or basil. Season with more salt as desired. Dinner, Main Course, Main DishAmericanSlow Roasted Salmon, Slow Roasted Salmon with Citrus & Chili Crunch

• August 2, 2024 Fresh Corn Polenta with Pickled Shrimp Recipe

  Fresh Corn Polenta with Pickled Shrimp brings together the sweetness of summer corn and the tangy notes of pickled shrimp.  This recipe offers a brighter twist on traditional comfort food. This take on polenta acts as an idyllic canvas for the zesty shrimp which are pickled and marinated in a myriad of ingredients which include, but are not limited to: rice wine vinegar, citrus, crushed red pepper flakes and garlic. It’s a perfect dish for highlighting popular ingredients that are used a lot in summer cooking. Creating the fresh corn polenta could not be more simple and only requires a few ingredients that you probably already have on hand. I first made this polenta a couple of weeks ago after I picked up some corn from a farmer’s market in the area. I was told that the corn had just been harvested the day prior from a farm here in Florida. The method for making the fresh corn polenta was something that I had been wanting to experiment with. It all starts by peeling the corn and then grating it with the large holes on a boxed grater. From there, the grated corn mixture is then simmered with a couple of pats of butter and some salt until the polenta thickens a bit. This process only takes about ten minutes. The polenta is then finished with a squeeze of fresh lime. Initially, I had planned to top the fresh corn polenta with poached lobster and some chive butter (which I will be trying soon), but then I found some inspiration for pickled shrimp from a recent episode of a food-related show on television (The Lost Kitchen, for those interested). The shrimp are first poached in some water, lemon and salt. Then, they are placed in a pickling mixture in the refrigerator for a few hours (and up to 24 hours). The pickling mixture makes for tangy and flavorful shrimp that not only work well on this polenta, but also with many other things. These shrimp would work well on some toasty sourdough, tossed in a salad, nestled in some rice or simply on their own as an easy appetizer. For the shrimp, I always strive to use wild caught, but use whatever you can find. Rollin’ Oats has great quality frozen shrimp by Baywinds and Wixter Seafood. Simply thaw the shrimp and devein them with the shells on if they aren’t already deveined (this is easier to do than you think – use a wooden skewer or toothpick, poke it through the side of the shrimp in the middle towards the top and slowly thread and pull the vein out – give it a google for a tutorial). You can also use shrimp that are already peeled and deveined too, but cooking the shrimp with their shell on adds to the flavor and prevents overcooking of the shrimp. Fresh Corn Polenta with Pickled Shrimp Recipe Put summer's fresh corn to good use with this fresh corn polenta recipe. The pickled shrimp add a zesty zing when served atop the creamy polenta. glass bowl or glass Tupperware Poaching the Shrimp12 shrimp (medium to large in size – shell on, but deveined (optional, you can use peeled shrimp if you prefer))6 cups water6 cups ice1 lemon (cut in half)2 1/2 tbsp saltPickling the Shrimp3/4 cup rice wine vinegar2 tbsp sugar2 garlic cloves (peeled and smashed)1/2 tsp crushed red pepper1 dried bay leaf1/2 cup olive oilt tsp worcestershire 1 tsp salt1/2 tsp hot sauce (use your preference – I usually opt for Diamond Crystal)1/2 lemon (sliced into small wedges)1/4 cup red onion (sliced thin)Fresh Corn Polenta4 ears corn (husk and silk removed)2 tbsp butter1/2 tsp salt (plus more to taste)1/2 limeDish Assemblymicro-greens (for garnish – fresh dill would work well too (optional)) Pickling the ShrimpAdd vinegar, sugar, garlic, crushed red pepper and bay leaf to a microwave-safe bowl or glass measuring cup. Heat mixture for two minutes, stir to combine and cool completely in the refrigerator (30 minutes to an hour).When mixture is cool, stir in olive oil, worcestershire, hot sauce and salt. Then, mix in lemon wedges and sliced onions. Set aside until poached shrimp are ready.Poaching the ShrimpAdd water, juice lemon and lemon halves and salt to a medium pot and bring to a boil.Add deveined shrimp, remove pot from heat and allow shrimp to poach for 5 minutes (or until they turn pink).Add in ice and allow to sit for another 10 minutes.Remove shrimp from pot and discard water and lemon. Peel shrimp (leave tails on if desired, optional) and place into glass bowl or Tupperware for pickling.Pour prepared pickling mixture over the shrimp. Cover shrimp and place in the refrigerator for at least three hours and up to 24 hours.Fresh Corn PolentaGrate corn on the cob with the large holes of a box grater over a medium-size bowl.Heat grated corn, butter and salt over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until corn mixture thickens – about ten minutes. Taste and season with more salt as needed (polenta should now taste a bit more rich). Remove from heat and stir in juice of 1/2 lime.AssemblyTo plate, add 1/4 corn polenta mixture to each bowl, top with pickled shrimp and garnish with micro-greens or fresh dill. Appetizer, Dinner, Main DishAmericanFresh Corn Polenta, Pickled Shrimp

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