Hey there, Florida Foodie friends,
It’s me — your friend, confidant and hired goon — Thomas Mates.
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As you have likely noticed by this point, Florida Foodie is now coming at you weekly.
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So I want to know, what do you think?
Are you happy to have more Florida Foodie in your life?
Is Florida Foodie filling the void that years of wild hedonism couldn’t fill?
Can Florida Foodie play the role of surrogate parent or caretaker in your life?
I am doing this for all of you and I just want you to be happy. Well, not just happy. I want you to be reading, watching and listening to all things Florida Foodie too, but I hope that doing so makes you happy.
In any case, drop me a line and let me know what you think. Send me an email at tmates@wkmg.com. You can also leave a foodie photo on PinIt!
OK, let’s get into it.
Southern barbecue with Marine skills🎖️
Joel Dawson served with the Marine Corps for 15 years. He worked in food service the entire time, making sure troops were getting fed around the world, including in Afghanistan.
He is now retired from the Marines, but he uses the skills he learned during his service every day running his food truck, Brothers-N-Arms BBQ.
I can tell you, his food is great. He was also incredibly generous with his time and barbecue.
Dawson shares his whole story with Candace Campos and me on the latest Florida Foodie.
> You can listen to the episode here <
And you can also find every episode of Florida Foodie on YouTube, as well.
Small bites🍮
Flavors from the Bayou 🦐: I don’t know about all of you, but I love Cajun cuisine. Fortunately, you do not have to go all the way to New Orleans to get some good third-coast cooking. Here’s a list of the top-rated Cajun restaurants around Orlando. You’ll need to be an Insider to read it. Click here to sign up.
A taste of Chicago🌭: Portillo’s just announced it is opening a third Central Florida restaurant. This will be the sixth overall location in the state. Click here to find out what we know about it.
Saying goodbye☕: A Winter Park coffee shop is shuttering for good this week. Among other things, the owners cited rising rent costs for shutting down the location. Click here for all the details.
Free lunch🥪: Lunch is a crucial part of the day for children, especially when it comes to school performance. Now, one Central Florida district is offering free lunch to every student. Here’s what you need to know. Speaking of back-to-school, we are looking to send one student back to class in style. They can win a ride with Trooper Steve in Results 1. Click here to enter, but this contest is just for Insiders, so be sure to sign up.
Something to try at home 🍽️
OK, I am dipping into the archives again.
Like I said before, I have sent out dozens of these and I’m willing to bet we have some new people. So, even though this may be an old recipe, it’s probably new to some of you. Plus, maybe you didn’t try it the last time and this is your opportunity to step out of your comfort zone.
This is a really simple dish, but it is delicious. It’s sweet, salty and kind of funky. Best of all, it only takes about a half-hour to make.
We are making chicken adobo, which is a Filipino dish. If you want to make it in an authentic fashion, then you may need to swing by your nearest Asian grocery store, but you can make some easy substitutions and it will still be delicious. I got this recipe from J. Kenji Lopez-Alt.
Ingredients:
- 2-3 pounds of chicken thighs and/or drumsticks. (bone-in and skin-on is preferred, but optional. Just don’t use chicken breast because it will dry out)
- Kosher salt
- 1-2 tablespoons of neutral oil such as rice bran or canola
- A big pinch of ground black pepper plus 30-40 whole black peppercorns
- 15-20 whole cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 cup cane, coconut or distilled white vinegar
- 2/3 cup Filipino soy sauce (Japanese shoyu or a mix of Chinese dark and light soy sauce works as well)
- 5 ounces brown or palm sugar (palm sugar is more authentic, but brown sugar works fine)
- A few bay leaves
- White rice for serving
Step 1: Bring a wok or a deep-sided cast iron skillet up to temperature over medium-high heat. Once hot, add your oil. It should shimmer and smoke lightly. Lightly season your chicken with salt and add it to the pan. You want to brown it on all sides.
Step 2: Add your pepper (both the ground pepper and the whole peppercorns) to the pan along with your garlic. Stir to combine. Then add your soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and bay leaves.
Step 3: Bring the dish to a boil and then reduce it to a bare simmer. Then, cover your pan and let it braise for about 30 minutes. The chicken should become fork-tender and the sauce should reduce to a dark glaze.
Step 4: Serve your chicken over white rice and enjoy.
This is an exceedingly simple meal but it is packed with flavor. I especially like the whole peppercorns. They soften and will explode in your mouth while you eat with a burst of flavor. You can also pair this with some blanched greens or broccoli for a slightly more balanced meal.
That’s it for today.
Please, send me your recipes so I can share them with everyone. My email is tmates@wkmg.com.
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