Hello there Florida Foodie friends,
It’s your good buddy, Thomas Mates.
Recommended Videos
[ADD YOUR BUSINESS TO THE FLORIDA FOODIE DIRECTORY]
I know, I’m a day late on this. In my defense, I have been neck-deep in Hurricane Idalia coverage for the past few days and I’m not even really sure what time it is anymore.
Also, I am definitely feeling the effects of my poor eating choices during the storm.
Most of Central Florida was spared by Idalia, but my body was not. I am feeling really sluggish today.
I think I’m going to force myself to eat a salad for dinner. I can make a pretty mean salad. I like to whip together my own dressing too, but my home is a house divided.
I like a vinaigrette but my wife is not a big fan. She prefers a creamy dressing. I like them as well, but sometimes I want something a little lighter. Let me know if you have a good dressing recipe that can satisfy us both.
OK, let’s get into it.
Growing need🥫
Food insecurity has long been a problem in Florida and one that has only gotten worse in recent years.
Jewish Family Services of Greater Orlando has been working for 45 years to help people get by. Phil Flynn, the president of the organization, said 2023 has been a record year for helping people feed themselves and their families. JFS has been seeing roughly 100 clients a day. Prepandemic, the organization was only helping about 22 clients a day.
Flynn talks all about the types of people JFS is helping and the other services the organization provides on the latest episode of Florida Foodie.
Check out his conversation with Lisa Bell and Candace Campos.
> You can listen to the episode here <
And you can also find every episode of Florida Foodie on YouTube, as well.
Small Bites🌽
‘Good damn burger’🍔: We asked our Insiders where to find the best burgers in Central Florida. Here is the list they put together. If you would rather make your own, we have a contest happening right now to win a brand-new flat-top grill. If you want to enter, you need to sign up to be a News 6 Insider.
PSL in CFL🎃: I’ll admit it, I am a sucker for a pumpkin spice latte. I know that makes me super basic, but I also don’t care. Anyway, if you don’t want to support a faceless megachain, here is a list of mom-and-pop shops that sell their own versions of PSL here in Central Florida.
Staying optimistic🙂: We here at Florida Foodie love to see people helping to feed others. Recently, a fire destroyed a church food pantry in Altamonte Springs, but Herbert Bouey wasn’t going to let that stop him from helping others. Read his story here.
Something to try at home 🍽️
We’ve got a super simple recipe this week, but it will help you up the flavor in many dishes.
I’m going to teach you how to make pickled red onions. I, personally, love these. They are a great plus-up for a sandwich, a salad, a taco, or maybe a sundae if you’re into it.
Plus, you only need five ingredients.
Ingredients:
- 2 red onions, thinly sliced
- 1 cup of vinegar (I like to use cane vinegar, but you can use white or apple cider. It is up to you)
- 1 cup of water
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
Step 1: Put your red onions in a mason jar or a similar heat-proof container with a lid.
Step 2: Combine all of your other ingredients in a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Fair warning: Once this mixture is boiling it will make your whole house smell like feet, but trust me it is worth it.
Step 3: Pour the boiling liquid over your onions and put the lid on the container. Once the liquid is completely red and the jar has cooled completely, the onions are ready to eat.
It’s just that simple. These will keep in your fridge for a couple weeks and they stay sweet and crunchy. Again, they go great on just about everything. If you want to plus them up a bit, you can add a handful of peppercorns or garlic cloves to the jar with your onions. You could also throw a bay leaf or two in with the boiling pickling liquid.
That’s it for today.
Please, send me your recipes so I can share them with everyone. My email is tmates@wkmg.com.
Don’t forget to send in your foodie pictures as well through our PinIt! program.
Also, please take the time to rate and review the Florida Foodie podcast.