Hello there Florida Foodie friends,
It’s your personal hero, Thomas Mates, back again at our regular bat-time and bat-channel.
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Last week was a lot, to say the least. I hope everyone’s life is back to normal after Idalia.
I’m certainly feeling better after catching up on some sleep.
I told you a couple newsletters back that I was in a bit of a funk when it came to cooking, but I think I’m coming out on the other side of that.
I made cheesecake over the weekend, which I’ve been eating with some cherry jam.
I also smoked a big pork shoulder for pulled pork and it turned out great. However, I now have so much pulled pork and I’m running out of ideas on what to do with it.
I made some sandwiches and last night I made a pasta dish with pulled pork as the protein. I’m thinking about trying a pulled pork fried rice tonight.
If you guys have any ideas on how else I can use this bounty of smoked meat, send them my way.
OK, let’s jump in.
Coffee with a cause☕
Brent Tucker has a hell of a life story. He is a native Floridian who signed up for the military after 9/11. He then went on to have a career in the special forces, including the Green Berets and Delta Force.
Now, he runs his own coffee company out of Longwood. What makes his business special though is that he donates a portion of the proceeds back to first responders, including firefighters, police, paramedics and nurses.
He had a really great conversation with Lisa Bell and Candace Campos. Check it out 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🥥
Subs on a blimp🥪: If you are a fan of Subway sandwiches and not afraid of heights, then I have the experience for you. The sandwich chain has constructed a blimp painted to look like a big sandwich. There is also fully functioning Subway in the blimp. It is set to fly over Orlando with patrons inside, eating sandwiches. Here are all the details.
Making a comeback 🍝: If you have ever wanted spaghetti through a drive-thru window, then you are in luck. Fazoli’s is making a return to Orlando today! Click here to find out more.
Dinner is on us🍲: Everything tastes better when it is free. Right now, you have the chance to win a year’s worth of free dinners. You can enter the contest here, but you can only do it if you are a News 6 Insider.
Something to try at home 🍽️
I don’t know about all of you, but I love potatoes. They are so versatile and they go with everything. That being said, sometimes you can get a little tired of fries or mashed potatoes, so here is something new you can try.
This recipe comes from J. Kenji Lopez-Alt.
Ingredients:
Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 pounds russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters, sixths, or eighths, depending on size
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Small handful picked rosemary leaves, finely chopped
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
Freshly ground black pepper
Small handful of fresh parsley leaves, minced
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Then, put a pot of water over high heat until boiling. Be sure to salt the water generously. Once boiling, add your baking soda and potatoes. Let boil until the potatoes are fork-tender.
Step 2: At the same time, heat your oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Then add your pepper, garlic and rosemary. Stir constantly until your garlic starts to turn a golden brown. Strain the solids from the oil and set both aside separately.
Step 3: Drain your potatoes and let them rest for a bit. Let them steam and dry out. Transfer them to a bowl and toss them vigorously until a thick, mashed potato-like layer forms on the outside. Then, add your oil along with a little salt and pepper and toss it one more time to coat.
Step 4: Place your potatoes and oil into a baking sheet and bake it uncovered for 60 minutes. Turn your potatoes over in the pan every 15 minutes so they get crispy on all sides.
Step 5: Once baked and crispy, throw your potatoes in a bowl. Add in the solids you strained from the oil earlier (the rosemary and garlic) along with your parsley leaves and toss it all together.
These potatoes turn out extra crispy and they are delicious.
If you want to simplify the dish, you can skip infusing the oil with the rosemary and garlic and just cook your potatoes in regular olive oil, just be sure to season them to taste with salt and pepper.
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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