Getting up to speed🏃

Hey there Florida Foodie friends,

It’s a man who once punched a dolphin for insulting my momma, Thomas Mates.

[ADD YOUR BUSINESS TO THE FLORIDA FOODIE DIRECTORY]

I’m kidding. The dolphin didn’t insult my mother, but it had it coming.

Anywho, I mentioned last week that things were changing here at the powerful News 6/ClickOrlando.com and that includes my position.

I can now tell you that I’m going to be stepping into a new role as Streaming Executive Producer.

What does that mean? Well, we’re still figuring some of that out, but the long and short of it all is that I will be in charge of News 6+ and our YouTube page.

It would be a big help to me if you downloaded the News 6+ app on your smart TV and subscribed to our YouTube channel when you get a chance.

Now, what does that mean for Florida Foodie? Some of that is still yet to be determined, but it likely means we’ll scale back a bit to a biweekly schedule for the podcast and the newsletter. I hope you are not too disappointed.

Now, there is not a new Foodie this week, but we have a new episode recorded that will be coming out soon and it is really great.

In the meantime, you can find every episode of Florida Foodie on YouTube.

By the way, the picture above was posted to our PinIt! page. You can share your Foodie photos there as well and you might just see it right here in the newsletter.

OK, let’s get into it.

Magical Dining🔮

Magical Dining is coming back next month.

This year, more than 150 restaurants are participating. They will be offering three-course prix-fixe menus for $40 or $60.

For dates and a list of participating restaurants, click here.

Small bites🌭

Texas tea☕: A new chain is heading to Central Florida by way of the Lone Star State. HTeaO serves more than 25 flavors of iced tea from the classics including sweet, unsweet and green to unique creations such as peach ginger, mango fresco and coconut. Click here to find out where it is opening up.

Fountain of Youth👶: Ponce De Leon came to Florida looking for the Fountain of Youth and indeed it can be found here — if you don’t mind a little radiation. An old drinking fountain here in the Sunshine State is nicknamed the Fountain of Youth and it is, in fact, radioactive. I do not recommend trying it, but you can safely read about it here.

Driving change🚚: We recently got the chance to catch up with a man who drives all over Central Florida to make sure people have food. He makes deliveries to schools, food banks, and churches for Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida. He’s been doing it for 22 years now. You can read his whole story here.

Something to try at home 🍽️

The Caesar salad recently turned 100 years old.

I love a good Caesar. It is simple but delicious.

The Associated Press shared a recipe for a Caesar salad to mark the 100th birthday.

Here it is for all of you.

Ingredients for the Croutons (Optional):

• 2 cups day-old cubes of firm white bread (about 3/4-inch thick)
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove (pressed through a garlic press or very finely minced )
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

For the Caesar Dressing:

• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (depending on how lemony you like it)
• ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 anchovy rinsed and very finely minced or 1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste (plus optional additional whole anchovies for topping individual portions)
• 1 garlic clove (pressed through a garlic press or very finely minced)
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon water

For the salad:

• 4 hearts of romaine lettuce (or 2 full heads; rinsed and dried)
• ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Make the croutons, if using: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spread the bread cubes on a rimmed baking sheet. Mix together the olive oil, garlic and salt in a small bowl, then drizzle the mixture over the bread cubes, and toss to coat the bread. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until the bread is golden and toasted. Set aside.
2. Make the dressing: In a blender or food processor, add the mayonnaise, olive oil, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, anchovies (if using), garlic, salt, pepper and water, and process until blended (or just shake everything up in a tightly sealed jar).
3. Make the Caesar salad: Tear or thinly slice the romaine hearts and place in a large serving bowl (you should have about 8 cups). Drizzle about 2/3 of the dressing over it and toss to combine. Sprinkle the cheese on top and toss again until everything is evenly mixed. Add more dressing as needed, but don’t drown it. Leftover dressing may be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Top the salad with croutons, if using, before serving.

That’s it for today.

Also, please take the time to rate and review the Florida Foodie podcast.

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.

- Thomas