I do try to eat healthy and exercise on a normal basis, but I would like to try and mix it up this year. Try some new healthy foods (made easier by my subscription to CSA Empower Farms) and try some exercises beyond my walking and tennis. I’ve already done Yoga once this month and went Swimming as well. Maybe I’ll even try Pickleball! Doing exercise that’s fun means it’s more likely you’ll keep doing it. So, maybe my New Year’s Resolution for 2023, is simply More Fun.

Trying New Restaurants is also fun and I’ve already tried two this year. I ran into food blogger Pat Mackin at the Villager’s Home Tour (check out her Instagram at patmakincoconutgrove) and asked her for restaurant recs for the Grove. She recommended Sushi Garage, in the newly redone Coco Walk, for their Happy Hour so I tried it.

Coco Walk is a happening place these days! And Sushi Garage (we sat outside) is in the midst of it all.

Happy Hour goes from 5 to 8- quite a long Happy Hour- and features 1/2 off drinks. I tried the Lychee Mule and then the Fat Cucumber, both delicious. The bites offered for Happy Hour are $4, $6, $8 and $10. For some reason, our server recommended all the $10 bites (hmm), but everything we sampled was good and a great deal. In particular we liked the Hamachi Serriole (Yellowtail Roll), the Tempura Shrimp Bites and the Chili Shrimp Dumplings. We also got Shishito Peppers, Edamame and 1/2 Bagel Roll.

This new year, I also ate at The Bayshore Club, in the former Scotty’s location. It’s a beautiful venue and the night we ate there it was a Full moon and they had live music. Luckily, we sat away from the music (it was a little loud) for dinner. The drink The Slip ($16), with vodka, Elderflower liqueur and dill, was quite refreshing.

The Conch Fritters ($16) were very good, as was the the Coral Reef Ceviche ($18) I ordered for my entree, with Rock Shrimp. My friend’s Mini Ahi Tuna Tacos, in fried won ton wrappers and topped with caviar, looked delicious and she loved them. Others at the table ordered Fried Chicken Sandwiches ($15) and Fried Fish Tacos ($18). I sampled the French Fries. They were a tad underdone and just so-so. Prices were a little high, but not outrageous.

The Bayshore Club is part of The Grove Bay Hospitality Group, which also has Glass & Vine and Root & Bone, among other restaurants. The food was decent, definitely better than Scotty’s. I wouldn’t run back for the food, but I would run back for the location and ambiance. They also have specials, like $2 oysters on Monday nights and 1/2 off bottles of wine Wednesday, as well as Happy Hour Monday through Friday (4-6) and Live Music Wednesday through Sunday.

I got a pizza oven for Christmas! It wasn’t on my list (Zeke went rogue) but, ever since we visited Kuleto Winery in Napa, where they had a homemade Wood-fired pizza oven, I’ve longed to get one. This one is by Ooni; pizza ovens are very hot items (pun intended) these days.

Our first pizza, a Margherita, was a total success. Zeke said it was the best pizza he’s ever eaten. We kept it simple with Publix pizza dough, Rao’s red sauce, fresh mozzarella, basil, crushed red pepper, Parmesan and olive oil. It was truly delicious and, at 900 degrees, only took about 3 minutes to cook. It does take 30 minutes for the oven to come to temp.

The second pizza I attempted- a Hawaiian Pizza with Ham, Pineapple and Mozzarella- was a total disaster. The pizza dough had gotten sticky in the fridge and when I tried to slide the dough off the peel (the metal tray with a handle) the toppings slid into the oven, while the dough stayed behind. What a mess! I ended up throwing the sticky dough away and using the toppings to make English Muffin pizzas for dinner. Live and learn.

It’s a learning curve and I’m sure, in no time, we’ll be making all kinds of delicious pizzas. I envision Shrimp Pizza with Pesto, Breakfast Pizza with sausage and egg and Potato Pizza with Truffle Oil. The possibilities are endless and it’s a great way to use up leftovers.

One thing I do want to do (that was on my list of things to do last year) is revamp my Foodie in Miami website in order to put the recipes into an index. This was a suggestion by several Foodie in Miami readers and I’m determined to do it in 2023. I may need professional help, however, as Foodie in Miami is not a Technology Whiz.

So, stay tuned… and Happy New Year! New Year, new you?

And now we welcome the New Year. Full of things that have never been.

Rainer Maria Rilke

Up Next: Food Trends 2023

I feel like I check a lot of the boxes for this trend. Grandmother- check (times three!). Condo in the Keys- check. Likes to cook and have a cozy house- check, check. I don’t normally wear bucket hats or sweaters, however. It’s too hot for sweaters in Miami; my normal grandmotherly vibe when I pick up Wyatt from school is a long sleeved t-shirt, Lululemon leggings and a straw cowboy hat. Luckily, he’s too young to be embarrassed by my bad fashion choices.

This Coastal Grandmother trend was started by Tik Toker Lex Nicoleta and she notes the thing about this trend is you don’t need to be a Grandmother or own a Beach House to adopt the lifestyle. Anne Hathaway recently posted a photo on Instagram of herself wearing a bucket hat, big sunglasses, a white button-down shirt and khakis with the tagline: “I have been ready for coastal grandmother chic since before Tik Tok was born. May this moment never end.”

Elements of Style blog describes the trend as people who enjoy “relaxation, simple luxuries, free time, long lunches, farmer’s market, cold glasses of white wine and cashmere sweaters at a beach picnic.” Once again- the last part, not in Miami- but I like the rest of it. Lex Nicoleta even created a Spotify playlist for the trend at lexnicoleta. The decorating vibe is a “comfortable, lived-in space that is light and bright.”

Speaking of Coastal Grandmothers, I’ve been loving Grace and Frankie, the longest running Netflix series, starring Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. It’s like the Odd Couple, but with women who have been left by their husbands to marry each other. It’s hysterical and I’m on Season 4 of 7 Seasons. The last Season starts now and has an appearance by Dolly Parton (remember the three of them in 9 to 5?) in the final episode.

I was happy I had the Keys and our boat, ‘Bout TIme, to quarantine to when I had Covid. The hardest part of having Covid was the isolation! I missed people, I missed human interaction, I missed my grandsons. Once I got it, Zeke and I hung out together. The only after effect I’ve noticed was being extremely tired. We both went to bed earlier than usual and took naps. This week I played tennis four days in a row, so I guess I’m back in business. It was hot out there though!

I read The Paris Apartment while quarantining for my Book Club. I don’t really recommend it- found the writing a little lazy- but it was a page-turner (or page clicker, as I read it on my Kindle.) Elizabeth in my Book Club had a lovely French meal at our Book Club meeting, with French wines, cheeses, a salad with berries and a delicious Coq au Vin du Blanc (with white wine instead of red), mashed potatoes and a Pineapple Upside Down cupcake for dessert. Tres bien!

Our next book is Atlas of the Heart, by PHD and TED talk speaker Brene Brown. It’s a large, pretty-cover book which touts: “Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience”. That’s quite a mouthful to be put on a cover! It seems to be an encyclopedia of human emotions. I’m not quite sure about it yet as I’ve just started- it is a New York Times bestseller. Stay tuned.

The day I tested negative, I read in the New York Times that more than half of all Americans have had Covid. This was discovered by finding the antibodies in their blood, so some who’ve had it never even knew they were positive. Most of the people I know have now had Covid at least once and more people are getting it daily. According to my sister Elise, a nurse, there is a new wave that is rapidly rising throughout Miami. I really thought we would be done with this by now, but sadly, we are not.

I cooked a lot when I had Covid, mostly out of boredom. I turned leftover ham into Ham Croquettas. A major project, but I froze the excess. I used the ham bone to make Split Pea Soup- my favorite. And I turned the Arugula from Empower Farms into Pesto. Did you know, you can use other greens to make pesto? Spinach, cilantro and parsley, for example, can all be used to make pesto. Changing the green, will of course change the taste. I love the traditional Pesto with basil, but it’s nice to have alternatives. I used the eggplant from Empower Farms to make my Josie’s Pickled Eggplant, something she always kept in her fridge to serve as an antipasto and sauteed the cute pittypat squashes for a side dish.

Since I was bored, I applied to be on Check Please! It’s a show with Chef Michelle Bernstein on PBS where three people from South Florida pick their favorite restaurant and the other two people on the show visit and eat there. After they’ve all tried the recommended restaurants, they get together at the end of the show and give their opinions. I recommended Shriver’s Bar-B-Que in Homestead, Island Grill in Islamorada (home of the Tuna Nachos) and Hobo’s Cafe in Key Largo. Fingers crossed I get picked.

We ate at Hobo’s Cafe in Key Largo last week because I craved a hamburger. It was a funny thing with Covid, my body told me exactly what it wanted me to eat. It wasn’t junk, carbs or sweets but iron (specifically beets) and protein (specifically red meat), so hence the burger. I wish my body would tell me what to eat on a Daily Basis, not just when I’m sick. I’m all ears, body!

I got the Sloppy Hobo Burger at Hobo’s; I cut it in half and took half home. It was a really good, but huge, burger that came with delicious, waffle fries! It normally comes with coleslaw, onion rings, sauteed mushrooms, provolone cheese, lettuce, tomato, onions and potato straws on the burger and BBQ sauce on the side. I got the coleslaw and onion rings on the side, as it would have been enormous and too sloppy to eat. Our waitress told us there is a little old lady who comes in once a month and gets that burger and when she lifts it up to her face, you can’t see her anymore! She said she takes her a half hour to eat, but she finishes the whole thing.

And that is why she only comes in once a month!

said our waitress.

Another place I would recommend in the Keys is Avenue Subs, where we got our subs to take out on the boat. We got a Roast Beef Sub and an Italian Sub and they were both excellent. The roast beef was sliced thin and the meat was piled on thick! The only thing I would say is to get the sliced tomatoes and onions on the side if you’re not eating it right away, so as to not make your sub soggy. No one wants a soggy sub!

I heard from the editor of Coral Gables Magazine about my Morris Lapidus in Coral Gables article. It took me six months to write and involved a lot of research. He said it was “very interesting and very thorough.” He invited me to a Coral Gables magazine’s 4-year anniversary party at the Coral Gables Museum last Thursday. When I saw him, I asked if “very thorough” was code for “boring”. He said no and that he liked the article. I still have to write a Driving Tour to go with it and it’s an “evergreen” article, meaning it can be run at any time, since the information isn’t time sensitive. Fingers crossed again. Thanks to Jeanette Slesnick for the photo!

For those of you watching the Kentucky Derby, I hope your horse wins. Fingers crossed. And to all the mothers out there, Happy Mother’s Day!

We all live in a Yellow Submarine.

The Beatles

Up Next: Josie’s Pickled Eggplant

The cousins took my aunts to their apartment in Rome, where they had lunch. Part of the lunch was Pickled Eggplant, served on Saltines. My Aunt Josie was the cook in the family and she learned how to make it from her Italian cousins that afternoon. After lunch, they all changed into their nightgowns and took a nap. La vita bella! I think she told me dinner was a smaller meal than lunch, but she also told me that ever since that day, she always kept a jar of Pickled Eggplant in her refrigerator.

About ten years ago, I asked Josie to come over and show me how to make it. She was probably almost 90 years old at that point, and I figured it was best to learn from the maestro! Recipes are fine, and in fact I did have her recipe for Pickled Eggplant which she typed up and Xeroxed to give out, but there is no substitute for watching how a recipe is made. In person. Now, that Josie is gone, I’m so glad we had that morning together. She did have an issue with my eggplant, however.

This is the eggplant you got?

said Josie, picking it up disdainfully.

“Yes,” I said. “What’s wrong with it?”

“I like to get firm eggplants,” she said.

So, when you get your eggplant to make this, make sure it’s firm. I used two small eggplants, instead of one large, because that’s what I had from Empower Farms.

Up Next: Bring Me My Flowers While I’m Alive

I’m so excited! And I just can’t hide it.

I got my first C.S.A. box from Empower Farms last week. What is a C.S.A., you might ask? It is Community Supported Agriculture that lets you receive boxes of fresh, high quality produce and eggs throughout the growing season of your area. In South Florida the season goes from mid-November to mid-May.

Sign-up for C.S.A.’s are in the Fall, but discounts are given by some if you sign up in the Summer. Unfortunately, I waited too late to get a regular delivery from Empower Farms, so I signed up for a Stand-By order. This gets you three boxes of produce when regular customers are out of town, which are delivered to your doorstep. If I don’t get all three boxes (due to not enough people out of town), I get a refund at the end of the season.

There are many C.S.A.’s available from different farms. I chose Empower Farms because they raise certified organic and eco-friendly produce at a farm which employs people with disabilities. It started in 2019 to offer a range of opportunities for people with disabilities to grow food, make money, be outside, get exercise and meet other people. They also offer Field Trips for disabled people to their farm; it seems like a win-win concept to me.

The prices for a C.S.A. box vary, according to how often you get them and if you pick them up yourself, or have the box delivered to your door. The pick-up range is throughout the Miami area, from Palmetto Bay to Coral Gables and beyond. If you get a box each week (24 boxes), the cost is $30 each. The less often you get the boxes, the more expensive it is. Home delivery is $12 per delivery.

The types of fruit and vegetables you get in your box depends on what is fresh at the time. Fruits you might get are bananas, papayas or peaches. Greens like Swiss Chard, Chinese Cabbage and Okinowa Kale are possiblities, as well as veggies like carrots, broccoli and beets. Herbs, such as basil, parsley or lemon grass might also appear in your box.

When my box was delivered (they texted me first to make sure I would be home) it felt like Christmas morning. There was a wonderful, mystery box of food delivered to my doorstep. They harvest most of the produce the same day they deliver it, so they texted me to make sure #1 I wanted it and #2 that someone was home to refrigerate the perishable items.

My first delivery contained Bok Choy, Tomatillos, Beet Greens, Field Mustard, Papaya, Tomatoes, Radishes and Carrots. The vegetables and fruit came in a carboard box and the produce was wrapped in compostable bags, which I appreciated. I really like getting a C.S.A. basket because it pushes me to try different foods, supports local farmers and supplies healthy food to use in my meals.

I immediately thought of Tomatillo Salsa for the paper-husked green beauties. Like a contestant on Chopped, I cut open the tomatillo and tasted it. It had a slightly sour, vegetal flavor to it and the salsa I made with it (after roasting the tomatillos) was delicious. I served it with Tortilla Chips but it would also be good on Roast Chicken, fish or on tacos, enchiladas or burritos.

The lovely tomatoes, I sliced into rounds and sprinkled with feta cheese (a good alternative if you don’t have mozzarella on hand) and balsamic vinegar. Pro tip: Never refrigerate tomatoes! It kills the flavor. The greens I sauteed with olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes and the green beans I boiled with onion and salt pork. The radishes will be used in a salad.

Normally, when I shop at Publix, I reach for the same tired items in the Produce section. Red Bell Pepper- check. Celery- check. Asparagus and Brussel Sprouts- check, check. Getting a C.S.A. basket forces me to try new things and reduces the carbon footprint of shipping and flying fruit and vegetables from around the world. Plus, most of the produce from C.S.A.’s is picked the day it’s delivered. You can’t get much fresher than that!

I also find I’m treating these foods with more reverence, because I have a connection to the farm from which it came and the people who farmed and delivered it. I want to do right by these beautiful fruits and vegetables. There are many farms in South Florida that offer C.S.A.’s.; Empower Farm is just one of about 16. They also accept SNAP, so lower income family can have access to fresh fruits and vegetables.

Next Fall, I want to get my C.S.A. order in early. I will list the various farms that offer them. The Empower website- empowerfarms.com– made signing up for it a breeze. And now, when I see tomatillos at Publix, I won’t be afraid to buy some to make a salsa. It’s a recipe I’ll keep in steady rotation.

Tomatillo Salsa Verde

Recipe by Simply RecipesCourse: AppetizersCuisine: MexicanDifficulty: Easy

Servings3 cups

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Total time

1

hour 

10

minutes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pound tomatillos

• 1/2 cup chopped white onion

• 2 cloves garlic

• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves and stems, chopped

• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

• 2 jalapeno or serrano peppers stemmed, seeded and chopped
  

• salt to taste

Directions

• Remove papery husks from tomatillos and rinse well.
• Cut the tomatillos in half and place cut side down on a foil-lined baking sheet. Add a few garlic cloves in their skin.
• Place under a broiler for 5- 7 minutes to lightly blacken the skins of the tomatillos.
• Remove skin from roasted garlic. Place the cooked tomatillos, lime juice, onions, garlic, cilantro, chili peppers in a blender or food processor and pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped and minced.
• Serve with tortilla chips or grilled meat or seafood.

Notes

• White onions are typically used in Mexican Cuisine, but you can substitute other colors.

Up Next: Food Trends for 2022