Soaking it all in

In trying to be more vigilant of what I eat on a daily basis I’ve started to read many of the ingredient labels or learn how certain foods are produced. Nobody told me you would need a degree in chemistry just to understand some of the stuff in your foods. Also some of the information on food labels just doesn’t make any sense or are completely misguiding. For example, there is a lot of discussion as to what is best for you in terms of your choices in meats and poultry. Some say it’s more humane to pick meats that are free range or farm raised or natural or organic. They say it’s also best to make sure it’s hormone free or raised without antibiotics. But what does that all really mean? Let’s took a look at poultry. According to Chickopedia (No, I didn’t make that up, it is the nickname for the National Chicken Council), there isn’t a true federal government definition of the term “free-range.” So when a company wishes to use that claim for their label they send their request ...

Sometimes I get these weird cravings and they will not subside until they get fed. There are days where these craving border from somewhere beyond normal. Like when an order of Wendy’s French fries dunked into a frosty will do the trick. For those of you who just thought yuck, try it. It’s much better than dunking your fries in mayonnaise. Then there are the rare occasions when I have to binge down on a big can of Peanut Patch boiled peanuts. Nutty, salty and sloppy goodness. Normally my cravings tend to be more rational, or at least what I believe to be rational. Like when a slice of pizza (or two) will be the only thing that cures the hunger pangs. Or when you just need that home cooked comfort food you grew up with, and for me that always means Cuban food. Lately I’ve been craving two of my favorite Latin side dishes – plantains. I’ve heard some horror stories from some of my friends who have visited Miami and tasted cooked sweet plantains (what we call maduros) and the ...

Did you ever get so involved in your activities that time seems to fly by and you happen to skip your normal lunch break? Suddenly you hear your stomach gurgling out in complaint. The rumbling is so loud people on the opposite side of the building look up wondering where the noise is coming from. It’s a category five hurricane hunger roar from hell. You’re no longer just plain hungry. Nay, at this point you need food now. You are living out the Snicker’s commercial, you know the one where the person is ready to bite your head off until he is fed a Snicker’s bar. It’s that moment when no one should cross your path and even a happy hello gets the evil-eye look in return. You’ve reached HANGRY! So you start to ponder your food choices. Hitting McDonald’s just won’t do, the drive through line is too long, and not quite the fast-food that is required at the moment. That also rules out going to a restaurant where you have to wait on someone to take your order. Then you have to wait...

There is an old saying that circulates among foodies, eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper. The saying is meant to encourage folks looking to stay healthy or lose a little weight to intake the bulk of their calories in the morning and burn those calories throughout the day. This might be true to some extent. The literal translation of the word breakfast came about in the 15th century and meant a break from the fasting period since your last meal of the prior evening. Sounds about right to me. I mean if my last meal was at 7 p.m. the evening before and I get ready to start my day at 7 a.m. the following morning that is 12 whole hours since food has crossed my lips. Today for breakfast I shall eat like a King (King Henry VIII for sure). Seriously if it’s been 12 hours, serve me up some eggs, over-medium, bacon, grits and a side of hash browns covered with diced ham and grilled onions. Don’t forget the toast and it better be buttered. Nothi...

During a recent visit to Miami last fall, I had the opportunity of eating one of my favorite seafood items and best of all it was free. Trust me, free was the right price when you consider that this item can cost anywhere from $15-35 a pound depending on their size. Nope it wasn’t a Florida lobster tail (or what true Northerners call a great big crawfish). It was something much rarer making it a delicacy usually fit for those with deep, deep pockets. The decadent, plump, sweet yet briny lusciousness I was treated to were fresh Florida stone crab claws. There is nothing else like them and the best are plucked right out of the Gulf Coast waters. Stone crab claws are only available Oct. 15 through May 15. The stone crab, Menippe mercenaria, is unique in that the bodies are relatively small but the claws can grow incredibly large and strong enough to break open oyster shells. During their harvest period commercial fisherman trap the crabs and remove one of the two claws and toss th...

Head east on Highway 84, passed Trade Port East, passed the Dorchester Civic Center and follow the signs that point the way to the treasured and long established eatery. When you can pull up to a seafood establishment that is tucked away, yet right on the water with its own marina and purveyors of crabs, oysters and shrimps you know you are pulling up to a great meal. And there isn’t a bad seat in the house. The diner overlooks Blackbeard Creek. The scenic marsh setting is breath taking. Just next door the shrimp boats are docked offering a look at the majestic vessels that go out to pluck the sweetest tasting shrimp from the coastal waters. The family run diner has a staff that routinely go out to bring and catch the blue crabs, oysters and fresh fish. It is farm to table – seafood style. October brought in the beginning of oyster season and I can’t think of a better place to go locally for freshly picked and steamed oysters or a fried oyster basket with a side of their Cole s...

First published in the Coastal Courier Newspaper in December 2015 I never know when a specific food carving will hit me. There are times when I can eat fried chicken every day of the week and it would suit me just fine. Then there are times when pizza can only fill the void. And yes there are times, thankfully when only salads will make due. Then there are the days which can sometimes stretch into weeks and months when nothing but Mexican food will do. I don’t normally cover chain restaurants for my foodie column but I’m not sure that having only two locations in all of Southeast Georgia qualifies as a chain brand like Chili’s and others. Therefore I will take some time to toot the horn of my favorite local Mexican restaurant, Rodeo. I am pretty much on auto-pilot when I’m hankering for Mexican food and ready to order the number 15 combination meal as soon as the waiter walks over with the complimentary chips and salsa. That combo meal is a taco, a burrito and is served with ri...

First published in the Coastal Courier Newspaper October 2015 It’s October, the time of month where the wind kicks up, the temperatures start to plummet and families prepare their Halloween costumes. I do happen to fancy Halloween but there is another thing I quite enjoy far more than a Hershey’s Kiss or Snickers Bar. BEER! Man downtown Hinesville was sure a hopping place (ha, get it as in beer hops…but I digress), at least for two years in a row in October of 2009 and 2010. For those two years the entire community crowded into Bradwell Park for October Fest celebrations that were put together by the Hinesville Downtown Development Authority, Fort Stewart’s Morale, Welfare and Recreation and of course, Zum Rosenhof German Restaurant. For an entire weekend downtown transformed in to Bavaria. It was amazing. Ziggy Zaggy, Ziggy Zaggy, oi oi oi Yep, I can still hear the constant singing of that traditional German toast as folks gathered up their beer steins and gulped down som...

First published in the Coastal Courier Newspaper in October 2015 When I first moved to this area, there was a place the locals all flocked to for lunch, happy hour and evening celebrations called El-Rods. Man, it was a happening place. It served great steak and burgers, was the gracious host to several fundraisers that aided local charitable organizations, and was a place where literally everybody knew your name. Cue the theme song from “Cheers.” The first time someone had mentioned the place to me was when I asked where I could get a decent steak or burger that was not from a chain restaurant. Granted, I was a bit leery when I learned it was housed at the end of a strip mall. You had to drive behind the building to get to the entrance. The entrance led to a side-patio sitting room and a few feet away were the bar and restaurant. I spent many nights chomping down on burgers and washing them down with a cold beer or two. It was a place where I would often meet my co-workers ...

First published in the Coastal Courier Newspaper July 2015 Last week, I got the hankering for some Chinese food, but instead opted to try something slightly different. So I stopped in at Seoul Restaurant, Fine Korean Dining. Honestly I didn’t know what to expect because my only experience with Korean food had been watching Andrew Zimmern and Anthony Bourdain talk about and consume it on Food Network and Travel Channel. The two TV foodies visited many places featuring Korean food that was typically spicy, with lots of specialty soups and noodles. Everywhere they went, the popular side dish, kimchi, was served as well as a variety of other side plates. I’m always down for something spicy. But kimchi? Fermented food? When the word fermented is used my thought goes straight to two things; (1) heck yeah, they are making beer or wine, and I know it’s five o’clock somewhere; (2) oh heck no, they’re letting my food rot and grow bacteria. The fear with the latter is that I would pay th...

My father was an avid fisherman and whenever he got vacation time, we would pile up in the family station wagon and head to the West Coast of Florida for some Gulf Coast fishing in Fort Myers, Naples or Sarasota. Sitting in the backseat in between my brother and I was the family dog, April. Her placement between my brother and I was purposeful as it kept my older brother from pinching me in the leg or jabbing me in the side, thereby causing me to wail and scream, “Dad he is hitting me.” This tantrum, in turn, caused my parents, to cringe in the front seat, to have nervous breakdowns or worse turn around and yell at us. During this particular trip to Naples my parents had booked a motel room along the bay. Dad was intent on crabbing and the motel had a full kitchen mom would use to make us some fresh cangrejo enchilada (Cuban style Crab in Creole sauce). I was about eight or nine years old during this trip but it is one vacation I always remember. My brother decided to stay with f...

I grew up in Miami where the influence of Caribbean cuisine could be found in many areas of the downtown, Little Haiti, Little Havana and Wynwood communities. Those pockets of immigrant settlements were the cornerstone of creole and curry, something my palate has not quite savored since I left Miami 11 years ago. At a previous place of employment, in North Miami Beach, my co-worker and best friend was Jamaican. I loved it when he used to bring ‘extra’ leftovers to share (yes I begged him to, don’t judge me). I can remember the one time he brought a few Jamaican sodas with him and offered one up. “What’s this?” I asked. “Ting,” he said in his thick Jamaican accent. “Yeah what is this thing?” I asked again. “Ting man, it’s called Ting,” he replied. “This thing is called Ting, seriously?” “Ya man,” he said before turning away obviously annoyed. “Take ya sip woman.” To this day I’m not sure if he turned away because I had annoyed him or to secretly laugh at me knowing the drink...

The fragrance of freshly made ‘pastelitos,’ the lyrics of the Queen of Salsa, Celia Cruz, heard from nearly every open window, the smoke from a hand-rolled cigar and the sounds of the dominoes hitting the table at Domino Park. Calle Ocho, the main strip, the heart of Little Havana, Miami and my fondest memories of my free spirited youth. Well, OK, my early youth. From the age of too young to remember how old I was when we moved there, until about eight. The time in one’s life where you could eat A-LOT, and trust me I did, and still stay trim. Back then I burned all the excess calories during school recess, playing outside with my friends after school for hours until it got dark (what a concept) or dancing the salsa with my dad (well he danced and he let me stand on his feet). Growing up in Little Havana, meant morning walks to the corner bakery, with mom, to pick up a ‘colada,’ a traditional cup of Cuban coffee. It’s what Americans would call a shot of expresso except the Cubans f...

Yep, I did my civic duty March 4, and participated in the test run and employee training for the new Hinesville LongHorn Steakhouse. Man did I have my fill. I purposely had an early brunch that day which meant I was more than ready to sample the goods by my 7:30 dinner appointment. And sample I did! Yeah, it was tough ordering that 12 ounce medium-rare New York strip. OK, I did get the side salad and the loaded baked potato. I sliced into the freshly baked honey wheat bread and slathered my piece in butter. Within minutes the steak arrived and it was delicious. Perfectly seasoned and juicy. I had expected to dine on my own, but found two co-workers there. I joined them and they informed me that each table would get either a complimentary appetizer or dessert. They had chosen dessert, which was fine by me. So once dinner was done we ordered the Chocolate Stampede. Within minutes this mountainous tray is placed before us. There it was in all its glory, two slabs of chocol...

As temperatures outside climb it’s time to ditch the chili and soups and head on over to the ice cream isle. Ice cream? That’s not a healthy meal. Well sorry, but I beg to differ. I’m willing to wager that my ice cream is a far better choice than your Quarter Pounder with cheese or Whopper. I love Ben & Jerry’s, Breyers and Haagen-Daz brands. Hey why settle for one brand! The more the merrier, right? And those three brands are making efforts to make my cold and creamy indulgence better for my body. Okay, a tad bit healthier. Take for example Haagen-Daz. Its ice cream has always been produced without using artificial ingredients, gums or stabilizers. But in 2016 it took things one step further producing nine flavors without genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Those flavors included chocolate, chocolate peanut butter, coffee, pineapple coconut, chocolate-chocolate chip, rum raisin, strawberry, vanilla and vanilla bean. I’m a sucker for all things chocolate and can attest ...

I was pleasantly surprised the other day driving into work. There, in the Kroger shopping plaza, was a new eatery called Adobo Filipino. I’ve heard good things about Filipino cuisine but had never tried it. Now I can and so I did. And plan to do so again and again because it was that delicious. The shop opened about a month ago and aims to offer real, authentic Filipino foods. In order to maintain that integrity and attention to detail the entrée menu changes daily. The little bit that I knew of Filipino food was that it has a unique combination of Asian and Spanish influences. The first time I went, they were offering pork adobo, chicken adobo, pork sinigang and bicol express. Adobo I’m somewhat familiar with, as there are similar dishes in the Cuban and Spanish cuisine that cook with adobo. Adobo is a marinade. In the Cuban cuisine it relies heavily on garlic, oregano, salt and a few other herbs and spices. Filipino adobo has more of an Asian influence, including paprik...

On a recent stroll around the Farmers Market, I glanced over at what used to be one of my favorite stops, Uncommon Grounds. Wait! Can this be true? Island Café now open! When did this happen? What do they serve? More importantly can they measure up to the delectable goodies my taste buds had become accustomed too? The door to my former stomping grounds was open and wafting out was the distinct aroma of coffee. In the background a gentle whirring sound beckoned, a blender in action preparing someone’s creamy smoothie. The sign was lit and said open. So I ventured in. I walked up to the register area and grabbed a menu. “Coffee & Friends make the Perfect Blend,” was their motto written on the menu. Yes! It felt like home, familiar and comfortable. I ordered the Hawaiian sliders, which is barbecue pulled pork served on four slider buns with a pickle wedge, and lightly salt and peppered. The combo comes with a drink and a side of chips. I walked around the diner as I wait...