Winter Getaway – The Gasparilla Inn & Club

By Chef Judi Gallagher - An oasis on a Florida barrier island, The Gasparilla Inn welcomes Presidents, generations of families from Texas and Michigan to Massachusetts and Illinois, the best tarpon fishing in the world and boasts as one of the best 10 golf resorts in the world. The resort, in the city of Boca Grande, also hosts an annual food and wine weekend. There are only 60 certified Master Chefs in the world, Executive...

When it’s chilly, cook chili

By Marsha Fottler - One of America’s favorite dishes, chili, has nothing to do with the country of Chile but everything to do with the chili pepper and lots of other hot spices too. This one-pot meal is the go-to dish for home cooks needing to feed a crowd a tasty meal that keeps ingredient costs low and flavor intensity high. Condiments such as shredded cheese, sour cream or crushed taco chips make a chili meal a...

A Sip & A Taste of South Africa

By Carol-Ann Warr and Kaye Warr - The South African wine industry is one of the oldest in the world and one of the newest. The first vines were planted by Dutch settlers to fight scurvy in the Cape at the southern tip of Africa in the 17th Century. It is said that Napoleon in exile soothed his troubled soul with the help of the legendary dessert wines from this region. Winemaking thrived in South Africa until Apartheid forced...

New Year, New Food Trends

By Chef Judi Gallagher - Happy New Year, everyone! Here’s to a 2012 that’s filled with family, friends and food. While I certainly have a reserve of favorite recipes and restaurant dishes that I make and order time and time again, I also find that there’s nothing more exciting than plotting out new culinary trends. So here are the items that I and other food experts are predicting will be big in 2012. Share your own...

Kitchen Resolutions 2012

By Marsha Fottler - Do these things within the month of January and enjoy the results all year long. A clean, efficient and de-cluttered kitchen in a genuine luxury. * Wash down inside of cabinets, replace shelf paper (with something fun) or paint the inside of your cabinets. Use high gloss paint for easy clean up ever after. * Throw away most of your spices and start fresh. Resolve to buy spices in smaller quantities. Most...

Gourmet Highway: Florida at 500

By Doc Lawrence - I’ve dreamed of meeting a king or queen someday. Soon, there will be an opportunity, one that doesn’t require leaving Florida. Spain’s King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia, according to insiders, will be in Florida early next year to take part in the ceremonies honoring the 500th anniversary of Florida’s discovery by Spain’s legendary explorer, Juan Ponce de Leon. These intrepid Spanish explorers...