GOURMET HIGHWAY: Ab the Flagman, Blues and Old Glo...

By Doc Lawrence - SANFORD, FL-Florida’s interior is very different from the resort glitz of Miami Beach. In vibrant Sanford, you find what tourism officials call original Florida, a place where settlers came and stayed and even today, food reflects the agriculture of the state. Here, farm-to-table isn’t a marketing slogan, it’s a way of life. Jeanine Taylor’s renowned art gallery in downtown Sanford specializes in...

The No-Grill Steak

By Chef Judi Gallagher - Steak on the grill is an American classic and when most of us buy a steak, we assume it’s going straight to the gas or charcoal grill. But, I know from years of cooking in my own restaurants and eating in other quality chef-owned establishments that grilling is just one option for cooking the perfect steak. There are no culinary rules that mandate all steaks have to be grilled for perfect flavor and...

Mmm, Meringue

By Chef Judi Gallagher - Meringue. It’s a fun word to say, isn’t it? And even better, it’s a fun thing to eat. Meringue cookies, those cloud-like confections made from whipped egg whites and sugar (and sometimes flavored with an extract), are one of my favorite sweet treats. They’ve become quite popular lately and come in lots of colors. Check out your grocery store’s bakery if you don’t believe me. I always see...

The Great Chocolate Crossover

By Marsha Fottler - Most eaters and cooks in the United States are used to seeing chocolate on the dessert side of the menu. That’s changing. Chocolate as an ingredient is crossing over to the appetizer and entree categories and it’s happening fast. Restaurant chefs and home cooks all over the country are experimenting with the culinary possibilities of chocolate as a delicious way to add complexity and richness to the...

The Big Green Egg and I

By Chef Judi Gallagher - In the past two years I have started to hear a little chirp building steadily into a large blown-out buzz among the grillers and smokers (not Camels) in our group of friends. When I first heard of the Big Green Egg, I thought it might be the long awaited sequel to Dr. Seuss’s “Green Eggs and Ham.” It kind of became ‘cult’ chat. I was hearing things like, “Have you done the turkey...

Eating in the Land of U2

By Marsha Fottler - Tourists flock Ireland to see the ruins, castles, rugged scenery, the lively city of Dublin, formal gardens and to enjoy traditional music and the company of the of friendliest people anywhere. Then there’s Ireland’s most famous export – the phenomenally popular rock band U2 and its leader Bono. You hear U2 music everywhere in Ireland and Bono (Paul David Hewson) is Dublin born and raised and he...