I write about food/wine, recipes, restaurants, travel, hotels, education, family, health/medicine/wellness, culture, arts/literature, home/garden, dogs/cats, Miami/Florida. 2 MFAs; 20 books.
Newly Debuted Lion & the Rambler Adjusts Menu to Fit Expectations
The trend toward restaurants that only offer pricey omakase and prix-fixe, counter-tasting menus in Miami and elsewhere is not slowing down despite rising inflation and an impending recession. The more complex the plating and intricate the beverage pairings, the more we're here for it, it seems.
Until we're not.
This is what chef-owner Michael Bolen discovered when he opened the tasting menu-only Lion & the Rambler in Coral Gables in mid-June. His ever-changing nine-course menu was priced at ...
Can Drinking or Eating Olive Oil Help Heal Your Sunburn?
Olive oil's anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties might help soothe sunburned skin from the inside out—and research shows that drinking or eating olive oil may even provide some pain relief.
As the extreme heat continues across the country this summer, those of us who need or like to spend time outdoors sometimes suffer the consequences of sunburns, despite our best efforts with SPF creams and sun-protective clothing. However, one of the easiest ways to help heal your sore or damaged s...
The Best Smokeless Indoor Grills of 2022
Photo: Jen Karetnick
Grilling outdoors with a charcoal or a gas grill is an excellent way to prepare a meal, but cooking outside isn’t always possible. Inclement weather can sideline an outdoor grill. And those who live in an apartment or a condo might not have the option to cook outdoors. In these cases, fortunately, smokeless indoor grills make it possible to grill inside right in the kitchen.
These electric smokeless grills are suitable for indoor use because they use an electric heating e...
The 12 Most Dangerous Mistakes You Can Make With Your Pool
Owning a swimming pool can be awesome. It’s also an awesome responsibility, as open standing water of any kind is a potential safety hazard. Anyone can slip and fall on the pool deck and end up in the water. Pets and wildlife can also slip into pools and be unable to find their way out. Additionally, kids can enter a backyard with a pool without homeowners’ knowledge. In 2021, the Consumer Product Safety Commission reported drownings to be the most common cause of death among toddlers and on ...
Got Mangos: Five Ways to Use Them That Don't Involve Smoothies
Just as there's always a day that celebrates some food substance or other, there are also always seasons to revel in. But unlike the marketing tools that are the former, the latter are naturally occurring. And right now it’s mango season, a time of year that’s near and dear to the hearts of many South Floridians.
At least, it’s close to our hearts at the beginning of mango season, when the first ovals of colorful, fragrant fruit begin to fall. You treasure each and every one, fighting off the...
Do Bananas Lose Fiber When They Ripen?
Underripe bananas contain more of the prebiotic fiber called resistant starch, while ripe bananas contain less. Which one should you eat? We say: eat both.
Bananas change in flavor and appearance as they ripen. But do they change in their nutritional constitution? As they go from green and firm to yellow and soft, do they lose some of their fiber content? Not exactly. Monica Auslander Moreno, M.S., RD, LDN, founder of Essence Nutrition in Miami, says, "[A banana] doesn't lose fiber, but the f...
Blind Tiger Is a Secret Omakase Den in Aventura
Miami diners love to see luxury, trendiness, and exclusivity in their restaurants. Locals can get that golden trio at Blind Tiger, an omakase den that debuted in April, hidden behind Reunion Ktchn Bar (RKB) in Aventura.
Like a speakeasy, the 26-seat room, spare and elegant in design, can be found via a secret passageway inside RKB. Diners must request an invite to make a reservation, which, once received, entitles them to choose between two seatings — a 6 p.m. (13 courses for $120) or a 9 p.m...
Todd English Will Fly to Miami to Prepare a $12,000-a-Plate Dinner on a Superyacht
If you have $12,000 to blow — or hey, just sold your house to a startup bro from Silicon Valley for five times what it’s worth — and you’re looking for something super-extra to do this F1 Miami Grand Prix weekend, you can go for the gold.
Literally.
On Saturday, May 7, chef Todd English will partner with My Yacht Group to host a $12,000-per-plate, 12-course UHNW (Ultra High Net Worth) investor summit dinner aboard the M/Y Gene Chaser, a 185-foot superyacht. The Gene Chaser is the support vess...
Pretty Swell, the New Restaurant at Life House, South of Fifth, Is Pretty Chill
With its calm, flat water, Miami Beach is not generally known for its surf scene. In fact, more than half the time, there’s generally no swell at all on which to ride a board. But that hasn’t stopped Pretty Swell, the new restaurant at the Life House, South of Fifth hotel from naming itself after the nearby pier and seawall that do give rise to waves that are, at least some of the time, more than a foot and a half high.
But as much as the indoor-outdoor café draws inspiration from and honors ...
The Best Vacuum Sealers of 2022
Photo: Jen Karetnick
A vacuum sealer removes most of the air from food packaging to extend the food’s shelf life while preventing freezer burn. According to manufacturers, when vacuum sealed, food lasts five times longer than it would with traditional storage methods. Home cooks who buy in bulk, hunt, or use a sous vide device can benefit from adding a vacuum sealer to their kitchen equipment. A vacuum sealer also comes in handy when storing seasonal produce from the garden or farmers market ...
Easter Desserts for the Whole Family: Cookie-and-Strawberry Rice Krispies Treats
Easter desserts are the focal point of any Easter gathering, and these cookie-and-strawberry Rice Krispies treats will have your guests begging for more.
The association of Easter with eggs is well documented. Look no further than your local market or grocery store around the beginning of spring to see evidence of this connection. From a religious perspective, eggs stand for r...
The Most Miami Things to Eat and Drink at the Miami Open This Weekend
As the Miami Open heads into its final matches at Hard Rock Stadium this weekend, it’s time to get served. This year, a number of beloved Miami brands are sporting pop-ups at the tournament. Check out the five most Miami creations you should be consuming — in addition to tennis, of course — while you’re there.
The Ace Paloma
With a generous dollop of Maestro Dobel diamante tequila and a plethora of citrus flavorings — fresh lime juice, fresh grapefruit juice, and grapefruit soda — this offici...
6 Foods You Should Never Vacuum Seal
Vacuum sealers can help keep foods fresher longer in the pantry, fridge, or freezer. Sealing raw onions and a few other foods, however, can get icky pretty quickly.
Vacuum sealers are lifesavers, particularly for those with busy schedules. These useful appliances preserve, protect, and prolong the shelf life of food in the pantry, refrigerator, and freezer. You can vacuum seal snack-size or dinner portions of fare while saving fridge space in the process.
Though vacuum sealing is a terrific c...
Essential Ingredients in the Polish Pantry
You don't need a specialty store to make traditional Polish cuisine. You can shop at your regular supermarket for items to create authentic dishes.
To make authentic Polish dishes, you only need to shop at a regular supermarket. While it's helpful to have some European sour, acid-set fresh cheeses like twaróg (quark), you can substitute that with ricotta or even farmer's cheese if you can't find it. I'm fortunate enough to have a terrific Russian grocery, Marky's, near me where I can get such...