Sunshine Slate

[Miami, FL] Do you know where you green beans have been? It says where they came from right there on the label, right? As consumers, we don’t have the time and the resources to trace the origins of everything we eat. That’s why people need to be able to trust food labels, especially for organic [...]

[Hallandale Beach, FL] Oranges and key lime pie may be the foods that first come to mind when you think of Florida. But between the rows of citrus trees in the Sunshine State, there are many more unique and obscure culinary delights to be found. Whether you’re in the mood to eat an alligator or [...]

[Rockledge, FL] Sometimes you have to use language that inspires a population into action. And right now, revolution is pretty high on the list of tinderbox-touchy words that are not cool to just casually throw around. “War” used to be one of those words until FOX News came along. The “War On Christmas?” Really? But [...]

[Orlando, FL] The 72-Hour Braised Angus Beef Rib Sandwich from the Fork In The Road food truck is one of the favorites of the Central Florida food truck scene. Sunshine Slate spoke to Chef Bryce to learn more about this great sandwich and find out how to make a similar sandwich at home. Take it away, [...]

[St. Petersburg, FL] Symbiosis is defined as “close and often long-term interaction between different biological species.” This came to mind as the Citizens United case has conferred ‘personhood’ on corporations. In St. Petersburg, predominately corporate interests have been acting as white cells, attacking the rights of food trucks and mobile vendors to operate in the [...]

[Orlando, FL] On Sunday night, I was in the parking lot of Anthem College, which is next to the Orlando Fashion Square Mall. I was there with hundreds of other people. The draw? The Daily City Food Truck Bazaar. Yet right next door in the Orlando Fashion Square, the mall food court is a ghost [...]

There is controversy afoot in St. Petersburg over establishing guidelines for food trucks in St. Petersburg. Food trucks are mobile kitchens that have become quite the trend in cuisine as of late, even making a splash nationally on television. Many are sophisticated operations with some even run by chefs and/or restauranteurs. Up until January, it [...]

[Orlando, FL] A fork in the road is a common example of bifurcation. Robert Frost in his classic 1916 poem The Road Not Taken wrote: I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less traveled by, And [...]

[Tallahassee, FL] A bill that would eliminate “non-healthy, non-staple” foods from those permitted under food assistance guidelines sparked a tart debate in the Senate Children, Families and Elder Affairs Committee on Wednesday. The bill (SB 1658), sponsored by committee Chairwoman Ronda Storms (R-10/Valrico) would prohibit people who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) money from [...]

[Tallahassee, FL] The Florida school lunch and food nutrition program will be part of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam pushed for a bill, passed earlier this year, that moves the school lunch and food program from the Department of Education to Agriculture, where Putnam argued it made more [...]

The Globally Inspired Menu Highlights Different Culinary Flavors Found In Exotic Locales By: Simone Zarmati Diament Pearl Restaurant & Champagne Lounge, Jack & Lucia Penrod’s 8,000-square-foot orange and white Euro–chic resto-lounge on the second floor of Nikki Beach in Miami Beach has reopened with a new oceanfront terrace and ceviche bar. The Pearl first opened [...]

The Columbia Restaurant Chain Debuts A New Rum, Whiskey & Wine Lines By: Simone Zarmati Diament The Columbia Restaurant, Florida’s Oldest Restaurant, was founded in 1905 in Ybor City. In 1902, Casimiro Hernandez, Sr., the “Don” of the Hernandez-Gonzmart generations had  left his home in Havana for a new life in Ybor City, the cigar [...]

[Franklin, TN] Sure, we’re happy that Jacksonville’s Teresa Jacobson’s was awarded a blue ribbon for her Domestic Goddess Cake by Just A Pinch food editor Janet Tharpe. But we just wanted to share her recipe, so that you too could be a domestic goddess (or god) in your own home. Jacobson’s “full-flavored, festive dish that [...]

Farm-To-Table Philosophy And An Amazing View By: Simone Zarmati Diament [Miami, FL] Tuyo (meaning yours in Spanish)  has opened atop Miami Dade College’s new Miami Culinary Institute, offering a spectacular view of the bay and Miami skyline.   Executive Chef Norman Van Aken and sous-chefs Travis Starwalt and Jeffrey Brana, two chefs who worked with [...]

Globally Inspired Cuisine Meets Miami Style By: Simone Zarmati Diament [Miami, FL] The South African born Chef Jacques Van Staden, who as vice president and master chef of culinary operations for Celebrity Cruises made the “Qsine” concept famous, is now chef/owner of Chophouse Miami Bistro & Lounge. He is assisted by his brother, Pieter Van [...]

[Homestead, FL] Florida is in the news yet again. An excellent article in The New York Times looks into the growing trend in quick-service restaurants: selling beer and wine to bolster its bottom line. It is no secret that the profit margins on alcohol are through the roof as compared to shilling burgers for a [...]

[Fort Lauderdale, FL] A beloved Florida sports figure is launching a new chain of fast-casual dining outlets. Don Shula, the former coach of the Miami Dolphins who led the team to two Super Bowl victories back in the ’70s, has announced his latest foray into the restaurant industry: Shula Burger. “This is an exciting concept [...]

The Fish Turns Out Thick, Juicy Filets And Chefs Favor Its Consistent Flavor By: Simone Zarmati Diament [Miami, FL] Amazone paiche – the next big culinary item since Chilean sea bass – is making its South Florida debut at Miami’s high-profile restaurants and events. After a successful  preview during Restaurant Week in New York City, [...]

Edible Organic Gardens Become Classrooms At Two Miami Culinary Universities By: Becca Jane Griesemer [Miami, FL] First lady Michelle Obama’s initiative in the White House to get Americans to be healthy and stay fit has not only trickled down to the public, but has also become part of the curriculum in schools and universities. In [...]

[Tallahassee, FL] The Executive Chef at the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services serves up a another winning dish, this time utilizing fresh Florida grouper. A perfect dish for the end of summer. And it incorporates many scrumptious Fresh From Florida ingredients, such as zucchini, peppers, onion and cherry tomatoes. Make sure to take [...]