Referencing Friday REVIEW: The Florida Keys Cookbook: Recipes and Foodways of Paradise by Victoria Shearer

Think of the Florida Keys and think of a food paradise: fresh from the sea stone crabs, yellowtail snapper, and sweet shrimp; fresh from the dooryard garden key limes, mangoes, avocados, and papayas. Toss in the influence of a variety of ethnic food traditions - from Afro-Caribbean and Cuban to Spanish, Asian, British, German, and Italian - and the result is a diverse and vibrant culinary scene. The cooks of the Florida Keys have been transforming local ingredients into memorable meals for generations, and now so can you.
The Florida Keys Cookbook is a fascinating combination of food history, local lore, and mouthwatering recipes from restaurant chefs and home cooks. With more than 175 recipes, fun archival photographs, and lots of engaging anecdotes, this cookbook lets you capture a taste of the Keys and celebrate its flavors in your own kitchen.
Try these Florida Keys sensations at home:
Crab Claw Bisque
Rosemary Roasted Boniato Fries
Basil-Crusted Yellowtail with Herb-Tomato Sauce
Sautéed Snapper with Champagne-Tarragon Butter Sauce
Wasabi Grilled Grouper
Mama Louise's Jerked Pork Chops
Bourbon Barbecued Baby Backs
Classic Arroz con Pollo
Bahamian Bread Pudding
Calamondin Cake
Key Lime Cheesecake
Tres Leches Cake

My Thoughts

I have been trying to get into eating more locally grown food, which means eating seasonally. So I've been looking for a good "Gulf Coast Florida cooking" kind of cookbook. It's taken awhile for me to find one that really appealed to me, but I spotted this one at the Naples Zoo when I was visiting there with my father and nephew.

This book not only captures the flavors of south Florida, but the "flavor" of south Florida. There are stories about the history of different foods commonly found in this area, which is so much a part of this area. There is a conglomeration of cultures and gastric influences in south Florida: native Seminole, Spanish, English, Bahamian, Cuban, Puerto Rican and more recently Haitian. This book captures those influences beautifully (well, maybe not the Haitian). Mangoes, guavas, pineapple, pork, shrimp, spicy peppers, and black beans. This book is full of them, and they're the flavors that I love.

I'm a fan of chipotle, and this is a recipe I'd love to try. I already have a delicious chipotle-black bean recipe that I enjoy, but this would be a nice hot, cheesy version:


Black Bean-Chipotle Dip with Fresh Tortilla Chips

1 package (8) 8-inch flavored flour tortillas
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped sweet onions, like Vidalia
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup diced plum tomatoes
1/3 cup bottled picante sauce
1/2 tsp chipotle chile powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 (15-0z) can black beans, drained
1 tbs fresh key lime juice
1/4 cup finely shredded Colby Monterey Jack cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut each tortilla into 8 wedges. Place tortilla wedges on ungreased baking sheet. Toast in oven for 8-10 minutes, turning several times, until browned and crispy. Cool chips and store in an airtight container until needed.
2. Heat olive oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, and saute for 4 minutes or until tender.
3. Add diced tomatoes, picante sauce, chile powder, cumin and black beans. Cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until thick. Remove skillet from heat. Partially mash black bean mixture with the back of a wooden spoon or a potato masher.
4. Stir in lime juice. Add cheese and stir until it melts. Serve warm or at room temperature with crispy tortilla chips.

The only drawback with this book is its lack of pictures. I love pictures in cookbooks, but the recipes and food history makes up for the missing pictures. I can't wait to dive into this book!



My Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Referencing Friday: The Pioneer Woman Cooks by Ree Drummond

The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl by Ree Drummond

Synopsis

Paula Deen meets Erma Bombeck in The Pioneer Woman Cooks, Ree Drummond’s spirited, homespun cookbook. Drummond colorfully traces her transition from city life to ranch wife through recipes, photos, and pithy commentary based on her popular, award-winning blog, Confessions of a Pioneer Woman, and whips up delicious, satisfying meals for cowboys and cowgirls alike made from simple, widely available ingredients. The Pioneer Woman Cooks—and with these "Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl," she pleases the palate and tickles the funny bone at the same time.

My Thoughts

I became a fan of Pioneer Woman some months ago when I happened upon her blog one day. I've enjoyed her humor, the glimpses into her life, her children and the handsome Marlboro Man that she married. And now I am enjoying her first book The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl. More than just a cookbook, this book gives you a look into daily life on a working cattle ranch. Full of photographs that she has taken of her family, cattle and bits of her homelife, and stories of how she fell in love with a rancher, her "Pesky Brother-in-Law Tim", and little bits of information like "The Difference Between Chaps and Chinks", this book is a feast, both visually and gastronomically. I can't wait to try the recipe for Pico de Gallo (I've been on a Pico de Gallo kick for months now. I don't know why!) I'm also eager to try the recipe for Spicy Pulled Pork and Sherried Tomato Soup. And the Rib-Eye Steak with Whiskey Cream Sauce looks divine!

Pioneer Woman was also recently spotlighted in People magazines special Country edition. In it she shared a few recipes from her new cookbook. Here is her recipe for Sangria (great for the weekend!):

Sangria
Makes about 3 liters

2 Granny Smith apples, cored and cut into cubes
1 cup green seedless grapes
1 cup red seedless grapes
2 cups pineapple chunks
1 small unpeeled orange, thinly sliced
2 unpeeled lemons, thinly sliced
2 unpeeled limes, thinly sliced
1.5 liter red wine (such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or Pinot Noir), chilled
1.5 liter dry white wine (such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, or Pinot Grigio), chilled
1 cup orange-flavored rum
1 cup orange-flavored vodka
1 cup sugar

Directions:

1. Chop up all of the fruit you'd like. Any fruit is permissible.
   
2. Place the fruit in a large container.
3. Next, start pouring in the liquids.
4. To add a bit of sweetness, dissolve the sugar in 1 cup water and add it to the mix.
5. Stir well, then cover and refrigerate for several hours, giving the fruit and liquids time to meld. Serve in glasses over ice, and have tongs nearby so guests can help themselves to the fruit, which is a hugely delicious treat.

Normally I don't rate my reference books, but this one is just too good not to "rate". This book is destined to become one of my favorite cookbooks. I love the humor and warmth with which it is written, and the only drawbacks that I can see are the lack of nutritional information (which I always appreciate) and the lack of less "hearty" fare (since I'm trying to get myself eating more healthfully once again, and this book is a little heavy on the richness and fat that I need to avoid). Otherwise I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this cookbook!



My Rating: 9.5 out of 10