Still looking for Christmas gifts? Tickets for the 2009 South Beach Wine & Food Festival will have a 10% off holiday discount starting tomorrow, December 12 through next Friday, December 19. Take advantage of the savings — the tickets don’t come cheap. For a full schedule of events, go here.
Also, take a peek at some of my experiences last year at the festival here and here.
The Miami Book Fair International street fair is going on this weekend and like in previous years it brings its share of food reads. If you go, don’t miss…
Saturday, November 15
10:00 a.m. ~ Fabulous Food
Sheila Lukinson on Ten: All the Foods We Love and Ten Perfect Recipes for Each and Steven Raichlenon The Barbecue Bible: 10th Anniversary Edition
Room 3208/09
Sunday, November 16
11:00 a.m.
Linda Gassenheimer on Meals in Minutes for People with Diabetes, Nino Pernetti on Caffe Abbracci Cookbook, and Shirley Corriher on Bakewise: The Hows and Whys of Successful Baking
Room 7174/75
12:30 p.m.
Michelle Bernstein on Fresh Tastes and a World of Flavors from Michy’s Miami Kitchen, Ingrid Hoffmann on A Collection of Everyday Recipes with a Latin Twist, and Andrew Carmellini on Urban Italian
Room 7174/75
On the non-food side, I’m also looking forward to Frank McCourt, Zoe Valdes and Laura Restrepo
Tickets are $5. See full schedule here.
In the past few months, I’ve tried to cut down on my trips to dine out — at least to dine out at pricey establishments. Not only am I in frugal mode, but I have a wedding to pay for. I can’t say I’ve been making up for that by cooking elaborate meals, but there are simple meals that just satisfy. I discovered this recipe some five years ago and hadn’t made it in a while. It’s so easy, I love it.
Grilled Portobello Quesadilla*
Ingredients
- 3 tbspoons olive oil
- 2 tbspoons balsamic vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4-5 (about 1 lb) portobello mushrooms, clean and without stems
- 4 10-inch tortillas flour
- 8 oz. Monterrey Jack cheese, grated
- 2 scallions sliced
Preparation
Mix olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper in a bowl. Coat the portobellos with mixture on both sides and place on grill stem side up. Grill for about 10 minutes and turn. When tender, remove the portobellos from the grill and slice.
Assemble the quesadillas by placing the cheese, sliced mushrooms and scallions on a tortilla. Cover it with another tortilla and place back on the grill for 3-5 minutes until the cheese is melted and the tortilla slightly charred.
I like to cut the quesadilla into four pieces with a pizza slicer to serve.
Garnish with sour cream, guacamole or salsa.
*Adapted from Martha Stewart’s Everday Food
Slow Food Miami is hosting a dinner at Lido at the Standard Hotel featuring Navajo-Churro lamb on Wednesday, October 22. A species that was close to extinction twice, the Navajo Churro sheep was the earliest breed of domesticated farm animal in North America, arriving in the United States in the 16th century. Its meat flavor is described as delicate and sweet.
Lido’s chef Mark Zeitouni will prepare the lamb four ways in Mediterranean style and accompany it with a variety of mezzes and side dishes. Tickets are $45 per person. Event starts at 6:30 p.m. with a reception, followed by dinner from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. If you’re lucky enough to not have a day job, go between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to enjoy hanman baths or a sunset swim before dinner. It’s complimentary for Slow Food diners.
Navajo-Churro Sheep Association
Update: Corrected day of the event to Wednesday from Thursday. Tickets are available through the Slow Food website linked to above.
The Standard Hotel and Spa
40 Island Avenue, Miami Beach
305.673.1717
One of my favorite comfort food spots is now in the Gables. La Moon Restaurant opened two weeks ago on the corner of Ponce de Leon and Navarre. Now I have the temptation of their Colombian food near work and closer to home. We visited and were quite impressed with the new space. It’s much larger than the original 8th Street location and the owners have put in a little more into decorating the place, though it still maintains its homey atmosphere. Plus, it has a full bar. The owners, who we’ve come to know well from our frequent visits for work lunches, were happy to report that their lunch hour is already doing quite well.
La Moon Restaurant
1930 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Coral Gables
305.444.1654/55
144 SW 8th Street
305.860.6209
www.lamoonrestaurant.com
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