2010 February | Miami Culinary Tours

Archive for February, 2010

South Beach Wine and Food Festival – Sharing Bits & Bites With You!

Posted: Sunday, February 28th, 2010

miami food blogger Miami Culinary Tours attended The Whole Foods Market Grand Tasting Village at the South Beach Wine and Food Festival yesterday (Presented by Food&Wine), and our foodie team was there to bring to you these amazing little bits & bites we have tried! The ninth annual Food Network South Beach Wine and Food Festival brought new flairs and flavors and we have fought our way to the front row just to bring you closer to the experience – if you were not able to attend this unique South Beach Foodie Event, begin imaging how all these bits and bites tasted!

At around 3:00 pm it started to rain but by then everyone was very happy (wine someone?). We have nothing bad to say about the event (I know, hard to believe coming out of our mouths). The SoBe event was the highlight of 2010, well, the year just started but it will be hard to find another food adventure that can compare to this one – we’ll see. We have met wonderful restaurant owners passionate about showing their delicious creations and we have met interesting foodies’ like minds. Below are the most definitely “sublime tastes” of the event at the Whole Foods Market Grand Tasting Village.

avocado pineaple at ninth annual Food Network South Beach Wine and Food Festival

Certified Angus beef - south beach food festival

sushi roll from abokado restaurant

smith & wollensky restaurant in miami beach, FL

texas de brazil on alton road, miami

mint leaf indian brasserie in coral gables, fl 33134

puerto rican food at the SoBe food & wine festival

kung fu kitchen and sushi, 1720 collins anenue

ra sushi bar restaurant in miami

devito restaurant south beach florida

chef george catering

essensia at the palms hotel and spa

Sobe Food tasting event

south beach food and wine festival

meat balls from taverna opa

seacrest grill

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La Estancia Argentina – Best Beef Empanadas in Miami

Posted: Sunday, February 28th, 2010

best empanadas Argentinas in Miami

I drive to La Estancia Argentina in Aventura whenever I have a craving for that perfect empanada, and La Estancia Argentina delivers some of the best empanadas in Miami. If you get there right when they are taking them out of the oven, oh gosh, is truly your lucky day.

My favorites are the “carne cortada a cuchillo” which translate to “knife chopped beef empanadas.”

They are truly the best empanadas you can get at La Estancia Argentina (in my humble opinion). Second choice for me are the regular beef empanadas. These type are so juicy that when you bite into one, you have to have a bid or make sure you have enough napkins on hand or it can get really messy.

There are about 5 or 6 other options but I do not think they are worth the $1.50 apiece besides the beef ones. I tried the ham and cheese and they did not taste good (sorry I know my empanadas), and the spinach and salsa blanca (white sauce) are also not a choice I recommend at La Estancia Argentina.

I like stopping bye this little mercadito because they have very interesting foods, wines and different meat cuts – although I do not shop often there, I get the craving for the juice beed empanadas once in a while.

La Estancia Argentina

17870 Biscayne Boulevard, Aventura

www.laestanciaweb.com

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Miami Culinary Tours launched on Twitter!

Posted: Thursday, February 25th, 2010

Miami Culinary Tours launched on Twitter!

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Mamey Sapote (Tropical Fruit) Mousse Recipe

Posted: Monday, February 22nd, 2010

Ingredients

1 cup mamey pulp 1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon gelatin sprinkle of salt
2 tablespoons cold water 2 cups low fat whipped topping
3 tablespoons boiling water

Preparation

Fresh or frozen mamey pulp can be used. Rub fruit through sieve or put through a food mill to remove any fiber. Soak gelatin in cold water then dissolve in the boiling water. Add sugar and salt to fruit pulp, then add gelatin. Chill until the mixture thickens. Whip until light. Add whipped topping and fold into the mamey mixture. Freeze.

Variations: 2 teaspoons of lemon juice can be added to the pulp if desired, and/or a very small amount of powdered ginger can be used.

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Mamey Fruit Cup – A Tropical Smoothie Quick Recipe

Posted: Monday, February 22nd, 2010

Ingredients

1 cup mamey slices
1/4 cup seedless green grapes
1/4 cup toasted almonds
chopped 2-3 bananas, sliced
1 cup orange sections

Preparation

Combine all ingredients and chill. Serve in individual goblets or stemware with a crisp sugar cookie for a light dessert. Serve 3-4.

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Chilled Mamey and Mango Soup

Posted: Monday, February 22nd, 2010

Ingredients

1 medium mamey
2 tablespoon lime juice
1 cup low fat milk
1 tablespoon ancho chili powder
2 cups mango, pureed ½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup plain low fat yogurt ¼ cup chopped fresh mint laves
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk 1 tablespoon rum extract
To prepare the mamey: Peel the mamey with a sharp knife. Carefully dice about 1 cup of mamey into “crouton” sized cubes; cover and refrigerate, reserving for garnish.

Preparation

Place the remainder of the mamey flesh in a food processor. Puree with milk until smooth. Add the mango puree and pulse together. To prepare the soup: In a large bowl, whisk together the mamey mixture, yogurt and coconut milk. Season with lime juice, chili powder and cumin, then mix in the mint and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
To serve: Ladle the soup into 4 large bowls. Divide up the mamey cubes into each bowl of soup and float 1/4 teaspoon of rum extract on top of each bowl.

Author credit: by Jean Meadows and Mary Jo Oswald. Family & Consumer Sciences University of Florida / IFAS Sarasota County Extension

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What is Mamey Sapote?

Posted: Saturday, February 20th, 2010

Description: The mamey, known as mamey sapote or mamey colorado, is an important fruit in Florida, Mexico, Central American and the West Indies. It is little known elsewhere. The first recorded introduction into southern Florida was during the mid-1880s. Cuban-Americans and Central Americans have helped to establish a small but viable industry in the U.S.

The mamey sapote grows into a handsome, open tree with a thick central trunk and a few large limbs. These trees may grow to a height of 40 feet in Florida and up to 60 feet in some of the tropical rain forests. The fruit is a large berry, shaped like a football, varying in length from 6-9 inches. The skin is thick and woody with a russet brown scruffy surface. The pulp of a mature fruit is salmon pink to red, soft and smooth in texture. The flavor is a sweet, almond like, unique flavor. The fruit will weigh from 1 to 6 pounds. Normally, the fruit contains a simple, large, dark elliptical seed but it may have up to 4 seeds.

Availability: This will vary depending on variety and where it is grown. The main varieties grown in Florida are available January through April and June through September. Since this is a specialty fruit you will probably find it only in specialty markets, particularly the Cuban or Spanish markets. Mamey puree is also available in frozen form, again probably mostly in the specialty markets.
Selection and Care: The fruit can be harvested when the flesh begins to redden, but for home use it should become completely reddish. If the fruit is not completely red when purchased, allow to ripen for a few days at room temperature. Placing the fruit in a brown paper bag will hasten the ripeness. Soft, mature fruits will store well in the refrigerator at 50-55 degrees F.

Nutritional Value: The nutritional composition of 100 g of fresh mamey, which is about 1/8 of a fruit, contains: 107 calories, 1.0 g protein, 0.3 g fat, 28 g carbohydrates, 1.4 g fiber, 86% water, 22 mg calcium, 14 mg phosphorus, 0.9 mg iron, 6 mg sodium, 226 mg potassium, 60 IU vitamin A, and 23 mg vitamin C.

Use & Preparation: The mamey sapote is usually eaten in preparations where the fresh or frozen pulp is mixed with other ingredients to make milkshakes or ice cream. It also may be eaten fresh directly from the fruit by cutting it lengthwise and removing the seed. It is also excellent for use in jellies, pastes and conserves. The fruit lacks acidity and the flavor is improved by the addition of a small amount of lemon or lime juice.

Author credit: by Jean Meadows and Mary Jo Oswald. Family & Consumer Sciences University of Florida / IFAS Sarasota County Extension

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Sugarcane Raw Bar Grill – Daily flatbread & Brussels sprouts with orange and sweet soy

Posted: Saturday, February 13th, 2010

Brussels sprouts with orange and sweet soy

Brussels sprouts with orange and sweet soy – $5

I am starting to discover my perfect place, the one that shows up on my dream – that perfect quick bite place, oh gee, the two times I have been in Sugarcane in Midtown Miami, the experience has been perfect! (it’s such a refreshing surprise to find a smooth experience in Miami), and when I find it, I just fall inlove (I know, it’s weird). So I walk in this beautiful day in midtown Miami (perfect weather, blue sky, a bit chilly, people are smiling). As soon as I walk in Sugarcane, the hostess – which by the way not only she is gorgeous but professional, friendly , and accommodating. I get quickly seated I a perfect spot (all around this place is a perfect spot – good interior design layout).

Love it when the waiter comes quickly to acknowledge your existence. After all I am the one paying for his/her bills (I know this first hand – I have been a waitress all throughout college so don’t judge me for the comment).

I have been offered at Sugarcane their house filtered water, I think it is $2 for it, mhh, you are not going to sell me house filtered water for that price, so I answered “TAB water” when got the water question asked.

The waitress is smiling, attentive and quick, not too pushy, not too “hi I am here, I want to be your friend forever” – she is just very well trained. I say “very well trained” because I do nto think anyone is born with serving talents =) plus she is young, maybe 24? – at this age either you are told how to provide superb service or it is just not there.

Okay, I need to get to the food part of this post cause I feel I am loosing you. I ordered the Brussels sprouts with orange and sweet soy. Oh gee (by the way, I am blogging and sitting at the restaurant right now). I have to stop writing – I am having a moment. Okay, I am back from food heaven. These are the best brussels sprouts I have EVER had. Where to start telling ?! crispy all in the right places, roasted to perfection. There are perfectly cut squares of orange in it which gives a superb acidic yet sweet kick and the sweet soy is to – well, I pretty much would have a barrel of this sweet soy sauce and chug it down right here, right now – I do not care who is looking!

Daily flatbread

Daily flatbread – $10

Then the daily flatbread arrives (total surprise as the ingredients are not described in the menu), but I am feeling positive so I go with it. (hold on again, I am coming back from this delirious , delicious flatbread). Oh my, so flavorful, roasted onions, delicate mini urugula leafs, salted and peppered to PERFECTION. Covered with a cheese that melts in your mouth even after it got cold because I am writing, taking photos, shooting the video – but when I went back to the dish, the same flavors remaind.

Side notes. I needed access to the internet, the floor manager quickly gave me the password – now, that’s nice.

Sugarcane Raw Bar Grill

3250 Ne 1st Ave
Miami,FL 33127
(786) 369-0353
See Map
www.sugarcanerawbargrill.com

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Sugarcane – Midtown Miami – Goat Cheese Croquettes

Posted: Thursday, February 11th, 2010

Goat cheese croquettes with membrillo marmalade $6

I am having a love affair with Sugarcane in Midtown Miami…

As you can see from the pic above, I tried the goat cheese croquettes. Not my favorite dish I have to say, the sauce was too sweet for my taste (sauce you see in brownish color), it tasted something made from a tropical fruit and well is membrillo marmalade so I should have known it was going to sweet, but I think they topped it up a notch – not great (for me), needless to say, they were superb little pieces of melting goal cheese-perfection, and I chugged them down in less than a minute – I tried to pause myself as Sugarcane just opened two weeks ago and servers, hostesses, floor managers are aware of every move each guest does at all times – and I just did not want them to see me ingesting them in 30 seconds – although I swear I would have done it if everyone was looking the other way.