Recipes

It’s not a surprise that I’m interested in good and delicious tacos. As I’m from Mexico, the mother country of tacos, getting tacos is one of my earliest memories. Wherever I live, I make sure I always find good tacos. They’re part of my survival kit. Eating tacos with friends and family is a necessity for me, it goes in the same group as drinking water and getting enough sleep. I can eat tacos every day, maybe even multiple times a day, for the rest of my life. Fortunately, my love for tacos seems to be an American obsession too. …

BY JOHN FORD INGREDIENTS chicken wings cut at the joint discarding the tip, leaving the drumette and wingette 4 Tbsp Old Bay seasoning 4 cups tangy bbq sauce 4 Tbsp hot pepper sauce (John makes his own famous 1901 pepper sauce, but that’s a secret.) PREPARATION Start Charcoal Grill: Prepare HOT grill with a full chimney of briquettes (Use an indirect charcoal set up.) Add 4 Tbsp of Old Bay Seasoning and 4 Tbsp of hot pepper sauce to 4 cups of bbq sauce and mix. Once coals are white, add chicken wings to the grate directly over the coals. …

Congaree Rice Croutons, GYO Pea Shoots, Basil Seed Vinaigrette BY CHEF MIKE RAMSEY, Executive Chef at Jacksonville Golf and Country Club 1 pound Mayport shrimp, peeled (you should have 26-30 per pound) 1 seedless watermelon, peeled and cut into 1’ slices   Jupiter Rice Croutons (see recipe)   Mayhaw Pickling Brine (see recipe)   Basil Seed Vinaigrette (see recipe) 1 cup pea shoots (baby arugula is a good alternative) 2 Tbsp vegetable oil   For the Mayhaw Pickling Brine: ½ cup Congaree & Penn Mayhaw Shrub ¼ cup fresh squeezed lime juice ¼ cup rice wine vinegar ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes …

BY KAMRON PERRY The perfect burger isn’t about a concoction so much as quality ingredients and proper handling. These simple details will make a huge difference in creating the best burger you’ve ever had. Meat: High-quality meat is a must. Coarsely ground beef with 15 to 20 percent fat will give you a great texture and flavor. I use a wonderful grass fed beef from Freshfields Farm that is ground coarsely and always very fresh. Do not overly handle the meat, as this will dramatically affect the texture. Make sure the meat is cold when forming the patties. Wetting your …

The origin of the term “behind the stick” to describe a bartender is a tad murky. The general consensus is that bartenders earned the moniker because they pulled wooden tap handles to serve beer. Today, even bartenders who spend more time on craft cocktails than slinging beer identify as working behind the stick. This column is the first of our new monthly series profiling local bartenders. Pull up a barstool and join me as we learn more about our local scene and must-have drinks this month. I spoke with about his experience in the craft cocktail scene. He has been …

  In the era of heated gun control dialogue I am hesitant to promote any vegetation as “bulletproof”, but here goes. If you want a vegetable that has been promoted as the “New Kale,” try collards. Yep, collards that southern green staple that is usually eaten as a slimy green mass supporting a ham hock thus creating the faux alcohol known as “Pot Liquor.” In the interest of full disclosure, I happen to love an occasional bowl of that liquor especially when served with a rich slab of corn bread. While the cost of triple washed, organic, supermarket kale now …

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. (September 22, 2015) – St. Augustine Distillery is proud to announce that Discovery Series Rum #2, the second of the Discovery Series, will be available to the public on Saturday, October 3rd in the Distillery’s gift shop, located on Riberia Street in downtown St. Augustine. The Discovery Series is a four-part collection of limited release expressions, created during the development of the Distillery’s flagship rum. Each one has been fermented and distilled on-site from select regional sugarcane syrups and molasses in copper pot stills, and then aged in the Distillery’s house-style bourbon barrels for a distinct flavor profile. “Our first Discovery Series rum sold …