Gourmet Pleasures November 2018

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NOVEMBER 2018

Cover

FOOD TRUCKS

4 FOOD & FITNESS:

Nutritional supplements

6 MIAMI’S TOP TEN: 20 TRAVEL: Joe’s Stone Crabs

Bachata Rosa

CEO’S LETTER

Our cover story this month is about food trucks. You may think that is strange, since when you think of the month of November your thoughts immediately go to Thanksgiving.

Gourmet Pleasures felt that this time of the year you, the reader, are inundated with food shows, articles and online recipes all centered around Thanksgiving and you don’t need, nor want, another magazine with a turkey on the cover. Of course, we couldn’t resist including in the issue my personal recipes for deep fried turkey and eggnog.

If you are a frequent reader of Gourmet Pleasures, and we hope you are, you are now well aware of my love of travel. Recently, I was able to spend a long weekend in the Dominican Republic, more specifically the resort city of Punta Cana, and dined at Bachata Rose. I hope you enjoy my review. My Gourmet Diary this month is about another “foreign” dining adventure, Manko in Paris. What an amazing dining experience.

I love my job! Last month’s cover story was about Florida Stone Crabs. Since we published the magazine prior to the official opening of the “season”, we were unable to do a current restaurant review concerning where to go to eat this delicacy, so this month’s Top Ten Restaurant is Joe’s Stone Crabs. This is our absolute first choice when we want stone crabs. After eating there it is easy to understand how they have stayed in business and been so successful for 105 seasons.

I hope you enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and friends. Again, thank you for your continued support and positive feedback.

Rene Buroz CEO/Founder

Content: 2 CULTURAL CORNER:

32 GUILTY PLEASURES:

4 FOOD & FITNESS:

36 GOURMET DIARY:

Padrino’s

Nutritional supplements

6 MIAMI’S TOP TEN:

Deep-fried turkey Manko Paris

Joe’s Stone Crabs

12 COVER STORY: Food trucks

20 TRAVEL: Bachata Rosa

28 CHEERS: Eggnog

FOUNDER/CEO Gourmet Pleasures Rene Buroz (2018) Editor in Chief/ Creative Design Margie Castro Senior Editor: Ellen Rosenfeld Assosiate editor: Oswaldo Pisfil Editorial@gourmetpleasures.com PHOTOGRAPHY GP Photography @ReneGourmet @DroneProductions

CONTRIBUTORS Gabriela Morales Alex Forster Hillarin Soto Matt Wagner Lili Tique PUBLISHED BY Stage Wynwood LLC 2018 Head Office: 350 S. Miami Ave Ste. A Miami, Fl. 33130

FOR OTHER ENQUIRIES, PLEASE VISIT: www.GourmetPleasures.com © Copyright 2018 Gourmet Pleasures. All rights reserved. While the publishers have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of all information in this magazine, they will not be held responsible for any errors therein. @GourmetPleasures

Email: Contact@gourmetpleasures.com

NOV 2018 GOURMET PLEASURES | 1

PADRINO’S By @ReneGourmet

F

or decades South Florida has been the favored destination for millions of immigrants, from different parts of the world, seeking a better life for themselves and their families.

No one group has become more influential to our community than the Cuban population.

With their relocation, the Cuban people brought with them their culture and, most important to Gourmet Pleasures, their gastronomy. From simple empanada stands, iconic restaurants such as Versaille, and chain restaurants like La Carreta and Padrino’s Cuban Cuisine, Cuban cuisine has become an important contributor to our dining options in Miami.

Gourmet Pleasures recently had lunch at the Hallandale location of Padrino’s Cuban Cuisine.

According to their website, Padrino’s started out as a small food market and winery in 1930’s Cuban.

After the family emigrated from their homeland 2 | www.GourmetPleasures.com

Plantain chips

and settled in South Florida, they opened their first restaurant in Hialeah in 1972. Their menu is simple, but complete. We were pleasantly surprised that they offer a full buffet at lunchtime that includes salads, various types of rice, meat, chicken and fish for the very reasonable price of $10.99.

After deciding to forgo the buffet and listening to the suggestions of our waitress, we ordered the Cuban Combination. The dish consisted of various appetizers including beef empanadas, plantain chips, yucca croquettes, ham croquettes and Cuban tamal. The empanadas were juicy and not at all greasy, the croquettes crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside and the plantain chips were cooked to perfection.

We followed this with an order of roasted lechon ( pork), an icon of Cuban cuisine. The meat was tender and extremely flavorful. This dish comes with your choice of three side dishes. Another dish we

Cultural Corner sampled was the Ropa Vieja, a delicious shredded beef cooked with green peppers and onions in a delicate tomato sauce. One of the side dishes that stood out was the Congri, a mixture of rice and black been sprinkled with spices and green peppers.

Padrino’s is a restaurant dedicated to serving authentic Cuban cuisine. For a very enjoyable meal, we recommend that you visit one of their locations. lechon

Owner

Picadillo empanadas

2500 E Hallandale Beach Blvd, Hallandale Beach, FL 33009 (954) 456-4550 padrinos.com

moros

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Nutritional Supplem for Serious Cyclist

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ments ts

Food & Fitness

By @ReneGourmet Gourmet Pleasures recently went shopping for a new bicycle and visited a prestigious specialty store in Miami. While we were browsing around we had the opportunity to see the new nutritional supplements that are available for serious cyclists.

We want to call your attention to the following that we think you might be interested in.

1. Hammer Nutrition Race Day Boost - Cyclists in a 40K time trial reported an impressive 8% improvement in performance time after they used this product.

2- Hammer Nutrition PSA CAPS- Reduces overlyfrequent urination and nighttime trips to the restroom by protecting and restoring the health of the prostate gland.

3- Osmo Preload Hydration for Woman-

Recommended only for ultra- endurance or hot climate events, this counteracts changes in estrogen and progesterone which affect plasma volume and reduces the ability to hit high intensities.

4- PreRace by 1st Endurance. - PreRace provides all the necessary ingredients needed to increase mental stamina, maximum workload, and oxygenation of muscles, while improving mental clarity and decreasing exhaustion.

5- Endurance Fuel by Tailwind. - This can be used as your all-in-one nutritional source as it contains the perfect ratio of calories, electrolytes and hydration.

These are just a few of the specialized products for serious cyclists For more information visit your favorite store or website.

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MIAMI’S TOP TEN:

Joe’s Stone Crabs By @ReneGourmet

If we could only use two words to summarize our recent visit to Joe’s Stone Crabs we would simply say “incredible dinner”.

Stone Crabs 6 | www.GourmetPleasures.com

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Key Lime Pie

Fried Chicken

J

oe’s recently reopened for their 105th season (they close for several months over the summer) and their longevity can be explained by their excellent food and stellar service.

Taking precautions to avoid a long wait, since the restaurant does not accept reservations, we arrived at 6:00 on a Wednesday evening.

We were immediately escorted to our table by the hostess who very professional and welcoming and thanked us for coming.

In less than a half hour the restaurant was already full and had a crowd waiting to be seated. The decor is classic with an outdoor terrace with garden furniture and a “no nonsense” dining room with wood tables dressed in white linen and china. There is also a large bar area where you can enjoy a cocktail, or two, while waiting for a table.

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We were greeted by our waiter who told us his name was Don “but if you have any complaints my name is Jeff”.

Don, we have no complaints only compliments for your incredible service. He suggested some dishes but we relied on our senior editor, Ellen Rosenfeld, who has been visiting Joe’s for more years than she will reveal. To start, we had the cole slaw which consisted of delicate and crunchy sliced cabbage mixed with sweet cider vinegar and mayonnaise and topped with sweet pickle relish. It is served with two large and perfect slices of tomato.

It was both unique and delicious.

We also ordered a half dozen oysters. Don asked if we wanted east coast or west coast and sensing our indecision he suggested that he would split the order and pick out what he thought were the best

ones. We’ll let Don pick our oysters anything he wants since the “oyster expert” at our table said these were the best oysters he had ever eaten. Obviously we order the Stone Crabs. Joe’s offers four different sizes; medium, select, large and jumbo.

Since we had done some research on Stone Crabs, as it was our cover story last month, we ordered the select knowing that all sizes taste the same and the select was the best “value” because you are getting the most amount of meat per order. The Stone Crabs were so fresh we imagined that they had just been caught that morning. They were soft, succulent and delicious and perfectly cracked making them easy to enjoy. We loved the mustard sauce but with or without the sauce they were exquisite. Incredibly the surprise of the evening was not

the Stone Crabs but Joe’s Fried Chicken. Yes, this Stone Crab destination, makes the best fried chicken we have ever had. The serving consists of half of a three pound free range chicken, which comes from one of the biggest and best purveyors of chicken in the U.S. It was perfectly cooked and not greasy at all. It was a beautiful golden color, with a crispy batter and tender and juicy meat. I personally tried the breast and wing, my favorite parts, and they were sensational.

This is now on our mandatory must order list whenever we dine at Joe’s.

We would also like to mention that this fried chicken is “cheap”. Four large pieces of chicken cost $6.95.

For dessert, we ordered another signature dish “Joe’s Famous Key Lime Pie” Key lime pie is the unofficial dessert of Florida and many people will argue that Joe’s is the best in the country. It had a traditional graham cracker crust topped by a smooth and creamy key lime filling. The filling had the perfect balance of sweet and citrus.

It was served with a dollop of fresh whipped cream on the top. It was the ideal end to our amazing dinner.

The food, service and classic atmosphere at Joe’s Stone Crabs is superb. All of these things make Joe’s Stone Crabs one of our top 10 restaurants in Miami deserving of our “Gourmet Pleasures” award.

Black Mussels

Stone Crabs

FIND THEM AT

11 Washington Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139 (305) 673-0365

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Stone crabs

Stone crab with mustard sauce

10 | www.GourmetPleasures.com

This Month’s Award We had the pleasure of presenting Joe’s Stone Crabs with the Gourmet Pleasures Award for being one of the top ten restaurants in Miami. Congrats from our team!!

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NOV 2018 GOURMET PLEASURES | 11

FOOD TRUCKS: A New Way of Eating

12 | www.GourmetPleasures.com

By @ReneGourmet

Who said that in order to eat well you must visit “fancy� restaurants and spend a lot of money? Times have changed and every day there are more and more commercial establishments that sell food.

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Japanese matcha and bean ice cream

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W

ith this boom not only have new “traditional” dining spots proliferated, but there are a series of gastronomic alternations that have grown in number such as food carts, trailers and trucks.

Recently there have been several shows on tv featuring food trucks such as “the Great Food Truck Race” and Andrew Zimmern’s “Big Food Truck Tip”, so many people assume that mobile dining establishments are a new concept. They’re not. Their origin can be traced back to the 1800’s, predating the invention of the automobile. If you have ever watched an old western movie, you probably saw “chuck wagons” These were the wagon trains that traveled with the cowboys during the “wild west”. They were responsible for serving the men their daily meals. Since those early days, the evolution of food trucks has most definitely evolved. Everyday we see more innovative and sophisticated models on the roads and street corner of cities around the world.

There are different categories within the general concept of food trucks. The most basic is the food carts which are usually small in size. These carts usually operate with propane tanks or small electrical generators. Think of the hot dog stands or pretzel carts that fill the streets of New York City.

Then we have the food trailers. These are vehicles without motors and must be towed and parked in

Local food truck

Venezuelan food trailer NOV 2018 GOURMET PLEASURES | 15

order to open for business. Their sizes usually range from 12 to 48 feet. They also use propane tanks for operations, but they usually rely on electrical energy that allows them to operate their large refrigerators and microwaves. Their storage capacity is much larger than the food carts affording them the ability to offer a wider range of food options to their customers.

Then we have the elite of the mobile eating establishment, the food trucks. Their sizes range depending on the brand and can reach up to 48 feet.

They have been adapted to function as street “kitchens”.They operate on both propane and electricity and there is not much that they can’t accomplish. One of their advantages, over food trailers, is that they can change locations quickly, as they do not need to be towed. On the other hand, if anything mechanical goes wrong they are out of commission. Many new aspiring chefs have decided to open food trucks rather than a brick and mortar location because of the lower cost of opening and daily operations. There is usually no need to purchase a property or pay monthly rent and they can quickly change locations if road construction negatively affects their business. Many wonderful, and highly successful. restaurants have gone out of business due to city street closures and detours.

The energy costs needed to cook on a food truck is usually lower and they can effectively operate with a limited amount of personal. All they usually need is one or two chefs, a kitchen assistant and a person to take the orders, deliver the food and collect the money. There is also no need for an employee to wash dishes, since the serving containers and silverware are disposable. However, all is not “rosy” in the world of food trucks. Many have to constantly look for a place to park where there will be a lot of foot traffic. Some food truck owners solve that problem by paying rent for a lot. Many diners are reluctant to eat at these trucks as they can be uncomfortable, as there are no tables and chairs or any restroom facilities. Every city has regulations governing food truck operations and in some cities this include having the support of a traditional restaurant as to be able to dispose of their dirty water and grease.

In South Florida there are multiple sites that have a significant number of Food Trucks, 1- Food Truck Fest at Haulover Park, every Tuesday from 5:00 PM at Haulover Park 10800 Collins Avenue Miami Beach, FL 33154 16 | www.GourmetPleasures.com

Airstream mobile bar

Chestnust

Traditional Fishing Boat

2- Food Truck Fest at Virginia Key, every Thursday from 5:00 PM at MAST Academy Rickenbacker Causeway 3979 Rickenbacker Causeway Miami, FL 33149 3- Food Truck Fest at Tamiami Park, every Friday from 5:00 PM at Tamiami park 11201 Southwest 24th Street Miami, FL 33165 4- Food Truck Fest at North Bay Village, every Wednesday from 5:00 PM at Pelican Harbor Marina 1275 Northeast 79th Street Miami, FL 33138 5- Food Trucks at Arts Park, every Monday from 5:30 PM at 1 N Young Circle, Hollywood Fl. 33020.

We hope you try some of these events and share your thoughts with us.

Food truck fair

Original food vendors

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Bachata Ros

Risotto Chivo 20 | www.GourmetPleasures.com

sa

By @ReneGourmet During a recent weekend trip to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, Gourmet Pleasures dined at Bachata Rosa.

The restaurant is owned by the world renowned singer Juan Luis Guerra and the space is wonderfully unique.

Music connoisseurs, and especially fans of Mr. Guerra’s songs, will easily identify where his vision came from. A bus serves as the main entrance and piano keyboards and bicycle wheels are included in the eclectic furnishings.

The menu is large and multicultural. The presentation of the dishes is very original, such as a clothesline being used to present the “Torrejas, wheel of parmesan cheese. We don’t want to give away anymore of these details since, we believe, surprise is part of this great experience. The food was expertly prepared by the skillful kitchen staff and was excellent. It was so good that we returned for a second visit in the same weekend. Our favorite dishes included the Goat Cheese Salad with caramelized almonds, pears and arugula. It had a delicate vanilla dressing that added the perfect amount of sweetness to counterbalance the strong flavors of the cheese in the salad. We very much enjoyed the Chicharron de Pulpo with coriander, chimichurri and jalapenos. The Bamboo Steamed White Fish with leeks, ginger, ponzu sauce and sesame, was delicious. The meat of the fish was unbelievably soft and perfectly seasoned. Do not leave without ordering Tres Leche for dessert, no matter how full you are. The presentation was totally original, but the taste was truly authentic. It had a dense meringue, soft biscuit and the moist combination ot the “three milks”.

We enjoyed an incredible evening at Bachata Rosa, surrounded by very happy and “beautiful” people.

Fabulous music, often live, enhanced the experience and the service was fantastic, especially from our waiter, Fernando Avila. We want to thank him for his wonderful explanations, recommendations, and prompt attention to our every need. If you have the opportunity to visit Punta Cana, be sure to dine at Bachata Rosa, You won’t be sorry.

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Mini arepas and ropa vieja

Dessert Goat cheese salad

Sweet plantain roll

Octoupus tiradito 22 | www.GourmetPleasures.com

Short rib tacos

Bamboo steamed white fish NOV 2018 GOURMET PLEASURES | 23

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Restaurant entrance

Tuna ceviche

Torreja

Juan Luis Guerra/Owner L-R/ Elena Christie, Ellen Rosenfeld, Hilarin Soto, GP CEO Rene Buroz

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Eggnog By @ReneGourmet

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A

lthough it is only November, we can already feel the “Christmas Spirit” in the air. This spirit includes planning for our various celebrations, shopping for presents in the beautifully decorated malls, and the general uplifting mood that accompanies our anticipation of the holidays.

Gourmet Pleasures wants to share in your preparations by giving you our recipe for eggnog.

Eggnog is a beverage very much associated with the “Christmas season” which, by definition begins in mid- November and ends after New Year’s Day. The origin of this drink probably began in the medieval era and since then has continued to be part of Christmas traditions for many families. Although there are hundreds of recipes for eggnog available in books and online, we think ours is simple, practical and delicious. We hope you enjoy.

Please note our recipe makes 24 servings, perfect for a party.

Ingredients: 4 cups milk 1 cup sugar 12 large egg yolks 1⁄2 cup Rum (if you like a strong drink add more or omit for nonalcoholic) 1 cup chilled heavy cream Cinnamon Directions: 1.In medium size saucepan whisk milk and sugar over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.

2. In large bowl whisk egg yolks.

3. Whisking constantly, pour hot mixture into egg yolks in a slow and steady stream.

4. Return mixture to low to medium heat, stirring often until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (approximately 20-25 minutes).

Do not allow to simmer.

5. Quickly strain mixture into a bowl, stir in rum, and then the heavy cream. (Omit rum for nonalcoholic version) 6. Allow mixture to cool completely before covering with plastic wrap. 7. Refrigerate until chilled.

8, Before serving garnish with cinnamon if desired.

Cheers!

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Deep-Fried turkey By @ReneGourmet

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Guilty Pleasures

Now is the time that we begin to plan our Thanksgiving dinner. The obvious, and most traditional, main dish is a stuffed roasted turkey served with gravy. We would like to take this opportunity to suggest our favorite method of cooking a turkey, deep frying, and provide you with our recipe.

The first thing that is necessary for this cooking method is the proper equipment. What you need depends on the size of your turkey. If you are preparing a small turkey it is possible that you can cook it in your kitchen. You will need a pot large enough to completely immerse the turkey in oil, allowing space at the top for the rise of oil during submersion. For a medium or large turkey you will need specialized tools for

preparing the turkey outdoors. We like to use an outside burner that uses propane gas, rather than an electric burner, as we believe that with propane you get a more stable control of the oil temperature. You will also need an aluminium pot capable of holding at least 29 quarts of oil, a deep frying thermometer, a base that will support the turkey inside the pot and a lot of oil. All of these items are available online or in your local home improvement stores such as Lowe’s or Home Depot.

12 hours prior to cooking a large turkey (15-18 lbs ) we mix a medium bottle of worcestershire sauce with 5 tbsps of salt and 5 tbsps of garlic.

Feel free to add any additional spices you enjoy.

We then put the turkey in a large plastic bag, add NOV 2018 GOURMET PLEASURES | 29

the sauce mixture and close the bag, making sure to eliminate any air. We then refrigerate. Before cooking, we drain the turkey of all of the sauce, being careful that the “bird” has no remaining water or ice on it. Introducing water to hot oil can be very dangerous. We then carefully submerge it into the turkey fryer after the oil has reached a temperature of 325 degrees F. Allow cooking time of approximated 3 1⁄2 minutes per pound.

A deep fried turkey comes out very moist with irresistible dark, crispy skin. A common misconception is that it is “fattening”. The reality is that a 4 oz serving of roasted turkey contains 241 calories and 12 g of fat. The same serving of deep fried turkey is 253 calories and 14 g of fat. This is not a big difference.

We guarantee that once you start deep frying your turkey you will never roast it again. We must warn you that you need to be very careful, especially the first time you try this method. Make sure your fryer is not too close to the house, keep children and pets away from the cooking area and protect yourself from any hot oil that may splatter.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Manko White fish cebiche By @ReneGourmet

One of the advantages of globalization is that it allows us to enjoy the many different gastronomic cultures beyond our own borders. We are no longer surprised to find Japanese restaurants on all of the continents or African food in Australia. It has also provided the opportunity for smaller countries to export their best culinary dishes to other destinations. This certainly applies to Peru. Although Peru is one of the smaller countries in South America, their cuisine is full of flavor and Peruvian restaurants can now be found around the globe.

One sensational Peruvian restaurant that can be found in the “city of light�, Paris, France, is Manko.

The restaurant was founded by Gaston Acurio, who was chosen by his native country, Peru, to be their ambassador of Peruvian cuisine. Manko’s decor is 32| www.GourmetPleasures.com

highlighted by its modern architecture and an open kitchen allowing the diners to witness the creativity of the dynamic chefs. The menu includes the traditional Peruvian dishes but they are fused with elements from other cultures. This fusion creates an exquisite choice of dishes available to dine on.

During our recent visit we ordered the classic white fish ceviche with sweet potatoes, choclo (Peruvian corn) and tiger milk. It was spectacular. The citrus of the tiger milk mixed with a touch of spice perfectly paired with the taste of the sweet potatoes. We then ordered the Avocado Queen which is an excellent combination of crab meat, stuffed avocado, red onions, yellow peppers and green mustard. Served with a lemon vinaigrette, it is a dish that is both delicate and intense. Our waiter suggested that we

o Paris

Gourmet Diary

Salad

Hanger steak order the Onglet de Boeuf, a tender hanger steak served on an imaginative version of creole polenta and pickled shiitake mushrooms. The meat was cooked to perfection but the most enticing part of this dish was the presentation of the corn-based polenta. It was surprisingly creamy and loaded with the flavor of the mushrooms. The highlight of our meal was a dish called Airport. This was fried rice with pork, quinoa, prawn omelette and nikkei sauce and was served in a wooden bowl. This was the best rice I have ever eaten. It was as creamy as a risotto and, like all dishes created by the talented Chef Acurio, was loaded with multiple textures and an abundance of flavors.

Manko is a must visit destination in Paris for lovers of good food. We highly recommend it.

Cachanga dessert NOV 2018 GOURMET PLEASURES | 33