Travel Tips

I consider myself an okay cook - no one's ever gotten food poisoning from anything I've made. These are some of my favourite recipes that I would consider typical of Tampa, though definitely not confined to the region.

Ingredients:
Crust:
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons sugar
15 large graham crackers
Filling:
1 cup Key Lime juice
28 ounces of sweetened condensed milk
2 egg yolks
2 whole eggs
2 zests of lime
Topping:
1 pint heavy whipping creme
1 teaspoon of sugar
Directions:
- crumble the graham crackers into a large bowl
- add butter and sugar for crust to the graham crackers
- mix and crush until blended well
- press crsut mixture into a pie pan, poking holes with a fork into the bed of the crust
- bake the crust for eight to ten minutes at 350 degrees
- while the crust is baking, combine all the filling ingredients into another large bowl
- mix well
- when the crust comes out of the oven, place it immediately into the freezer for five minutes
- after five minutes, pour the filling mixture into the pie pan
- bake the mixture in the crust for thrity-five minutes at 350 degrees
- while the pie is baking, make the whipped topping by combining whipping creme with sugar in a bowl - mix until fluffy and stiff
- when pie comes out of the oven, put into the fridge for an hour before topping
- top with creme and lime zests
- serve cold, but not frozen, with tea

Okay, so it's pretty lame to include a sandwich in your recipes, but, honestly, I don't see these out of Florida.
Ingredients:
- 1 loaf cuban bread
- mustard
- mayonaise
- tomato
- lettuce
- ham
- roast pork
- pickles
- swiss cheese
Directions:
- cut bread down the middle, legnth-wise
- apply mustard to one side, mayonaise to the other
- apply pickles to one side, cheese to the other
- on the cheese side, pile on shredded lettuce and tomato (optional)
- pile meat on the opposite side
- put the two sides together
- press the sandwich in a sandwich press until toasty
Vegetarian (and, thus, superior) option:
- replace the meat with roasted red peppers and mushrooms and leave off the yucky mayonaise

Guavas are not only yummy, but their meat is naturally pink! How kick ass is that?
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 cup grated panela or dry-curd farmer cheese
- Two 1/2-pound pieces puff pastry, each cut into a 12-inch circle
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 cup guava paste mixed with 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
Directions:
Place the cream cheese and panela or farmer cheese in a bowl and mix well with a spoon.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place 1 of the puff pastry circles on the baking sheet. Brush a 1-inch rim around the outside edge with some of the beaten egg. Pat the cheese mixture into an 8-inch circle in the center and spread the guava paste or jam evenly over the top.

Fold the remaining piece of puff pastry in half and place over the first piece. Unfold the pastry to enclose the filling, being careful not to trap air beneath. Gently press the top and bottom edges together and refrigerate about 25 minutes, or until the dough is thoroughly chilled.

Remove from the refrigerator. Working about 1- 1/2 inches from the outside, firmly press the edges of pastry together with the tines of a fork to seal. Then trim the excess dough, leaving an even 1-inch border of crust surrounding the filling. With a sharp paring knife, cut out and discard a 1/4-inch circle of dough from the center, and press out any trapped air. Then, making shallow cuts, trace 6 to 8 circular lines in a spiral pattern from the center hole to the inside edge of the sealed crust (if the dough gets too warm to work with, just return to the refrigerator for 30 minutes or so to harden).

Mix the heavy cream, with the remaining beaten egg and brush over the top of the tart: Cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 2 hours or overnight.

To bake, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Transfer the pan from refrigerator to the oven and bake 15 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown on top. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Bake until the jelly is bubbling and the bottom crust, when lifted with a spatula, is browned, 30 to 40 minutes. Set aside to cool on a rack to 15 minutes. Serve warm.

There are a suprising number of ways to make flan. This is how my Nana does it, and she's never gotten any complaints. (I use the stovetop method which leads to a denser flan, but takes longer.)
Ingredients:
- 1 3/4 cups whipping cream
- 1 cup milk (do not use low-fat or nonfat, it will fall apart)
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup water
- 3 large eggs
- 2 large yolks
- 7 tablespoons sugar
Directions:
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Combine cream, milk and salt in heavy medium saucepan. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into cream mixture; add bean. Bring to simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat and let steep 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine 1 cup sugar and 1/3 cup water in another heavy medium saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and cook without stirring until syrup turns deep amber, brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan occasionally, about 10 minutes. Quickly pour caramel into six 3/4-cup ramekins or custard cups. Using oven mitts as aid, immediately tilt each ramekin to coat sides. Set ramekins into 13x9x2-inch baking pan.

Whisk eggs, egg yolks and 7 tablespoons sugar in medium bowl just until blended. Gradually and gently whisk cream mixture into egg mixture without creating lots of foam. Pour custard through small sieve into prepared ramekins, dividing evenly (mixture will fill ramekins). Pour enough hot water into baking pan to come halfway up sides of ramekins.

Bake until centers of flans are gently set, about 40 minutes. Transfer flans to rack and cool. Chill until cold, about 2 hours. Cover and chill overnight. (Can be made 2 days ahead.)

To serve, run small sharp knife around flan to loosen. Turn over onto plate. Shake gently to release flan. Carefully lift off ramekin allowing caramel syrup to run over flan. Repeat with remaining flans and serve.

A lot of people around here eat Vigo Brand yellow rice. It's okay, and I totally remember the field trip to the Vigo factory as a little kid, but it's not homemade.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 tsp. saffron
- 4 tbsp. butter
- 2 yellow onions, finely chopped
- 1 piece fresh ginger, minced, walnut size
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cups red and green peppers julianned or fesh peas and red pepper cut into small chunks
- 2 cup basmati rice
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1 stick cinnamon, broken into 3-4 pieces
- 4 whole cloves
- 1 tsp. garam masala
- 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
Directions:
Place saffron in cup of water. Place in microwave for 1-2 minutes. Wash rice and then soak with saffron for 1/2 hour in a large, covered bowl.
Heat butter ont he stovetop at low-medium heat. Add onions and stir fry slowly until onions begin to brown but not scorch. Add bay leaf, ginger and vegetables (if fresh) and stir fry for 2 minutes.
Add washed rice (rest of recipe) and stir constantly until rice begins to glisten, about 2-5 minutes.
Stir in the rest of the spices. Add water or vegetable stock to cover rice (3 cups total). Bring to full boil; cover, simmer at very low heat until grains are soft but firm.
Let stand for 10 minutes, then gently fluffy with fork before serving.

Okay, so this isn't really Tampa food . . . but this recipe is from Alessi Bakery which is in Tampa. They make the best cannoli.
Ingredients:
- 1 -15 oz. whole milk ricotta
- 1/ 2 cup confectioners sugar
- 3 Tbsp. finely chopped candied orange, lemon and/or cherries
- 2 Tbsp. finely chopped semisweet chocolate
- 1/4 Tsp. cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp. Cointreau
- 6 piece box Alessi Cannoli Shells
Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, combine ricotta and sugar until well blended. Add candied fruit, chocolate, cinnamon and Kahlua. Mix well. Fill cannoli shells just before serving using a pastry bag. Top ends of filled cannoli with your choice of the decorations listed. Dust the top with confectioners sugar.

This recipe is the one that they use at the Columbia Restaurant in Ybor, which is in Tampa.
Ingredients:
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 small onion
- 1 small bell pepper
- 1 small cucumber
- 3 tomatoes (ripe as possible, at room temperature)
- 1 tsp of salt
- 1 tsp of cumin
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup vinegar
- 1 cup water
Directions:
Blend the contents for a few minutes, until everything has been well mixed. Then pour the liquid through a strainer into a bowl. Place the bowl with the gazpacho into a larger bowl filled with ice. Serve from the two nesting bowls as gazpacho is best when it is chilled.
Some people like to add chopped tomato, cucumber, onion, and stale bread to the strained gazpacho - - other people like to add hot sauce to taste. I like to do both.