You Had Me at Fried Green Tomatoes

Today was one of those days when I hit the ground running and didn't slow down or get home until about 6 PM so I got the day off from cooking.  Between indulging my masochistic tendencies (IE; hitting the gym with the trainer), visiting my seriously ill and bed-ridden mother-in-law, and spending hours in the hairdresser's chair getting my "naturally" sun-kissed hair touched up, there simply was no time for any kitchen therapy.  Yes, cooking for me is therapeutic.  Okay, it doesn't hurt that I often have a glass of wine in my hand at the same time as additional therapy.

Although I wasn't in the kitchen myself, I still managed to stumble across a culinary gem.  While reading the food section of the newspaper this morning over my cup of cappuccino I saw an article about local eateries that specialize in Southern fare.  Not surprising since Florida is South, but it's mostly a culinary melting pot with so many people from all walks of life making their homes here because of our beautiful weather.  But in this case I'm talking about real Southern cooking; biscuits and sausage gravy, collard greens, macaroni & cheese that didn't come out of a box, etc.  But what really jumped off the page and got the banjo strings of my heart strumming were the words, "fried green tomatoes."  Remember that long line of country cooks I said I come from in yesterday's blog?  This would be the signature dish of my heritage with each aunt claiming that hers are the best. Actually mine are, but let's keep that our little secret.

This particular dish I'm talking about is called Gullah Benedict and pays homage to South Carolina's low country cuisine.  Here are the players; fried green tomatoes, zesty shrimp, perfectly poached eggs, and spicy hollandaise.  While these had a country-fried-steak type batter on them instead of the cornmeal crust I prefer on my fried green tomatoes, the whole dish was really unique and delicious.  You can try them yourself at the Sun on the Beach Cafe on A1A in Satellite Beach, FL, a place I'd driven by for years and never thought to try because it looked like a little hole-in-the-wall.  This is a good reason I need to keep reminding myself that some of the best meals I've ever had are the little Mom & Pop places across the country. 

Looking forward to seeing what tomorrow brings!

Cheers!