Florida Book Awards, Gold Medal for Cooking
Delicious recipes that celebrate the
seasonal harvests of the Sunshine State
With year-round harvests and
incredible seasonal variety of crops, Florida offers a wealth of homegrown foods
that make it easy to cook local and fresh. Food journalist Dalia Colón is your
guide to discovering flavorful dishes that showcase Florida’s bounty of fruits,
vegetables, herbs,
and grains.
The
Florida Vegetarian Cookbook
includes more than 100 recipes using local ingredients as distinctive as oranges,
tomatoes, and watermelon and as interesting as sugarcane, peanuts, cabbage,
squash, and cantaloupe. Colón inspires readers to try new twists on classic
recipes such as her Spanakopita, a satisfying entrée that pays homage to the
Greek restaurants of Tarpon Springs; her sweet-and-spicy Game Day Buffalo
Cauliflower that will win over any potluck party; and her Chocolate-Dipped
Avocado Paletas that combine creamy avocado, zesty lime, and sweet dark
chocolate for a refreshing treat in the summer heat.
Colón’s
recipes are accompanied by 12 essays that offer the stories behind some of
Florida’s most cherished food traditions. Topics include the origins of the
Florida Strawberry Festival, the rise and decline of Florida’s citrus industry,
the importance of corn for Florida’s First Peoples, and more. Crafted for home
cooks seeking to lean into a plant-based lifestyle, this cookbook includes tips
on how to plan meals around seasonal fruits and vegetables, using local farmers
markets for fresh produce, and exploring the cuisines of different cultures.
Colorfully
illustrated with simple step-by-step instructions, this book will take you on a
delectable journey through the many ways that vegetarian and vegan foods are
woven into Florida’s history and culture.