Florida Agenda

By Andy Kress

Stress. Just the sound of the word can evoke stress into our life. Stress can come from anywhere if you allow it— and most of us do, like it or not, particularly in the current economic environment.

During stressful times people usually change their diet and eating habits. Most choose not to eat when stressed out and only add to the strain on the body by putting it in starvation mode, ultimately storing more fat.

Sugary foods cause insulin levels to spike up and down. Those sugary foods then create an extreme high and an extreme low, making the person feel like their energy is going to crash, only to want to eat again. Being on low energy and while being stressed out is the double whammy.

There is a much better way to handle your stress, and it can come right through your diet. There are a few superfoods out there that can help reduce stress in the body while at the same time being good for you and your balanced diet. Try some of these superfoods and improve your mental state with some good mood food.

Asparagus is a great way to help relieve stress and stabilize your mood. Eating this food and other vegetables high in vitamins and minerals such as folic acid and B vitamins aids the body in the release of serotonin.

Serotonin is a hormone that when released effects your mood in a positive way, creating a pleasurable feeling and a more stabilized mood. A recommended serving of asparagus is seven cooked spears at least a ½” thick, and totals only 25 calories!

Beef is another good mood food even though it often gets a bad rap. Beef contains high levels of B vitamins, iron and zinc, which are also known to help stabilize moods. Beef is very nutrient-rich compared to chicken. If you are worried about the fat content, ask the butcher for a leaner cut of red meat. A proper portion size for dinner helps as well. One cup of lean ground beef at 137 calories is a recommended serving size. Compare this to the 310 calories in a cup of regular ground beef.

Milk is high in antioxidants, calcium, protein, B2 and B12 vitamins. Throw some low-fat milk in your bowl of whole grain cereal with fresh berries and you have yourself one stress-fighting chance to start your day off right.

Cottage cheese is high in calcium and protein. Foods with protein that are not loaded with sugar do not spike our blood sugars. Throw in a handful of fresh mixed fruit high in vitamin C and this becomes one stress-relieving dish. Plus, think of all the helpful antioxidants we will receive, ridding the body of free radicals that can cause cancer.

Almonds may sound a bit nutty, but they are a good source of vitamins B, E, magnesium and zinc. All of these vitamins will help stabilize mood and are a good source of healthy fats.

Tuna is another great stress-fighter that is also high in B vitamins, healthy fats and low-fat protein. Only use enough light mayo to bind your ingredients in tuna salad.

Overloading tuna with heavy, fat-laden mayo will only have an adverse effect.

While stress will never leave our lives completely, armed with the knowledge of foods that help you feel great, you can and should keep it at bay. And a happier body helps maintain a happier mind, compliments of Andy.

By RICHARD DAVID CHAMBERLAIN

Happiness. It’s the first thing we felt when walking through the front door of Lemongrass, the Asian fusion bistro on North Federal Highway. The host was smiling, the servers were laughing, and the sushi chef was animated in this oasis from stress. That this is a chain of restaurants (there are others in Boca Raton, Delray Beach, and Boynton Beach), makes this magical feat that much more impressive. The happiness we felt re-established itself as harmony, when we actually settled into our seats at a table under a crystal chandelier. There is a certain peace about this place, an elegant simplicity that translates smoothly into the food served here.

There is a section of the menu called “Small Plates from the Kitchen,” that actually contains several very nice portioned dishes, big enough for two. We especially enjoyed the Thai Steamed Dumpling ($7), eight healthy sized dumplings made from seasoned minced pork with a scrumptious sweet sauce and scattered sesame seeds. For something a little richer, we recommend the Lobster Shrimp Shumai ($9), Hong-Kong style, which interprets into delicious and succulent, in a paper-thin pouch.

LEMONGRASS ASIAN BISTRO 3811 N Federal Hwy Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308 Bento Lunch Box 954-564-4422

One of the best bargains on the entire menu finds itself in this category as well: Miso Sea Bass ($12), a lightly grilled Chilean sea bass served with baby pickled ginger, drizzled with a miso-honey glaze. ??? m?iwèi de.

Experimenting among the offerings at the Sushi Bar, we happened upon Tuna Guacamole ($12). Admittedly we were more curious than hungry by this point. But when this dish arrived, we were soon savoring every bit of the seared Cajun tuna and Chinese guacamole served on top of fried crispy wonton, with black tobiko (cavier colored with squid ink) and jalapeno. The subtle flavors encased in Lemongrass Noodle Soup ($13) are a challenge for the palate to discern. Easily identified in this large bowl of spicy broth were shrimps, scallops, mussels, squid, scallions, tomatoes and mushrooms. The rest is a secret recipe only the chef knows and will not share. One taste of this delicious soup and you’ll know why. It takes a great Asian restaurant to deliver perfectedly prepared fish from the kitchen. In this case, we cannot speak well enough of Holy Snapper ($25), an entire boneless snapper fish, fried and topped with a sweet garlic chili sauce. Accompanied by a house salad and brown rice, this dish easily serves two, with enough remaining to take home to the cat.

Authentic Thai Curry is not easy to find, and while the version served at Lemonsgrass is not strictly old school, the lingering flavor on the taste buds after completing a plate of Red Curry with Shrimp ($16) was of sweet coconut milk. While not the best bargain on the menu, it is a huge portion, so plan according to the size of your appetite. Other curry options available include Green Curry, Panang Curry and Masaman Curry—all offered at the same price point.

Between 11:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. daily, Lemongrass Asian Bistro offers lunch specials, most running around $7.95, including a startlingly sassy Kung Pao Chicken with mixed vegetables and peanuts served on white rice.

And if your thought is take-out, imagine if you will a Bento Lunch Box, with fried gyozo, four pieces of sushi or sashimi, chicken teriyaki and a house salad for a measly $11.95. It will make you forget the nearby fast food choices, when a call in advance will have this taste-treat available for pick-up in ten minutes. Either way, tell them Guy Magazine sent you.

Most of us know what a balanced diet should look like, but most of us don’t follow it. It does not seem to matter that eating the right foods improves your health, enhances the skin, helps lower our risk of disease, and most importantly gives you energy to perform life’s daily functions. Some of our most beneficial foods are fruits and vegetables, due mainly to their hydrating qualities and low calories. Always remember that what you’re drinking is just as important as what you are eating. Drinking the proper amount of water is essential to overall health. And no, soda does not count. It not only doesn’t cleanse the palate, it quickly overloads the body with sugar. Most Americans do not know that some of our favorite foods and drinks actually harm the body more than they help, especially when consumed in excess; just as some super-foods recharge the body more than others.

FOODS THAT HARM
Caffeine is a major contributor to upsetting the body’s delicate balance. This comes in a variety of beverages and many other foods like chocolate. Excess caffeine not only overcharges your nervous system, it can inhibit calcium absorption, and even lead to osteoporosis in time.

Salt is another ingredient that often is used in excess, and is very detrimental to your health. High blood pressure is a major side effect of a high sodium diet and can easily be prevented by moving the salt shaker from the table.

Protein, when it comprises more than 25% of your diet, can not only raise your saturated fat levels, but is also very deleterious to your kidneys. Sugar is another ingredient found in just about anything. Excessive sugar intake leads to huge spikes in your insulin response system, and, over time, can lead to diabetes. Sugar also helps add loads of calories to foods and drinks, helping in packing on the pounds, especially if inactive. Alcohol is extremely harmful to all organs of the body when used in excess on a constant basis. Alcohol loves to punish your kidneys and liver, as well as strip vital nutrients from the body.

FOODS THAT HELP
There are some foods that are more beneficial to the body than others. These are called super-foods, and some of these foods even help you lose weight faster than most.

Blueberries top the list with lots of antioxidants, phytonutrients and cancer fighting properties. Who cares if your mouth turns purple. Eat your blueberries!

Wild caught salmon is very beneficial to the body providing high doses of Omega-3 fatty acids, lowering cholesterol and aiding in preventing inflammation.

Eggs are full of choline, which helps fat from being absorbed in the liver and helps in preventing memory loss.

Almonds contain high amounts of monounsaturated fats and fiber. Monounsaturated fats are healthy fats that aid in the reduction of body fat.

Nuts are high in calories, so moderation is the key to this super-food.

Broccoil  is one of nature’s most nutrient-dense foods. Broccoli contains a ton of hunger curbing fiber, as well as lots of antioxidants that detoxify cell-damaging chemicals. Low-fat dairy products have been proven to give the body its recommended essential calcium, and helps burn fat.Think cottage cheese and you’ve got the picture. Beans are a great source of low fat protein and lots of fiber. Last, but not least is dark chocolate. Dark chocolate is known for its heart health benefits, as well as anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidants.

Good foods or bad, the choice is yours!

Andy Kress is a certified fitness trainer, yoga instructor and nutritional counselor in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

For more nutritional tips or inspired exercise routines, reach him at 954-789-3930 or via email at andyfitnesstrainer@gmail.com

By RICHARD DAVID CHAMBERLAIN

2045 Wilton Drive
Wilton Manors, FL 33305
954-990-6282

There’s something new happening on Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors. Already, we can hear you saying “Yea, yea, yea… isn’t there always?” And, of course, you’re right. In this case, however, we’re talking great food and plenty of it at the new Mexican joint Pinché Taqueria—which in Spanish means something like “kitchen boy’s taco bar.” The name came from the original Pinché, which was on a dusty side street in Tijuana, Mexico, where workers could pick up inexpensive tacos, burritos and quesadillas.

When owner Jeff Chartier packed the kitchen supplies, the groceries, and the Mexicans in the trunk of a bus and brought them across the border and up to his first two Taqueria’s in Manhattan, his goal was to make his taco bars the most authentic in town. Sweet Stephanie Lee continues the theme running the newest outlet of the Mexican chain, adding her own touch of Florida heat in the process.

The meats are butchered on the premises, the organic groceries still shipped in from South of the Border, the mesquite grill flame roasts meats, corns and peppers to perfection in an atmosphere that can best be described as “hold on to your stool seat; there’s a new game in town.”

As you might expect from a taqueria, there’s an array of tacos on the menu, including a seasoned chicken Taco de Pollo Asada ($2.95); a battered fried or grilled mahi-mahi Taco de Pescado ($3.95), served with shredded cabbage and a delicious cilantro dressing; spitgrilled pork Taco al Pastor ($2.95), or the even more tender braised grilled pork Taco de Carnitas ($2.95); and the traditional stand-by Taco de Carne Asada ($2.95), made with grilled steak.

The most popular items on the menu, as confirmed by our oh-so-personable waiter Johnny (we compared abs; mine won), were Carnitas Michoacanas ($12.95) and Arrachera Steak ($13.95). The carnitas platter was a healthy serving of tender pork arranged art-house perfect on several tortillas with rice and beans, topped with a mystery broth that was aromatic enough to bring neighborhood cats purring, and a delicious piece of corn-on-the-cob, labeled Elote on the side. It’s grilled on the fire and seasoned with salt, crumbly cotija anejo cheese, butter and mayo (so good that it’s sold by itself at $3.50). The steak is a masterwork of thinly sliced skirt steak that’s been marinated within an inch of its life in tequila and garlic. The moist and flavorful end result is far too delicious to be thought of as pure Mexican, but you’ll clean your plate and that of your neighbors.

Our favorite ensalada on the menu is a burst of freshness called Tortilla Lime Salad ($11.95) which normally comes on soft tortillas but we special ordered the dish in a crispy tortilla bowl. Overflowing with shrimp, beans, tomatoes, fresh sliced peppers, corn, onions, the entire entrée is topped with tortilla strips, making it more an event than a mere dish.

Though you can check it out now, the Grand Opening of Pinché Taqueria is on Wednesday, March 28 at which point the restaurant is certain to have its few rough edges smoothed to a spit-shine. The margaritas are too weak and too expensive in a town where the $3.00 margarita is standard. They have no chunky pico de gallo salsa for the delicious freshly made chips, preferring to use a flavorful but thin variation. And they have no option of crispy shell tacos—only soft tortillas, which may be authentic Mexican, but, hello, this is Florida.

But these are small issues compared with the main theme—filler-up food with fun, fun servers. The manager’s name is Josh. Tell him Florida Agenda sent you!

By RICHARD DAVID CHAMBERLAIN

The Manor Complex on Wilton Drive is already world famous for its theme parties, state-ofthe- art sound system, creative lighting, and hunky salacious bartenders. Get set to add to that sizzling scene, courtesy of their new restaurant, Taps & Tapas, which matches the fun, beat-for-beat. Whether sitting outside on the front patio and eating al fresco, or dining inside the club, Taps & Tapas leaves its mark with such casual ease that you just might be tempted to dismiss the food itself. That would be a big mistake.

The new menu is divided into large chunks, and sectioned off with your stomach’s capacity in mind—in theory. We say “in theory” because one could suppose that a chunk labeled “Small Plates” would translate into a small portion. Nope. We ordered the Szechwan Calamari ($11.95) with that concept in mind. The kitchen, on the other hand, must had thought we were eating for two when they served up a heaping mound of tender calamari cooked just so, breaded in cornmeal and tempura crumbs, tossed in a Szechwan sauce with enough tang to wake up our epiglottis, and topped with almonds, red peppers, sesame seeds and scallions. The result was enough delicious calamari for each of us, plus several others who came to peer over our shoulders, apparently invited by the tantalizing aroma.

From the section labeled “Flatbreads,” we explored the Cajun–the Manor’s version of Sausage and Mozzarella Pizza ($8.95). The unleavened crust is a lowcarb delight that platters the toppings with determined tolerance, yet begs to be tasted on its own.

If you’re in the mood for a sandwich, look no further than “Handhelds,” a chuck of the menu that deserves honorable mention for hearty presentation, given the portion size of its accompanying fries and pickle. At $10.95, we judged the Smoked Turkey with Brie and Apples the clear winner over the Skirt Steak, Barbeque Chicken Chop Wrap or the Grilled Cheese—all of which can be ordered on Focaccia, Baguette, Tortilla or Challah Bread.

Our server Mike, who looks like he knows his way around a food table, recommended the hand-battered Onion Rings and the Thick- Cut Sweet Potato Fries with maple dipping sauce ($4.95). We couldn’t decide, so we ordered them both. Even as Mike helped us finish the plates, it was a tough call which one was better. We left the decision up to him, but he couldn’t tell us ‘cause his mouth was full.

If your eyes are as big as your stomach, or visa versa, we recommend moving directly to the menu section labeled “House Plates.” Called by any other name, this is the Big Boy’s division. The go-to selection is Bronze Roasted Salmon ($17.95). Here, a healthy portion of fresh Chilean Sea Bass is cooked to perfection and drizzled with a delicate lemon vinaigrette sauce. Riding shotgun next to the fish: baby-cute oven roasted fingerling potatoes, plus zucchini and squash which were good enough to go it alone.

There are salads (starting from $5.95)—we recommend the Barbeque Chicken Chop ($13.95); and ½ burgers (all $11.95)—our nod goes to the Black and Blue, Angus meat topped with lettuce, tomato and onion.

Just when we thought we couldn’t eat another bite of anything, we spotted the Raspberry Baked Brie ($10.95), a puff pastry treat served with grapes, apple wedges and sliced baguettes. In one word– “yum.” Even as we slid off our stools, stuffed and smiling, we promised to return on Wednesday for “Buy a Margarita, Get a Free Beef Taco Night.” You come too. And tell them Florida Agenda sent you. ???? 03-08-12 STYLE_Layout 1 3/8/12 2:31 AM Page 17

By Andy Kress

There is no doubt that our thoughts, emotions, attitudes and moods, as well as control of our nerve and muscle function, are all centered in the brain. The food we eat directly affect all organs in your body, but none more so than the brain. The link between a poor diet and poor emotional health is not only real, it’s common.

Deficiencies of certain vitamins and minerals are extremely deleterious to the body, and even more so to the brain. A varied diet of complex carbohydrates will supply the brain with amino acids to help it perform at its peak function. Eat too few, and risk depression, headaches and fatigue.

Because of the fortification of grains and abundance of food in industrialized countries, we don’t often see mental and emotion disorders due to famine. Unfortunately, there are still plenty of cases of mental and emotional disorders due to poor diet, anorexia, obesity and people with special nutritional problems, such as alcoholics, however. Having any one of these disorders can severe affect your moods and the way you act and react towards others.

All of the most basic brain and body functions in life are sustained by oxygen, water and food. Messing with your diet can cause these primal functions to literally short circuit. The brain works by chemical, electrical and hormonal interactions. Chemical neurons in the brain communicate messages constantly to each other. These compounds are synthesized as needed from amino acids and other components consumed through the diet.

Tryptophan, an amino acid, is found in all complete proteins such as meat, eggs and milk to aid the brain in producing serotonin. This neural transmitter regulates quite a few functions, such as sleep, pituitary hormone secretion and pain reception. Despite what you may have heard, there are no truths or evidence to prove food additives or junk food instantly affects your mood and the way you behave. Even with the justification of the “twinkie defense,” your diet does not control your immediate actions and reactions.

Only a poor diet prolonged over time can create the deficiencies related to emotional and behavioral disorders. But don’t think it can’t happen to you. It takes less than 90 days to see a significant change in mood and behavior if you deprive yourself of certain vital nutrients. Lacking B vitamins can cause memory loss and various other behavioral and emotional changes in a very short amount of time.

Eating a variety of seafood, dark green leafy vegetables, nuts, liver, eggs, soybeans, whole grain breads, cereals, and pastas is a great way to give the body and mind what it needs for fats, amino acids and B group vitamins. Cutting down on sugary carbohydrates and replacing them with high protein at lunchtime is especially helpful.

Caffeine is one of the best-known mood altering dietary items. This stimulant can be found in teas, colas, chocolate and particularly coffee. Alcohol is the next best-known mood-altering substance and the most toxic on the organs and brain. Be aware that alcohol depresses many functions of the brain, causing depression, anxiety, sleeplessness, and unexpected irritability.

Knowing that what goes in your mouth in the way of food can directly affect what may come out of it in words, be wise in what you choose to eat. A varied diet of healthy foods will keep your moods and energy up. Choose poor ingredients, processed foods, or nothing at all, and be prepared for low energy, moods swings, anxiety, sleeplessness, and possible depression. P.S. If you must drink—eat. The merry part will handle itself.

Andy Kress is a nationally certified fitness trainer, yoga instructor, and nutritional counselor. He can be reached at 954-789-3930 or via email at: andyfitnesstraner@gmail.com

Courtyard Café

2211 Wilton Drive
Wilton Manors, FL 33305
954-563-2499

wiltonmanorscourtyardcafe.com

Cliff Dunn

Let’s face it: the Gayborhood—a Mecca for nightlife, outdoor activities, guest houses, and living La Vida LGBT—can sometimes feel like a twosquare- mile Sushi Emporium. I realize that this is a “high-class” problem, but when swimming in a sea of seafood doesn’t quite feed the need, it’s comforting to know that a familiar friend stands ready—at all hours, no less—to provide the right guilty pleasure at the right time.

Courtyard Café is the flagship restaurant of Shawn Bombard and Nick Berry’s Comfort Food Empire. Open for five years, the café offers a wide selection of traditional American cuisine and bistro fare, with breakfast, lunch, and dinner cooking fresh at all hours, including all 24 of them on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. In an extremely competitive “gay ghetto”-market, the business duo of Bombard and Berry (known to friends and likewise “branded” as “Shawn & Nick”) have to offer potential new customers an enticement to come through the doors and regular patrons a reason to come back.There winning formula proves to be a menu that is both familiar and fluid, coupled with late hours, friendly service, and the comforts of home cooking. A tour of the week’s dinner specials at Courtyard Café include their Monday Night Burger Madness, with 14 “guest” burgers joining their regular dozen classic-takes on the American, and Gayborhood, fave. That’s 26 mouth-watering burger varieties ($7.50-$8.26)- and a free soda or iced tea with the purchase of one between 4 and 11 p.m.

On Tuesdays, your hosts invite youplus- one to a $20 dinner-for-two including your choice of appetizers, and entrees including delicate Lemon Pepper Haddock, succulent Yankee Pot Roast, a robust Chicken Carbonara served on a bed of tender pasta, and flavorful Jack Daniel’s shrimp, from 5 to 11 p.m.

Wednesdays are also kind to the budgetconscious, with 2-for-1 dinners, and Courtyard’s weekend dinner specials start at $10.95 and include your choice of soup or salad–Thursdays through Sundays from 4 till 10 p.m. The restaurant’s success in a neighborhood packed full of eateries is partly due to a mission to ensure every guest is happy when he or she leaves. There’s a reason you can see the same familiar faces on a daily basis, enjoying breakfast, lunch, as well as dinner. Co-owner Bombard showed me how it can actually be cheaper to eat at Courtyard Café every day than it is to shop, cook the food, and then do the dishes (not to mention all that wear-and-tear on a boyfriend’s dishpan hands). At a time when you seeing a lot of “sidewalk dining” popping up along Wilton Drive, Courtyard has the “original” outdoor breakfast dining spot, with their famous outdoor patio, a perfect spot to enjoy a beer, a glass of wine, or one of their six varieties of mimosas.

The owners have two satellite locations, including Courtyard Café 2 at The Depot Cabana Bar & Grille at 2935 N Federal Hgwy., where you will find many of the same food favorites from the Mother Ship Location, including homemade meatloaf and brown gravy. Unique to the Courtyard Café 2 menu: A basket of Mac-N-Cheese Nuggets–seriously! An additional satellite location can be found inside the popular Gelato Station at 2031 Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors, offering 36 flavors of ice cream, sorbet, sugar-free, and homemade gelato.

As Berry and Bombard like to say, there is always something going on at the Courtyard Café, and we will be going back soon.

By Richard Hack

In a city full of Chinese restaurants, it is always a joy to find that gem of a place that combines extremely delicious and inventive Asian cuisine with a sophisticated ambiance that beckons to the more romantic among us. Tucked away on chic Las Olas Blvd., along the Hammarshee canal, Wild East Asian Bistro offers all that and more.

Unusual by design, Wild East is housed on three levels—the main dining room in a cool industrial décor softened with faux bamboo and mood lighting, or two al fresco sections overlooking the canal, where active jumping fish seem to be putting on their own aquatic show day or night, and the occasional kayak or canoe will drift slowly by as if on cue.

The servers move in hushed efficiency, appearing by some zen instinct when needed, and then disappearing into the background around the open kitchen where Chef Richard Ha performs his magic amid the leap of flames and stir-fry pans.

While the extensive menu mixes Korean, Malaysian, Japanese and Thai dishes, it is the abundant Chinese offerings that always seem to get the taste buds eager to explore the over one hundred options that unfold like surprises inside a fortune cookie.

Divided into a gastronomical map, the menu is sectioned into “Makimono (Rolls)” “Soups,” “Chilling (Salads),” “Warm Up (Lo Mein, Fried Rice, Chow Fun),” and the “Main Event” entrees featuring “The Land,” “The Sea” and “The Field” to cover all the bases. The real challenge, of course, is choosing between the selections with poetic names like Ancient Chili Pepper Chicken–a hot number with chili pepper, scallions, and five-spiced soy ($17), Midnight Steak—bistro medallion chucks with shitake mushrooms, peppers, onions and black bean sauce ($21), Firecracker Noodles—a blend of chicken, ginger, pepper, chilis and scallions mixed atop udon, and Beijing—a half duck, cooked with scallions and cucumbers, and served with steamed pancakes and hoison sauce ($23). Our personal favorite from the entrée menu is the  perfectly cooked Siam Sea Bass, which arrived at the table wrapped like a gift inside a banana leaf ($22). It doesn’t get any better if you like red coconut curry.

The place has been a Las Olas staple for three years now, and you’ll find it bustling with regulars seven nights a week. They seem to find multiple favorites from the Sake selection, which includes a wide range of brands and bottles priced from the $9 Tokuri Ikkon Blue Label Unfiltered to the ultra-chic $89 bottle of Wakatake Onikoroshi Devil Killer Shizuoka.  The always fun Saketinis are abundant as well, with Sex on the Beach and Red Dragon two of the most potent ($9).

If you are in the mood to experiment, skip the main menu entirely and head immediately to the colorful small-plate menu where each dish is a bargain at only $6. We always try to select several new options on each visit, although who can resist the classic Chicken Lettuce Wraps, Baby Shrimp Cups, or a heaping plateful of Sesame Chicken Noodle Salad—standard fare on every foray.
With 52 items on the $6 menu, you literally can graze for hours. Among the most popular are Flaming Calamari, Crispy Beijing Duck Wings, Sake Clams, Grilled Miso Mahi, Lap Cheong Shrimp Lo Mein as well as assorted dumplings and fried rices.

Owner Peter Wong has managed to do the impossible by combining a drop-dead location and a delightful atmosphere with prices that can be less than a visit to Burger King. Credit his wife Emily for some of the more inventive $6 plates including the Thai Lime Noodle Salad, a combination of skinny rice noodles, with julienned carrots, celery, cucumbers, bean sprouts and the tiniest slices of grilled chicken this side of Shanghai.

Though the idea of eating dessert at an Asian restaurant may not be instinctive, don’t pass up the “Sweet Endings” menu. Although our favorite Chocolate Trilogy—white, milk and dark chocolate mousse cake at $8—seems to always be sold out, a good second choice is Marquise Au Chocolat, a chocolate sponge cake with a sweeter-than-heaven ganache at $8. Big enough for sharing, though you won’t want to after the first bite. Even the simply refreshing Asian Ice Cream Trio at $7 is an outstanding choice—red bean, green tea and mango ice cream served in a large martini glass. It gives yum a new meaning.

And don’t forget that after the meal, all of Las Olas beckons right outside. End your evening with a stroll up the boulevard, and people watch to your heart’s content. Wild East is open for lunch every day except Sunday, with dinners every night of the week. They are open till midnight on Friday and Saturday evenings, with a special late-night menu. Make sure to tell Wild East that the Florida Agenda sent you.

By Jean Doherty

A lot of you want my recipes for soup, and this one is great because it’s easy. The whole restaurant industry is based on soup. That’s actually how the business started.“Restoratifs,” where the word “restaurant” comes from, and  bouillion, consommé, and broth (“Pot-au-feu”), were the first menu items served in the first public restaurants in 18th century Paris. Classic French cuisine generated many of the soups we know today. This is simple, easy, and so much more healthy–and delicious–than opening a can. What you’ll need:

1 big chopped onion
1 lb sliced carrots
1 large potato, peeled and cubed
1 cup chicken broth
A good dash of good olive oil
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
Salt and pepper

In a thick assed pan, saute the onion in olive oil until tender and golden. Add carrots, potato, broth and rosemary, and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and then cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes or until the veggies are tender. Cool for 15 minutes. Fish out what’s left of the rosemary stalk.
Transfer to a blender or food processor, and work in small batches; and process until smooth. Taste, add salt and pepper.
Voila! You are a chef!

This is a French cake that celebrates the Epiphany: The day when the Three Kings visited the baby Jesus. As part of French tradition, a bean or small china “feve,” or favor, is hidden in the cake. The person who finds the “feve” in his or her slice becomes king or queen for the day. We had this tradition in Ireland for Halloween and the “favor” was a ring.

• 1/4 cup almond paste
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter,
softened
• 1 egg
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 pinch salt
• 2 packs of frozen puff pastry,
thawed
• 1 egg, beaten

Place the almond paste in a food processor with about half of the sugar, and process until well-blended. Then add the butter and the remaining sugar and process until smooth, then blend in 1 egg, vanilla extract, almond extract, flour and salt. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside.

Roll out one sheet of the puff pastry. Keep the pastry cool, don’t knead or stretch it. Repeat with the second sheet of pastry.

Refrigerate both sheets.

Mound the almond filling onto the center of the pastry that is on the baking sheet. Leave about 1 1/2 inch margin at the edges.

Wet the margin with a little water so as it’ll stick together. Don’t forget the little favor in the filling! Place the second sheet of pastry on top, and press down the edges to seal. Beat the remaining egg with a fork, and lightly brush onto the top of the galette. Use a knife to make a criss cross pattern in the egg wash, and then prick several small slits in the top to vent steam while baking.

Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven until the top is a deep golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Eat it warm… You are the chef!