TBO Food

Lazy Daisy Cake ringsmanybells

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Peggy Kale of Valrico wrote us in search of a Lazy Dazy Oatmeal Cake she started making back in the '60s. More accurately, she needed the proportions she lost from her original recipe.

Flaky microwave needs attention

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

My microwave has started flaking paint from the inside wall and oven floor. I've used it a few times and it hasn't sparked, but I'm wondering if it's safe.

Flatten out your cooking curve

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

In the American food world, what's old is new. The hottest trends are, in reality, ways that things were done for centuries prior to the industrial age.

Taco Bus owner opening new restaurant

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:29:00 EDT

My affection for the Mexican restaurant El Taconazo goes way back. It's a fondness that started after I moved back to the area in 2002 (I grew up in St. Pete), but cemented itself during the Tampa Bay Lightning's Stanley Cup run when some friends and I discovered eating there gave the team good luck. I later did an "Off the Eaten Path" story on owners Roberto and Monica Morfin.

Local blogger in finals for dream job

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 17:17:00 EDT

In April, friends flooded my e-mail with a press release from Murphy-Goode winery announcing its "Really Goode Job" contest. The winner would get a $60,000, six-month gig blogging and tweeting from California's Sonoma wine country.

Split chicken shows old trends can be the best

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 16:42:00 EDT

Spatchcocking, or roasting a split chicken, is a pretty obvious attempt at saving time and sanity.

Hollywood meets Wichita for barbecue tacos

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:26:00 EDT

This Korean spin will allow you to pull of a taste that's currently a hit in Los Angeles.

Cheers, Florida, for many great places to drink

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:17:00 EDT

A long "research" trip found many bars reflect the wild, eclectic, historic and often bizarre character of the state itself.

Hunting best buys when eating healthy costs more

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 09:56:00 EDT

Obesity experts say the lousy economy threatens to worsen Americans' already bulging waistlines because bad-for-you food happens to be the cheapest.

Wal-Mart gains grocery market share in Florida, not in Tampa

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 09:43:00 EDT

Wal-Mart's supercenters continue to add new customers in Florida while other grocery chains are losing them, new data shows.

Korean BBQ is Kansas infused with a taste of LA

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 07:00:00 EDT

My parents live in Los Angeles and until recently, so did my brother. About three times a year, I visit to hang out with the family, get my In-N-Out Burger fix and get the very important big dose of smog and traffic.

Frosting mixes fruit, nuts

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Maryellen Heuer of Tampa asked a while back for a cake similar to one she enjoyed at Maas Bros. department store.

Freezer hierarchy cuts losses

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Are there any guidelines for storing food in the freezer? I lost a lot last year when the power went off and things dripped when they thawed.

Meat market inspires loyalty

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 19:11:45 EDT

Last week, I visited Cacciatore and Sons in West Tampa to help with a segment on budget barbecue for CBS, Channel 10. I never expected to find customers so passionate about steaks, chops and links. Every time we paused to let shoppers pass by, they'd poke their head in front of the camera to proclaim their adoration for this fourth-generation family butcher shop.

Spicy wake-up call sends one back to basics

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 18:22:32 EDT

I'm sitting at the counter at Diner 437 a few weeks ago, slurping through a bowl of asparagus soup. It's warm and comforting and delicious. And there's a spice I can't quite place.

Try a sauce that can't be beet

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 17:13:43 EDT

OK, we admit it: We've both been feeding into our childhood food phobias. We have been unable to accept what we considered the worst vegetable know to mankind. No, it's not durian, it's something more insidious: the beet.

Finger clickin' good: Order your next meal online

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 11:30:00 EDT

Our digital dining guide shows you what to expect when you log on to order your next online meal.

Click to eat: A digital dining guide

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:16:00 EDT

If being online has done anything for society, it's taught us that we can get pretty much anything we want whenever we want it and however we care to have it.

If you know drink, she'll be pleased as punch

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Reader Janice Gilley has hunted for a recipe for a non-alcoholic punch she made about 25 to 30 years ago. She originally got it on Channel 13 in Tampa.

Tweaking details gives big boost to shrimp cocktail

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

I'm in Asheville, N.C., at the suggestion of the The Culinary Sherpas, Michelle and Greg Baker. I think it's my new summer mini-vacation spot - close enough to Tampa for a quick weekend getaway, yet so very different in terms of climate (not humid!) and landscape (lots of mountains!).