Sodium free zone For some sick, distorted kick in the pants, God has decided to elevate my blood pressure. Call it menopause or call it the food writers curse, I have been placed on a low sodium diet. Easier said than done I am afraid though. Hey, I love fresh salads and can often be seen nibbling fresh broccoli and raw green beans while driving on the expressway. I have a distain for fast food and very seldom use extra salt on our food at home, even though I boast a salt collection from 10 different countries. The problem is that I was born Jewish, thus the eternal craving for Asian food. I eat at a...

So, check this out- I recently heard of a local restaurant in the town  that I live in decided to only serve bottled water. Now, this is not exactly a fine dining joint- although the veal parm and lasagna is pretty great. It seems the owners decided they were sick of the diners that drank water with lemon. Apparently no one told them that being an H2o drinker at a high end pizzeria does not make someone a cheapskate or a shyster. I myself am prone to drink ice water with lemon on the odd days that I am not reviewing a restaurant or entertaining as a fine food and wine consultant. Besides, with the...

As the economy continues to tank, with gas prices in line with Kobe beef these days, I am humbled to think about the restaurant business and how leaner times are affecting so many facets of the industry I cherish. Most people do not realize that servers are paid at a much lower rate than the standard minimum wage. Think about that next time you decide to save a buck or two and under tip. How would you like to clock in at $2.31 an hour and wait three hours for a table to be seated in your section? Now, there is a flip side like most things. I have yet to meet a server in my 30 some odd years in the biz...

 By Chef Judi Gallagher      Coming from the North, when I first moved to Southwest Florida, I had New England Snow Storm preparedness on my mind. That means stocking up on at least 2 gallons of milk, lots of meats, chickens and baking products, so if you were snow bound for a few days, you cooked stews, bolognaise sauces and baked chocolate cakes and cookies and the family ate like royalty. Of course, if the power went out- we stuck everything in the snow pile just outside the back door.  Well, welcome to hurricane season in Florida, where the first thing to go out is your cable TV, closely...