Kelsi - The Independent Florida Alligator

THE AVENUE | FOOD

Let's roll: Olives, olive bars and roasted olives

By Kelsi | Apr. 15, 2015

My sister and I were at our friend’s party, and, like most, I wandered over to the food table. Propped up close to the table was the friend’s daughter, a happy two-year-old eating from a bowl of jumbo black olives. Her chubby finger speared an olive and she happily pulled it from her fingertip, eating it with delight. Amused, I watched as she then bejeweled all her fingertips with olives and ate them one by one. Her mother, close by, noticed my curiosity and laughed, moving her daughter out of reach of the olive bowl, and said: “She loves these so much! She’ll eat the whole bowl if I don’t move her!” Laughing, I grabbed an olive to see what was so amazing about them. My tongue rolled the black olive around, savoring the umami, sweet-briny flavor. My eyes opened with renewed appreciation, and I reached for more. Soon five more olives were gone. So much one can learn from the youth!

THE AVENUE | FOOD

Comfort food: best served in a bowl

By Kelsi | Mar. 25, 2015

There is a lot of comfort and satisfaction to be found in a bowl: the creamy, soothing bowl of oatmeal bathing in a pool of maple syrup, dried fruits, salty, crunchy nuts and cream; the hot, nourishing bowl of clear chicken broth to nurse the sniffles and banish away the rain and dreary clouds; the filling bowl of pasta coated in a rich tomato sauce with juicy meatballs and salty, cheesy parmesan. This is a bowl that at once restores and energizes, soothes and satiates.

THE AVENUE | FOOD

Choices: less is usually more

By Kelsi | Mar. 18, 2015

With summer on the way, cold, creamy concoctions may become very appealing. So, you might decide to go out for an ice cream. You’d think that the more choices of ice cream flavors and toppings offered, the happier and you would be. Americans love choices, after all. But you may be surprised — more is not always better.

THE AVENUE | LIFESTYLE

Your guide to Valentine’s Day gifts

By Kelsi | Feb. 11, 2015

Just when we thought we were past the holidays and gift-giving, Valentine’s Day comes around and presents itself as another gift-giving occasion.

THE AVENUE | FOOD

Men's cooking more about leisure

By Kelsi | Jan. 7, 2015

The constant presence of the male chef on food-related TV shows and the rising number of books, magazines and blogs about men’s cooking seems to indicate a growing enthusiasm for cooking among men. Indeed, American men are spending about twice as much time in the kitchen compared to the 1960s.

THE AVENUE | FOOD

Thanksgiving and TV: America’s two loves

By Kelsi | Nov. 19, 2014

Thanksgiving is a celebration usually composed of food (turkey, of course), family (and friends — inclusivity is one of Thanksgiving’s beauties) and football (yes, we’re in the South). Gathering around the TV, Thanksgiving revelers let the food digest before the slicing of pie(s).

THE AVENUE | FOOD

Cookbooks as works of art

By Kelsi | Nov. 12, 2014

In a time when many of us are turning to online recipes for instruction, how is it that heavy, richly illustrated cookbooks (unwieldy for practical use in the kitchen) are being released in a steady stream? Are cookbooks becoming more of an art piece than an instructional book? Are they resting on the coffee table more than on the kitchen counter?

THE AVENUE | FOOD

Your cookbook is more than simply your recipes

By Kelsi | Oct. 22, 2014

A cookbook can be considered an autobiography.

THE AVENUE | FOOD

Eating offers creativity

By Kelsi | Sep. 24, 2014

Eating, like cooking, is an outlet for creativity and manipulation. Take Oreos, for instance. Do you eat the frosting first and save the chocolate wafers for last? Do you carefully take apart the cookie to separate the filling and then scrape it off with your teeth? Or do you chomp through the whole cookie?

THE AVENUE | FOOD

Dining: The rhetoric of etiquette

By Kelsi | Aug. 6, 2014

"The Greenes always request for small slices. You can ask them if they would like just a little more, or if they are sure they are full, and they always express with certainty, ‘I really only want a tiny slice.’