Jan Norris: Food and Florida

Letters from friends about foods…
A friend in Africa writes about the national dish — nshima, a dish made from maize meal. The closest common food to it, she says, is a very firm, congealed polenta.
(Somewhere in Zambia)
Hi, Jan!
The photo above is of my favorite meal -nshima and bream dinner, with vegetables. The nshima is the side starch [...]

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My fellow ex-Poster, Mary Thurwachter, was the knowledgeable Travel section columnist who searched out and wrote about the bed and breakfasts around the state (and elsewhere).
She just launched her own travel blog, called InnSide Florida, and because travel dovetails with food, she’s guest blogging here once in a while.
Today, she’s got great ideas for housing winter visitors [...]

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You have to think outside a box to get visitors to your New Jersey inn during the heart of winter, right?
Owners of the Spring Lake Inn, a bed and breakfast in Spring Lake, N.J., have come up with hands-on vegetarian cooking classes for their guests, free if you stay two weeknights during January through March. The [...]

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Restaurant news from around the state: Criolla, at Rosemary Beach, has closed. Chef/owner Johnny Earles and his wife Debbie are going into catering and private events, etc., for the Panhandle crowds. I’m sorry to see this happen — it was always a favorite stop on my way to Pensacola, and the place to recommend for a [...]

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Vacation at last: My first since leaving The Post. We got a great last-minute, five-day deal through my Amex card; one of the joys of no
longer having to answer to One Who Must Be Obeyed.
Staying in San Jose at the really swell boutique hotel, the Wild Palms. Highly recommended — cute rooms, lovely landscaping and full breakfasts. [...]

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