Roseate spoonbill /photo copyright John J. Lopinot

I’ve been lucky to have known and worked with some of the best photojournalists and writers in the business. After the cutbacks at The Palm Beach Post in 2008, many of us created new versions of ourselves, doing the work we love.

One of those is the extraordinary nature photographer, John Lopinot, (it’s pronounced LOPE-i-no, or Lopi, for short). Once photo chief at The Post, and later deputy,  he earned a solid reputation and racked up countless awards as an underwater and nature photographer. His work has appeared in hundreds of magazines and newspapers and art shows; and while he’s well traveled, many of the photos were taken here in South Florida.

When I started my web site and needed some Florida art, Lopinot graciously gave me several images to choose from. If you click on the different categories above, you’ll see them as page headings; you also can get to his site through mine under “web credits” to see more.

Take a class with Lopi

Duckweed-covered alligator /photo copyright John J. Lopinot

Lopinot now teaches and leads trips to rich natural spots like the Everglades and Galapagos Islands for photo safaris. His philosophy is that photography shouldn’t be limited to only a few, but belongs, as nature does, to everyone. But you can improve, especially with the new digital cameras, and learn tips from a pro who has worked in a number of media over the years. (Quick hit: Go to another ex-Post writer’s site, INNsideflorida.com, published by Mary Thurwachter, to learn how Lopinot gets such great sunrise and sunset shots.)

He’s just announced the schedule for the upcoming year’s photo workshops. To get the schedule of classes and query about trips, or just view his stunning gallery of photos, go over to his web site. (The classes make a great gift!) Another tip: view them as a slideshow, and on each photo under the “i” button, you can view his settings for each photo.

Hurricane cocktail

And – print and save this article if you’re planning ahead for impending hurricanes – please say you are!

1. A full tank of gas for your gas grill. You won’t need much more if you have canned food.

2. Water. Lots more than you think you need – you never know. And it won’t go bad. You can live a long time on little food – but less than a week in extreme heat with no water.

3. Canned food. Go for protein, low-sodium eats  – beans, pouched chicken and tuna in oil for flavor. Fruits – in juice, not syrup. Sweet stuff makes you thirsty. Nut spreads (almond, peanut butter).

4. Hardware: A manual can opener. Matches, garbage bags, and extra coolers for ice if you get it. Paper plates and utensils. Anti-bacteria wipes.

5. Green bananas – they’ll ripen and you’ll have to eat them, but they’ll last a while longer and you need potassium. Dried figs, apricots and prunes are excellent for potassium, too.

6. Multigrain flatbread and whole grain crackers. (Or, instant whole grain oatmeal. If you have said grill, you can make oatmeal and don’t need to worry about grains.)

7. Shelf-stable bacon, or hard salami and pepperoni – to add to other canned foods for flavor. It’s really good.

8. Canned pudding – it provides one creamy thing your mouth will eventually crave, and this satisfies it.

9. Boxed milk. Make a creamy tomato soup with it, or make mac and cheese for the kids on the grill.

10. Tea, instant coffee, fruit juices – avoid sweet sodas and alcohol.

Don’t buy: salty snacks, beer, soda, perishable dairy or meats, salty premade soups or canned casseroles. Avoid salted stuff all around. Get fresh veggies that will last and that you can eat raw – carrots, turnips, radishes – they will last a few more days than soft veggies and fruits. Apples will last; citrus will not.

They’re baaaack!!! Those diet demons of January: tempting Trefoils, sinful Samoas and anything-but Thin Mints. We won’t even discuss those perfect peanut butter patties, Tagalongs.

Thank-U-Berry-Munch

No inflation for cookies

New cookie cranberrys and chips

The newest cookie in their line-up is Thank U Berry Munch, a cookie containing dried cranberries and white fudge chips. Other old favorites return: Trefoil shortbreads, Do-Si-Dos peanut butter and oat sandwich cookies,

Which Girl Scout cookie are you?

Trefoils

Are you a frugalista? Go for the Trefoils. Same weight as Thin Mints (9 ounces per box), but there are 36 of ‘em.

Samoas

A cook? Samoas lend themselves to a terrific coconut shrimp appetizer – see recipe below.

Thin mints

Nostalgic? Thin Mints, Trefoils, Do-Si-Dos and Samoas all have been in the mix since 1974.

A hoarder? Thin Mints freeze beautifully and taste great frozen, too.

Watching carbs?

Tagalongs, the peanut butter-chocolate patties, have the lowest per serving at 13g per serving. But they’re up there in calories: 70 per cookie.

Tagalongs

Send me your best recipe and win cookies!

The Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida are pairing up with me to offer a sampler of boxes of cookies for the cooks who come up with the best recipe for each cookie. Winners will appear in a story with their winning recipes here on my web site.

Lemon Cremes

The cookies are versatile – any recipe is eligible, from appetizers to entrees, to desserts or snacks.

Create your recipe using at least five cookies of one of the Girl Scout cookie varieties, and submit it by email to: Cookiecontest@JanNorris.com 

Entries must be time stamped by 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 29, 2010. Winners will be announced Monday, Feb. 1 in a story on my web site. (You must include your name, a contact phone number, hometown and complete recipe.)

Good luck to you cooks!

Fried shrimp uses cookies

Here’s a coconut shrimp recipe using Samoas to inspire you. For more recipes, go to the Little Brownie Bakers web site and click on “Recipes.”

Fried Samoas Shrimp

• 1 cup coconut flakes
• 2 cups seasoned bread crumbs
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 5 Samoas Girl Scout cookies, finely chopped
• 2 cups flour
• 4 egg whites
• vegetable or peanut oil for frying
• 5 extra-large or jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined
• 1 lime for garnish

In a shallow bowl, toss coconut flakes with bread crumbs, cayenne pepper and chopped Samoas cookies. Put flour in another shallow bowl. Lightly beat egg whites in a medium bowl.

Heat oil to 350 degrees in a medium skillet. Dredge shrimp through flour, then dip in egg whites and then in coconut and cookie mixture. Fry shrimp in hot oil till golden brown, turning with tongs as needed.

Remove and drain on paper towels. Serve on a bamboo skewer with a wedge of lime to garnish.

Makes 5 large shrimp.

Today kicks off my first “You Asked for It” column with the Sentinel. Every week I’ll be tracking down recipes from Broward and Palm Beach restaurants, or will try to find lost recipes and help solve cooking dilemmas. I take over from Suzanne Jones, who has retired after 15 years of writing the columnn. She will be missed, but I’m sure we’ll see her in print again.

My site: A quick overview

My own food web site is a year and five months old. You can read more about me here. It’s just me here working at it, though occasionally you’ll read several other columnists and guest blog writers. I talk about recipes, new restaurants, chefs, new foods and old ones, growing your own foods, and travel – especially if it’s Florida based.

I try to write at least once a day, though I recently took a vacation in the Keys for a needed respite. Noodle around in my archives, or check out stories by categories to see what I’ve been writing about lately. Search topics or restaurants on the site using the search bar on the left.

Talk to me – or with all the readers

You do not need to register here to leave a comment, so feel free to offer your opinion on my stories — anonymously if you wish. You will be asked for an email address merely to filter out spam. We have a No Spam Guarantee! in place and safeguard our site.

If you do want to register for the occasional Appeteaser email from me,  you will get a crazy password that you will need to cut and paste – then change. Just follow the instructions at the link on the left of the web site for doing that.

My help line is always open

Thanks to the Florida Culinary Institute in West Palm Beach, I  have a phone line you can call to talk to me in person, since cooking questions are frequently involved and too long to type. The number is always up on the top left of the web site: 561-340-0820. Print it out and keep it on your fridge – I’ll do my best to talk you out of trouble at the stove.

I enjoy talking to my readers about all things food. Call anytime! Leave a voice mail with your number if you don’t get me immediately; I’ll call you back as soon as possible.

Rather use email?

To contact me via email or send in a recipe, click to the CONTACT page on the site and drop me a line. I’m very good at responding to questions via email and you may just end up in one of my columns, too.

I’m definitely open to suggestions for topics, so do keep in touch and check back often.

For today: A chili recipe for very chilly days

Chili must be on everyone’s mind in this weather: My local grocery store was very low on canned tomatoes, and I noted that the envelopes of chili mix and bottles of chili powder were flying off the shelves.

I’ve published other chili recipes that are local winners. Here’s a real Texas chili contest winner for you cooks. Chili is easy – it’s a good dish to use for Random Acts of Sharing Food: make enough to take to a neighbor.

 This recipe for Buzzard’s Breath Chili is from Tom Griffin of Houston; he won an award for it in the famous Terlingua, Texas, contest.

The bean-less chili makes enough to feed a chuckwagon crew; divide ingredients in half to make a normal pot full. Chili cooked in a lesser amount is just, well, sad. It freezes so well, make a full batch to have on hand for all our cold snaps. Cook it in a slow cooker once you have it put together if you prefer.

Buzzard’s Breath Chili

• 8 pounds boneless chuck beef
• 3 8-ounce cans tomato sauce
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, crushed, chopped
• 2 jalapeno peppers, cleaned, wrapped in cheesecloth
• 1/2 cup chili powder (or twice label recommendation)
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• salt to taste
• 1 to 2 teaspoons paprika
• cayenne pepper to taste
• masa harina for thickening
• 1 quart beef stock

Chop meat into 3/8-inch cube, removing all gristle and fat. Brown in an iron skillet in batches, 2 pounds in each batch, until no pink remains. Put meat in a large, cast-iron chili pot, adding tomato sauce and equal amounts of water. Add chopped onion, garlic, jalapeno peppers and chili powder.

Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add cumin, oregano, salt and cayenne to taste. As moisture is required, add homemade beef stock until amount used, then add water if more is needed.

Simmer, covered, until meat is tender (about 2 hours), stirring occasionally. Add masa harina to achieve desired thicknesses as needed. Add paprika for color. Cook 10 more minutes; correct seasoning, discard jalapenos and serve.

A small sprinkle of oregano added at the last 10 minutes enhances cooking aroma.

Makes 12 to 16 servings.

(Recipe from Chili-Lovers Cook Book, compiled by Al and Mildred Fischer, Golden West Publishers, 2001.

Most of you know this site is evolving, sometimes faster than I can keep up. Well, often, in fact. In a move to fix the program that allows you to comment without logging in, there was a glitch somewhere else in the system.

If only...

The result was I missed a couple months’ of emails forwarded to me through the Contact button at the top of the home page. Last night, this was fixed, and I was flooded with hundreds of emails — a happy situation! I’m delighted so many of you are reading me out there from near and far (hello, my Greek and Danish friends!), and enjoying interacting with me and my other readers.

A chock-full inbox

Bottom line: That part of the site is fixed (thanks to webmeister and now experienced backyard gardener Matt Steinhoff) and I’m back in business and able to receive your personal notes. I also get to see who’s been signing up and commenting on all the old posts, along with much more.

I apprecate all your feedback and look forward to hearing from you — whether it’s to tell me about a spelling error, invite me to dinner, or share a recipe or new restaurant opening with me to inform my readers.

Because it’s summer and you’re traveling, do me a favor and drop me a virtual postcard about the food where you land. (If you want to drop an actual postcard, send it to: Jan Norris, P.O. Box 531342, Lake Park, FL – 33403.) I’ll share your travel-food stories with my readers here. (I’ll take your photos of your foods or places, too!)

To inspire you, check out these two barbecue posts –a review of Wib’s Drive-In BBQ in Jackson, Mo., by Ken Steinhoff (yes, Matt’s dad); the other a review of Sweatman’s BBQ in Eutawville, S.C. from friend and a native South Carolinian Charles Keefer. (Officially on the web it’s in Holly Hill, but a native would know best.)

Something to brag about

Matt and I work hard to make this a user-friendly site — but all suggestions and critiques are welcome. I have a couple columnists to add to my stable, and a new restaurant listing feature upcoming, so stay tuned.

And just a little pat on the back: JanNorris.com has been nominated as Best Food Blog by the Association of Food Journalists in the first year of that category in their contest. I won for Best Food Section when I worked as Food Editor at The Palm Beach Post — so I’m honored to now be recognized by my peers for my work in the new digital world. One of my columnists, Debbie Moose, (Moose on Fire) also was nominated for Best Column for her “Sunday Dinner” column in the Raleigh News and Observer.

It’s pretty cool stuff all around!

Write soon,

- Jan

Browse my site from the categories on the left, and I’m sure you’ll find a good deal of info that relates to food and dining, and Florida — even other places.

If you want to sign up for the Appeteaser or leave comments, you’ll need to sign in on the left where it says “Register.” You’ll get a weird password from email, then you log back in with it (it IS case sensitive so copy it with cut-paste). Once you sign in again, just go to the Fix Your Password on the left column and it will walk you through it.

Bookmark my site and come back often: Most days, I write at least once but frequently, I’ll post two or three articles. I’m adding new columnists in a few weeks and very soon, I’ll have videos to share.

Get involved in the discussions — check out the controversy over what a product’s worth by scrolling down and reading the Zen Crunch story.

I still have my hotline, so if you have a food question, call: (561) 340-0820 – I’d love to hear from you and hear what you’re up to! You can email me by going to the Contact Me at the top of the page. Hope to hear from you soon!

Eat well and live well. Life’s short – and it’s no dress rehearsal.

– Jan

For music and performing arts, go to the new web site that’s been created by former arts writers at The Palm Beach Post: Greg Stepanich, Hap Erstein, Scott Simmons, Katie Deits, and Sharon McDaniel are contributing reviews and feature articles for our arts community.

It’s www.pbartspaper.com — where you’ll find great writing and lively conversation about music, theater and concerts. Join in and support our local journalists — and our arts community as well.

John J. Lopinot

Hawksbill turtle. Photo by John J. Lopinot

The beautiful underwater shot of the hawksbill turtle was taken by John J. Lopinot – one of the top nature photographers in the region. He is former Deputy Chief of Photo at The Post, where he worked on the photo staff for more than 30 years. He judged the annual nature photo contest, and now teaches nature photography in the area.

An endangered hawksbill sea turtle swims on a reef off Singer Island, off the bow of a wrecked PT boat. This turtle was once hunted not only for its meat, but for its beautiful shell, used to make eyeglass frames and combs. Hawksbills do not nest in Florida, rather they are teenagers here, spending time on the reefs off Palm Beach’s shores, dining on sponges and jellyfish and brown algae.

Double crested cormorant. Photo by John J. Lopinot

Lopinot also shot this double-crested cormorant in Everglades National Park — a favorite stop for “Lopi” (as we know him), for photographing the birds and plant life of our area.

The double crested cormorant shows its bright breeding eye-ring while at rest along a trail at the Anhinga Trail in Everglades National Park. During the winter breeding season, the birds grow special feathers and have a unique coloration around their eyes and beaks to attract mates. Cormorants eat fish, and hunt them by swimming underwater and catching them by with their hooked beaks.

I asked him specifically for a flamingo shot, and this is the one Lopinot chose:

Flamingoes at Duda Farms. Photo by John J. Lopinot

A flock of flamingoes preen in the shallows of a flooded agricultural area near Belle Glade, Fla. Most flamingoes seen in the wild in Florida were once captives that have escaped; however, they establish small breeding colonies now and then. They get their bright pink coloration from shrimp and other crustaceans in their diets.

To learn more about John J. Lopinot, visit his web site, where you can buy prints of his nature photos, and find out about his classes in nature photography. www.JohnJLopinot.com

Bruce Bennett

The banner photo of the flamingo was shot by Bruce Bennett – currently a photographer for The Palm Beach Post. He’s spent time working in Africa, and teaching black-and-white photography at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, N.C.

Flamingo resting. Photo by Bruce Bennett

This brilliant pink flamingo was at the Dreher Park Zoo, standing with its flock and getting ready to nest for the night. Like many other birds, the flamingo buries its beak in its wing to sleep.

Bruce Bennett is currently working on his web site.

Living2Eat:

First up is Ben Starling’s “Living2Eat” blog. Ben and I have decided we were separated at birth (he’s a native Floridian — it’s possible!) and definitely related — at least food-wise. He’s got a ton of recipes, an easy, folksy way of writing, a lot of genteel friends who cook, and is diehard in making sure his readers are kept up to date with his latest offerings: He puts out an email blast to let you know when a new recipe or blog entry has arrived on the site. I bake him cupcakes, and he gives honest appraisals – another good thing. You’ll see us trading comments on our blogs – like brother and sis. This is a nice, G-rated blog.

The Stew

Next up is one funny guy — Jeff Houck — who used to live in Alaska, so if you have questions about this suddenly popular state, he’s your man. Jeff used to work with me at The Palm Beach Post.  He picked up his family, and moved to Tampa to work at the Tribune, first as a food and features editor, and now, as a web

Jeff Houck

guy. He has an off-track, edgy but hilarious look at food, restaurants and the whole business of eating — sometimes venturing into R-rated territory. His blog, The Stew, is one I have bookmarked. (I like him because deep-down, he’s a really sweet guy who knows how to send a hand-written thank-you note! How rare is THAT these days? And, he can take a joke as well as dish ‘em.) And I want him to always to watch my back: he’s 6′ 20” or so…outstanding in a crowd.

Maureen Clancy

Then there’s my friend Maureen Clancy — another former food editor (gee, we’re developing a theme here…). Her blog is her name: MaureenClancy.com  She’s formerly with the San Diego Union, but also is a fellow Zagat guide writer, a restaurant critic, radio host and magazine writer. She’s done it all. Some of her work is Southern-Cal centric, but there are choice bits on the blog for thoughtful reading — we like her take on Water. She’s a green minded shopper, too. Go, Mo!

Spivak on Wine

Mark Spivak is the host of a terrific wine discussion show, Uncorked! on WXEL-FM, the Palm Beach area NPR affliate. It airs on Tuesdays, 7-8 p.m. Mark’s an old friend, and was the wine columnist for The Palm Beach Post.  I very much like his approach to wine commentary and critique; it’s for us everyday wine drinkers, rather than the so-called “wine snobs” who want to hear about malolactoic fermentation, or terroir or the hint of vitis Labrusca.  I want to know if I should spend $15 or $25 on that bottle of Chardonnay that’s at the front of the wine shop. Is there anything at the supermarket worth buying? Mark has tasted it all! Is my wine guy leading me to some real finds within my budget, or just stuff he’s getting a commission on? And I’m having two kinds of proteins for a meal — a fish and a beef — is there one wine that covers both? He can answer that. Mark’s well traveled, and reports on his ventures outside the U.S. as well as spots around here to dine with wine. Check him out.

Scott Joseph’s Flog

 My fellow food writer in Orlando, Scott Joseph is a great resource when you want to know about Orlando restaurants and food events. Like me, he’s displaced from his newspaper gig; he was formerly at the Orlando Sentinel where he wrote the popular Chowhound column. He’s got a wealth of info on the local eateries on his “flog — food blog,”  and can steer you to all kinds of hidden spots in and around the Magic City — take a look at the long list of communities he covers on the left side of his blog page. He’s also a fellow bicyclist, which leads me to….

Palm Beach Bike Tours

Another friend, and former Post telecom manager (and my levelest-head opinion source) is Ken Steinhoff. He’s my former cycling partner — he still rides all the time, but I haven’t gotten back into yet. It’s coming, once the weather cools enough so that I don’t ralph on Donald Trump’s lawn. Ken is the author at the blog, Palm Beach Bike Tours.  He really hasn’t led any tours just yet — only for friends – but he has done plenty of blogging about very diverse topics, mostly bicycle related. He’s always looking for cyclists to join him, so email him if you’re coming down and would like to see the island of Palm Beach on two wheels, or take in the dike at Lake Okeechobee during a full moon — my favorite ride. He accommodates all levels of riders — but you must wear a helmet and agree to wear a ”blinkie” so drivers can see you. He will teach you that CYCLISTS ARE VEHICLES as defined by Florida law — and we have road rights, too. But they must also follow the vehicle road laws. The food hook here? Ask me about the Little Debbie incident. . .hehehe.

Happy-Mouth blog

A swell blog with a lot of really good, easy unique recipes is at Happy-Mouth.blogspot.com The site is the creation of Katie Brandon, daughter of one of the Divas of Dish, Pam Brandon. (Read the Divas column in The Palm Beach Post. Katie’s in Birmingham, Ala., writes about all kinds of foods, and has a level, down-to-earth approach to cooking. Good photos, too — this blog always inspires me when I can’t think of what I want to make for supper.

SouthFloridaDines.com

Taylor Morgan

I get an email blast almost every day from Taylor Morgan, from SouthFloridaDines.com. Through that site, I’m able to keep up with new restaurants in the area, and those that have closed, too. Taylor, my former radio show host (fun days, talking tables on the air!) runs the Web site and business where you can get half-off dining and activity certificates (don’t ever call them coupons!!!) for area restaurants. I know several well-to-do diners who discretely use her certficates, but anyone in this nutty economy can use a discount, I presume. The list of restaurants on her site is lengthy and represents a number of cuisines and other activities like movie passes  – something for everyone (a painless way to entertain company, too). Bostonians: She’s one of you, so when those crazy Red Sox win, she goes nuts and offers really great discounts.

Southern Foodways Alliance

A subject near and dear to my heart is all things about the South (see my About Jan page to get it). There are a host of others, thank heaven, who love to talk about it, too, and specifically the rich heritage of Southern food. This Web site is from the Southern Foodways Alliance, which is an institute of the Center for the Study of Southern Culture, headquartered at the University of Mississippi in Oxford. From New Orleans’ gumbo to Appalachicola oysters, and boiled peanuts and tamales — grits, greens, barbecue and everything in between — it’s discussed and dissected here. The oral history project is fascinating, and I can recommend NOLA Eats — a radio link on their Web site. This is one tasty and informative site.

Debbie Moose

Debbie is my peer in Raleigh, N.C. — the displaced food editor. She’s Southern, works to help fight domestic abuse (she’s got a great hubby — no worries!) and is a swell cook and person all around. She’s got a great blog on all kinds of food stuff. We have a ball when we get together, which is always too rarely; once I move to North Carolina in my other life, I hope that changes. Deb’s claim to fame among food editors is her clever book, Deviled Eggs – 50 Recipes from Simple to Sassy – check it out here — it’s a must-have if you love deviled eggs. Read her blog, Moose Munchies,  here.

 Check back, and I’ll keep telling you about more sites to read.

These tunes come from my Significant Other, Jimmy Barron. He’s an Atlanta, Ga., native, and has a bend for Southern food — and most all other types – as much as I do. Bonus: He’s an excellent cook.

More than that, however, is his unending passion for music — and knowledge of it. He’s downright scary: A walking encyclopedia of classic and modern rock, country, and British stuff  — who produced, sang, or performed on what album with whom and in what year. And where it was recorded, remixed or who covered it later on. This goes for concerts and other performances.

It’s like playing the Kevin Bacon game with him asking him about a musician — it leads to 40 other discussions and so many tangents I can never keep up.

It’s in his genes. His aunt, Mary Tallent, was vice-president of the famous Lowery Studios in Atlanta. He grew up playing the drums with some minor bands in Atlanta as well.

I’ve tapped him to add music suggestions now and then to the recipes and meals I talk about, just to give him somewhere to go with all that music stuff, till he gets his own blog going.

(At this moment, he’s recommending Teddy Thompson, “A Piece of What You Need.” Thompson is the son of Richard Thompson and Linda Thompson from Fairport Convention.

Jimmy also notes it’s the 40th anniversary of The Beatles’ White Album — (trivia: Ringo quit the band during its recording, but later returned; the actual name of the album is The Beatles with only the catalog number on its cover under the band’s name).

He’s also howling with me at the hilarious You Tube video of an interplay between two country idols – pop artists of their day – Merle Haggard and Marty Robbins (Devil Woman).

So, meet Jimmy and feel free to direct all your music questions and Atlanta queries to him!

Jimmy Barron at Bern's Steak House in Tampa, Fl.