Chef Lindsay Autry

Chefs Lindsay Autry of Top Chef fame, and Roy Villacrusis, of the former Kubo Asiatic Cuisine, will cook together for twin Pop-Up dinners Sunday and Monday, May 20, 21 at Chef Corp Cook’s Studio in Palm Beach Gardens. Tickets are limited to 60 diners each night.

The chefs will cook five courses between them – in view of the diners sitting at communal tables in the open-demo kitchen at Chef Corp (in the Home Depot Plaza on Northlake Blvd.).

A number of local food and drink producers also are involved – both chefs are heavy supporters of locally sourced foods and products.

The Sunday Supper will kick off with hors d’oeuvres and a mead cocktail made by Seth Thomas of In the Mead Time. Local wine purveyor Matthew House will pour wines for the evening.

Pop-up dinners are becoming more popular with chefs who are currently not in a restaurant but have talent to share with diners. The unique menus featured at each is part of the draw, with a chance to eat with more than one chef at each meal in a dinner-party-like setting.

Some are planned on the spur-of-the-moment and invites sent online or through social media only; others, such as this, are planned in advance.

The menu is served family-style and plated. In the Autry-Villacrusis dinner, the menu is the same both nights.

In most cases, tickets are sold by the host restaurant or through the chefs; wines are either priced separately or included in the ticket. To follow certain chefs, go to their websites or Facebook pages to be notified of other pop-ups.

Sunday Supper and Monday Leftovers Pop-Up Dinners

• Who: Chefs Lindsay Autry and Roy Villacrusis
• Hosted by: Chef Corp Cook Studio, 3830 Northlake Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens
• When: Sunday, May 20 and Monday, May 21; one seating at 7 p.m.
• Cost: $115, all inclusive
• Information and tickets: www.lindsayautry.com

A number of local restaurants participate – many of which I can recommend. Included are chefs from Little Moir’s Food Shack and Leftover’s Café, Imoto, Coolinary Café, Guanabana’s, Buonasera, La Scaletta, Spiro’s Taverna, Sharkbite Grille, PGA National’s Ironwood Grill, Talay Thai, Embassy Suite’s Verdea, Schooner, Jupiter Island Grill, Pita Grille and The Bistro. Chef Lindsay Autry of Top Chef will also be here to serve her dishes and wine notables such as Virginia Philip, Mariya Kovecheva, and Matt from the Tequesta Brewing Co. will pour drinks.

Get your tickets online to save $5. Tickets are $100 for VIP Seating (a first this year); $35 online and $40 at the gate (kids are $15) – with a limited amount available.

Last year, they sold out quickly and a lot of people turned away at the gate, so keep it in mind if you’re going. Parking is free in the garage – but also is limited; park on the northeast side of the bridge and walk over if you want to avoid the traffic tangle.

The ticket money benefits the Friends of Jupiter Beach – who maintain clean beaches and work to keep it dog-friendly, as well.

Jupiter Beach Food and Wine Festival

• Where: At Riverwalk, Jupiter (along the Intracoastal at the Southeast side of the Indiantown Bridge.
• When: Saturday, May 19, 3-6 p.m.
• Cost: $100 VIP; general admission is $35 online ($15 kids); $40 at the gate. Includes all food and wine. Free parking.
• Information and tickets: www.friendsofjupiterbeach.com

Here’s Dale Carlson’s view of a tapas joint in Pamplona, Spain. Her description follows. Send me your photos of travel food and I’ll post them for all to drool over.

She writes:

I don’t have to note that each of those items hanging from the ceiling is a ham hock. At the top is the black hoof, and at the bottom are those little cups to catch the slippery stuff that might leak out.

That’s me with the orange scarf, enjoying a cana y tapas.

The whole top of the bar is filled with pequeno platas with amazing 1-2 bite tapas. Fish, Jamon, queso y pimitons, juevos, you name it.

The acetos (sp) (olives) were also yummy.

The rack to my left is loaded with riojas wines (tinto y non). And yes, the riojas tintos were also a fave.

Can’t wait to get back there.

Nellie Harrelson - my mom - at work at the US Naval Air Station commissary, around 1944.

Treating Mom to brunch this Sunday? For those in Palm Beach County, the options are endless – nearly every sit-down restaurant serves some form of a Sunday brunch or has a special. If your favorite restaurant isn’t listed, call anyway to see if they’re doing something special.

Here are some ideas for restaurants giving Mom the queen treatment.

Mother’s Day Brunches

Editor’s Note: Restaurants, prices and times are applicable only on Sunday, May 13, 2012.

NOTE: Prices listed do not include tax or tip and in most cases, no alcoholic beverages. Reservations are required for most – call ahead.

North county and Palm Beach areas

Ironwood Grille at PGA National Resort and Spa, 400 Avenue of the Champions, Palm Beach Gardens; 561-627-2000; www.pgaresort.com

Brunch buffet hot and cold carving stations, sides, salads and dessert bar. Served 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; $45.

51 Supper Club, 11701 Lake Victoria Gardens (Downtown at the Gardens),   Palm Beach Gardens. 561-622-3500; 51supperclub.com

Brunch buffet features carving stations, fresh seafood, salads, desserts. Served 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; cost is $34.95 adults; $9.95 kids 10 and under. Reservations required.

III Forks Prime Steakhouse, 4645 PGA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens, 561-630-3660; www.3forks.com

Three-course menu includes choices of III forks salad or asparagus soup; fire roasted-red pepper chicken, bacon-wrapped tenderloin medallions or crab-stuffed flounder; Mandarin orange cake or chocolate mousse. Served 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; $44.95; $15.95 children under 12.

Jupiter Beach Resort, Five N. S.R. A1A, Jupiter. 866-713-3780; www.jupiterbeachresort.com

Special brunch buffet with traditional brunch items and special carving stations, dessert bar. Also available, regular breakfast buffet. Mother’s Day brunch is $42.95 adults; $20.95 kids 12 or under. Special seatings from 11 a.m. to 3:30; reservations required. Breakfast buffet served from 7 a.m. to noon; $18.95 includes beverages.

3800 Ocean at the Marriott Singer Island Resort, 3800 N. Ocean Dr., Singer Island, 561-340-1700; www.marriott.com

Two buffets – one breakfast, one brunch for Mom, with live entertainment at brunch. On the breakfast buffet find waffle and omelet stations, choco-chip pancakes, biscuits and gravy, smoked salmon and other breakfast items. At brunch, look for char-grilled London broil with chimichurri sauce, slow-roasted salmon and crab claws, as well as “not your mother’s meatloaf,” assorted quiche, antipasto salumi and cheeses with grilled vegetables as well as a dessert bar. Cost for breakfast buffet is $24.95 adults, $12.95 kids; served 8-11 a.m.. Brunch buffet is $34.95 adults, $14.95 kids and served from noon to 4 p.m.

The Breakers, 1 S. County Road, Palm Beach, 561-655-6611; www.thebreakers.com

The big Breakers buffet in the Circle Room is sold out (weeks in advance), but a three-course sit-down brunch will be served in the Flagler Steakhouse. Cost is $55; for $13.75 additional, diners get a choice of unlimited bloody Marys or mimosas.  Served 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Reservations required.

Four Seasons Palm Beach – The Restaurant, 2800 S. Ocean Blvd., Palm Beach; 561-582-2800; www.fourseasons.com/palmbeach

Brunch buffet includes a raw bar, a bloody Mary bar, sushi station, locally sourced Palm Beach farmer’s market with salads and sides; a traditional breakfast station with egg dishes, a carving station, grilled seafoods, eli cart and dessert bar.  Served 10  a.m.-4 p.m. $100, or $35 for kids 5-12. Reservations required.

Cafe Boulud, 301 Australian Ave., Palm Beach (in the Brazilian Court Hotel); 561-655-6060; www.danielnyc.com

Chef Jim Leiken will oversee a family-friendly buffet that includes homemade market soups, salads, charcuterie and cheese selections. Pasta, omelet and carving stations are featured. Pastry chef Arnaud Chavingny’s desserts include strawberry pistachio tartlets, mango-passion Parisian macarons, chocolate cups filled with raspberry-violet-vanilla cream and rhubarb upside-down tart, among others. Cost is $68 adults; $36 kids under 10. Served 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Beverages extra. Reservations required.

Café des Beaux-Arts in the Flagler Museum, 1 Whitehall Way, Palm Beach. 561-655-2833; www.flaglermuseum.us

Gilded-Age inspired lunch – scones, seven different tea sandwiches, desserts, and Whitehall special blended tea. Free photo, a rose and $10 gift certificate to the gift shop for moms. Served Saturday, May 7, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and Sunday, noon-3 p.m. Cost is all-inclusive and includes museum ticket. $50 for a mother and one child of any age for Flagler Museum members; $80 for mother and one child of any age, for non-members. Separate pricing for additional people. Reservations are required; check website or call for availability and pricing.

La Scaletta Ristorante and Pizzeria, 1201 U.S. 1, (Crystal Tree Plaza), North Palm Beach; 561-630-8500; www.lascalettagardens.com

The singing chef will perform during the four-course prix-fixe brunch that includes choices of dishes such as fried calamari on a mixed salad, Caesar salad, antipasto plate, spinach tortellini alla Bolognese, baked rigatoni with peas, two cheeses and fresh tomatoes, 10-inch pizza; half an herb-roasted chicken, home-style meat loaf; mahi Mediterranean style, and Napoleans for dessert. Indoor-outdoor seating. Cost is $21.95 (beverages extra); served from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. for parties of six or more. Call for more details; reservations required.

Central county area

Pistache French Bistro, 101 N. Clematis St., West Palm Beach; 561-833-5090; www.pistachewpb.com

Three-course special brunch menu includes choices such as gazpacho, mussels ala Provencal, jumbo lump crab cake, grilled salmon, raised Black Angus brisket and several desserts. Free mimosa for moms. Serving 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Cost is $35 – tax and tip not included. Reservations required.

The Wine Dive, 319 Clematis St., West Palm Beach; 561-318-8821 (find them on Facebook).

Special dishes for Mother’s Day brunch ala carte menu include cinnamon crunch French toast, lobster and egg benedicts, special breakfast burrito with housemade breakfast potatoes. Bottomless mimosas for $10 or housemade sangria for $5. Served 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

City Cellar, 700 S. Rosemary Ave. (in CityPlace), West Palm Beach; 561-366-0071; www.bigtimerestaurants.com

Ala carte brunch from special menu. Free mimosas for Moms; kids 10 and under eat free from children’s menu with purchase of entree. Served 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Reservations suggested.

B.B. King’s Blues Club, 550 S. Rosemary Ave. (in CityPlace), West Palm Beach; 561-420-8600; www.bbkingclubs.com

Brunch buffet, with music from the All Star Band, noon to 5 p.m. Cost is $19.95; kids, $9.99. Mimosas are $2 and bloody Marys, $5. Reservations suggested.

Ruth’s Chris Steak House, 651 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach; 561-514-3544; www.ruthschris.com

Three-course menu avaialble along with regular menu. Free gift to all moms. Cost is $42.95. Reservations suggested.

Darbster in West Palm Beach

Darbster, 8020 S. Dixie Highway, Lake Worth; 561-586-2622; www.darbster.com

Brunch specials inclue raw vegan crepes, vegan eggs Benedict, black quinoa fruit salad with raspberry Champagne vinaigrette, as well as regular brunch items from menu. Serving brunch 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; entrees priced from $9. Dogs welcome.

Ritz-Carlton Palm Beach, 100 S. Ocean Blvd., Manalapan; 561-533-6000; www.ritzcarlton.com/resorts/palm_beach

Champagne brunch at Temple Orange includes food stations and dessert bar. Champagne and mimosas are included. Expect carving stations, cold charcuterie and dessert bar. Served 10:30 a.m.- 2:30 p.m. Cost is $95 for adults; $45 for kids. Ala carte menu also available.

Garden Dining Room at Boynton’s Ocean Avenue Green Market Café, 400-410 E. Boynton Beach Blvd., Boynton Beach 561-752-8598

Brunch ala carte, with specials of bananas foster French toast, panini, eggs Florentine and eggs Benedict. Separate buffet available. Free mimosas for moms. Served 10 a.m. -2:30 p.m., entrees priced from $10. $16.99 for buffet.

South County area

Cafe Auribeau, 209 S.E. First Ave., Boca Raton; 561-417-6790; www.opentable.com/cafeauribeau/

A French-American menu will be served

Pavilion Grille, 301 Yamato Road (in the Stonegate Bank Building), Boca Raton; 561-912-0000; www.paviliongrille.com.

Jazz brunch buffet includes prime rib, roast turkey, omelet and pasta stations, chicken marsala, ice cream bar, desserts. Free unlimited mimosas. Jazz performance by Deborah Paiva Jazz Duo. Served 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; $39.95 adults or $19.95 for children 5-12.

Bogart’s Bar and Grill, 3200 Airport Road, Boca Raton (in Cinemark Palace 20 theaters); 561-395-4695, www.bogartsofboca.com

Special brunch menu includes jumbo sticky cinnamon buns, lox platter, banana walnut French toast, 3-egg omelet, huevos rancheros burrito. Moms get a free Flywheel ride from the indoor motorcycle ride. Served 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; ala carte pricing, kids menu available.

Other options

Hurricane Cafe, 14050 U.S. 1, Juno Beach. 561-630-2012; www.hurricanecafe.com

Waterway Cafe, 2300 PGA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens, 561-694-1700; www.waterwaycafe.com

The River House, 2373 PGA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens, 561-694-1188; www.riverhouserestaurant.com

Carmine’s La Trattoria, 2401 PGA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens. 561-775-0186; www.carmines.com

Palm Beach Steakhouse, 191 BRadley Place, Palm Beach; 561-671-4333,
www.thepalmbeachsteakhouse.com

Sailfish Marina, 98 Lake Dr., Singer Island (Palm Beach Shores). 561-844-1724; www.sailfishmarina.com

E.R. Bradley’s, 104 S. Clematis St., downtown West Palm Beach. 561-833-3520; www.erbradleys.com

Deck 84, 840 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach, 561-665-8484; www.deck84.com

Old Key Lime House, 300 E.Ocean Ave., Lantana. 561-582-1889; www.oldkeylimehouse.com

John G’s, 264 S. Ocean Blvd., Manalapan (in Plaza del Mar);  561-585-9860, www.johngs.com

Benny’s on the Beach, 10 Ocean Blvd. (on the pier), Lake Worth. 561-582-9001; www.bennysonthebeach.com

Watercolors at The Bridge, 999 E. Camino Real, Boca Raton; 561-368-9500; www.bocaratonbridgehotel.com

Other Mom’s Day specials:

Catamaran cruise for 40 passengers aboard Visit Palm Beach’s Hakuna Matada – a 50-foot catamaran. Sail around the Intracoastal Waterway and out into the ocean, weather permitting. Boat sails from Sailfish Marina in Palm Beach Shores. Light snacks and drinks served. From 10- 11:30 a.m.; cost is $35 adults, $20 kids under 12. More info at www.visitpalmbeach.com or call 561-881-9757.

This week in the Florida Weekly, Palm Beach Gardens edition, you’ll find the Best Of section – our (the writers and editors) take on the top spots in the area for festivals, hiking, a little tippling, noshing, theater and arts, and much more.

Check it out at their website, if you can’t get hold of a real edition. Lots of room for argument.

Note – it wasn’t a restaurant Best Of – but keep reading Florida Weekly – it’s planned.

The Kentucky Derby is today, the second Saturday in May

Guest blogger Victoria Malmer recalls growing up in Kentucky, where family traditions surrounding the Kentucky Derby included the Governor’s Derby Breakfast, festive hats, ham biscuits, friendly wagering, roses – and of course, mint juleps.

Kentucky Derby Memories

By Victoria Malmer

Guest blogger for JanNorris.com

I wish I were in Kentucky this week. The energy and excitement generated by Derby is palpable. It is as though the 4th of July, Christmas, and the Super Bowl are all on the same day and related.

Gov. and Mrs. Patton host the Derby Breakfast at the Capitol in Frankfort, Ky., in May 2000 /photo from Kentucky online archives

The Governor’s Derby Breakfast

Victoria Malmer and brother Stephen in their Sunday best

When I was a kid, we went to the Governor’s Derby Breakfast every year. The capitol grounds are beautiful, filled with blooming trees and flowers, especially red tulips, this time of year. Nearly every house in Frankfort is spiffed up, with flowers on the porch.

I’m from Frankfort, the capital – a major bourbon producer. My whole town smelled like sour mash – a slightly sour, yeasty smell, part of the bourbon-making process – a lot of the time. I’ve been to Derby, sitting in box seats, and in the cheapest seats. I’ve even mingled on Millionaires’ Row, covering Derby for newspapers.

But my favorite memories are of my family’s Derby traditions.

The governor hosted a big breakfast on the lawn of the Capitol each year under a giant tent. There were beautiful southern belles in huge, glamorous hoop-skirted gowns at the entrance, welcoming everyone. Miss Kentucky was usually one of the belles. The governor would be inside, making the rounds, shaking hands, clapping backs, and kissing babies.

Hats like these show up on all kinds of heads at the Derby /cmcdesignstudio.com

People would wear their Sunday best to the breakfast, even if they weren’t going to Derby. If you had a nice hat, you’d wear it. If you didn’t own one, you might borrow one, or re-decorate an old one.

The hats you see on TV on Derby Day today have become parodies, decorated with Churchill Downs’ twin spires and betting tickets. The more outrageous the better.

Real Kentucky ladies wear feathers, tulle or lace on straw hats, mainly in bright colors.

The tables were set with elaborate flower arrangements, china and silver, and the menu was printed for each place setting. Often, there was a blanket of roses on display like the one draped over the winning horse.

Elaborate Southern breakfast

There were long buffet tables, filled to groaning with cheesy grits, salty country ham, biscuits, fruit salad, and all the normal breakfast dishes. Everyone sat at long tables, and got to know their neighbors.

Some years, the governor would plan a sort of festival or party for those not going to Derby, with activities for kids, art shows, live music, a display of hot-air balloons, etc.

Folks with Derby tickets would try to get in and out early, to make the hour-plus drive to Louisville. The governor would leave in a limo, or, later, when John Y. Brown (a businessman who turned KFC into a world brand) was governor, he departed in a helicopter.

Later in the day, my parents would have a Derby party for us three kids, with special snacks. We’d draw horses names out of a hat, and cheer for “our” horse.

As we got older, to keep it interesting, my dad taught us about wagering, and he’d give us each a small amount of money to bet and he’d be the “house,” paying off the winner. They often then left us with a baby sitter and headed off to grown-up Derby parties.

Florida friends oblivious to Derby Day

A silver cup is the only vessel other than glass for a julep. /photo from quintessenceblog.com

When I moved to Florida in 1988, I had to work on Derby Day, which is always the first Saturday in May after the first Friday in May (so it never falls on May Day).

I came to work laden with snacks for my co-workers, the names of the horses cut out of the newspaper so we could draw them from a hat, and my festive Derby attitude. My co-workers were mystified, then when I explained, thought it was pretty funny. I remember calling home and telling my mom, amazed: They didn’t even know it was Derby Day!

Now, some years I go to the dog track, because they Simulcast the Derby and serve mediocre mint juleps in the real “collectible” Derby glasses. But they use mint syrup, or bourbon mixed with “mint flavoring.” I prefer a more authentic julep.

More often, I have a few friends over and make special Southern snacks – cheddar cheese pennies, ham on biscuits, and the must-have mint juleps.

One of my most treasured possessions is an authentic sterling silver julep cup, a gift from my sister when I was maid of honor at her wedding. One person at the party gets that cup, which gets a lovely frost on the outside when filled with julep. The others drink out of assorted Derby glasses collected over many years. They feature the years and names of the horses in past races printed on their sides.

My mint julep

I grow mint all year, because it reminds me of home. So I put a handful of fresh-picked mint in the glass, and “muddle” it gently with a teaspoon of sugar. Then I fill the glass with cracked ice – not cubes! –  and pour a jigger and a half of good bourbon on top. I stir it with a glass cocktail stirrer, because there’s an old wives’ tale that only glass, silver and ice should touch bourbon.

It is a strong drink, but it mellows as the ice melts. I only drink one julep a year, on Derby Day, but the smell of mint and bourbon remind me strongly of the rolling hills, and gentle folk who sing along with My Old Kentucky Home…and I get a little misty.

***

Victoria Malmer is a web producer for The Palm Beach Post in West Palm Beach, Fla., where she frequently shares her excellent cooking skills with her coworkers.

Cinco de Mayo isn’t Mexico’s biggest day – certainly not their Independence Day (Sept. 16) as many think. It’s actually a time when soldiers raised a glass to toast their comrades – a poorly outfitted troop, much smaller than the French army they took on at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. The Mexican militia whipped the French, boosting the morale of the country and living on in legends handed down for generations.

Americans and the tequila makers, never ones to shy away from celebrations or a marketing moment, seized the occasion and made it their own.

A number of places will pour tequila like agua, have mariachi bands, and silly sombrero- and serape-clad types around for the mostly fake ambience.

But what the heck – it’s good enough reason for a theme party, so here are the spots you can get in on them and what I know about them.

Cantina Laredo – I recently was invited to sample a great deal of the fare at this restaurant in Palm Beach Gardens’ Midtown. Nothing at all wrong with their margaritas, but we thought the mojito was one of the best we’ve ever had. Perfumey fresh mint, fresh lime, and a sugarcane swizzle – and the perfect small amount of sugar as it should be. (Be sensible – don’t expect that today with the nutty crowds.) But for noshing with it, go with the endless basket of chips, their housemade pico de gallos and the top shelf guacamole. The latter is made at the table and is all up to you – how spicy and chunky do you like it? Direct the maker to the perfection you seek – the avocados are ripe. The Carnitas – the braised pork shank topped with a chipotle-wine sauce showed the complexity of flavors brought out by the slow cooking.

Today, though, for Cinco de Mayo, they start the fiesta grande with a live band and dancers – Tairon Aguiera y Latin Beat. The restaurant and courtyard are set up to host the crowds with a ton of giveaways and prizes. $5 Cinco Mas ‘Ritas.

Cantina Laredo – 4635 PGA Blvd., Midtown, Palm Beach Gardens; 561-622-1223

Rocco’s Tacos – Did you read my story in The Florida Weekly about the tortilla maker who makes Rocco’s corn tortillas by hand – the traditional way? It’s attention to detail and a passion for tequila that makes Rocco Mangel, one of the owners, so popular with his fans. In previous years, he bused a group of groupies between his three restaurants (West Palm Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, Boca Raton) – now that he has four, he’s floating on his own between them, and letting the fans rock their own favorite locale. There’s a $1000 mustache contest for best ‘stache that shows up; a big street party on Clematis Street and in the parking lots and courtyards of his others. Live bands, shot girls, bar-top dancing – maybe a burro or two munching hay. You never know with Rocco.

Rocco’s Tacos is in Palm Beach Gardens in the Commons on PGA Blvd.; Downtown West Palm Beach on Clematis Street and Boca Raton’s Town Center on Military Trail. roccostacos.com

Cha Cha’s – The only Mexican in the town of Palm Beach, and a sibling to Cucina dell’Arte – a popular club after-hours – will “go all out,” according to their post. This is Palm Beach – so it’s $10 for bottomless Corona Light beers or housemade sangria – your choice. Endless Margaritas are $25. A live DJ will spin and keep the party going.

Cha Cha’s is on the second level at 150 Worth Ave., Palm Beach. chachaspalmbeach.com

Uncle Julio’s  – In Boca’s Mizner Park, this small Tex-Mex chain has a unique guacamole menu – order the three-pepper spicy style (for hot-heads only – it has habaneros), the pineapple bacon guacamole for a fruity-savory spin on the dip, or a full-fledged almost meal with the roasted corn and lump crab. Freshly made tortillas here (machine-made) are another key. Their signature is a big flavored stuffed shrimp dish – the Camarones Brochette are stuffed with cheese and jalapenos, wrapped in bacon and grilled over mesquite. Housemade Mexican “butter” is dribbled around the sizzling and smoking platter. And if you can resist their sopapillas for dessert, you’re a better woman than I. Look for a live band, salsa dancing in the street and free-flowing tequila (not free, really, but free-flowing).

Uncle Julio’s is at 449 Plaza Real, Mizner Park, Boca Raton. unclejulios.com

More options:

Among the many other Mexican chain spots that will offer something in the way of Cinco de Mayo celebrations, here are some locally owned Mexican cantinas and restaurants to consider.

• Aleyeda’s Mexican, 1890 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach.
• Amigos Mexican Spanish Restaurant, 4720 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach
• La Fogata, 924 Northlake Blvd., N. Palm Beach, also La Fogata, 11924 West Forest Hill Blvd., Wellington
  
• La Bamba, 4285 W. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach
• Rosalita’s Tex-Mex, 5949 S. Congress Ave., Atlantis
• Cabo Flats, 11701 Lake Victoria Ave., (Downtown at the Gardens), Palm Beach Gardens

Make your own popcorn for the microwave using a brown paper bag. /Kennisha Robinson on Snapguide.com

I hate the gunk that’s in microwave popcorn – weird oils, flavorings and who knows what? – and have lately been making popcorn on the stove, the old-fashioned way, using a jar of kernels and a little oil.

Use a brown paper bag, preferably recycled

Now, I’ll invest in some brown paper lunch sacks and make my own microwaveable popcorn that’s fat-free. I knew you could do it, but wasn’t sure if oil of some kind was required. Of course not; it requires steam only.

Two notes: Note 1: Some paper bags are made with tiny metal chips and react in the microwave. Not all are labeled. Recycled paper typically isn’t, but you’re on your own here, since I have no way to tell you a brand name for the bags. (White paper bags would also work.)

Note 2: Remember to buy fresh popcorn in a jar, and seal it well after each use. Popcorn dries out and won’t pop well if it’s too old. Fresh popcorn pops huge, so you only need 1/4 cup per lunch-sized bag.

Go here to learn how to do it from Kennisha Robinson on Snapguide.com.

Shared from Carmen J Stout at Pinterest.com

Here’s a capital idea for closing bags! Yet another use for a plastic bottle. The caps often can’t be recycled (colored ones, especially). Put them to use resealing bags.

Cut off the top of a plastic bottle about 2 inches from the top. Slip this over the top of a bag. Fold the bag over the top of the bottle and seal it with the cap. Voila!

More: Cut the top threaded ring off all your bottles and save the cap and ring -  these would work on cereal bags, chip and bean bags, and so on. Large-mouth juice bottles work great for bigger bags.

Even more: Cut the bottom off the rest of the bottle and use the resulting cone as a funnel.

Keep plastic bottles out of our landfills – recycle every one!

Expect crowds at a repeat of Boca's Gourmet Food Truck Rally

Boca’s Boomers games-and-brew spot wasn’t prepared for the wild night they had at the first Gourmet Food Truck Rally a year ago in their parking lot – the first food truck meet-up in Palm Beach County.

Those trying to get there backed up the traffic on Airport Road, back to Glades Road and back to the exit ramp of I-95. Then there were the lines at the beer stand, inside Boomer’s, and at the trucks – which sold out of foods in just over an hour in some cases, disappointing those who stayed.

Organizer Jochen Esser thinks this year will be different. “The response to our very first (Palm Beach County) Gourmet Truck Expo at Boomers of Boca last year was incredible. We’ve got more trucks this year, and are putting the beer stand in a more central location. Boca police will be there to direct traffic. We have additional support, so getting to the event will hopefully be a smoother experience.”

30 trucks coming

The truck operators know what to expect, too, now, and more food truck enthusiasts can be accommodated, Esser said.

Ten trucks were added to the event – 30 in all will serve up small plates or full entrees or desserts. Diners can expect foods such as hot dogs, pizza, smoked ribs and chicken, burgers, wraps, fish tacos and Mexican plates. Specialties such as gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, and local, organic foods can be spotted along with fresh pastas, crab cakes, Argentinian foods such as churrasco, Italian sausages and shortribs.

Diners can expect to pay from $1.50 to $8 per plate.

Food Truck strategy

This isn’t fine dining – it’s fun dining. Here are my rules for eating at the trucks:

• No whining! It’s outdoors, you stand in line, you eat out of paper trays standing up and use plastic utensils. Get over yourself otherwise.
• Walk around and scope out what you really want to eat. Don’t expect to try one of each.
• Don’t dawdle at the window deciding what to order – you may be sent to the back of the line till you make up your mind. Menus are generally posted on the sides of the trucks. Look it over before you get to the window.
• Step aside once you order but don’t go far.
• Don’t rush the cooks – most of the good ones make food to order. Be ready to take it hot out of their hands.
• Come with friends – send them to different trucks to get one or two dishes to share with everyone.
• Bring cash – though most trucks now accept cards, some still don’t.
• Bring some portable chairs, and even a TV tray table to eat on, or be prepared to sit on a curb and juggle your food.
• Bring an umbrella just in case – a golf one works great.

Gourmet Food Truck Rally

• Where: Boomers Boca, 3100 Airport Road, Boca Raton
• When: Wednesday, May 2, 6-9 p.m.
• Cost: Free admission and parking. Foods and drinks priced individually. (Some are cash only.)