Broward Palm Beach Food Blog

Bill Citara

​New Orleans' iconic sandwich is under attack. What's a poor boy to do? 

Throw a party, what else?  

That would be the third-annual New Orleans Po-Boy Preservation Festival, which takes place Sunday, November 22. More than three dozen restaurants will be on hand, slapping fried oysters, shrimp, catfish, soft-shell crab, roast beef (with debris), and more between two slices of crusty bread and garnishing with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and whatnot, all to preserve a big, tasty bite of the city's culinary heritage. 

The culprits, according to a recent piece in the New York Times by the esteemed Southern food writer John T. Edge, are the usual suspects:
 

​•    Allen Susser, one of the original Mango Gangers (with Norman Van Aken and Mark Militello), will open a gastropub, Taste, in the Pineapple Grove area of Delray Beach sometime early next year. Look for small plates of comfy food and a roster of swell cocktails.

•    Also in Delray, Joey Giannuzzi's Green Gourmet made its debut in the Shoppes at Addison Place. It features traditional and contemporary American dishes prepared with organic, all-natural ingredients, available to eat in or take home. The eatery itself is green too, making extensive use of recycled and repurposed materials.

•    Trying to entice locals to enjoy its quirky Old Florida charms, the restaurants and businesses on Lantana's East Ocean Avenue are holding a "reopening celebration" this Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. There will be live entertainment, free food and wine samples, specials sales, raffles and more.

Courtesy of WPB Greenmarket.

​

If you've been making do with brown lettuce and rock-hard tomatoes from your local giant-mega-supermarket and counting the days until you could buy produce with real flavor from the people who actually grow it, you have only a few more days to check off.  Most Palm Beach County greenmarkets will reopen for the season by the end of October, so there's no excuse to be dining on potato chips and Lean Cuisine because you don't want to waste precious dollars on sad-looking, over-priced crap. 

What's that in the coffee cake? Yep, it's cardamom.

​The only thing painful about Le Petit Pain is deciding which of its luscious breads, pastries, cookies, tarts, and other confections to take home with you. 

But one pain that's pure pleasure is a breakfast bread that, if you're not of Scandinavian descent, you've probably never seen before. "Scandinavian coffee cake" is how Le Petit's co-owner (with wife Gaelle) Tom Tchernia describes it, though at his tiny Lantana bakery, it goes by the more prosaic name of "cardamom-raisin bread." 

Yeah, that's cardamom, one of the stalwart spices of Indian cuisine but also a player in the cuisines of the various Scandinavian countries, where it arrived from

Photos by Bill Citara

Marylea Moffat was in a pickle. 

The trucking company she and her husband ran had crashed and burned. Her marriage too. And getting a new job? Well, the way things are nowadays, good luck with that. 

What she did have was a lifetime of family recipes for pickling just about everything that came out of their garden. "We'd do something with it," she said of their bounty. "Nothing went to waste."  

Add a love of cooking and the need to make a living and the result was Pickled Pink, her own line of pickled just about anything, from dills and half-sours to vanilla-infused beets and green beans to killer relishes, like my favorite, a snappy heirloom tomato relish with crispy chunks of onion, celery, and peppers along with chopped tomatoes, sugar, vinegar, salt, and spices. It's good enough to eat right out of the jar, but it also makes an excellent accompaniment to hot dogs, burgers, grilled or roasted pork, or even rich, creamy cheeses like Brie and Camembert. 

Moffat, who lives in West Palm, began selling her pickles late last year at Lake Worth's Oceanside farmers' market, and now that the market has moved downtown for the summer (every Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon), she's there too, selling (and offering samples of) a hand-made product that makes the mass-produced stuff sold at your local gigamarket taste like... well, like mass-produced stuff sold at your local gigamarket. 

Pickled Pink heirloom tomato relish sells for $5.50, with the rest of the line going from $5.50 to $7.50. It's not only local, it's really good. Find the Oceanside market at "J" Street and Lake Avenue in Lake Worth every Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon.

Photo by Bill Citara

I stopped by the Lake Worth farmers' market recently and ran into Jodi Swank, whose (with husband Darrin) Swank Specialty Produce is to the trash at your local supermarket what a Bugatti Veyron is to skateboarding with square wheels. 

She'll be at the market on J Street at Lucerne Avenue for another two weeks before shutting down to ramp up for next season's production, and if you haven't sampled the picture-perfect (and poison-free) produce used by the likes of James Dean Max (3030 Ocean) and Michael Wagner (Lola's on Harrison), then you're missing out on something really special. The mixed Asian greens, which can include everything from Chinese mallow and Japanese red mustard to tatsoi and mizuna, make the most amazing salads.

Jodi also had a couple of interesting bits of news. One, she and Darrin will double the size of the Loxahatchee farm by October, when Swank will be at its regular booth at the West Palm Beach Greenmarket. After that market closes in April, Swank will head back to Lake Worth. Look for more of all the good stuff the Swanks normally produce, plus more varieties of tomato and veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts. 

The second bit of expansion is of Swank's Community Supported Agriculture program, which for $40 a week (with an eight-week minimum) gets you weekly or biweekly baskets of fresh from the farm produce. With a $320 up-front commitment, it's not exactly cheap, but if you go in with another couple-three foodies, it becomes a lot more affordable, not to mention a helluva lot cheaper than eating the same pristine produce at some hoity local restaurant. Jodi's looking for another 25 to 30 members (about all the farm can handle), so if you're interested, give her a call at 561-202-5648 or email her by clicking here. 

Your greens will make your friends green with envy.

Photo by Flickr user cityflickr

Tired of the rubber-ball tomatoes, wilted corporate greens and vegetables older than Michael Jackson's last hit at your local giant-mega-supermarket? It's not like you have many options, because most farmers' markets close during South Florida summers, when the only thing that grows is mold.

Well, on July 4 the Oceanside Farmers' Market in Lake Worth moves to J Street and Lake Avenue until late in the year before heading back to its regular spot near the Lake Worth casino. Beginning with the opening celebration on the Fourth, the market will be open from 8 a.m. to noon every Saturday, with more than 30 purveyors of everything from organic greens and heirloom tomatoes to artisan breads, and herb and spice-infused Loxahatchee honey. 

Many of the vendors from the beachfront market will be at the new location, including Farmhouse Tomatoes, whose heirloom varieties make the supermarket stuff taste like so much red cardboard. Better act fast, though, because they'll only have product for three weeks before shutting down to get ready for next season.

Newbies include Swank Farms, purveyor of extraordinary produce to some of SoFla's best restaurants. Likewise, Swank will only be around for two weeks before retooling for next season. The Lake Worth Green Marketplace will offer a selection of Latin vegetables and dried chilies, and Pickled Pink will hawk New York-style pickles and old-fashioned relishes.

Impetus for the year-round market came from the vendors themselves, says market director Peter Robinson, who noted: "In this economy, they need the work." 

They need the work. We need food that doesn't taste like something excreted from back end of a Sysco truck. Sounds like a good deal all around.

Slow Foods stalks the elusive Florida orange

Slow Foods Glades to Coast, our local chapter of the global organization dedicated to spreading the word and supporting food grown in our own backyards, is planning yet another of its scrumptious dinners at Lola's in Hollywood. If you haven't attended these events, foodies, you are really missing the slow boat. Under the aegis of leader Diane Campion, not only has the food been marvelous but the company is a lot of fun: a bunch of witty, enlightened, and knowledgeable folks who not only can talk about clam farming and orange groves but know their history and geography and wine to boot. It ought to go without saying that four courses with hors d'oeuvres and drinks at this price ($59, including tax and tip!) is a steal. Check out the menu below, and call now to reserve.

Date: Thursday, July 9, 2009
Time: 7 to  9:30 p.m.
Location: Lola's on Harrison Street:
2032 Harrison St, Hollywood

Tropical Slow Food Menu
Watermelon-Organic Mint Saketini
Spicy Local Mango-Ginger Martini
Nectarine-Grapefruit Cooler

Hors D'oeuvres
Yucca-Rock Shrimp Croquettes
Maytag Blue Cheese Stuffed Dates Wrapped in Puff Pastry
Grilled Peaches Wrapped with Mint and Prosciutto

Course One:
Chilled Florida Avocado Soup with Local Organic Cilantro Crème Fraiche

Course Two:
"Cracked" Conch Salad with Local Jalapeno, Coconut, Key Lime Swank Farms Heirloom Tomatoes, and Red Bibb Lettuce

Course Three:
Herb Marinated Grass Fed Flat Iron Steak, Boniato and Sweet Potato Au Gratin Sauteed Swank Farms Rainbow Swiss Chard and Green Peppercorn Sauce

Course Four:
Local Orange Angel Food Cake with Caramel Sauce Passion Fruit and Mango Compote

$59 INCLUDES TAX AND GRATUITY
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED
ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED.
TELEPHONE: 954-927-9851
lolasonharrison.com

In response to last week's article comparing the dining scenes in Florida and New Orleans - and in particular, the relative lack of fresh, local seafood at affordable restaurants - Clean Plate Charlie received a comment pointing us in the direction of FL-seafood.com, a website created by the "Bureau of Seafood and Aquaculture Marketing" to promote buying and eating local seafood products to both consumers and the industry. And wouldn't you know it, the site is actually somewhat interesting: it has a list of all the restaurants and markets separated by county that sell local seafood. The only problem is that the list isn't exactly complete - at least the restaurant portion of it, anyway. If it were, the 26 restaurants that sell Florida seafood in Broward county would be a shamefully low number. It's also woefully out of date, directing diners to places that are now closed, such as Mark's Las Olas and - holy shit - Black Orchid Cafe, which shut its doors years ago. At least the site has the right idea: there's no reason not to demand local seafood at restaurants, and as consumers we do need to single out the places that sell it and give them our business instead of settling for that branzino or salmon or sea bass.

Another marketing site this one links to, wildfloridashrimp.com, lists local chefs that use Florida shrimp and offers recipes from them. So if you ever wanted to know how to make Dean Max's sesame Florida gulf shrimp with avocado puree and citrus sauce, here you go.

Given the amount of interference run by naysayers, it's no wonder you're still pondering the question of whether it's better to buy your produce, meat, eggs, and dairy from small farmers who live within 100 miles -- or whether the super-smart thing is to spend your dollars with the gigantic corporate Greed-tards that monopolize our food industries. Whether or not it saves fuel to buy local (and the juries are still out on that one) there are still excellent reasons to support Florida farmers. Here are a few off the top of my head:

Because what you get is fresher and tastes better (recently picked)
Because it has been allowed to ripen to maturity (and thus contains more nutrients)
Because it encourages you to try new foods (black eyed peas, mamay, passionfruit, pumpkin, pole beans) which in turn diversifies your diet (a diverse diet is healthier)
Because by supporting the farmers that exist in your area, you encourage others to go into the business, which supports the local economy
Because local farmers have to be accountable to you about their agricultural practices (like use of pesticides, antibiotics, and humane methods for rearing livestock)
Because local farmers hire local people
Because buying local fosters an appreciation of your landscape, climate, and culture, which in turn bonds you to your community

I'm sure there are lots more better reasons, and the organizers of Slow Foods Glades to Coast will be elaborating on them during a panel discussion Saturday May 16th, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at Whole Foods Fort Lauderdale, and also demonstrating how to cook a few dishes with local foods. Participants include chef Dean Max of 3030 Ocean, Nancy Roe of Green Cay Produce, nutritionist Larissa Alonso and Steve Garza of Whitewater clams. To find out more and to RSVP, click here. Or call 954/565-4138.

Uh huh, this is EXACTLY what my garden looks like

Slow Foods Glades to Coast invites you to join them next Saturday, May 2, for "Edible Landscapes," a demonstration of how to turn your little plot of yard into a Garden of Eden (only this paradise has rain barrels and composting bins, and you don't get in trouble for tasting the fruit). Pat Simpson, who owns Yummy Yards, is going to teach the fundamentals of home veg and fruit gardening, from patios to large landscapes, and thereby save us all many dollars and trips to Publix.

I don't know about you, but I could sure use some aid and succor in this direction. This year, my strawberry plants produced a total of two strawberries, a perfectly healthy kumquat tree dropped every single frigging leaf for no discernible reason, and my heirloom tomato plants -- 30 of those suckers planted with backbreaking labor -- were an exercise in humiliation: spindly, pathetic, laughable. I have a papaya tree that has been eight inches high for two years now. Help, Pat, Help!

The session is a pot-luck lunch, so bring a dish to share and RSVP, as the seminar is limited to 20 people. Email lalonso66@yahoo.com to confirm that you're coming. The cost is $12 (cash only) and the gathering takes place at 1644 NE 33rd St. E., Oakland Park.

her fate is in your hands

In honor of Earth Day, I'm here reproducing the Environmental Working Group's list of the fruits and veg that contain the most pesticides. Folks, I know it's fiendishly expensive, but you really should be trying to buy organic when it comes to the worst offenders (peaches, apples, bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries and cherries): It might save you in chemo bills later.

But don't stop with this list: Visit their excellent web site for more ways to get Earth-friendly. She's the only mother we've got!

These are ranked from foods with the highest pesticide load to those with the lowest, beginning with: Peach 100 (highest pesticide load) 2 Apple 93 3 Sweet Bell Pepper 83 4 Celery 82 5 Nectarine 81 6 Strawberries 80 7 Cherries 73 8 Kale 69 9 Lettuce 67 10 Grapes - Imported 66 11 Carrot 63 12 Pear 63 13 Collard Greens 60 14 Spinach 58 15 Potato 56 16 Green Beans 53 17 Summer Squash 53 18 Pepper 51 19 Cucumber 50 20 Raspberries 46 21 Grapes - Domestic 44 22 Plum 44 23 Orange 44 24 Cauliflower 39 25 Tangerine 37 26 Mushrooms 36 27 Banana 34 28 Winter Squash 34 29 Cantaloupe 33 30 Cranberries 33 31 Honeydew Melon 30 32 Grapefruit 29 33 Sweet Potato 29 34 Tomato 29 35 Broccoli 28 36 Watermelon 26 37 Papaya 20 38 Eggplant 20 39 Cabbage 17 40 Kiwi 13 41 Sweet Peas - Frozen 10 42 Asparagus 10 43 Mango 9 44 Pineapple 7 45 Sweet Corn - Frozen 2 46 Avocado 1 47 (best) Onion 1 (lowest pesticide load)

Chicks and ducks and bees better scurry: Tonight at 8 p.m. the Lake Worth City Commission is set to discuss an ordinance to allow up to seven chickens and ducks and "a limited number of bees" to be raised within city limits. The "chicken on every plot" movement has taken off around the country, as city folks are starting to get into raising a hen or two for fresh eggs (and the occasional roast chicken). Viz, this snippet from the New York Times:

City dwellers who raise chickens are springing up around the country. Groups organized on the Internet in Los Angeles, Phoenix and Austin, Tex., are host to chicken-centric social events, and there are dozens of books -- a whole new form of chick lit -- on raising chickens, including Barbara Kilarski's "Keep Chickens! Tending Small Flocks in Cities, Suburbs and Other Small Spaces," and related titles like "Anyone Can Build a Tub-Style Mechanical Chicken Plucker," by Herrick Kimball.

Leave it to Lake Worth to be the South Florida city marching bravely forward into urban farming (Key West is the only other city to allow legal chickies). We already have an anarchist city commissioner and a transgendered city manager -- flocks of domestic fowl will only add to the general sense of a town gone pleasantly haywire. I've had a yen to keep guinea fowl for the past couple of years, and I've even considered trying to do it secretly: Now there'll be no reason for subterfuge. And frankly, it's not like nobody's doing it already. I have personal knowledge of at least one very pretty black hen that has made B street her home; she roams freely in my neighborhood (and she's gotten very good at dodging the pit bulls). No doubt my planned guinea hen project will go down as yet another wildly expensive agricultural hobby, right alongside the pathetic heirloom tomatoes, the citrus trees that manage to squeeze out one tangerine every other year, and the pineapples underwhelming us with their lack of fecundity. But it's nice to know that I'm part of a large movement of silly yuppies with way too much time on our hands. And this time I'll have a government body to blame for encouraging me.

Teach a kid to garden and she'll get really dirty

It may seem counterintuitive to dine on six-hour osso buco and goat milk ice cream so that the hungry of Darfur might eat, but Slow Food Miami and the Sagamore Art Hotel in South Beach are inviting you to do just that Wednesday, April 29. The new Whitehall Restaurant at the Sagamore, cheffed by Manuel Mattai, will be laying out a spread of local and sustainable comestibles to raise money for two excellent causes: UNICEF's Darfur Hunger Project and the Miami School Garden Project. Slow Food organizers say that both programs operate on the "teach a man to fish" model: local schoolkids are taught to grow and appreciate food they've produced themselves; and the needy of Darfur are helped with rural development and taught self-reliance under UNICEF's guidance. As usual, the menu looks lovely. Tickets cost $65 in advance, inclusive of wine pairings, and seating is limited to 60 people. Buy them now by clicking here. * Avocado Goat Milk Ice Cream with Micro Greens and Sauteed Shrimp * Six-Hour Osso Buco with Fresh Homemade Fettucine and Asiago Cheese * Local Yellow Tail Snapper with Fingerling Potatoes, Livornese-style, with Capers, Olives, and Tomato Confit * Petit Fillet of Grass-Fed Beef with Mixed Wild Mushrooms and Fonduta Cheese * Cannoli Siciliani with Pistachio Ice Cream * Fresh Strawberry Goat Milk Ice Cream with Lavender Infusion 1671 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, FL 33139 Time: 6:30 to 9:30 Reception 6:30 in the dada Bar Garden Installation Tour Dinner: 7:30 pm in the WHITEHALL Restaurant Proceeds to benefit The Hunger Project/Darfur Charity and Slow Food Miami's School Gardens Project Parking: Valet at the Sagamore or at the Municipal garage at 16th and Collins.

Image courtesy of SusanLoomis.com

Susan Loomis is an American chef who has been living as an expat in France for more than 15 years. She runs a cooking school at her renovated 15th century home in Louviers, Normandy, France where she lives with her husband and two kids. Susan is the award-winning author of eight books and is a contributor to several leading print and web-based publications.

Loomis was interviewed on Food And Wine Talk on South Florida Gourmet Radio by hosts Carol Kotkin and Simone Zarmati Diament, "two food writers who don't talk with their mouth full and have plenty to say about food and travel as well" -- that's according to the announcer that introduces them on their show.

Several minutes into the interview, Carol shoots Loomis this humdinger, "We're now buying local, seasonal, and organic products, and that's the way it's been done in France forever. But, have the French become more Americanized and are we now more French?"

Loomis responds by saying, "Well I hope we become more French in that way, It's about time that somebody of national import took the lead in that issue. In France, we are becoming a bit more Americanized to a certain degree, but because the market system is so much a part of French life, the French will always know where their food comes from and they will just instinctively go towards what is at the farmers market."

The rest of the interview is interesting and can be heard by clicking here.

If the fabulously unique, inventive cuisine of Peru doesn't give your taste buds a woodie, you can leave the room now. The rest of you get ready for a new El Gran Inka, Miami's third, coming in May to The Plaza building on Brickell Avenue. The menu will range from signature dishes like cheese and sirloin-stuffed yucca with hauncaina and criolle sauces to more traditional fare like lomo saltado and seco de cordero a la nortena (braised lamb in cilantro sauce). They're not kidding about the El Gran part either. The lounge is filled with leather couches, plasma TVs and an exhibition wine cellar; there's a regular bar, ceviche bar, private rooms. . . everything to make your woodie very happy.

Guaranteed cure for a case of the crabs.

Truluck's seafood restaurant got its start in Texas, but its appearance in Florida is reason for stone-crab lovers to rejoice: The company keeps its own crab fishing fleet of 16 boats outside of Naples, Florida, where it hauls in enough crab to provide the chain with seriously fresh claws during season: "From our traps to your table in less than 24 hours." You can chow down the large claws for $10.99 each any time, either alone or as part of a "build your own" seafood tower, but every Monday night at Truluck's is a crab massacre -- $59.99 for all the stone crab claws you can eat, plus grilled asparagus and mashed potatoes. It may sound like mayhem, but you'll be sucking those claws in style: the Boca Raton location is beautifully appointed with leather booths inside and elegant tables on the terrace, plus a wide-ranging wine list offering dozens of wines by the glass or flight. There's also a good selection of fresh -- never frozen -- fish that changes depending on availability, either simply grilled or fancied up, from Gulf red snapper, wild salmon, and black cod to black grouper Pontchartrain blanketed in crab and shrimp sauce. The stone crabs we ate last night were as good as the ones we had in Everglades City, and the snapper and grouper was perfectly seasoned and cooked. Recommended for fish lovers.

Truluck's
351 Plaza Real
Boca Raton
561-391-0755 

Goodness gracious, another Friday the 13th rolling around  -- that makes two this year. But we have a plan to help you beat back bad luck this week: On Friday, March 13, Slow Foods Glades to Coast is teaming up with the Cheese Course in Weston to demonstrate the art of making fresh mozzarella, a food that has been known to fight off evil spirits when ingested in copious quantities. Cheese Steward Denyse Gervasoni and store owner manager Janet Ribera will talk about how our favorite food combines perfectly with locally grown Farmhouse heirloom tomatoes, Swank farm greens, and basil from Pontano Farms. Cheese and produce will be for sale after the demo, and the cost to attend is FREE. Lucky, lucky you.

BTW, the Cheese Course is pretty much your one-stop shop for party time: They'll personally help you pick out cheeses that are great counterpoints in terms of flavor, texture, and sharpness for your next shindig, whether it's a formal sitdown or a cocktail meetup. Stop by and let them explain what the difference is between a "bloomy rind" and a "washed rind." You'll find beautiful breads and wine, serving dishes and platters, chutneys, jams, and crackers too.

1679 Market St.
Weston
954-384-3183

Nothing like a tall glass of fresh Florida strawberries

The Florida Strawberry Growers Association wants to remind us that strawberries are not forever: The big season for our Florida beauties, grown mostly in Plant City and Dover, is November to March. It's your last chance to gorge on one of our most delicious local fruits, so here are the basics about how to choose, store, and eat:

• Berries should be bright red and unblemished, with nice green caps.They should smell like strawberries!
• Put them in the fridge right away (don't wash them until you're ready to eat; they'll get soggy).
• Consume within a few days of buying.
• Take them out of the fridge and let them come to room temp for the best flavor before eating.

They taste best eaten right out of the container, but they also taste great at around 100 proof. Below are a couple of recipes from my home files.

Strawberry Liqueur

• Wash and de-stem strawberries and pack into a glass jar with lid. Add one tablespoon of sugar and fill the jar with 100 proof vodka (you can also use rum). Close jar and put in a cupboard for a week.
• Strain liquid into a second jar. Add another tablespoon of sugar to the original jar and refill with vodka. Put back in cupboard for another week.
• Continue this process three or four times until you have enough strawberry liqueur. You can age it for a while if you like. Then make yourself a Strawberry Capirinha:

Strawberry Caipirinha (makes one drink)

• Muddle three strawberries and one cut-up lime in the bottom of a cocktail glass
• Add crushed ice
• Add one jigger rum (light rum or Brazilian Cachaca is best)
  
• Add one jigger of your homemade strawberry liqueur
• Stir and garnish with a whole strawberry and a lime wedge

This drink is also good with basil, as pictured above. Like Mama always said, "Drink your caipirinha, dear -- it's full of antioxidants!"

Untwist those panties: Bacon is good for you!

1. Chocolate
Two words: Flavonoids. Antioxidants. Dark chocolate, more than 70 percent cocoa, has both of them, and they destroy evil free radicals, lower blood pressure, and balance hormones. The folks at Galler Chocolate, a candymaker from Belgium, will be happy to consult with you about the optimal mix for good health and a sin-free soul. Check out their tin of 70 percent cat's tongues or a tube of truffles. Give up instead: Both diet and regular soda, which contributes to obesity and shortens your life span.

Galler Chocolate, 920 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale
954-523-9690
Also: There's not a good reason on Earth to give up the chocolate raspberry or French chocolate cupcakes, made with artisinal ingredients, at Lola's Cupcakery:
Lola's Cupcakery
1523 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale
954-530-3153

2. Lobster
It may taste like a decadent luxury, but lobster is good for you. And this year, the prices on Maine lobster have come down significantly enough that you needn't suffer a moment's guilt eating it -- some reports put the price per pound at the equivalent of sliced turkey. Lobster is full of omega 3s, it's high in protein and low in fat, and it's low on the food chain, so it doesn't contain more than trace amounts of mercury. Best of all, lobster trapping is very easy on the environment. Give up instead: Tuna, which is severely overfished.
Where to get it:
Two 1 1/4 pound Maine lobsters are on sale for $51.95 (a $20 savings) at lobstergram.com. I've also had good luck ordering live lobsters from Legalseafoods.com. Patriot Lobster sells 1-pound "culls" that have lost one claw for a bargain rate of $9 each not including shipping.
Pop's Fish Market in Deerfield Beach has Florida lobster tails for $28.99 a pound and live Maine lobsters for $11.99 for a 1 1/4 lb. lobster, $13.99 for anything above that. Call them at 954-427-3331.
 
3. Caviar
No need to ever suffer another sleepless night over the endangered Russian sturgeon -- farmed sturgeon caviar is now widely available, and there's also a color palette of nonsturgeon caviar that's nearly as silky, salty, and luxurious as the real thing. Check out the caviar menu at Marky's in Miami: They've got farmed osetra from France, Italy, Uruguay and the U.S. from about $55 an ounce. Give up instead: Russian wild beluga. Nasty.

4. Bacon
That most misunderstood of foods, bacon, it turns out, is even better for you than eating vegetables. Just kidding. But anybody who'd even think of going 40 days bacon-free is a total masochist. The good news is that now you can buy bacon from humanely raised heritage breeds that is not only miles better than the old grocery-store Oscar Meyer but also helps preserve rare breeds from extinction -- and just generally makes the world a jollier, more delicious place in which to unravel our mortal coil. At Heritage Foods USA, six pounds of Edwards Heritage Berkshire Bacon will set you back $85, but that's enough to last even a serious baconophile until well after the Lenten period ends. The Pig Next Door also has a heritage-bacon-of-the-month club: a pound a month plus tasting notes for six months is $149 plus shipping. Give up instead: One meal at a mediocre restaurant.

5. Foie Gras
Probably the most controversial food in the world, despised by PETA, beloved of chefs and gourmets. But New York chef Dan Barber went to visit the Spanish Farm Pateria de Sousa and learned that it's indeed possible to produce foie gras "naturally" by letting geese gorge the way they always have in the wild, seasonally. Farming this way eliminates the need for gavage (force feeding). Judging from Barber's video, these fowl live in a birdly paradise so wonderful that geese flying over readily land and join them, increasing the flock naturally. The Spanish foie gras isn't available locally yet, but if you love the stuff, lobby your favorite chef to see if he or she can source it. Give up instead: foie gras produced by gavage until the humane version becomes available.