Ready for the end📅

Hey there Florida Foodie friends,

It’s the hardest-working man in showbiz, Thomas Mates.

I suppose I don’t know for a fact that I’m the hardest-working man in this or any other industry, but it sure feels like it recently.

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I won’t bore you with the details, but I have been working hard to get lots of new Florida Foodie content for you all to enjoy. We are going to try to be on the road as much as possible, out in the spaces where you all are eating and drinking.

We’ve got some cool guests coming up in 2024 and I’m excited for you all to see those shows.

That all being said, I am tired. The end of 2023 has beaten me up a bit and I am very much looking forward to some rest. I have a few days off coming up and I really cannot wait.

I’m going to use that time to rest and cook and snack. Knowing myself, I’m sure I will spend a great deal of time thinking about work and the podcast, but hopefully, that won’t consume all of my downtime.

OK, let’s get into it.

Food and anime🍜

A love for Dragon Ball Z was the inspiration for a budding restaurant chain here in Florida.

Since it opened in 2016, Soupa Saiyan has grown into three locations, two in Orlando and a third in Jacksonville.

I am a big nerd, so I was excited to get to check this place out for Florida Foodie.

Jimmy Chhun, a member of the family who runs the chain, spoke with Candace Campos and Lisa Bell all about the anime-themed restaurant. He also showed off some of the delicious food you can try.

>You can check out the episode here<

You can also find every episode of Florida Foodie on YouTube.

Small Bites🥖

These what?🥜: A fight over nuts ended up in court. Which nuts? Dee’s Nuts and Deez Nutz. Confused? It all started when a Florida company sued YouTube star MrBeast. You can read all about it here.

Saying goodbye👖: After four years in business, Orlando restaurant Hungry Pants is closing for good. The owner announced the closure on social media Monday. Here are all the details.

Bagel boom🥯: Jeff’s Bagel Run promised aggressive expansion this year and the company has delivered. The budding chain just announced what will become its eighth location. Click here to find out where it will be opening.

Something to try at home 🍽️

I have mentioned before that I am Jewish. As such, my favorite holiday tradition is getting Chinese takeout on Christmas.

I don’t know about you, but my go-to Chinese-American dish of choice is General Tso’s chicken. Inauthentic? Probably. Delicious? Definitely.

This recipe may look like a lot, but none of the ingredients are very expensive and it is pretty easy to make.

This recipe comes from Andrew Rea.

Ingredients:

For the chicken and marinade:

• 2 egg whites
• 3 tablespoons dark soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons Chinese cooking wine (xiaoxing wine)
• 3 tablespoons vodka
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs

For the breading:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons reserved marinade

For the sauce:

• 4 tablespoons dark soy sauce
• 4 tablespoons Chinese cooking wine (xiaoxing wine)
• 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar (white vinegar also works fine)
• 4 tablespoons chicken stock
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon roasted sesame seed oil
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 6 scallions
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2-inch piece of ginger
• 6-12 Chiles de árbol (optional)

Step 1: Place two egg whites in a large bowl and beat it thoroughly. Then add all your remaining marinade ingredients and give it all a good mix. Reserve about 3 tablespoons of the marinade.

Step 2: Now, cut your chicken into bite-sized pieces, add it to the marinade and give it a good massage with your hands. You really want to work the marinade into the chicken. Cover it and set aside for 15 to 20 minutes.

Step 3: Combine all of your dry ingredients for the breading mixture and whisk it together until combined.

Step 4: Now for the sauce, finely mince your ginger and garlic. If you have a mortar and pestle, use that instead but a mince is fine for this. Add the ginger and garlic to a bowl along with the dark soy sauce, wine, vinegar, chicken stock, sugar, sesame oil and chiles (if using). Give that a good whisking. Now, in a separate dish, combine your cornstarch with about two tablespoons of water. Stir that and set it aside.

Step 5: Now, add your reserved marinade to the breading mix and stir it in. This will create some clumps in the mix which will translate into some extra crispy bits on your chicken. Now, in batches, dredge your chicken in the breading mix, shake off the excess and set it aside on a baking sheet.

Step 6: Heat up the frying vessel of your choice with about a quart of oil. You want to hit about 375 degrees. In batches, fry your chicken until it is golden brown. Then, place it on a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Repeat until all the chicken is cooked.

Step 7: Now, in a wok or large frying pan, heat up your sauce. You want it simmering, but not boiling. Once the sauce heats up, add your cornstarch and water mixture. This will cause the sauce to look cloudy, but it will clarify and thicken as it continues to heat.

Step 8: Now, add your fried chicken to the sauce and toss it all together until every piece is thoroughly combined. Thinly slice your scallions for garnish and serve it over white rice.

This recipe really hits all the right notes. It’s sweet and savory with a little spice. It is both saucy and crunchy. The recipe is pretty forgiving too and doesn’t require a lot of precision. I highly recommend giving this a try.

That’s it for today.

Please, send me your recipes so I can share them with everyone. My email is tmates@wkmg.com.

Don’t forget to send in your foodie pictures as well through our PinIt! program.

Also, please take the time to rate and review the Florida Foodie podcast.

- Thomas