Friday, April 06, 2007

Friday Florida Food Fest and A Boat Parade

Last weekend, we went down south to New Port Richey for a family reunion and the Chasco Boat Parade. Mrs. FC is from an old Port Richey family. My brother-n-law has a house on the Pithlachascotee river, so we meet there, eat, watch the parade, eat some more, and visit. Lots of cousins running around and lots of good food. Everybody brings something. My niece brought these cupcakes with a single fresh strawberry inside ... OMG!

I made a little 4x4 collage of some of the days events. Click to enlarge and don't miss the "Parade Officials" pic. Oh, and since you're going to ask anyway, my niece with the tall hair is wearing an empty water bottle inside that doo. She knew it would get the attention of the bead throwing floaters and it did!

This is my first plate. Can you tell we're southern? Fried chicken, Fried mullet, Fried mystery item, Fried hushpuppies, baked beans, datil pepper relish (we brought that) and grits. My second plate had a generous helping of Pappas Restaurant Greek salad, so I did get some greenery in there later.


This is the mystery food that I hinted about back on Tuesday. It comes from the sea. No, it's not shrimp.
What could it be?
I'm sorry I won't be able to comment or answer this puzzler for a day or so. I'm off early to St. Augustine this morning on a solo trip to paint Mom and Dad's house. All of the smart and interesting people I live with have other obligations, so it's just me and the JEEP. I'm going to meet my big brother there and give their house a new coat of blue. I mean BLUE blue too. My Mom likes her blue.
Mom and Dad aren't really into this computer / internet fad, so unless I happen to slip into the St. Johns County Public Library, I won't get to see Pure Florida until Saturday night sometime.
In the mean time, stay safe and good luck guessing this traditional Gulf Coast food.
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17 comments:

pissed off patricia said...

I don't know what that thing is in your hand, but I know what it looks like and I don't think you are supposed to eat those. ;)
Otherwise, it all looks dee-lish.

Have a great Easter weekend!

Thunder said...

Wow, looked like a good time! Fried Mullet, yum! (even if it is considered a bait fish on the east coast!)

I'm gonna guess fried conch for the mystery food.

Dr. Know said...

Thunder Dave beat me to it! Even though you're not in Key West, I guessed it was fried conch. Stayed for a while in St. Augustine last May - still a bit of the old Florida, but the developers are encroaching fast... Still much prefer the oldest city to this nasty excuse for a town, however. Don't fall off any ladders, and keep your rollers and brushes clean!

Anonymous said...

Is it fried mullet roe?

threecollie said...

Fried sea horse toe?

robin andrea said...

Is that some part of a very large clam? It reminds me of what a geoduck siphon would look like, if it were in Florida and fried for a picnic.

You and your brother are such good sons! I hope you take a pic of that very blue house.

MinorcanMeteorolgist said...

Ahh, you make my mouth water with that fried mullet!!! Certainly no bait fish to a Minorcan!!!

pissed off patricia said...

I've never had fried mullet just smoked mullet. I can't imagine eating that large a piece of conch. Man, you got me on this one.

OldHorsetailSnake said...

Fried clam? Fried blue crab claw? Fried orange pepper? Well, you gotta give me points for "fried," right?

SophieMae said...

That cracker thing is at work again. Not only was I in NPR one week before you... in fact, we lived there for 5-6 years, way back when (Duller was the CM there)... but we're going to St. Augustine tomorrow. Well, good Lord willin' and the crick don't rise. 8-]

Deb said...

If it's conch, like some of the more knowledgeable commenters have said, I had a heavenly meal of conch fritters on St. John, USVI once. It was part of the curriculum of a January term class I was taking...we were all there strictly for the academic credits, you know. :)

Anonymous said...

Whatever it is, it sure looks typically southern.

R.Powers said...

Y'all,
See the post above for an answer.

Sophie,
If CM means city manager of New Port Richey, you almost have to know my inlaws.

Anonymous said...

Crayfish. But how 'bout a recipe!

Anonymous said...

oops - from the sea, and mullet and gullet. A mullet that swallowed a crayfish discarded by a raccoon?

R.Powers said...

Wayne,
Check the poem above. I DO owe you a crawfish post. They are kind of small now, I'm letting them grow a little.

Anonymous said...

Reading your blogs for the first time this evening (nothing to do, husband out of town) and felt like you were a member of the family. Then read the blog about the boat parade and realized you just might be! Grew up in NPR, my dad and 2 cousins live on the river. Been in a few boat parades too. Now my heart's home is a place that backs up against O'Leno State Park where I get to watch the wildlife and nobody else.