SEBRING — If you're looking for a fancy meal in your own dining room without slaving over the stove or washing dinners, call Chef Oliver Stoeckle. "People like to eat in their own houses and be comfortable and enjoy a nice bottle of wine and not have to worry about driving home after their meal," said Stoeckle, who recently started a business he calls Rent-A-Chef. "I cook for a lot of special occasions like dinner parties and anniversaries." Stoeckle, who speaks with a heavy German accent, jokes that he is a native Southerner. "I picked this accent up in acting school in California," Stoeckle quipped. "People like your cooking better if they think you're European." The chef is actually originally from the southern part of Germany, known as Bavaria, but his cooking style isn't limited to that region. ...more

June 1, 2008

Ignorance may be bliss, but if you have a cell phone, it may no longer be an excuse to indulge in unhealthy eating, at least not at chain restaurants. ...more

February 20, 2008

Crate & Barrel, the upscale home furnishings chain, plans to open a store at International Plaza next year, a company spokeswoman said Friday. ...more

February 8, 2008

Had any good choreplay lately? ...more

January 31, 2008

Tampa without grouper sandwiches? It may be as unthinkable as Philadelphia without cheesesteaks and New Orleans without muffalettas. But in 2007, it actually happened. With Florida-caught grouper in short supply last summer, some eateries – including the iconic Columbia Restaurant – took the fish off the menu. Others turned grouper from a regular feature into a special item or notified diners they get another fish as a substitute. ...more

December 25, 2007

It's the time of year when we make favorite family dishes, and some of those are pies. Treasured recipes are passed down through generations, and it's worth it to do a crust from scratch. It might seem daunting, but pie crusts are actually very simple. The first step: believe in yourself. Making a pie crust requires a little practice and "also a large dose of an I-can-do-this attitude," said Maggie Kroboth Green, an editor of the 75th anniversary "Joy of Cooking." Many cooks use a food processor to mix the dough. It is quicker, but it's easy to overprocess if you're not careful. It's important to process just until the dough starts to form large clumps and not to process until it forms a ball. If the dough forms a ball in the processor, chances are it might turn out tough. ...more

December 12, 2007

Regarding "Vegans Give Thanks On 'Tofurkey' Day" (Metro, Nov. 23): Why do vegans and others that cry about the suffering of animals make dishes that mimic the taste, look and smell of dishes made from animals? They also wear faux leather, letting the unknowing think they still don't mind killing animals. ...more

November 27, 2007

AVON PARK — The Union Congregational Church got their orders prepped Wednesday. On the tables and in the kitchen: 75 large turkeys, 350 pounds of potatoes, 100 cans of cranberries, 102 pies, dozens of industrial-sized cans of sweet corn and about 85 volunteers. It was enough to turn the church's multi-purpose room into something rivaling the mess of Santa's workshop. ...more

November 22, 2007