Although I don’t get to Florida very often these days, I’ve lived there twice and had a stint in the restaurant industry on more than one occasion, which included time in Florida-based restaurants along the coast. Their gem of course is that they’re surrounded by water, so most restaurants can get plenty of fresh fish in daily.
Tampa-based Restaurant BT has female chef BT Nguyen at the helm, whose favorite ingredient is Lemongrass. It’s so healthy for you that I wish I had it in my fridge more often and it’s amazingly versatile.
She specializes in French-Vietnamese dishes and uses lemongrass frequently, which can give any bland dish a hint of citrus. She was quoted as saying, “Lemongrass is so versatile that it works wonderfully with everything from tofu to chicken, beef and seafood. I use it in my desserts and as a digestive in tea.”
Apparently, lemongrass is also a key ingredient in Nguyen’s signature dish — Snapper A La Saigon — which is a locally caught snapper which has been encrusted with lemongrass and grilled.
For those who love Thai food, you’ll likely find lemongrass in many of your favorite Thai dishes as well. It is used in many of their green curries as well as their soups.
In the Caribbean, it is referred to as sweet rush or fever grass. What a great name. I look forward to trying some of her dishes next time I’m in Tampa.
Photo credit: Restaurant BT.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
