A Culinary History of Florida: Prickly Pears, Datil Peppers & Key Limes

Florida cuisine: twelve thousand years in the making, discover the the state's unusual and distinctive food influences and dishes.

From the very first prickly pears harvested by Paleo-Indians more than twelve thousand years ago to the Seminole tribe's staple dish of sofkee, Florida's culinary history is as diverse as its geography. Influences as diverse as French, Creole, Spanish, Cuban, Greek, Mexican, Caribbean, and more season Florida's eclectic flavors. Learn how Florida orange juice changed the look of the American breakfast table and discover the state's festival-worthy swamp cabbage. Through syllabubs, perloos, frog legs and Tupelo honey, author Joy Sheffield Harris serves up a delectable helping of five hundred years of Florida cuisine--all with a side of key lime pie, of course.

Joy Harris is a former history and home economics teacher. She previously worked for the Florida Department of Natural Resources in seafood marketing and for the Florida Poultry Federation. After owning the restaurant Harris and Company and hosting a local TV segment, The Joy of Homemaking, Joy worked on two books with her husband. Joy has an MS in psychology from Nova Southeastern University and an MS in educational leadership and administration from FSU as well as a BS in home economics education.