Our Good Catch authors, Pam Brandon, Katie Farmand, and Heather McPherson, have been busy traveling across Florida talking about the great food native to the Sunshine State and celebrating the local farmers, fisherman, and workers who make Florida’s bounty possible.
Recognizing their efforts, the Agriculture Institute of Florida has presented them with an award of appreciation for “raising awareness of Florida agriculture through their cookbooks.” Through Field to Feast and Good Catch, Pam Brandon, Katie Farmand, and Heather McPherson espouse the Agriculture Institute’s mission “to educate, encourage and empower individuals and organizations to communicate more effectively on behalf of Florida agriculture.”
The trio certainly encouraged an appreciation for Florida’s bounty in audiences attending their culinary demonstrations at the Epcot Food and Wine Festival in early November. They cooked up their Sautéed Greek Shrimp and Feta recipe for the crowd, shared tips on exactly how to perfect the shrimp, and suggested serving over orzo, couscous, or rice to highlight the dish’s versatility.
Culinary Demonstrations Host Pam Smith introduced the authors, praising their work as “unbelievable in so many ways.” Smith shared her love for the authors’ two books, saying that Field to Feast was “more than a book, and really an initiative that has united the farmers in Florida.” She shared similar thoughts about Good Catch, urging the audience to take a look. “One of the things you’ll love about this book is not just the photography and the recipes, but the stories about the fishermen, the restaurants, the people. You will really feel like part of their lives reading this book.”
It was a sentiment shared at their East End Market launch party among those who came to celebrate all they’ve done to make the book possible. Everyone enjoyed sampling recipes from the book, including Conch Fritters, Buffalo-Style Florida Frog Legs, and Florida Bean Caviar.
With so many great recipes in the book, it’s hard to choose what to cook first. Yesterday, the authors suggested their Lemon-Herb Swordfish Spiedini as an alternative (or an accompaniment!) to turkey for Thanksgiving Day.
If you enjoyed these events, or if you’ve missed out, head to Miami Book Fair International this weekend. On Saturday, author Heather McPherson will talk about Good Catch and the story behind the book. She’ll be presenting at 12:30 p.m. along with Mango author Jen Karetnick and The Great Florida Craft Beer Guide author Mark DeNote.
The Florida Bookshelf 
Wonderful book with lots of great recipes by a talented trio. So nicely done!