Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden Mango Brunch

South Florida is the mango capital of the United States.  Every summer we celebrate with everything mango.  We may start the day with mangoes over oatmeal, yogurt or cereal, or just a few eaten fresh over the kitchen sink.  Lunch may be a mango in a green salad with tuna, mango salsa with chips or mangoes and cottage cheese.   For an afternoon snack a mango milkshake or smoothie hits the spot.   Dinner may be a roast chicken with a mango glaze or a curried shrimp and mango dish.

 
For the past eighteen years the epicenter of mango culinary cuisine occurs at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Miami.  Top chefs of the area prepare a feast of a mango brunch that is so popular it sells out weeks before the event.   Chef Allen Susser is the premier chef of the event.  He revolutionized South Florida cuisine introducing mangoes at Chef Allen’s in Aventura, and creating new and delicious food combinations that were not seen before.   Currently he is busy with many venues through his Chef Allen's Sustainable Consulting firm.  The other top chefs of  are an amazing bunch. 

 Chris Bulgarin created Delicious Catering Services Event and Design after spending many years working at top local restaurants in Dade County.  You may have seen him on television news cooking demos or at Pinecrest Gardens, or teaching at Miami Dade Community College. Chefs Andrea Curto Randazzo and Frank Randazzo operate the garden café as well as d Creative Tastes Catering & Event Production,  You may remember Frank from Talula Restauant.   Chef Danial Giraldo of Doral’s Los Verdes rounds out this amazing group of exceptionally talented chefs.  He as successfully demonstrated that healthy food can be created at fast food establishments.  Tim Andriola of Timo and Basil Park is surly going to prepare amazing creations.  Tim Andriola of Lan Pan Asian Café and Yuga contributes with an East Asian flair.  Kareem Anguin of the Oceanaire restaurants is the creative genious behind many new culinary treats.  This superstar team of top chefs will be preparing a meal that many consider the best mango brunch of its kind anywhere in the world.  

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Horticultural Therapy Blooms at Senior Living Residences in South Florida

Mery Stewart lives in Five Star Premier Residences of Pompano Beach.  She is a gifted painter, sculptor and gardener.   Mery asked me to come to her balcony one evening after horticulture class.  Her balcony is always abloom with an amazing selection of plants.  Originally Mery had many gorgeous orchids.  Her balcony faces west on a tall ten story building opposite the beach on the intra coastal waterway in Pompano Beach.  The brutal hot sun would normally bake orchids, but Mery provided filtered shade with some larger leafed tropical plants. 

On this visit, Mery’s balcony looked like a mini nursery.  There were dozens of small containers with an assortment of coleus seedlings, Stepilia cactus, kalanchoe and more.  The containers were recycled plastic pudding and jello cups, yogurt cups and more.  What a delight to see so much going on, and Mery explained, “This is my therapy.  This is what keeps me going.”  Some people love to garden and others garden to live.  Horticulture Therapy works wonders for the mind body and spirit.  Growing and nurturing a plant gives people a sense of purpose, a reason to get up in the morning. 

Mery said, “If you can use these in your class, you are welcome to them. “  We utilized them for the following class at Five Star.  I also had enough to use at other Five Star facilities in the tri county area.  Most seniors have balconies and most like to have plants.  Since gardening is America’s number one pastime, it stands to reason every senior living residence should have a garden club, and most do.

“My father was a landscape architect and my mother worked in a flower shop.”  My sister also loves to garden.  She does this all by herself. “Mery shared beautiful photos her sister sent from Germany.   The gardening group meets monthly on Thursday evenings.  The crowd is always lively, loud and laughing and everyone has a grand time. 

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Gardening improves the mind body and spirit it is called horticulture therapy. Thank you for taking the time to learn about how it can improve your life. Visit my website  rbornstein.com