About

My Background

Before starting Cooking in the Keys, I spent many years working in New York in grocery sales and marketing.

I sold packaged food to distributors and major grocery retailers, including Publix, Sprouts Farmers Market, and Whole Foods Market. I also worked with small food brands, helping them get their products ready for store shelves.

My love of grocery stores goes back a long way. I also worked as a chef at Whole Foods Market, where I learned even more about ingredients, prepared foods, and what people like to cook at home.

I wrote a cookbook called Americans Cook, with recipes from all 50 states. Food has always been my work, but it has also always been a big part of my life.

Before moving to the Keys, I also served as SVP at Uncle Steve's Italian Specialties, working alongside Steve Schirripa - best known as Bobby Baccalieri on The Sopranos. It was a great reminder that the best food always comes with a good story.

About Cooking in the Keys

Cooking in the Keys is a seafood-focused food blog with simple recipes inspired by life in the Florida Keys.

Fresh fish is part of everyday life here. Yellowtail snapper, tripletail, hogfish, mahi mahi, shrimp, tuna, and stone crab all show up in my kitchen when they are available. I share practical ways to choose fresh fish, understand what you are buying, and cook it without covering up its natural flavor.

You will find Florida favorites like Key Lime Pie, Smoked Fish Dip, Seared Yellowfin Tuna, Fried Mahi Mahi, and Stone Crab Claws with Mustard Sauce, along with easy sauces, sides, salads, soups, and vegetable dishes that go with seafood dinners.

I also share simple meat and chicken recipes, including Lemon Basil Roasted Chicken, Fried Turkey Cutlets, and Italian Chicken Cutlets.

My grocery background has taught me how quickly food costs add up, so I include budget-minded recipes and practical ideas for getting good meals on the table without wasting money.

Most recipes use straightforward ingredients and clear instructions. I look for good seafood, seasonal fruit, fresh vegetables, and pantry basics that make sense for home cooking.

You will also find my honest restaurant guides and local food recommendations for Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon, and Key West.

My Miami to Key West Drive guide covers the best food stops along the Overseas Highway.

My favorite Recipes

One of my favorites is this Key West Old Sour Chicken dish, made with Key West Chef Paul Manta's Old Sour Key Lime Sauce, a savory, citrusy sauce that takes the whole meal up a notch. Paul was featured on Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted, filmed right here in the Keys.

For a great weeknight pairing, try Pan-Seared Snapper Fillets with Louisiana Dirty Rice. Simple ingredients, big flavor.

My mother is from Havana, Cuba, and she makes the best Spanish rice; it's one of the most-made recipes on this site. Make it once, and you'll understand why.

Looking for more ideas? Browse the full Recipe Index.

Inspiration

I grew up in New York, so you will occasionally find recipes inspired by diners, deli counters, and bagel shops.

Recipes like NY Diner Tuna Salad, Deli Potato Salad, and Sweet Coleslaw come from the kind of food I grew up eating. They are simple and made with the ingredients people have always kept in the fridge.

Living in the Florida Keys has added a whole new side to my cooking. Fresh seafood, tropical fruit, Cuban flavors, and meals eaten near the water all find their way onto this site.

The Keys have a slower pace, and that shows in the food too. Good fish, simple ingredients, and a meal worth sitting down for.

All recipes on Cooking in The Keys are peanut-free.

Connect with Me

For recipe questions, media requests, restaurant recommendations, or partnership inquiries, email me through my contact page.

I am always happy to hear from readers, especially those visiting the Florida Keys and looking for a great seafood meal or a local place to try.

Thank you for visiting Cooking in the Keys!

Felice