Food & Recipes | Listen2Mama

I love the seasonal section in Target, especially when we’re entering spring and summer. It’s always full of patio furniture, beach toys, aisles upon aisles of suntan lotions, and season specific items, such as…Watermelon Cupcake mix. The first time I tried a watermelon cupcake was at Baked by Melissa, my favorite cupcake shop in the world (in NYC of course). I’ve never again seen or tasted a watermelon cupcake in any of my local cupcake shops in Miami, so when I saw the Betty Crocker Watermelon Cupcake Mix (and also green watermelon flavored frosting), well I just had to try it! Sold exclusively at Target, they are available for a limited time and will provide the perfect treat after a picnic lunch or barbeque this summer. Luckily, my daughter announced that she had to participate in a bake sale at her school the next day, so I thought, why not try these cupcakes (after all, we don’t want 24 of them in our house)! The only item I added that was not included in the box, were mini semi-sweet chocolate morsels on the top to make them look like seeds. They came out really cute and they tasted delicious! My daughter said they were a hit at school too. For the next bake sale I think we’ll try the Pink Lemonade cake mix or the Key Lime cupcake mix, both available at Target…

Yummy Betty Crocker Watermelon Cupcakes

We’ve all heard of the Cheesecake Factory, well in Miami, we also have the Pincho Factory. They serve beef, chicken and shrimp skewers, but ironically, this little gem, was made famous by it’s signature tostón burger, a beef patty between smashed fried plantain “buns” topped with Jack cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and a homemade cilantro sauce. Pincho Factory opened up its first location in Miami in 2010 and now has another location in Coral Gables. They have plans for expansion and are scheduled to open up a third restaurant in Hialeah. The chef-owner, Nedal Ahmad was recently featured on NBC’s Today with Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb, cooking his famous tostón burger!

Aside from burgers, there are other yummy items on the menu. Hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, salads, and side items such as fried cheese and bacon cheddar ranch fries. I had the grilled shrimp skewer with a salad, and hubby had the tostón chicken sandwich with a side of the sweet potato tater tots (which were delicious). Now, we did have to wait quite a while for the order to be ready, as there was a bridal party group in the restaurant at the time, but good things come to those who wait!

Yummy tostón chicken sandwich

Shrimp skewer “styled” with a salad and a side of sweet potato tater tots.

Photo Courtesy of Pincho Factory

Pincho Factory
30 Giralda Ave, Coral Gables, FL 33134 (Gables Location)
9860 SW 40th St, Miami, FL 33165 (Bird Road Location)
http://www.pinchofactory.com