With the arrival of the holiday season comes tons of shopping, pine-scented candles, and most importantly, great food. During a Holiday Appetizer Making class at Fernanda’s International Market in Fort Lauderdale, the South Florida Sage learned that you don’t have to slave in the kitchen to entertain your guests.
Fernanda’s provides a diverse selection of gourmet and Italian products that is unique to the area. It has been a hit with locals for almost 40 years, and it’s easy to see why as soon as you walk in the store. The warm and welcoming Johasky family, who has run the market since 2006, greet you as you walk in, and you immediately feel like family.
After sipping on some delicious prosecco with hibiscus flowers – who knew?– Bethany Johasky and her mother, Leslie, showed us some easy and delicious recipes that will make any holiday party a smashing success.
Cheese board | To make a killer cheese board, you’re going to need the essentials: gourmet cheese, salty meats, fruit and some type of bread/crackers. To branch out a bit, you can add honey, jams and preserves. We got the chance to create our own boards and had a blast.
Sopressata accompanied the various cheeses (raspberry, merlot, balsamic and espresso) beautifully. I ended up putting one of each type of cheese on my “board,” but the raspberry and merlot turned out to be the clear winners.
The Sabatini Tartufi truffle honey gave the cheese and crackers an intense flavor that was simultaneously sweet and savory, and ultimately irresistible.
Prosciutto- and provolone-wrapped asparagus | We needed only three ingredients for this appetizer: plenty of asparagus, prosciutto and provolone.
Wrap one slice of provolone around an asparagus spear, followed by a prosciutto slice. Bake in the oven on 350 degrees for about 12 minutes. The result was salty and cheesy heaven without too much grease. The prosciutto and provolone interacted well with the tender asparagus.
White chocolate dipped pretzels | Big, hearty pretzels dipped in melted white chocolate and red and green crystal sprinkles made for a light and sweet snack.
After a fun-filled night with laughs and delectable eats, The South Florida Sage determined that we’ll most certainly be taking another trip to Fernanda’s before the holidays are over. Fort Lauderdale foodies, add this market to your list.
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Olivia Feldman is a contributor for The South Florida Sage. Her favorite foods are anything that involves pasta and her mom’s cooking. When she’s not eating and drinking her way through South Florida, you can find her going to concerts, planning her next travel destination, and hosting her biweekly music show, “Back in Our Minds,” on Jolt Radio. You also can find her on Instagram and Twitter at @oliviafelds All images appearing in this post photographed by Olivia.
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The South Florida Sage 
[…] Those who attended the event were local food bloggers from the South Florida/Fort Lauderdale area, one being The South Florida Sage, also known as The SoFla Sage. To read a recap of the Holiday Appetizer Making Class and to learn how to make these recipes for yourself, you can read the blog post that she wrote HERE. […]