12 January 5-11, 2023 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com New Times | music | cafe | Culture | Night+Day | News | Letters | coNteNts | 1819 79th Street Causeway, North Bay Village, FL 33141 • 305.866.1570 Voted Best Outdoor Restaurant in Miami — New Times Best of Miami® 2022 Visit us at the Happiest Place on the Water! miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | ART | STAGE | NIGHT+DAY | METRO | RIPTIDE | LETTERS | CONTENTS | ▼ SOUTH FLORIDA INFLUENCERS’ NEW COOKBOOK SHARES VIRAL CHEESECAKE RECIPE When South Florida influencers Shalean and Stephanie Ghitis began posting to their “SoFloFooodie” Instagram account in 2016, the couple never envisioned creating a viral recipe tutorial or writing a cookbook. Today, that’s the reality for the Pembroke Pines couple who share in posting recipes, tutorials, and the occasional restaurant visit. Shalean tells New Times it was a new- found gluten intolerance that prompted her to create the SoFloFooodie account that to- day has 294,000 followers — and nearly four million across TikTok and Pinterest. “I started SoFloFooodie to learn how to have fun with gluten-free food. There were so many things I enjoyed eating that I couldn’t have anymore, so Instagram became an outlet to connect with others and share that experience,” says Shalean. “Once the sensitivity was gone, Stephanie and I transi- tioned it to share our experience visiting South Florida restaurants.” In 2019, the couple pivoted again, refo- cusing efforts on sharing their favorite reci- pes with followers. In April, inspired by national unicorn day, the duo decided to post a video tutorial for a homemade rainbow unicorn cheesecake, unaware it would soon become a viral sensation. The video post of the colorful, white chocolate-based, no-bake cheesecake with a Rice Krispy crust went viral, amassing thou- sands of views and prompting features with several online publications, as well as a seg- ment on NBC6’s “In The Mix.” “But we never posted the full, updated recipe for our most popular recipe — the uni- corn cheesecake — until now,” says Shalean. “The book will be the first time we’ve ever shared the entire recipe and process with anyone.” This month, Shalean and Stephanie shared their tried-and-true recipe with the launch of their first cookbook Savory vs. Sweet. The book officially launched on De- cember 6 and has since been featured on Amazon’s top new releases. Inside the 224-page book, the couple also list 50 of their most popular recipes, includ- ing savory treats like the Hot Cheeto-crusted mac-and-cheese doughnut, or the “Cosmic Brownies.” The recipes have been created for cooks of all skill levels and require basic cookware and easily accessible ingredients. “We always had this idea to create a cook- book, so it’s been a long time coming,” says Shalean, who frequently asked family and friends which of her recipes were their fa- vorite. “When a publisher reached out to create the book, I already had my list pre- pared.” If you’ve ever wondered what the SoFlo- Fooodie viral rainbow unicorn cheesecake actually tastes like, Miamians are in luck. To celebrate the book launch, the Savory vs. Sweet creators recently partnered with lo- cal Miami ice cream shop Midtown Cream- ery to create a limited-edition, strawberry-Nesquik-flavored cheesecake ice cream featuring chunks of their signature rainbow unicorn cheesecake and rainbow sprinkles. For the next few weeks, customers who purchase an item using the limited edition flavor will be entered into a raffle to win a Savory vs. Sweet gift basket that includes all the baking basics to create the cheesecake at home, as well as a signed copy of the book. The raffle will continue until supplies run out. “We developed this mash-up cookbook to allow readers the ability to unleash their cre- ativity and show off which side they’re on,” sums up Shalean. “Our goal is to help our fol- lowers express themselves and their love for baking or cooking.” NICOLE DANNA ▼ SOUTH FLORIDA CREATE A “SELFIECCINO” AT CARMELA TOAST & COFFEE BAR Got foam? If you’re ordering a latte or cappuccino at Carmela Toast & Coffee Bar, then you’ve also got the choice to print your favorite photo on your beverage. It’s just one of the unique features of this South Florida coffee shop chain, where cus- tomers can create their own “selfieccino” thanks to a machine that can print edible im- ages on foam-capped drinks. Carmela Toast & Coffee Bar was created by South Florida engineers Rainer Abreu and Rafael Baretta, longtime friends from Vene- zuela who decided to put a unique spin on the coffee shop concept. Abreu and Baretta tell New Times they never saw themselves going into the coffee business, but inspiration hit when they dis- covered a plea from Parkland locals for a cof- feehouse on a community social message board. A few months later, they teamed up to de- velop a side hustle business that could offer both a creative and caffeinated outlet from their mutual career background in chemical engineering. In 2018, they opened the first | TASTE TEST | ▼ Café Photo courtesy of SoFloFoodie Behold the rainbow unicorn cheesecake.
