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THE LEGAL LEDGER 800-800-4300 DENMONPEARLMAN.COM SHISO CRISPY THE BEGINNING OF A LOCAL FOOD TRUCK EMPIRE DEC 2021
That’s an understatement! Within six months of opening, Shiso Crispy was named best food truck in the bay by the Tampa Bay Times, landed a sponsorship from Verizon Wireless as part of the cellphone provider’s COVID-19 bounce-back campaign for small businesses, and was featured in The New York Times. Oh, and Ronicca competed on — and won! — Food Network’s “Guy’s Grocery Games,” snagging thousands of dollars for Shiso Crispy. “I can’t believe it,” Ronicca says, reflecting on the past two years of Shiso Crispy’s success. It’s been a long journey for the Iowa-born chef who grew up in a family that loved to cook. “My grandma is a chef, my grandpa was a chef, my aunt had a restaurant, my mom had a catering business — we just have a long line of chefs,” Ronicca says. “It’s my life. When I’m not working, I’m cooking ... By the time I get home, I’m just ready to cook again.” Ronicca holds three culinary degrees, worked as an executive chef before owning her own business, and has cooked all around the world, including the stint in Malaysia and time in Mexico. It’s a long journey with many stories, but ultimately, it’s led Ronicca to owning one of the most-sought-after food trucks in the region. As Shiso Crispy has continued to grow, its impact on the community has followed. For instance, when the pandemic began, Ronicca and her team knew they had to find a way to continue serving customers despite the lack of events and corporate gigs. So, they posted up at Sunset Park in St. Pete’s — an area that wasn’t typically used, Ronicca admits. All that changed after Shiso Crispy advertised it was regularly opening there. Now, if you were to pass by Sunset Park on a Saturday, you may see a number of food trucks, live music, people playing Frisbee, and many people enjoying an afternoon with good food.
The last two years of Ronicca Whaley’s life have been a whirlwind. “It’s just crazy,” Ronicca says. “The love and the happiness and the uniqueness, and I don’t know — it’s created a lot really quickly.” Just over two years ago, Ronicca was leaving Malaysia. She had been working with the Malaysian prime minister in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to create and establish a 250-unit food truck franchise in the busy city. It was a way to offer delicious and fast street food in a more effective manner than what the city was doing. Ultimately, with the project denied due to mafia control, Ronicca traveled to Florida, bringing a passion for Asian cuisine, a love of handmade dumplings, and a lifelong passion for cooking with her. After noticing she couldn’t find the dumplings she had enjoyed so much in Malaysia anywhere in the Tampa region, Ronicca began Shiso Crispy, a Japanese-inspired food truck that offered the area’s first soup dumplings. The food truck also offers boa buns, handmade gyozas, and sushi rice bowls.
Ronicca is also set to open a third food Shiso Crispy and a permanent location in Edge Eatery called Shiso — Craft Dumplings and Saki. Shiso Crispy also regularly stops at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital and other locations around the region, and Shiso Crispy is a permanent fixture at Flying Boat Brewery As Shiso Crispy’s influence continues to grow, Ronicca is excited about the plans she has in store for the food truck that’s taken the region — and nation — by storm. P.S. We’d be remiss if we didn’t offer our sincerest condolences to Ronicca and the Shiso Crispy team after the loss of Tabatha Hunter, who passed in October 2021. Tabby was part of Shiso Crispy from the beginning, and as Ronicca so perfectly explained on Facebook, Tabby was in many ways “the backbone to Shiso Crispy.” Our thoughts are with everyone who knew and loved Tabby. You can find out where Shiso Crispy will be next by visiting Facebook.com/ShisoCrispy. —The Denmon Pearlman Team 1 DENMONPEARLMAN.COM
And people loved it.
“It blew up really, really quickly,” Ronicca says.
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CREATING A HOLIDAY MASTERPIECE
How to Decorate Your Gingerbread House Like a Pro
One of the most popular holiday traditions has become making and decorating gingerbread houses. The tradition began in Germany in the early 1800s and originated from Grimm’s “Hansel and Gretel.” Some shy away from the idea of making their own gingerbread house, but have no fear — if the Germans did it in the early 1800s, so can you! To simplify things, many gingerbread houses come with baked pieces and a full decorating kit. This helps you have more time for the best part: the actual decorating! Each kit usually comes with fun candy and icing, so you can make something really kick-butt for the holidays!
together while also acting as a colorful trim for your gingerbread house. However, because it’ll keep the house from falling, be sure to use a lot! Spice drops also make for a great trim and “roofing,” just use icing to hold them in place. Alternate between colors or use a variety to make your house really pop.
‘A Christmas Carol’ Experience When: Dec. 17 and 18 from 5:30–8:30 p.m. Where: Bayside Community Church, 3380 Florida State Road 580, Safety Harbor Admission: Free Website: BaysideChurch.net Witness the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, who is given a valuable lesson when he’s visited by three ghosts around Christmas. This memorable Charles Dickens production is presented by Bayside Community Church members. Bring the kids along to enjoy hot cocoa and storytime with Mrs. Claus, too! There will also be arts and crafts and a pre-play concert with a violinist. Learn more and get your tickets online! Ice Skating by the Ocean When: Dec. 28–Jan. 3 from 11 a.m.–8 p.m. and Dec. 31 from 11 a.m. to midnight Where: Postcard Inn on the Beach Admission: $15 for one hour (includes skate rental) Website: PostcardInn.com Enjoy a winter wonderland without leaving Florida! Postcard Inn on the Beach will host open skating from Dec. 28 through Jan. 3. For the price of admission, guests will receive a skate rental and one hour of skating time across the hotel’s 2,000-square-foot rink. Where else can you enjoy the wonders of winter and the warm weather we all love? Tickets are non-refundable and do not include parking. Learn more and buy your tickets online. M&Ms are certainly a must-have for anyone decorating their gingerbread house. Not only are they delicious, but they also make cute little accents all over the house and yard. Mini cookies of your choice may also make a deliciously good-looking roof. Try layering them up for a dimensional look! And, for extra pizazz, strategically place mini candy canes throughout the yard and on either side of the front doors and windows. If you want to get really detailed, try using actual candy bars as fire logs in the fireplace. Just be sure to store your gingerbread house in a cool area so nothing will melt! Whether you prefer a simple gingerbread house or a flashy one, any and ALL candy can be used! Get decorating and be sure to have a bite of candy along the way!
Icing will be your best friend. Think of it as the yummy glue that holds everything
EVENTS TO MAKE YOUR HOLIDAYS MERRY AND BRIGHT Check Out These 3 Activities
Happy holidays from the entire Denmon Pearlman team! In honor of this festive season, we’re giving you the inside scoop on what’s happening across Pinellas County. Check out these events to put you in the holiday spirit. Smacks Bayou Christmas Boat Parade When: Saturday, Dec. 18 at 7 p.m. Where: Smacks Bayou Admission: Free Website: Check out the event on Facebook!
What could be better than thousands of twinkling Christmas lights? How about thousands of gorgeous
Christmas lights floating around Smacks Bayou! Last year, the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital treated us to a fantastic light- show parade, delighting
patrons during a year when we all needed a little cheer. This year, the show is back, inviting those with a boat and dock access to adorn their water crafts with lights — and those who would like to watch are invited to line up along the shore. Celebrate Christmas the Florida way with the Smacks Bayou Christmas Boat Parade!
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MEET THE BAKERY OWNER WHO LOVES TO HELP YOU CELEBRATE! BAKING WITH PASSION
After retiring as the bakery manager at a local Publix, Pollye Weatherby was looking forward to spending more time with her children as a stay- at-home mom. Raised in St. Pete’s, Pollye had enjoyed the 23 years she spent helping thousands of people celebrate birthdays, graduations, and special events with Publix cakes and bakery creations, and this next chapter felt right.
Once she began, that “thing” that was missing from her new life post- retirement seemed to fall into place. “There’s nothing like being around the family and everyone having a special treat that’s been made for you,” Pollye says, later adding, “Even though it’s 85 degrees [Fahrenheit] outside, I can still make a pumpkin pie and make it feel like fall.” Denmon Pearlman first learned of Pollye Anna’s Bakery after Pollye volunteered to help Nicole Denmon. When Nicole learned Polly was a professional baker and subsequently tasted Pollye’s work, Nicole knew she had found her go-to bakery. The Denmons have been regulars at Pollye Anna’s ever since! (And our team at Denmon Pearlman loves the hot cocoa bombs!) As her business continues to grow, Pollye hopes to one day move her operation from her home kitchen into a shop.
INGREDIENTS
• • • • • • • • • •
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup maple syrup 1/4 tsp molasses 1 tsp vanilla extract
Yet, something was missing.
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup vegan chocolate chips
“I didn’t feel that fulfillment [I had] when I was working,” Pollye explains. “My husband said, ‘Why don’t you start your own business?’” Combining her bakery knowledge and skills with a passion for helping others celebrate with baked goods, Pollye has been running Pollye Anna’s Bakery out of her kitchen for three years. Her creations run the gamut of her famous chocolate-chocolate cake, beautifully decorated cupcakes, pies for every season, and hot cocoa bombs for a
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. 2. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt. 3. In a smaller bowl, combine maple syrup, molasses, vanilla, and oil. 4. Mix the wet ingredients with the dry mixture. Mix in chocolate chips. 5. Place large spoonfuls of dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 11 minutes.
special winter treat, among other various baked goods.
Inspired by DreenaBurton.com
Pollye is still a stay-at-home mom to a 15-year-old and an 8-year-old. The kids and the family’s dog, Barley, keep Pollye and her husband busy, but when she can, Pollye finds solace when she’s baking.
You can learn more about Pollye Anna’s Bakery — and place a holiday order — at Facebook.com/ PollyeAnnasBakery.
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INSIDE 1 How Ronicca Whaley Started a Local Food Truck Obsession
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Decorate Your Gingerbread House Like a Pro 3 Events for a Merry Holiday Season Local Bakery Owner Has a Passion For Celebrating!
How Rudolph Became a TV Institution
RUDOLPH, YOU’LL GO DOWN IN HISTORY
BEHIND THE EVERGREEN CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
You know Dasher and Dancer, and you definitely know Rudolph. Everyone’s favorite red-nosed reindeer was first born as a 1939 short story, but he truly shot to fame when his tale was adapted into a song by Gene Autry in 1949. Rivaling even the song’s fame is the Rankin/Bass stop-motion special that airs like clockwork every year around Christmas. Generations have now grown up with Rudolph, so it may be surprising to learn that his journey to the small screen started as a General Electric promotion. The company had a running television special on NBC called the “GE Fantasy Hour,” which they used to market their products directly to viewers. The better the story they told, the more viewers they got — and the more toasters they could sell.
Those who are familiar with the film know that it ends with Rudolph enlisting Santa to save the Misfit Toys from earlier in the movie — but it didn’t originally. The version that aired in 1964 concludes with Rudolph leading Santa’s sleigh but forgetting all about his homeless friends. The backlash was swift, and viewers wrote in to express displeasure at the heartless resolution. GE decided the special had to be corrected and played again with the proper ending in 1965. And so, a tradition of annual airings was born. Today, “Rudolph” is the longest-running Christmas special in history, and our favorite misfit deer shows no signs of slowing down after 57 years. The movie has transformed into a marketing bonanza, with new Christmas decorations, figurines, and toys being produced each year.
The script introduced crucial new characters like Hermey the elf, Yukon Cornelius the prospector, and of course, Bumble the abominable snowman. GE hired innovative Japanese animators to create the film using stop-motion techniques that were highly advanced for the time. GE invested the modern equivalent of $4.5 million into the production of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” and the special first aired in 1964.
Though it’s somewhat shocking to our modern sensibilities to see Santa bullying his reindeer employees and their children, fond childhood memories mean that parents continue to pass the special down to their kids. Even as we recognize its flaws, the dazzling animation and famous songs continue to bring joy and Christmas spirit to households around the country. Just as sure as Santa comes every year, so does Rudolph.
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