Foods that will have you thinking warm thoughts!
Add a little colour and warmth to your menu if flying south is not
in the cards this winter! Discover delicious and exotic foods that
your Metro experts can show you how to prepare. Impress the whole
family thanks to recipe ideas that will transport you directly to
the tropics!
Coconut
South-American, Caribbean and Asian cuisines, among others, make
great use of coconut. When used in dishes, coconut meat, fresh or
flaked, and coconut milk add an exotic, tropical touch.
Advice : How to Open Coconuts
Opening a coconut may seem hard, but it can be done in 5 easy
steps.
1. With a sharp knife gouge out two of the three eyes on the end of
the nut.
2. Drain the coconut water into a glass. Cheesecloth or a fine
sieve may be used to strain it.
3. Place the coconut on a hard surface and whack it with a hammer
until it breaks into pieces.
4. Pry the meat from the shell with a knife. Peel off the brown
layer.
5. Put peeled pieces in a bowl with water to cover so they don't
dry out. They will keep up to a week in the refrigerator.
Culinary tip : Plain vanilla ice cream for
instance becomes a dazzling dessert when dressed up with toasted
unsweetened shredded coconut and pineapple tidbits!
Pineapple
While Christopher Columbus discovered pineapples during his voyage
to Guadeloupe in 1493, this fruit had been cultivated for hundreds
of years in South America and the Antilles.
Advice
Slice off the top and bottom of the pineapple, then the
bark taking as little of the yellow flesh as possible. It is not
necessary to remove the brown flecks with the tip of a knife,
simply peel off the bark and the center if it is not ripe.
Culinary tip : Pineapple offers great versatility
in fruit salads, cakes, pies, punch, sherberts, etc.
Mango Tango
Nothing equals the flavour of a ripe mango! But it isn't easy to
cut.
Culinary tip
The best way is to cut a thick slice on each side of the flat pit,
as close as possible. Score the flesh being careful not to cut
through the skin, then flip the skin with the bite-size bits on the
outside for a decorative effect.
Advice : Mango goes well with pork, poultry and
seafood as well as cakes, crêpes and ice cream. It can be used in
sauces or to make juice, coulis, chutney or sherbet. For a
refreshing meal, add diced mango to tabbouleh served with jumbo
shrimp.
Sweet, scented papaya
Enjoy ripe papaya as is, but
remember that the skin is inedible. Or sprinkle a little lemon or
lime juice, rum or port on it.
Like melon, papaya is marvellous with ham, prosciutto and smoke
salmon. It also brings a refreshing note to chicken and seafood
salads.
Thread cubed papaya, pieces of cheese or prosciutto onto toothpicks
for miniature appetizer brochettes.
