Food: Anticipating the exotic tastes of the tropics
I can’t tell you how I acquired the thing, but I’ve had a pink flamingo lawn ornament somewhere in my yard for the last 20 years. You know the kind I mean: bright pink, plastic, wire legs and tacky. It travels, too.
In years past it has spent time in the front yard, stalking across the premises on its long legs; sometimes it’s in the garden lending a cheery touch to the tomato and radish plants. Sometimes it peeps out of the woods, but currently it is literally up to its neck in snow.
Last year a buddy accidently drove into it and bent one of its legs, so now it’s a nester. I placed it at the base of one of my cherry trees this past spring and got great delight from its Pepto Bismol countenance as it roosted beneath this tree throughout the warm months, looking, I swear, like it was setting on eggs.
I never did put it away, so now it is in a direct visual line from my easy chair and since winter began, I have watched the snow climb and decline on its neck, depending on conditions. I often gaze at it and wonder what a real flamingo would think of a Wisconsin winter, especially during a snow storm or when it is below zero on the thermometer.
As tacky as this yard lawn ornament is, though, it frequently reminds me of the time our family took a winter trip to Florida when I was in high school. We chartered a boat and on our tour came across a marsh where hundreds of real flamingos were languidly poking through the water. I’ll never forget it. To see birds like this in the wild, hundreds of them, with their bright pink plumage and legs that seem to bend backwards was awe striking. It was a tropical moment I have never forgotten.
Also on that trip we enjoyed many foods we had never tried before. I remember eating my first mango, a papaya and, of course, we gorged ourselves on fresh oranges and anything citrus. We had swordfish, ate shark and one time my mother and father ordered oysters on the half shell, which we thought were really something.
I guess it’s kind of natural to think about tropical weather when your environment consists of below zero temperatures, icy roadways and snow. Many times I go to websites of tropical ports of call and find some succor there, but like a real trip, you have to come back to reality.
However, this exercise has ramped up my appetite for some exotic fare. I made Mango Salsa last summer that got big raves and I’m planning on making that for a game day party I will be attending this Sunday. And the Coconut Lime Bars are always a hit, no matter what time of year.
I guess I’ll have to be satisfied eating these kinds of foods, though, because there’s no way I’ll be actually visiting places where palm trees sway on soft, warm breezes, where sail boats skiff through turquoise waters and flamingos languidly stalk marshy flats. No, I’ll have to be satisfied with watching snow totals go up and down on the neck of my plastic flamingo; a little bit of the tropics no less, but truthfully, a poor substitute for the real thing.
Mango Salsa
1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted and diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 jalape’o chili, minced
1 small cucumber, peeled and diced
3 Tbs. fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
3 Tbs. fresh lime juice
Salt and pepper to taste
(Also good with diced red bell pepper, jicama and avocado, if you like it.) Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Coconut Lime Bars
For crust:
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
1/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut, toasted and cooled
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
For custard:
4 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from about 5 limes)
1 Tbs. freshly grated lime zest (from about 2 limes)
1/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut, toasted and cooled
Make crust: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour an 8-inch square baking pan, knocking out excess flour. In a bowl, blend together with fingertips flour, butter, coconut, confectioners’ sugar and salt until mixture resembles coarse meal. Pat mixture into prepared pan and bake in middle of oven 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees. For the custard: in a bowl whisk together eggs and granulated sugar until combined well and stir in flour, lime juice and zest.
Pour mixture over crust and bake in middle of oven 20 minutes. Top custard with coconut and bake 5 to 10 minutes more, or until just set. Cool on pan on a rack and chill 1 hour.
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