The mind of a foodie is a strange place to be. You literally get EXCITED by food! You get deliriously happy when you make or eat something fabulous! And I had both feelings when I encountered the Dragon Fruit. I have never had such a visceral response to a piece of fruit until I saw the Dragon Fruit for the first time. My heart raced a little bit faster, my eyes probably dilated, my breath caught in my throat, and all I heard on a quiet exhale that I think came from me was, “Oh, my God! What is that?” Yes, it was love at first sight! Read More

 

Driving in the summertime on the island, you will find pockets of children newly freed from the burdens of their school-year demands waving bunches of emerald green fruits on stems knotted together. From a distance, your summer-trained eyes can already detect what sweet treat  is at the end of this call. It’s not uncommon to see cars veer off the road to the sound of feet scurrying across the road to sell a rustic bouquet of Kenep, or Genip, or Spanish Lime or whatever name you call this fruit by … I simply call it delicious! Read More

 

I hate egg fruit. It might sound weird to write a post about a fruit you just don’t like, but it’s true. Everything about the egg fruit is enticing. The sweetheart shape of it is simply darling. The bright yellow outside reflects the sunshine that helped create it. The smooth buttery skin of it says, “You know I look good!” But that’s where the love affair pretty much ends for me and the egg fruit. The inside is chalky and creamy at the same time. A custard sweetness with hints of vanilla, and a slight grassy back flavor. On its own, it is my least favorite of fruits on the island. But let it ripen, to a soft richness, and the flesh of it MUST end up in a pie! Then I stop hating and start loving! Then it becomes worthy of a post and a celebration! Read More

There was a commercial that said, “Anything nestled in a fluted paper cup has to be good!” It seems to me that nature wanted to so venerate the beautiful pomegranate that it wrapped each of these jeweled speckled seeds in a nest of paper thin membranes– to remind the bearer that this indeed was something very special. Read More

Here on the island the food scene is exploding! Everywhere you turn more and more people are exploring the possibilities of foods that we can grow, cultivate, and share. One of my favorite farmer stands is run by a warm, and wonderful woman known simply to me as Mrs. Jackson. Her stand is perched right on Centerline Road. Whenever my husband and I find ourselves west of the Airport Road, Mrs. Jackson’s farm stand is a must stop! Read More

There are things you do in the kitchen because you think you HAVE to do it. You think to yourself, “Man, this is hard, but I know the outcome will be well worth it!” This is never more the case for me than making anything related to fresh coconuts. I use coconuts and coconut milk in practically everything I make– both savory and sweet. It is simply too luxurious a mouth-feel and flavor not to find a way to incorporate it.

One of my most favorite, recent, food memories was making coconut milk with my Sister-In-Law Wendy in my kitchen with dried coconuts from my mom’s tree. We scraped and wielded our knives against the unyielding coconut flesh in the hopes of gathering enough of it to make some fresh coconut milk. Read More

There are times in food blogging, where I would just like to show a series of pictures with absolutely no words, because the natural beauty of the food speaks for itself. This is the case with this post on Sugar Apples! Read More

If there was ever the incarnation of fruit heaven for me it would be the Passion Fruit. Its name alone conjures up images of the unusual and complex fruit that it truly is. The fruit gets its sultry name from Spanish missionaries who encountered it on their arrival to the Americas. Its flower reminded them of “Christ’s Passion for humanity”. Read More

I can remember the exact moment when, my cousin Gloria introduced me to the Carambola fruit as a teenager. I had lived on the island my entire young adult life, and had never seen or tasted anything like it. Its clear star shape made it look almost otherworldly. As if it was too intentional that this was the specific design of a piece of fruit. Read More