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
There is something very seductive about darkness. Dark starry nights, dark roasted coffee, deep dark chocolate. For me, darkness in food translates to something touched by fire, scorched, flavor packed, and intensely rich. Some of my favorite desserts are what I call “Dark” desserts. Meaning it is made with either smoked, or darkened colored ingredients. Read More
Growing up, I always heard my mother refer to avocados as “pears”. The version of the avocado I am more familiar with on the island is the larger green avocado, not the smaller, dark purple Hass Avocado. I enjoy the Hass, but I adore the larger “Pear”. Somehow the good-for-you, fatty, richness of the avocado always complimented, in a very cooling way, whatever traditionally spiced dishes came out of my mother’s kitchen. Read More
It is summer! And all the trees seem to be erupting into fertile, unending, fruit season all at once! The bees are out busy collecting fruit nectar from all the fruit flowers that hold promises for future fruit harvests. For me there is nothing more satisfying on a hot summer day than the simplicity of crunching my way into a cooling bite of Carambola. 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
I recently appeared on one of our local radio talk shows “Beyond Empowerment”. It is hosted by one of my favorite people on our little Rock, Charlene Springer. We talked for a full half hour about food, and the love of crafting foods, and the importance of it for our island’s economic growth.
Right at the end of the program, she whispered faintly a word that in all my culinary curiosities I never heard uttered. I didn’t understand what she said, so I asked her to repeat it. But before she did, she closed her eyes, smiled a brilliant flash of white contentment, and breathed the word out once more, “Aebleskivers“. From that reaction alone, my spirit understood, that I didn’t know what it was, but I wanted to!! Read More
Yes, there can be absolutely no doubt that it is summer! The line of demarcation for the seasons on St. Croix is not a visual one, but a physical one. Your body recognizes the intensity of the summer sun before your eyes start to understand that the lush landscape is now drying. Then the thirst sets in, and all you physically crave are ways to beat the heat and cool down. This is one of my favorite summer time “Cool Down” treats. Read More
Even though we don’t have seasons on the island as visually dramatic as those in the Northern parts of the States, we do feel the changes of the seasons quarterly. None more so than the switch between Winter/Spring and Summer. A cool winter evening is so appreciated when compared to the cover-kicking-off heat of a summer night.
On the island your body, more than your eyes, tells you that the seasons are changing. This is especially so, when summer shows up in all its warm, trade wind-cooled glory! Read More
Lavender. There are some flowers that simply ache to be infused into baked goods. Rose, Lavender, and Jasmine are some of my favorite floral scents. While it is very underutilized in comparison to vanilla or cinnamon in baking, lavender can stand on its own as a flavor power player in almost every dessert. Read More
Whenever I make a sweet dessert, I always add just a pinch of salt, whether or not the recipe calls for it. The salt offers a slight flavor contrast to the dessert that without it can leave the dessert tasting flat.
As it is in life, it is in the kitchen. Opposition creates compliments– good and bad, black and white, sweet and sour, salt and sweet!
So add a bit of salt to the sweetness in your kitchen and in your life!! It makes for more interesting living and eating!
