Mango Salsa

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Before getting to today's recipe, I wanted to let you know about an article in Gourmet Live that lists the 50 most important women in food. The list is fairly comprehensive and contains some entries and omissions that might surprise you. At the very least, it will give you something to talk about with other foodies and friends. Over the course of the next year, I'm going to try to make one dish created by each of the women on the list. If you'd like to join in the fun, email me and we can formalize a schedule. Otherwise, I'll aim to publish one recipe each Friday starting the second week in June. I hope to hear from you.

The hail was a bit much, but other than that we've had a great day. The fajitas and tacos were both well-received and everyone loved the mango salsa I'm featuring here tonight. This simple condiment is a feature of Mexican, Asian and Indian cuisine. This version has a decidedly Mexican bent and, like yesterday's pico de gallo, a recipe is needed only to list the ingredients required to make it. Once they are assembled the dish becomes a chop, combine and chill affair that can be tailored to your liking. I do hope you will give it a try. Here's the recipe.

Mango Salsa...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups diced mango
3 tablespoons finely chopped jalapeno pepper
3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon lime juice

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a storage container. Cover and chill for up to 3 days. Yield 2 cups.








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You might also enjoy these recipes:
Mango Cream Pie - Cookie Madness
Mango Paletas - Sweet Life
Mango Chile Ice for Dessert - A Spoonful of Thyme
Coconut Mango Granola - Kitchen Runway
Mango Lassi - Niya's World
Mango Lava Cake - Home Cooking and Baking
Green Mango Relish with Whole Spices - Love Food Eat
Mango Pound Cake - Home Cooking and Baking
Black Bean Mango Salad - Mommy's Kitchen
Mango Margarita - Home Cooking Rocks

Mango Mousse

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...When you entertain people who know and love food, there are different paths that can be taken to the table. Familiar dishes, flawlessly prepared, work well, but so do more trendy dishes that expand the palates of those you've invited to eat with you. I took the path of least resistance last evening and chose a menu of simple dishes that represent Spring in various countries around the world. There was Scandinavian salmon, Turkish lamb, Italian risotto and a French asparagus salad. Fortunately, the dishes blended nicely and it all turned out well. It was a night of good food, good company and good wine. I wanted to end the meal on a light, bright note and decided to serve a mango mousse with meringue cookies for dessert. When properly prepared, this is a wonderful, slightly tart dessert. Its success or failure depends of the quality of the mangoes used to make it. They must be fully ripe and bursting with flavor. I can tell you from bitter experience, that those packs of peeled and sliced mangoes that are now available in the super market will not work here. I've never tried the mango puree that is available at Trader Joe's, but I suspect that this is a case where sweat equity pays off. I'm always asked to suggest a substitute for the orange liqueur used in the recipe. Unfortunately, there is none. Orange juice will ruin the mousse. It takes a while for this to stiffen, so it is best made early in the day you plan to serve it. If you want something more fancy, the mousse can be shaped in molds and served with a strawberry coulis. I do have one note of caution. Mango can be stringy even when pureed. To have an absolutely smooth puree, I put mine through a sieve before proceeding with the recipe. This is not an overtly sweet dessert, but it is delicious and I marvel at its color every time I see it. If you're in the market for something a little different, I think you'll like this mousse. If you like desserts with a little tang, you'll love it. Here's the recipe.

Mango Mousse...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1/4 cup orange liqueur
1 to 2 teaspoons lime juice
1 package unflavored gelatin
2-1/2 pounds large ripe mangoes, peeled, pitted, chopped
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup superfine sugar
1 cup chilled whipping cream

Directions:
1) Pour liqueur into small bowl; sprinkle gelatin over. Let gelatin soften 10 minutes. Puree mangoes in processor. Measure puree and return 2-1/2 cups to work bowl of processor (reserve remainder for garnish). Add sugar to mango puree in processor and blend well. Set bowl of gelatin in saucepan of simmering water. Stir until gelatin dissolves. Add gelatin mixture and lime juice to mango in processor and blend. Whip cream in large bowl until soft peaks form. Fold in mango mixture. Transfer to 6 dessert dishes. Yield: 6 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Mango Berry Crisp - Within the Kitchen
Mango Cheesecake with Lemon Basil Syrup - Step By Step Gourmet
Mango Rice Pudding - Pham Fatale
Fresh Mango Curd - SwEEts
Chunky Mango Ice Cream - Home Cooking Rocks
Mango Pudding (Gluten Free Dairy Free) - The Sensitive Pantry
Mango Merinque Tart with Coconut Cream - She Shimmers
Creamy Mango Gelato - My Man's Belly
Mango and Strawberry Muffins - Kirsten's Kitchen
Peach and Mango Trifle - Adora's Box
Mango Lassi - Entertaining Made Easy
Mango Mousse - My Favorite Recipes Collection
Mango Panna Cotta - My Kitchen and Photographs
Mango Bread - Kitchen Runway
Mango Upside Down Cake with Macadamia Nuts - Sippity Sup

Braised Pork Chops with Homemade Curry and Chutney Sauce

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I grew up as "Big" Mary in a two Mary household. "Little" Mary - all five feet of her - was my mother. If you phoned the house you'd have to specify which of us you wanted to talk with. I hated it. When our daughters arrived I was determined to spare them such ignominy. Oh, they have pet names but those are sealed within the bosom of the family. That's fine, except when you need to know which child I'm speaking of. So, for today, I'll be referring to my first born as "Number One Daughter." When we get together and family updates are complete it's time to talk food. You need to know that Number One Daughter is fearless in the kitchen and she does know what she's doing. If that meat on your plate looks like boar chances are it is. Get the drift? This year she set me onto Nancie McDermott's The Curry Book - Memorable Flavors and Irresistibly Simple Recipes from Around the World. As a rule of thumb, I won't buy a cookbook until I've found and tested at least two recipes, but Number One Daughter's recommendation was all I needed to place an order for the book. I was surprised by the simplicity of the recipes and the depth of flavor that could be produced with so few ingredients. I know it's not necessary to make your own chutney - Major Gray's would do nicely - but it's fun to know how its done. You can use any curry powder you like, but I've included a recipe that will allow you to make your own for the same reason. So, today we'll have a three-fer.

Braised Pork Chops with Curried Chutney Sauce...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 (1-1/4-inch thick) center cut pork chops (brined if possible)
1 tablespoon butter
1tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoon finely chopped shallots or scallions
2 teaspoons curry powder
1/4 cup Madeira, Marsala or cram sherry wine
3/4 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup light cream or half-and-half
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 cup mango chutney
1/4 cup chopped chives or scallions

Directions:
1) Combine flour, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. Pat pork chps dry; dredge in flour mixture. Set aside.
2) Heat butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork chops and cook until lightly browned, about 1 minute per side. Remove chops to a platter.
3) Add shallots and curry powder to skillet; cook until shallots are softened and coated with curry powder, about 3 minutes. Add wine and broth, scraping fond from bottom of pan. Bring to a boil.
4) Combine half-and-half and cornstarch in a small bowl. Gradually add to skillet. Dice any large fruit pieces in your chutney. Stir chutney into skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce is golden and slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.
5) Return pork chops to pan; turn to coat both sides with sauce. Cover and simmer, turning once, for a total of 20 minutes, or until done. Transfer to a serving platter, cover with sauce and sprinkle with chives. Yield: 4 servings.

Cook's Note: I always brine pork chops. Ingredients and directions for brine are here. This extra step is well worthwhile. You'll have wonderfully moist pork chops.

Fresh Mango Chutney...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
2 large, ripe mangoes
1 large apple
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup dark raisins
1/4 cup diced crystallized ginger
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1-1/2 teaspoons mustard seeds
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1) Peel mangoes and cut into bite-size chunks. Place into a large (3-quart) saucepan. Peel, core and coarsely chop it; add to saucepan along with onion, bell pepper, raisins, ginger, sugar, vinegar, mustard seeds, pepper flakes and salt.
2) Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender and liquid thickens into a light syrup, about 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from heat. Cool to room temperature. Refrigerate. Chutney will keep for 3 to 4 weeks in refrigerator. Yield: About 3 cups.

Curry Powder...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons ground coriander
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons ground cloves
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground cayenne
2 tablespoons ground turmeric

Directions:
Place all ingredients, except turmeric, in a frying pan. Toast spices over medium heat until they darken, release their fragrance and wisps of smoke rise from pan, about 3 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Stir in turmeric. Store tightly covered and away from heat and light. Shelf life is about 3 months. Yield: 1/2 cup.

Khmer Green Papaya Salad and the Story of Sala Bai Hotel and Culinary School

There are stories that words alone can't tell. Cambodia is one of them. While the country is struggling to recover from the brutality of the Khmer Rouge, most of its people continue to live in dire poverty. Cambodia is tough to process; it assaults the mind and spirit, so it's best to let photographs tell that part of the story. There is, however, another more uplifting story to be told. Within Cambodia there are small groups of expats and NGO's who try, in ways large and small, to beat back poverty and offer hope to the people of this beleaguered country. The Australian Social Aid Agency and Agir Pour Le Cambodge are among those groups. They operate Sala Bai, a hotel school that trains young people from underprivileged families to work in the hospitality industry. Priority is given to girls, who are excluded from the traditional school system. Three-quarters of the students, some of whom are orphans, have never lived in town and come from the rice fields of villages in the area. The school trains 100 students a year; they are selected for the program based on records, an examination and an interview with the applicants and their families. All of the schools graduates find employment and earn a decent salary by Cambodian standards. One hundred is not a large number, but if you're among those chosen, your life, and that of your family, will forever be changed. Funds to support Sala Bai come from institutions such as the Orion Hotel alliance, star chefs like Joannes Riviere and culinary students around the world who dig into their own empty pockets to help as they can. Some future stars in the culinary world are being trained here; the best of them are snatched to apprentice in the kitchens of five star hotels. These kids can cook. Some of them can create. Today's recipe is based on a salad I had at Sala Bai. It's refreshing and simple to do. I hope you'll give it a try.

Khmer Green Papaya Salad

Ingredients:
3 cups green papaya, peeled and finely julienned
1 cup carrots, peeled and finely julienned
1/2 cup finely sliced onion
1 cup cucumber, peeled and finely julienned
1 small red bell pepper, stemmed and finely julienned
.
1/4 cup hot water
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup lime juice
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
.
1 handful fresh mint, torn into pieces
1/2 cup roasted peanuts

Directions:
1) Combine papaya, carrots,onion, cucumber, and bell pepper in a large bowl. Set aside.
2) Combine water and sugar in a small bowl. Stir until sugar dissolves. Add lime juice and pepper flakes. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
3) Pour dressing over salad. Add mint and peanuts; toss to combine ingredients. Transfer to a serving dish or plates. Yield: 6 servings.

Cook's Note: Hot chili peppers can replace the pepper flakes. Plain boiled shrimp can be added to the salad.