Passionate about passiflora (or just markisa)

Once upon a time, there was a little girl who thought herself possessing just a a little more than imagination than was the usual allocation for girls her age.

She danced amongst fairies, leaped with brownies, and hid with elves among branches of the cherry tree behind her mother's house. If she could have climbed the starfruit tree or the big caramai (otherwise known as Phyllantus Acidus or else West India gooseberry) tree at her grandmother's house, she would have without hesitation. Unfortunately what her mind wanted to do, her physical prowess disallowed. She had to content herself listening, when she was at her grandmother's, not without longing, to the free spirits giggling behind the leaves and branches of those trees from the sturdy safety of her grandmother's balcony. The branches called to her. They were just out of reach even if she stretched really really far.

One day, she heard of a fruit called markisa, and learned almost at the same time, it's other name, passionfruit. She imagined, a few moments later, how Markisa would be like, in girl-form. She would have flaming orange runaway curly hair, millions of freckles across her nose bridge and she would laugh often and easily. She did everything with an intensity that was captivating. She was scary angry when she got mad. She would collapse into a heap in tears when sad. Her heart would break more often than the average person, at things that caused only mild curiosity in most. Markisa would make a very good companion and she would definitely be most exciting to be around.

She and Markisa became fast friends. They played, fought, argued and supported each other through everything. Weeks became months became years. Then she became busy with 'whatever'. And had less and less time to spend with Markisa. Markisa being Markisa, became violently upset and not a little hurt. She screamed. She yelled. To the no avail. The girl had gotten busy with 'everything else'. So Markisa stopped visiting the little girl, who was not so little anymore. The little not-so-little girl did not notice that Markisa no longer came around. The years turned into decades. Markisa was forgotten.

Recently, she met Markisa again. For real. Markisa is round and red. She has lots of freckles, not millions but enough. The once upon a time little girl, smiled. She recognised Markisa from that time and said hi. Markisa said hi back. And they became friends again.

Shake it Baby

When I make shakes, it's usually because the fruit has gone too soft and yucky to eat au naturel. Not always though. Sometimes, it's a phase I go through. Sometimes I want to put on weight, yes load on those kgs. It can be a painful exercise. No pain, no gain as the saying goes, right.

Anyway, recently, in the latest (it seems so far) unsuccessful bid to fatten up, I have been making avocado shakes, sometimes mango shakes. I tried to subscribe the equation of calories intake versus calorie used up, but in my case, it seems my metabolic rate is my ultimate determinor (that's not a word, I know, but I can't think of the right word right now) of my weight. It seems that when I consume more calories, the metabolic engine kicks in and takes it up a matching notch!! At one point, I was adding ice-cream to my shakes and that was just breakfast. Alas, to no avail!

Sometimes, it's what catches your fancy when you're out.  The chocolate and avocado shake in the pic is one such occasion. That was when I was in Bungus Beach waaaaay back in 2009 with a girlfriend.

Yesterday was such an occasion as well. I was out in town with a friend and he wanted fruit juice from a stand he had seen earlier. I tried a shake I'd never had before;a mango/starfruit combo and he; a mango/dragonfruit combo.   The verdict - I like the contrasting tastes and textures of the two fruits of my choice but appearance-wise, dragonfruit and mango is much easier to make pretty.

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Thai Mango Salad - a shrimp is all it takes

     

How do you like your mango?

I love mine yellow and sweet but it's also good a little greenish white, pale yellow, sour and a little hint of sweet here and there.

When I was littler, my sister introduced me to the delicious art of eating young mangos . 

And it is simple to make as well. After peeling and cutting the fruit into very thin strips, she mixed the fruit with sugar and black salty soy sauce in a bowl and let cool in the fridge. After an hour, voila, taste bud heaven awaits you in that fridge.

Since that first experience, I have tried several variations. With shrimp paste, chilli and lime; without the shrimp paste; just with sugar; plain (although hardly ever - too sour!!) and during my college years with Old El Paso salsa dip (the mild and hot range) and the extra hot Indonesian sambal oelek from Chinatown. Ooof, now that never failed to leave me with red swollen lips afterwards but well worth the taste trip!

I don't do sambal oelek these days - my poor matured digestive system couldn't handle it I think!  

But I still love the occasional spicy trip and I get it from Thai restaurants. I either get a squid salad, an extra hot tom yam soup (I could eat plates and plates of white rice to accompany it!!) or my all time Thai favourite ----- mango salad!!! And yes, they do leave me a swollen red burning lips!! And yes, it's well worth it!

At one of the restaurants, I discovered a new ingredient that goes very well with young mango - dried shrimp. They don't lend any flavour to the salad until you bite into one of those babies. And then it's yumm. A little flavour explosion occurs in your mouth. 

And you go back for more. 

And more. And more.

Oh, there is one ingredient that, in my books, does not go with mango - peanut chips, esp if they're burnt! Tell the guy to hold the peanuts.

When the Queen of Cheese meets the King of Fruits

Queen of Cheese... that's me.  I think I have great taste in music but seems like most everyone around me don't think so. I mean I love the (early) Beatles, ABBA, Elvis, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Isley Brothers... hmm, should I go on?

King of Fruits... that's the durian. Mention durian and it always is amusing (to me) to see the plethora of reactions it elicits. From a vehement yukk to a feverish yumm to the milder it's ok la. To hear the adjectives attached to the fruit. I can collect enough material to do a chapter on antonyms and synonyms. Stinky, creamy, sewage smell, disgusting texture, heavenly. You name it, I've heard it. :)

Personally, I like the fruit. It is sweet, yet not so, more like a milky creamy kind of sweet. 

It has a distinct scent too. I wouldn't go as far as saying smelly. Smelly is something offensive and no matter how many people tell me it is smelly, I can't possibly agree. It is perhaps an unfamiliar category of sweet, maybe cloyingly sweet to some. 

I saw a man, just recently, all on his average-sized-own, go through at least 8 jumbo sized fruit. That must be some kind of record. And I bet he was sick that night. But then again. Surprise me right? Myself? I can only eat 2 pieces (usually); egg me on, and maybe I'll eat 3. Pieces mind you, not the entire fruit!

... worth a voyage to the East?

A friend from Argentina (the cute Luis B) sent me the following quote by British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace about what he said about the durian in 1856;

"The five cells are silky-white within, and are filled with a mass of firm, cream-coloured pulp, containing about three seeds each. This pulp is the edible part, and its consistence and flavour are indescribable. A rich custard highly flavoured with almonds gives the best general idea of it, but there are occasional wafts of flavour that call to mind cream-cheese, onion-sauce, sherry-wine, and other incongruous dishes. Then there is a rich glutinous smoothness in the pulp which nothing else possesses, but which adds to its delicacy. It is neither acid nor sweet nor juicy; yet it wants neither of these qualities, for it is in itself perfect. It produces no nausea or other bad effect, and the more you eat of it the less you feel inclined to stop. In fact, to eat Durians is a new sensation worth a voyage to the East to experience. ... as producing a food of the most exquisite flavour it is unsurpassed."