World Cuisine: Exotic Fruits: Ackee Fruit

Always happy to learn about exotic fruits from around the world.  This post is about the ACKEE FRUIT.  Even though it is a fruit, it is cooked as a vegetable.  It is native to West Africa, but has been cultivated in Jamaica since 1778 when it was brought to the Caribbean by British slave traders.  The Jamaicans liked it so much they made it the country's national fruit and their national dish is ackee with saltfish (or codfish).

WARNING:  Do not eat this fruit in its unripened state as it is poisonous.  However, once ripe, eat only the yellow arilli  which is the edible portion.  The black seeds are always toxic whether the fruit is ripe or unripened.  

NOTE:  If you are unable to buy it fresh, you can also buy canned ackee to use in your recipe.  You can even find it freeze-dried.

 * Ackee and Saltfish Recipe | Serious Eats

* Ackee And Saltfish Recipe #TastyTuesdays | CaribbeanPot   

I was curious to know if there were any West African recipes with this fruit as a main ingredient, but discovered that even though the ackee fruit originates from there, in that part of the world, it is used mainly for medicinal purposes.

** West African Ackee Fruit • We Blog The World

“The ackee tree (Blighia sapida) is indigenous to the tropical forests of West Africa. Although it is not popularly eaten there, it is cultivated in the region for several nonfood uses: Immature fruits are used to make soap; the wood from the tree is termite resistant and used for building;  extracts from the poisonous seeds are taken to treat parasites and are sometimes used as a fish poison;  topical ointment made from crushed ackee leaves is applied to the skin to treat headaches and ulcers. And the Ackee leaves are also good as a fodder for goats.”

Since this food comes with a warning, you might want to know a little bit more.  Below are some additional links of interest.

Ackee - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics

What is Ackee Fruit: How Do You Eat It + 4 Best Ackee Recipes

Ackee Fruit Information, Recipes and Facts | Specialty Produce

Ackee: Wiki facts for this cookery item | Cookipedia

THE POISON THAT JAMAICA LOVES AND AFRICA FEARS | beyondentertainmentblog

The Simple Joys of Italian Sausage

How did I come to know about the simple joys of Italian sausage.  The first time I ever used Italian sausage was when I made stuffing for Thanksgiving. I grew up with my mother using the turkey gizzards, so I thought that was “The Only Way”. When I made the stuffing with Italian sausage, it became the main side dish for our holiday meals. It was a memorable "first food experience".  From that time forward, I can leave out other side dishes for our turkey day meal.  But if I don't make stuffing … I will hear nothing but complaints!

My second simple way to enjoy Italian sausages?  I was in a grocery store one day and the chef was giving out free samples of a hearty soup he had made. Soup is such a comfort food. The soup was made with dark green veggies, legumes, chicken broth, and sausages.  It was delicious! That became my other simple way for using Italian sausage.

My 3^rd way is a simple sausage, onions and peppers, over rice.

I never make my own Italian sausage because the store-bought brand is inexpensive and tasty. Although I did watch an Italian cooking show one time and the chef showed how to make your own.

How to Cook Italian Sausage {3 different ways!} - Spend With Pennies

~ What are the 3 ways: Stovetop, Oven, or Grill.

I usually do my sausages in the oven so I don't have to watch them on the stove. I would grill them. But I don't have a grill.

Who likes Italian sausage?  What's your favorite way to eat them?

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Foodie Friday: Dinner Idea: Chicken with Blackberry Salsa

In Texas people love their salsa.  They put it on everything!  Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks!  But it's not the sweet salsa.  It's the spicy made with tomatoes and lime juice.  As I did more foodie research, I began to find that there are many variations for a salsa recipe.  For me, the spicy or the sweet recipe is fantastic!.  They make great condiments and really enhance the flavor of your meats.   If you like sweet and savory dishes you'll probably enjoy this recipe. 

Grilled Chicken With Blackberry Salsa Recipe
| Mix and Match Mama

Foodie Friday: My Favorite Party Dip!

Do you ever go to parties or other social gatherings where they serve finger foods, hors d'oeuvres, appetizers, tapas, dim sum, etc. At almost every one of these occassions you'll find bowl of dip surrounded by some potato chips or crackers for you to dip with. The most popular dip is onion dip which is very easy to make. Take a packet of Lipton onion gravy and mix it into a cup of sour cream. Tasty but after a while … BORING!!

One upon a time, a friend decided to bring in smoked salmon dip to an office party. My life was changed forever! Seriously! I don't even like salmon. But I loved that dip!!

Found a great recipe at an awesome food blog.

Smoked Salmon Dip | Once Upon a Chef

On the off chance that you're not convinced that it's the best dip in the world, here are a few more dip recipes you might want to try.  There are plenty recipes to choose from.  There's got to be at least one that will make your faves list.

Dips and Spreads Recipes | Allrecipes  

The Best Delicious and Easy Dip Recipes Everyone Will Love! 

15 Easy Dip Recipes | A Couple Cooks  

25 of The Best Savory Dip Recipes for Sharing - Scrambled Chefs  

30 Easy Dip Recipes for Your Next Party - Insanely Good  

55 Best #Party Dip #Recipes So Good You'll Want to Turn Them into a Meal | PureWow  

70 Best Party Dip Recipes - Easy Super Bowl Dip Recipes  
***

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Awful Things Americans Do With Pumpkins (Humor and Recipe-sharing)

I used to watch a cooking show called “Two Fat Ladies” They were British. Once day they making dishes using pumpkin. One of them remarked, something to the effect: “The pumpkin is wonderful. But Americans do all sorts of horrible things with it like … make pumpkin pie.”

I'm an American. I got a chuckle out of the comment. Not only do we make pies with pumpkin, but we also make bread!

Marvelous recipes from an awesome food blog called The Cookie Rookie.

Oatmeal Pumpkin Bread with Apple Cider Sauce

Pumpkin Pie Monkey Bread Recipe

Oatmeal Pumpkin Bread with Apple Cider Sauce https://t.co/cHiKAVR42J via @cookierookiebec @EverydaySpices

— Treathyl Fox (aka cmoneyspinner) ~ #Freelancer (@cmoneyspinner) September 14, 2021

Pumpkin Pie Monkey Bread Recipe https://t.co/l2ckKAhr3R via @cookierookiebec @EverydaySpices

— Treathyl Fox (aka cmoneyspinner) ~ #Freelancer (@cmoneyspinner) September 14, 2021

Cooking with "Two Fat Ladies" https://t.co/4sr8xdDhCt via @amazon #homeaandkitchen #cookbooks #cookingshows #Britishchefs #Cooking pic.twitter.com/U7XN8fBOfG

— Everyday Exotic Spices Presents Food Ways (@EverydaySpices) September 14, 2021

Food Blurb: Zucchini Flowers

Zucchini Flowers are elegant and every part of the bloom are edible. There are male and female blossoms. You can eat them raw. But most people like to fry them. Be sure to gently wash the flowers under cold water and pat dry before using in a recipe. It's best to eat them fresh but they can be frozen and will keep for several months in the freezer. Below are some recipes from my favorite food blogs.

Traditional Italian Fried Squash Blossoms and Zucchini Blossoms Recipe | Christina Cucina

Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms an Italian Classic | Chef Dennis 

6 Ways to Cook with Zucchini Blossoms | Food & Wine 

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My Foodie Luv: Do You Cook with Edible Flowers? https://t.co/3byWJzBAuT

— Everyday Exotic Spices Presents Food Ways (@EverydaySpices) September 15, 2021

Food Blog Spotlight: Honey Chai Cake Recipe | Arabic Food (Reblog)

Are you curious about global flavors?  You have wanderlust but can't wander too far because your travel budget is extremely limited?  Describing myself, of course.  My travel adventures are accomplished mainly through the Internet and television.  Was watching a TV cooking show and the host asked one of his guests who was a world traveler, which part of the world had the "best food" (in his opinion).  He said he enjoyed food prepared in the Middle East.  

Image credit:  Arabic Food I, photo by Victor Maia, found at Flickr.com



Connecting the dots.  

Several months back, began using the Google+ collections feature to maintain a collection of posts and links related to World Cuisine.  In the process, stumbled across the Arabic Food Recipes blog.  My husband and kids are turned on to chai tea. Even though I am a coffee fiend, having been encouraged by them to try a cup, it's very easy to understand why they are chai tea lovers.  At the aforementioned food blog found a cake recipe and thought to myself:

• 'Chai tea is delicious. Why not chai cake?'  

(See link shared below.)

Here is another thing to note about this blog.  When many of us are enjoying the holiday season, we say "Happy Holidays" to others.  Why?  It's not to be anti-Christmas.  America is a diverse nation.  Some folks do not celebrate Christmas.  But they do celebrate a holiday!  This blog has holiday recipes for Christmas, EID, and Ramadan.  Cool huh?

Honey Chai Cake Recipe

Honey Chai Cake Recipe

A delicious honey cake with tea, covered with vanilla and white chocolate icing, no one can resist it! Shaikha - founder of "When Shaikha Cooks" blog - prepared for you this unique recipe, to prepare it easily, especially for when you're expecting friends.

Slow-roasted lamb shoulder with flavours of shawarma recipe

“There’s nothing worse than being stuck in the kitchen on Christmas day while all your guests are enjoying themselves outside, so this DIY lamb shawarma recipe is the perfect solution. ...”

Slow-roasted lamb shoulder with flavours of shawarma recipe

The Arabic Food Recipes Kitchen (The home of Delicious Arabic Food) invites you to try Slow-roasted lamb shoulder with flavours of shawarma recipe. Enjoy the Arabic cuisine and learn how to make Slow-roasted lamb shoulder with flavours of shawarma.

Eid Kaak with Dates Recipe

Eid Kaak with Dates Recipe

Cooking time: 20 minutes servings: 100 Ingredients Dough: 2 cups very hot margarine7 cups flour2 tsp smell of kaak (special kaak spices)2 tbsp toasted sesame1/2 cup warm water1 tbsp yeast 1 tsp sugar1/2 cup milk Stuffing: 500 grams Ajwa (dates)1 tsp cinnamon For garnish: Fine powder sugar Directions 1.

Eggplant With Lamb, Tomato and Pine Nuts Recipe

“ … this traditional Lebanese dish is made for celebratory meals and gatherings.

Eggplant With Lamb, Tomato and Pine Nuts Recipe

With its layers of golden eggplant, cinnamon-scented lamb, and sweet tomato sauce topped with melted cheese, this traditional Lebanese dish is made for celebratory meals and gatherings. Even better, it's just as good served warm or room temperature as it is hot from the oven.

Related articles

How To Promote Diversity And Inclusion During A Month Of Multicultural Holidays

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Foodie Friday : Falooda, An Indian Dessert

Shining my foodie Friday spotlight on Falooda. 

It's an Indian dessert. Friends in a forum introduced me to this dessert. Ingredients (for the picture below): Mango, Jelly, Basil Seed, Vermicelli, Tapioca Pearls, Condensed Milk, Rose Syrup and Vanilla Ice Cream. There are, of course, recipe variations (see below). Most ingredients you can probably get from your local grocery stores like mango, jelly, condensed milk, and vanilla ice cream. But you may want to shop online for Tapioca Pearls, Basil Seed, and Rose Syrup.

Ever try this dessert?

By Kanchana Bose [CC BY-SA 4.0], from Wikimedia Commons

       

♦ ♦ ♦

More #FoodieFriday Posts Improve Boxed Mac-n-Cheese. Is that possible?  Little Things Shares Delightful Recipes and Cooking Tips  Raw Milk Cheese (Americans are Missing Out!)  Happy Holidays! Who Wants Egg Nog?  YACR ( Yet Another Chili Recipe )  Purple is the Color of Royalty and of Glorious Vegetables  Sampling Fast Food World Cuisine is a Fun Do!  Name Your Favorite Instant Noodle  YAPAS (Yet Another Post About Spinach)  Immune-boosting Smoothie ~ Order at Starbucks  Recipes | Desserts | Pineapple Stuffing and More!  Japan’s 10 weirdest ice cream flavors  The Right Blend of Spices for Cajun Food Lovers  Indian Food: Hot n Spicy Samosas (Reblog)  Candied Jalapeño Peppers  Chinese New Year Recipes and Dishes  Pesto Around the World  Experiencing the Joy of Salsa   Spice Spotlight: Cinnamon  It's Flipping Foodie Friday!  Raw Coconut Fig Slice (Reblog)  Winter Salad Binging  Banana Brownies - Back for Seconds

Food Blog Spotlight: A Cook @ Heart: A basket (cake) of flowers! (Reblog)

I started publishing this blog in 2016. As of May 2020, seven (7) of my posts are specifically related to cakes. (See below.)  I am always looking for cakes. Not only are they a delicious and luscious dessert but many times they are works of art. You almost don't want to eat them. Fortunately, many people take photographs of their artistic culinary creations BEFORE they are devoured. 

My search for fellow food bloggers on the Blogspot blog publishing platform led me to this post. A Cook @ Heart: A basket (cake) of flowers!  Isn't this cake gorgeous?!!  You can tell by the comments left at this post that the blog visitors were ecstatic!!

This wonderful blog's posts archive dates back to 2006.  You could spend months exploring the content.  OR ... just use the handy Recipe Index and search for cake!  ☺❤🎂

Cake Posts at Food Ways:

"Baumkuchen", tasty and historic German cake | Recipes via Foodal

Box Cake Mix or Cake From Scratch -Throw Down!

Custom Cakes by Rainbow Nourishments(Raw Vegan Cake Maker)

Honey Chai Cake Recipe | Arabic Food(Reblog)

Let "em Eat Cake! Cake Loving Finds on My Instagram

Michelle Wibowo's Sugar Art Is MoreThan Precious!

Which Countries or Cultures Make theBest Cakes? Let's Discuss!

glitter-graphics.com

Foodie Friday : Candied Jalapeño Peppers

I currently reside in Texas.  The folks here were "born" with a jalapeño in their mouth.  LOL.  It's an obvious exaggeration but people really love jalapeño peppers.  So that's the focus of this Foodie Friday post.  Although Texans might accuse of committing blasphemy or something like that because the specific topic is:

Candied Jalapeño Peppers

Or not!  If you're from Texas, maybe you probably already know about them.  But I'm what they call a "Texas import".  That means I wasn't born in Texas but I got here as fast as I could! 😜

I love jalapeños.  I love them with the seeds!  The hotter the better!  

I knew they came fresh or pickled.  But I never knew they came sweet too!  When I first found out about them, I thought:  "Isn't this against the Texas jalapeño rules?"

Evidently not!  You can buy them in the local grocery stores (here in Austin, Texas) or you can make them.  The recipe is easy.  Sharing some links below.

Here's a fun food fact.  Whether fresh, pickled, or sweet:

Candied Jalapeño Peppers are also called "cowboy candy".

Candied Jalapenos

There aren't words that exist to describe how addictive these little savoury, sweet, spicy, crunchy, garlicky pickled jalapeno rounds are. Put them on sandwiches, tacos, rice or bake them into cornbread. You'll need more and more!

Sriracha Deviled Eggs with Candied Jalapeno Peppers

Serve something a little different for your Easter spread this year: Sriracha Deviled Eggs with Candied Jalapeno Peppers. Sriracha spices up these deviled eggs and the candied jalapeno peppers give it a sweet/spicy note transforming the ordinary into extraordinary! Make it even more special and serve them on this gorgeous Wilton Armetale Egg Tray from their Flutes & Pearls Collection.

Cowboy Candy {Candied Jalapenos}

If you like pepper jelly served over cream cheese on crackers, you will love Cowboy Candy. The sugary sweet syrup/brine is the perfect compliment to the heat of the jalapenos. When my friend, Diane, at Canning and Cooking at Home made these, I knew I wanted to try it for myself. 

Previous #FoodieFriday posts? Chinese New Year Recipes and Dishes  Pesto Around the World  Experiencing the Joy of Salsa   Spice Spotlight: Cinnamon  It's Flipping Foodie Friday!  Raw Coconut Fig Slice (Reblog)  Winter Salad Binging  Banana Brownies - Back for Seconds  Cool Foodies and Food Lovers Celebrating Their “Firsts” on Twitter

Not into sweet and spicy?  You prefer salty?  Try this!

Fresh Gourmet - Crispy Jalapeños, Lightly Salted

Foodie Friday : Banana Brownies - Back for Seconds

Scanning pins on Pinterest and came across one pin shared by food blogger, Stephanie Brubaker, that made me start looking for recipe variations. Being that it's also #foodiefriday, it's also a perfect excuse to do a little detective work.  Brownies are on my list of fave foods, right along with cheesecake. But most of the brownies I enjoy are chocolate.  Never heard of a Banana Brownie. Have you?

Now it's imperative to know how many other different kinds of brownies are out there in wonderful world of food.  :)

Do you have a brownie recipe
that's not like any other?

Banana Brownies - Back for Seconds

Kelly Senyei, Just a Taste, came up with a recipe that combines three desserts into one.  Three guilty pleasures in one?  What a brilliant mind!!  :)

Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies Recipe


Found this delightful treat at Kirbie’s Cravings.

Cookies and Cream Brownies


Cookies and Cream Brownies



 Another Kellie shared her recipe for vegans at her blog, Food to Glow.

Tahini Swirl Chocolate Brownies (immune-boosting and grain-free + vegan option).

Miley Cyrus would be so proud of her! :)

Tahini Swirl Chocolate Brownies (immune-boosting and grain-free + vegan option)




*This one from a fellow blogger on Blogspot, Nook & Pantry.

Green Tea Cheesecake White Chocolate Brownie



Green Tea Cheesecake White Chocolate Brownie



Blinking arrow found at glitter-graphics.com

Spinach Brownies  (???) OK! Spinach Brownies Recipe

Food Blog Spotlight: Tofu is the New Black on Tumblr

So glad such a thing as a spotlight was invented. The concept or idea of shining a light on something or someone worthy of being noticed comes in handy when you find a fantabulous food blog like “Tofu is the New Black”. 

My foodie adventures around the web often either begin here at this blog or at my complementary Tumblr micro-blog. Was scanning the posts stream and came across this amazing blog. Fortunately the publisher, “Irene”, introduces herself in both Italian and English. (No problem if she didn't. I keep my Google translator at the ready! ☺ ) 



Irene is a vegan and not only does she share great vegan recipes but the food images at her blog show off some of the prettiest food I've ever seen!  She scours the web and recycles recipes, cooking tips, healthcare tips, charts displaying food alternatives or substitutes, infographics, and other food finds.  She is PRO-Green and extremely environmentally conscious (as we all should be).  Her posts date back to August 2015. Got so excited just browsing January 2017, decided her food / foodie adventures needed to be shared with others.

Are you a tofu lover?
Do you have a favorite tofu recipe?

Please comment below. 

Pretty food!

http://happy-tofu.tumblr.com/post/135333234655/httphappy-tofutumblrcom

Healthcare Tips!

http://happy-tofu.tumblr.com/post/135333574570/httphappy-tofutumblrcom

Cheese Lovers!

http://happy-tofu.tumblr.com/post/135134167665/lemon-cranberry-pistachio-cashew-cheese-ball

Healthy Ways to Satisfy the Munchies!

http://happy-tofu.tumblr.com/post/125921885985/10-vegan-snacks-for-your-desk

Food Blurb: Cabbages (Without Kings)

If you are familiar with the 1904 novel by O. Henry, then you know it's not about collecting cabbage recipes for kings. 😊  It's just that in my high school Literature class we studied short stories and O. Henry was one of the writers we learned about. It was the year I learned that I liked short stories much better than reading books. You got to the ending quicker! 😊  

OK.  Back on point.  This food blurb is about cabbage recipes. 

If your goal is to eat more green leafy vegetables and you like cabbage anyway, then you'll probably enjoy this recipe. It's made with ground beef, but I vary it and use ground chicken or turkey. Also, I omit the cheese topping. For me that's unnecessary extra calories. You could use a bread crumb topping as a substitute or no topping at all. You might be able to also vary this recipe using escarole, napa cabbage, collards or Swiss chard, instead of cabbage. You might try purple cabbage instead of green. Purple veggies are just as good as green!

Cabbage Roll Casserole Recipe | EatingWell

* * *

Eating Well is an excellent website. I subscribe to it. You find cooking tips and health tips. Here is a link to more cabbage recipes. If you're trying to lose weight, try the cabbage diet soup.

MORE Food Blurbs at Food Ways: 

• 100 Healthiest Foods ~ Is Your Favorite Food on the List?
• 3 Spices for a Long Life
• 5 Exotic Spices
• 6 Spices For Indian Cuisine
• Name the Sexy Spices
• Medical Advice About Super foods
• Top 10 List of Superfoods
• WARNING: Delicacies Can Be Dangerous!

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