Dragon fruit: tropical fruit with a scaly red exterior and white flesh inside I love the vibrant color of dragon fruit. It's often a deep red, with scales that remind you of a dragon. Once you slice inside it, there's a white flesh speckled with black seeds. Despite its showy nature, the actual fruit tastes very bland. It can be likened to a kiwi, with its similar look, but it's not as sweet. It's part of the cactus family and offers a boost of nutrients, including fiber, vitamin B, and … [Read more...]
Foodie Friday: Pineapple Fried Rice
September 26, 2014 2 Comments
Pineapple fried rice: classic rice dish with tropical overtones Craving an exotic twist to simple fried rice? Layer some pineapple on top and voilà! Here are some fun pineapple facts: Name comes from its resemblance to the pine cone Produces beautiful flowers, ranging various shades of purple and red Sailors carried it to prevent scurvy Area near the base of the fruit is sweeter and more tender Dole Plantation's Pineapple Garden Maze is the world's largest maze The first … [Read more...]
Foodie Friday: Mango Cake
May 16, 2014 6 Comments
Mango cake: a light cake with mango filling and topped with the fruit Sometimes my kids go through seasonal fruit preferences. It used to be pears, then peaches. This year, it's mangoes. The tropical fruit is bright and colorful, exotic in its hues. It's also got tasty flesh that's very sweet, and they love biting the cubes off the skin. There are different varieties of mangoes. Here are a few that I've tried: Alphonso mango: grown in India, these display a yellow skin. They taste very … [Read more...]
Foodie Friday: Rambutan
August 24, 2013 Leave a Comment
Rambutan: a white-fleshed gummy fruit, similar to lychee or longan Rambutan has a distinctive red outer layer covered with soft spikes. Malayan jungle tribes first cultivated the rambutan tree, and rambut means "hair" in Malay. These tropical fruits offer a grape-like texture (at twice the size of a grape). Like the lychee or longan, it holds a big seed in the middle. However, rambutan is not as sweet as its cousins, and actually gives off a slight sour taste. My preference is for lychee or … [Read more...]
Foodie Friday: Bell Fruit
August 2, 2013 Leave a Comment
Bell fruit: an exotic fruit shaped like its name I've only ever found bell fruit in Taiwan, so if you want to try this special food, you'll have to travel. It features a reddish exterior, similar to an apple. In fact, it's also known as a "wax apple." It's full of crispness and offers a subtle flavor, like a fresh sip of water in fruit form. Actually, in my novel, the eleven-year old character compares herself to a bell fruit. To find out the particulars, you'll have to read The 228 … [Read more...]
Foodie Friday: Asian Cake
June 14, 2013 2 Comments
Asian cake: a lighter version of an American cake, often topped with a variety of fresh fruitI think I made up the term, "Asian cake," but there is a difference between a cake found at an Asian bakery versus an American one. Asian cakes tend to be lighter and fluffier, with their frosting having more of a whipped cream texture. They also incorporate a lot of fresh fruit, on top and inside the cake. The above cake for an early Father's Day celebration has taro inside it. Indeed, my wedding cake … [Read more...]
