There are times in midwinter when I simply crave the glorious light, the warm breeze, the blue skies and the exotic flavors of my little birth island. I am a tropical creature who has adapted the best she can to the endless frigid months of the northeastern United Sates, but there are days that are very hard to bear.
Luckily, summer is in full swing on the other side of the globe, and the fruits and veggies that abound there at this time of the year make a welcome appearance on our market shelves.
So when I see ripe avocados and mangoes piled high at my local grocery store, I am relieved and happy for the little bit of sunshine they bring with them!
And then I let that sun shine right through the dishes I prepare with them, like this simple but flavorful salad. The avocado and mango slices are tucked in a delicious hug, while the arugula provides a crunchy, spicy bed. The Tequila-lime vinaigrette begs to be drizzled over the whole thing and the crispy tortilla strips add a touch of playfulness — a little something your teeth will be happy to wrestle with.
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I had other plans for the fragrant watermelon I’d bought at the farmers’ market last Sunday, but Kate Bush’s song “Eat the music” inspired me to make a sinfully delicious cocktail, one that is sure to make your taste buds sing…
I also thought the watermelon would be its usual seductive pink color, but it turned out to be deep-yellow — and, I might add, super-sweet!
The idea of garnishing the rim with more than just salt happened as I was making my first trial — it was a fluke! I found myself stirring into my sugar-salt mixture a bit of smoky chipotle powder. The result? As you put your nose in the glass to take your first sip you get a whiff of smokiness — an unbelievable counterpoint to the sweet aroma of the watermelon!
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It all started one Sunday evening, sitting on our porch and relaxing – a rare moment for both Marc (my husband) and me. Since we’re both entrepreneur types, we always seem to be working round-the-clock.
That afternoon, I’d been poking around in the garden and saw that my zucchini plants had finally produced enough blossoms so that I could harvest a whole bowl of them. I knew then what would be on the menu: pan-fried zucchini flowers served with a scrumptious tomato coulis to dip them in. We settled down with two chilled kirs and eagerly started munching on the fritters.
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