Fruit Smoothie

I just love smoothies and have been making a lot of them here in Bali. All you need is a blender, some fresh fruit or vegetables, a few ice cubes and/or cold juice.  I personally prefer the naturally sweet, fruit smoothies, but have insisted on occassionally drinking the less sweet, vegetable varieties, all in the name of good health.

Here's a fruit smoothie recipe that I made not so long ago.  Of course, you don't have to use as many ingredients as I did - that's what happened to be on hand.  They're absolutely delicious with a couple of fruits only - and most any variation works well as far as I'm concerned. There's only one critical rule:  the fruit must be ripe, and therefore full of flavor!!  I know that goes without saying, but I felt compelled to say it anyway!

Recipe

1 baby banana
1 white peach
about 1/2 a cup of each:  watermelon, papaya, mango
1/2 cup of fruit juice (orange, or apple, or whatever you have; I used freshly squeezed orange)
5-10 ice cubes

Cut fruit into chunks & place in a blender with the juice.  Turn on and blend till smooth...you may need to stop & stir the pot a few times, or add a splash of water, to get it mixing well...Add as many ice cubes as you like - it does dilute the flavor a bit, but the trade off is that it produces a thicker, more refreshing drink.  Which I'm all into around here!

Optional additions:  Greek plain yoghurt & honey, tsp of wheatgerm, a few leaves of arugula, carrot juice instead of fruit juice...we could go on and on here...

Enjoy!

:/dma

Bali Food - Tropical Fruits Part 1

 I simply can't get enough of the local fruits.  Even a banana tastes so much better than a banana....And it's not just me romanticizing things because of the beautiful surroundings, they really do taste better!

Tropical fruits in Bali are refreshingly satisfying, but more importantly, they are fresher than fresh.  I think it may have something to do with lack of refrigeration at the markets and perhaps in many homes.  Therefore everything is harvested just in time for selling, and bought just in time for using. Or so I've been reading. At any rate, they are the freshest tropical fruits I've had in a long time.

I find myself naturally gravitating toward these wonderfully nutritious treats.  Any time of day.  It feels like I'm on an unplanned spa detox, or something, because I've lost all interest in french style breads & pastries, cheeses, and even wine. (Yes these items are available here in my hotel, at the expat grocery stores, or at specialty stores/cafés).  I just have no taste for them.  Anyone who knows me well might find that hard to believe, but with so many fruit choices and fruit juices at hand, I tell you it's easy to do.

Here is a sampling of some local fruits, many of which I tried for the first time:

The Rambutan, or sometimes called the hairy red fruit.  It reminds me of a lychee but not quite so juicy.  The flavor is great however.  I love it & recommend trying it.  The "hairs" are not as prickly as they might seem.  And it's quite easy to open up.  I used a knife just to see, but you can easily peel it and pop it into your mouth.  Just be careful not to eat the pit. 

The Salak, or snakeskin fruit, is a rather exotic looking thing.  Who would ever guess you'd find a fruit inside that hard looking armoured exterior?  It's not a soft fruit.  In fact, it's crunchy and kind of hard.  The texture almost reminds me of a clove of garlic.  In fact, it looks like a clove of garlic on the inside, but luckily tastes nothing like it.  It has more of a nutty taste with a citrus acidity.  Each of the white bulbs contains a big brown pit which is not edible.  I find this fruit interesting.  I don't know what you could do with a salak other than to eat it as is....but I certainly appreciate it, even if it's not the first fruit I would grab from the fruit basket (that honor goes to passion fruit...)    

Orange Peel Passion Fruit - simply amazing.  So fresh;  so fragrant.  In Paris, I can buy passion fruit (with a dark red peel) at the légumerie and the vendor will pick out the wrinkle skinned ones because those are the ripest.  Here, that's not been the case.  The skins have been smooth & fresh looking.  If you're not familiar with passion fruit, simply cut them in half and scoop out what's inside.  The fruit is actually a gelatinous kind of liquid with seeds.  The liquid is divine and the crunchy seeds are edible.  All together, it is outrageously good.  The perfum of the fruit is delicate and hard for me to describe.  You must taste one for yourself.  In this variety, the liquid is a pale grey color and the seeds are a darker shade of that.  You can see the uncut, whole fruit in the top photo - it might look like an orange, but it is a passion fruit.  And by the way, they are super light weight.

Yellow Peel Passion Fruit - here the very smooth outside peel is a pale yellow color, the gelatinous liquid is yellow, and the seeds are dark.  This variety also tastes divine.  This particular one was very juicy, and slightly acidic....making it very good!  The little white nubbies inside are really soft and pliable which is a nice mechanism for protecting the delicate fruit inside. It's no wonder that passion fruit finds its way into many dessert and pastry delicacies...

More tropical fruits from Bali to follow later on...

:/dma

Bali Adventures

Yesterday it was 6°C (43°F) in Paris.  Today,  I'm in Bali with 30°C (86°F)  temperatures and 95% humidity.  (It took 25 hours door to door, by the way, in case you're wondering...)

I usually drone out the noise of traffic , sirens, and the occasional drunk before falling asleep in Paris.  Here the sounds are much different - high winds and monsoon rain storms at the moment, tropical birds, or intense waves crashing against the beach.  I am a world away.

Join me on this adventure over the next four weeks.  More than anything, I hope to share new food discoveries from Indonesia.  I have no doubt there will be plenty!  And I never would have imagined coming here like this...

/dma

Survey on French Pastry, Boulangerie & Food Experience in Paris

For all you French pastry, bread & food lovers, please take 5 minutes to fill out the survey that can be found on this link:

http://www.esurveyspro.com/Survey.aspx?id=947ab6b9-e142-4032-abe5-a09cdc487403

It will help my friend Guillemette with her final thesis for her master's degree in Patisserie-Boulangerie tourism in Paris.

Merci beaucoup!
;/dma

My New Scooter

Just to share some news.  I'm now mobile!  Oui!

I've had my little Peugeot Ludix two full weeks now.  It's been a challenge to say the least.  Here's what I've gotten used to in this short period of time:

• navigating the traffic of Paris, 
• safely driving through some of it's crazy round-abouts (but I still don't feel ready for the Arch de Triomphe yet...),  
• surviving some aggressive traffic (e.g., on strike day when Montparnasse was completely blocked off....let me tell you that the drivers were getting plenty irritated...honking all over the place, and whatnot...), 
• surviving the gas strike (luckily, I didn't run out...but that feeling of uncertainty is not much fun...), 
• driving on two wheels - hadn't done that in a very long time!
• driving with a load after shopping, etc.
• driving with a GPS
• driving during rush hour, but I much prefer driving around on a quiet Sunday morning!
• driving outside of Paris, even...
• driving in the rain
• getting my speedometer fixed (yes, this never happens, said the mechanic...except it did...)
• having perpetual "bad hair";  oh well, something's gotta give!

I'm over the hump.  Have been to several customer events with it & food on hand!  I love the flexibility it brings me.

And I promised Eric to stay out of the blind spot of big trucks & buses....

So, now, my new motto is:  "Have scooter; will deliver!"

/dma

The Scoop on Scoop

Unfortunately, Scoop, "le café branché" is gone.  It closed its doors sometime recently, over the summer break apparently.   I only found out the other day, as I walked down rue Saint Honoré like I have a million times before, and was shocked to find it was simply not there anymore!     

I don't know the story behind why they closed - it had a good following.  Some even thought they had the best burger in Paris.  Others liked their bagels.  And of course, they were known for their ice cream.  Looking at their website gives a clue - it appears they're planning something new....I say, "Bon chance! And please stay close to the neighborhood!"

I feel a need to make a batch of bagels in remembrance of the old place...

Here's a picture of the new place.  It's called Oh mon Cake!! (Oh my Cake!!, as if that needs translating!).  I haven't felt compelled to try it.  Maybe because I've been too busy making my own sweets lately or maybe because I'm not that in to rice crispy treats and pound cakes.  (I'm sure that if I were to actually go in, I would discover much more.)  If anyone tries it, I hope to hear from you!

:/dma

Encornets de pesto - Baby Squid with pesto

If you like Mediterranean food, including baby squid, you just might like this.  It's really delicious if you can find fresh ingredients, which is what I did here, thanks to a visit to Marché Raspail in the 6th district of Paris.  This becomes a great 1st course for summer - served at room temperature.

Ingredients for 4 servings
600g whole baby squid, cleaned up & cut into small rounds
1 lemon to garnish the plate

Pesto:
2 bunches of fresh basil
1 clove of garlic (2, if you love garlic)
80g (approximately) parmesan, high quality
80g (approximately), toasted pine nuts
splash of lemon
~100 ml of high quality olive oil

• In your food processor, add garlic until pulverized.  Add basil & mix.  Add parmesan & pine nuts.  Add olive oil.  Season.  Add lemon juice.  Adjust seasoning & ingredients as necessary.
• In a frying pan, heat a splash of olive oil.  Add the calamari rings, season & cook until tender (some water will be released).  Don't overcook or they become rubbery.  Remove from pan.
• Coat the calamari with some pesto.  Stir.  Add more pesto as required & season to taste.

Be sure to serve with a fresh baguette & a nice Sancerre.

Enjoy!

/dma