Fried Squid, Papaya, And Frisee Salad With Spicy-Sour Dressing
Spicy-Sour Dressing
Tropical Fruit Compote With Mango Sorbet
Sticky Rice With Mango
Mango Lassi
Pineapple Celery Punch
Papaya Batida Tropical Smoothie
Tequila And Lime Baked Pineapple
Roasted Pineapple Tartlets


Fried Squid, Papaya, And Frisee Salad With Spicy-Sour Dressing

Squid and Batter
1 1/2 pounds frozen cleaned small squid (bodies and tentacles), thawed,
drained, or 1 pound fresh

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, divided
1 1/2 cups rice flour,* divided
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
1 teaspoon peanut oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/4 cups (or more) water

Vegetable oil (for deep-frying)

Salad
4 cups (about 2 heads) frisee lettuce
2 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled seeded fresh papaya
1/2 cup whole roasted salted cashews
6 fresh water chestnuts, peeled, thinly sliced into rounds
1/3 cup thin strips peeled fresh ginger
Spicy-Sour Dressing

Toasted sesame seeds

For squid and batter:
Cut squid bodies into 1/2-inch-thick rounds. Place all squid in large
sieve set over bowl. Refrigerate at least 1 hour to drain well.

Place 1 cup flour, 1 cup rice flour, soy sauce, vinegar, peanut oil,
and sugar in large bowl. Gradually add 1 1/4 cups water, whisking until
batter is smooth. If necessary, whisk in more water by teaspoonfuls
until batter reaches heavy cream consistency. Let batter stand at least
1 hour and up to 3 hours at room temperature, whisking occasionally.

Mix remaining 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup rice flour in large bowl. Add
squid. Toss until squid is coated, separating pieces. Turn mixture into
another sieve and shake off excess flour. Sprinkle squid generously
with salt, tossing in sieve. Mix coated squid into batter.

Pour oil into heavy large saucepan to depth of 1 1/2 inches. Attach
clip-on deep-fry thermometer and heat oil over medium-high heat to
350 F to 360 F. Working in batches and stirring often with tongs to
separate pieces, drop squid into oil. Fry until crisp and brown, about
4 minutes per batch. Using slotted spoon, transfer squid to paper
towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

For salad:
Combine frisee, papaya, cashews, water chestnuts, and ginger in large
bowl. Add enough dressing to coat lightly. Divide salad among plates,
mounding in center.
Pile squid atop salad on each plate. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve,
passing remaining dressing separately.

*Available at some supermarkets, specialty foods stores, and natural
foods stores.

Market tip: Fresh water chestnuts are sold at Asian markets. If
unavailable, use a large melon baller to cut out spheres of jicama,
then slice into rounds.

Makes 6 small plates.

Spicy-Sour Dressing

1 tablespoon grapeseed oil or vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 cup 1/8-inch cubes peeled carrot
1/4 cup 1/8-inch cubes red bell pepper
7 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
5 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1 tablespoon chili oil*

Heat grapeseed oil in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add
garlic and saute until golden, about 2 minutes. Add carrot and bell
pepper; saute 2 minutes. Add vinegar, lime juice, and sugar. Bring to
boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and cool.
Transfer dressing to blender; add chili oil. Blend until smooth. Season
to taste with salt. Transfer to bowl. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover
and chill.)

*Available in the Asian foods section of some supermarkets and at Asian
markets.

Makes about 1 cup.





Tropical Fruit Compote With Mango Sorbet

This eye-catching fruit melange also includes kiwi, which isn't
tropical but is very colorful and refreshing. Using store-bought sorbet
makes this even easier to prepare.

3/4 cup water
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup sugar

1/2 pineapple, peeled, cored, cut into 3/4-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
3 kiwis, peeled, halved crosswise, each half quartered
1 mango, peeled, pitted, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon grated lime peel

1 1/2 pints mango sorbet

Combine 3/4 cup water, wine and sugar in small saucepan. Bring to boil,
stirring until sugar dissolves. Chill syrup until cold.
Combine pineapple, kiwis, mango, lime juice, lime peel and chilled
syrup in large bowl. Mix well. Cover fruit mixture and refrigerate for
at least 1 hour or overnight.
Scoop 1/2 cup mango sorbet into each of 6 compote dishes or
wineglasses. Spoon fruit mixture around sorbet.

Serves 6.




Sticky Rice With Mango

1 1/2 cups glutinous (sweet) rice
1 1/3 cups well-stirred canned unsweetened coconut milk
1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted lightly
1 large mango, peeled, pitted, and cut into thin slices (at least 24)

In a bowl wash rice well in several changes of cold water until water
is clear. Soak rice in cold water to cover overnight.
Drain rice well in a sieve. Set sieve over a large deep saucepan of
simmering water (sieve should not touch water) and steam rice, covered
with a kitchen towel and a lid, 30 to 40 minutes, or until tender
(check water level in pan occasionally, adding more water if
necessary).
While rice is cooking, in a small saucepan bring 1 cup coconut milk to
a boil with 1/3 cup sugar and salt, stirring until sugar is dissolved,
and remove from heat. Keep mixture warm.

Transfer cooked rice to a bowl and stir in coconut-milk mixture. Let
rice stand, covered, 30 minutes, or until coconut-milk mixture is
absorbed. Rice may be prepared up to this point 2 hours ahead and kept
covered at room temperature.
While rice is standing, in cleaned small pan slowly boil remaining 1/3
cup coconut milk with remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, stirring
occasionally, 1 minute. Transfer sauce to a small bowl and chill until
cool and thickened slightly.
To serve, mold 1/4 cup servings of sticky rice on dessert plates.
Drizzle desserts with sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Divide
mango slices among plates.

Serves 6.




Mango Lassi

In Indian restaurants, lassi is served with the meal, but we frequently
find this exotic "smoothie" too filling to accompany a main course and
prefer it in place of dessert. Look for the smaller, yellow-skinned
mangoes, which have a more pronounced flavor than the larger, red and
green ones.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 15 min

2 1/2 cups chopped peeled mango (from about 2 1/2 lb very ripe
mangoes)
1/4 cup sugar
1 qt well-shaken buttermilk

Garnish: lime wedges

Puree mango with sugar in a blender until smooth. Add buttermilk and
blend well. Force through a very fine sieve into a large glass measure.
Serve lassi over ice in tall glasses.

Cooks' note:
.. Lassi can be made 6 hours ahead and chilled, covered.

Makes 4 servings.




Pineapple Celery Punch

2 cups cubed (1 inch) fresh pineapple (from 1 pineapple, peeled and
cored)
2 cups chopped celery (about 4 ribs)
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup firmly packed fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons sugar

Puree ingredients in a blender until smooth.

Pour mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing hard on solids, then
discarding them. Serve over ice.

Serves 4.




Papaya Batida Tropical Smoothie

1/2 small ripe papaya, peeled and cut into chunks (1 cup)
1 cup ice cubes
2/3 cup guava nectar
1 tablespoon sugar
1/3 cup milk
Salt

Blend papaya, ice, guava nectar, sugar, and a pinch of salt in a
blender until smooth. Add milk and blend well. Serve immediately.

Makes 1 drink.




Tequila And Lime Baked Pineapple

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr

3 tablespoons tequila (preferably reposado or añejo)
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons sugar
1 (3-lb) pineapple (labeled "extra sweet")

Stir together tequila, lime juice, and sugar until sugar is dissolved.
Peel pineapple with a large sharp knife, keeping crown of leaves
attached. Trim bottom.

Remove eyes from pineapple in spiral channels with a sharp paring
knife: Cut along each side of diagonal row of eyes that spirals down
pineapple, forming a V-shaped channel. Cut out channel and eyes and
repeat procedure with remaining rows of eyes.
Preheat oven to 425 F.
Lay pineapple on its side, then, beginning at base and moving upward,
carefully cut pineapple lengthwise in half through leaves, keeping
leaves attached. Cut out core from each half and pull out some of long
innermost leaves so no leaves are longer than about 7 inches.
Arrange pineapple halves, flat sides down, in a glass or ceramic 13- by
9-inch baking dish, then pierce all over and all the way through with a
skewer.
Stir tequila mixture and spoon over pineapple. Lay a sheet of wax paper
over pineapple and bake in middle of oven, basting with juices every 10
minutes, until pineapple is tender and slightly caramelized, about 50
minutes. Halve pineapple halves lengthwise and serve with any juices
remaining in baking dish.

Cooks' note:
.. Pineapple can be baked 3 hours ahead. Reheat, covered with wax
paper, in a 350 F oven until heated through, 15 to 20 minutes.

Each serving about 138 calories and less than 1 gram fat.
Makes 4 servings.



Roasted Pineapple Tartlets

Lee Schmidt of Wichita, Kansas, writes: "My wife and I just returned
from our honeymoon in Mexico. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the
elegant Mahakua Hacienda de San Antonio in Colima. Our last night
there, we dined on the rooftop terrace and shared an amazing pineapple
tartlet."

Dice any leftover pineapple and use it, with its caramel syrup, as an
ice cream topping.

1 17.3-ounce package frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed

1 2/3 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups (or more) water
2 vanilla beans, split lengthwise
1/4 cup dark rum
1 large banana
2 tablespoons chopped peeled fresh ginger
2 dried chiles de árbol*

1 large (4 1/2-pound) pineapple, trimmed, peeled, left whole

1 large egg yolk blended with 1 tablespoon milk (for glaze)

Vanilla ice cream

Roll out pastry on floured surface to 11-inch squares. Using small
plate as guide, cut four 5- to 5 1/2-inch rounds from each square.
Transfer rounds to 2 heavy baking sheets. Cover; chill. (Can be made 1
day ahead. Keep chilled.)

Mix sugar and 1/2 cup water in heavy medium saucepan. Scrape in seeds
from vanilla beans. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves,
occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush. Increase
heat; boil until syrup is deep amber color, swirling pan occasionally,
about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Add 1 cup water (syrup will bubble
vigorously), then rum. Stir over very low heat until caramel bits
dissolve. Simmer 2 minutes. Cool syrup 15 minutes. Pour into blender.
Add banana, ginger, and chiles de árbol; puree until sauce is smooth.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Place pineapple in 13x9x2-inch glass baking
dish. Pour sauce over; turn pineapple to coat. Roast until tender,
basting often with sauce and adding more water by tablespoonfuls if
sauce becomes thick, about 1 hour 15 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead.
Chill until cold, then cover and keep chilled.)

Preheat oven to 375 F. Transfer pineapple to work surface, scraping
any sauce back into dish. Cut pineapple crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick
rounds. Cut out core from each round. Place 1 pineapple round in center
of each pastry round. Brush pineapple with sauce. Brush pastry edges
with egg glaze.

Bake tartlets until pastry is brown, about 25 minutes. Rewarm sauce.
Top each tartlet with scoop of vanilla ice cream; drizzle with warm
sauce and serve.

*Available at Latin American markets and some specialty foods stores.

Makes 8.


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