Mango Salad

Mango has got to be one of favourite fruits. I can have mangoes any time, any day. I'll even eat them when I don't have an appetite!

Growing up, we had mango trees in our backyard. I can’t tell you when exactly I learned how to peel one but I definitely remember helping myself to delicious mangoes after school as a young teenager. When I first moved to Canada, I probably didn't buy mangoes for a long time as I couldn't bring myself to spend more than a dollar on each! Anyhow as with everything, the shock dissipates after some time. It's not easy to get good mangoes in Canada. Forget about sweet ripe ones...These are like winning the lottery. If you're lucky that day, you might get a good one : ) If you buy the mangoes while they're semi-ripe and wait for it to ripen on your counter, it doesn't always taste great. So my favourite way to eat mangoes here is in salads, Thai style. That way, you can enjoy them semi-ripe and it doesn't really matter whether it's a little on the green or ripe side...

I use very few ingredients when I make mango salad but every time I make it, I also add other "salad" ingredients I have on hand.

The basic ingredients are:

• mangoes (semi-ripe)
• lemon/lime juice
• herb of choice (mint, coriander, green onion)

I can eat the salad with just the above ingredients. I'll add a splash of olive oil and dash of salt if I'm serving it to others : ) Other ingredients that I also like in mango salad are:

• avocados
  
• red peppers
• red onion
• green chillies (to taste)
• mix salad leaves
• bean sprouts
• crushed nuts

As simple as this. Delicious mangoes.

Pita Bread

I once watched Chef Michael Smith's trip to Istanbul on TV. It was everything you'd expect from a food adventure; visits to local markets, bakeries and pastry shops. Everything looked wonderful and made with so much passion. What a privilege it would be to experience all that.

A few weeks later, by coincidence, a friend mentioned a shop in Toronto that sells all kinds of middle eastern breads. What an interesting shopping experience that was. I had never seen pita bread as thin as crepes and some longer than an arm's length! If you want to see what I mean, check out Arz Bakery in Toronto. If you live in Montreal, try Marché Adonis.

Well, true to my style, I just had to look for a home baker's recipe for pita bread to see if I could get some of that fresh taste from my kitchen : ) And I found it in a book called "Pain" which you can buy from a Premiere Moisson bakery in Montreal.

Here are the ingredients:

• 2 tsp yeast
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups white flour
• 2 cups whole wheat flour

My take on making bread is don't think and don't fuss about it too much. Mix, shape, bake and see how it turns out. I really liked what Tarek says to Walter in the movie The Visitor when he's teaching him to play the African drum. "Don't think" he says. Just play. Is it ridiculous to take that approach with bread making? Perhaps. Some people think of it of an exact science right? Do whatever works for you. After all, why do something if you're not going to enjoy it.

So here's a general guideline to the recipe.

Mix everything and let rise until doubled in size. Then, divide into 8 balls. Use a dusting of extra flour to prevent the dough from sticking. Leave to rest for 30 min. My favourite technique to shape dough into balls is to pull the sides, gathering the ends at the bottom. Pinch the bottom and you'll have perfect round shapes each time. Even my husband can do this and he's ready to lend a hand too!

After you've given the dough time to relax, flatten each ball to a flat bread shape. Thin crust or thick crust? It's up to you. Leave the dough to rest for another 30 min and bake in the oven at 450F for about 10 min. You'll be amazed at the lovely tasty pockets that come out of your oven!

Tada! a keeper.

Try it with some humus or baba ganoush or fill with your favourite sandwich toppings like shredded cheese and lettuce. Excellent.