Thursday, September 29, 2011

WTF: Rambutans! Intergalatic Hairy Chinese Suckers

 
I feel so stupid! For years I thought 'Rambutans' were those pointy eared dudes that invaded the Starship Enterprise. I certainly didn't think they were a fruit... and a freaky looking fruit at that! Come to think of it, Rambutans look like something that should be on the Starship Enterprise. I found them in Aliquippa's Giant Eagle, of all places. Interestingly, Aliquippa's Giant Eagle hasn't been updated since Star Trek... when Kirk was captain. So, I set my ray to "stun," bagged up the freakish spiny, red, ball thingies, and beamed myself into the checkout line.


Indonesian for "hairy," these little guys harbor a sweet, juicy, white (pitted) fruit grown from a tropical evergreen tree. Rambutans are native to Southeast Asia and widely cultived in Africa, The Carribean Islands, Australia and elsewhere in the tropics. Costa Ricans call them, mamón chinos; Chinese suckers. Honestly, I'm suprised that grocery stores are allowed to sell them... with the pits being toxic, and all...

<SPIT TAKE>

Information that would have been useful BEFORE consuming three of them, pit and all! This freaky fruit is sounding more and more like a Trek character, now isn't it? Live long and toxic.

Rambutan pits have toxic levels of tannins, a biomolecule astringent which is known to inhibit the absorption of minerals. When consumed in large quantities, tannins are known to cause bowel irritation, liver damage, irritation of the stomach and gastrointestinal pain, making one want to vomit. Sounds like a brutal night of binge drinking!

Speaking of which,  tannins are also found in, you guessed it, BEER! Condensed tannins are found in the golden hops used in your favorite brew. (Now you know what to blame for your stomach feeling gross, early the next morning) Which reminds me, tannins are also found in coffee! (There's a reason why a bran muffin and a strong cup of Starbucks will have you running for the facilities) But wait, there's more!

Rambutans also have saponin, a fish-killing toxin, which makes some folks weary of eating them. Saponins have a frothy, foaming agent that, long-story-short, drowns fish. So if you have gills: stay far, far away from saponins. Other than that, I think it's safe to ingest it in small doses. Conversely, health gurus are praising saponins for their cholesterol lowering abilities. High cholesterol? Enjoy a handful of rambutans with some red wine- another saponin rich product. Come to think of it, saponins and tannins are found in just about everything grown; nuts, smoked food, legumes, berries, soy, oats, herbs and spices. So, what's so scary about the toxins in rambutan pits?

Nothing, really. I don't know why there is a warning label slapped on them? I'm not saying to eat them like peanuts at a ball game, but, I don't see the harm. Besides, I ate them and suffered no ill effects. The pits are kind of bitter and not exactly palatable... so I only ate one pit.

Thumbs up or Thumbs Down?

I like them! Once the outer shell is removed, which is a very simple thing, they are like a peeled grape, only less tart. Rambutans are very sweet and truly delicious. They would make a very cool, very unique, Halloween party hors' devours. When halved, they resemble alien-like eyeballs.

If the eyeball thing doesn't make you queasy, the price tag will: 6.99/lb. Then again, according to the rambutan toxic police, you should only ingest a few at a time, which is easy on the wallet. Besides, it takes a lot of these things to produce a whole pound! I purchased three and it wasn't even $1.

I urge you to join me in my mission to seek out new food and boldly go where no westerner has gone before, in the produce section. Give these hairy suckers a try... unless, of course, you are a fish.       

Friday, September 2, 2011

Got ZUCCHINI? Make Fritters!

Anyone else have a garden with zucchini coming out of their ears?

I do! So does my sister in Washington... and we are sick of eating zucchini bread, zucchini summer salads and zucchini cobbler (which is still pretty awesome).

Big sis sent me this wonderful recipe for Zucchini Fritters and sweet, tomato relish! The combination was absolutely delicious. (The quince was my idea. It's my WTF for August) The fritters were an excellent, fried, greek way to enjoy your zucchini with fresh, tangy tomato relish! A MUST EAT!

For the relish:
4-5 tomatoes, peeled and seeded
1 finely diced bell pepper- I like yellow but use what you have, unless I am over for dinner, please use yellow
1 finely diced small onion
1 T. olive oil
2T red wine vinegar or Seasoned rice wine vinegar
1tsp Agave nectar or honey (optional)
1t. finely chopped fresh mint--- or more if you just love mint
1t. paprika
1 clove garlic
s and p

Combine and mix all the tomato-goodness and set aside at room temperature for a couple of hours then...


For the Fritters:
6 small zucchins (or 3 medium or 1 ginormous one), grated
Salt
8 oz. Feta cheese, crumbled
2 T. chopped fresh dill
2 T. chopped fresh parsley
3-4 chopped green onions
2 Quince, peeled and shredded (optional)
1 clove minced garlic
3 beaten eggs
3/4 c. flour
Freshly ground black pepper
Canola oil for frying
Tomato Relish (recipe follows)

Put the grated zucchini in a colander and sprinkle with salt and let drain for 30 minutes. Squeeze it dry and place in a bowl.  Add all the other ingredients. If the batter seems too-too runny, add a bit more flour. Mix it all up and add a pinch of salt if it needs it.

Heat the oil in a heavy skillet, fairly high. C'mon, you know how to do it for old fashioned pan frying. Drop batter by heaping tablespoons in the oil and fry about 2-3 minutes, flip 'em and fry about 2-3 minutes more. Drain on paper towels and serve with  tomato relish.

Enjoy!