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© St. Petersburg Times, published May 29, 2002
Joseph Welch shares a page from Historic Spanish Point Cooking Then and Now, published by the Gulf Coast Heritage Association in Osprey.
The cookbook won the Tabasco Cookbook Award in 1994.
An article about mangoes tells us that mangoes are sometimes called the "peach" of the tropics and South Florida and were introduced from Asia in 1860. Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings described their yellowish flesh as "cream on a nightingale's tongue."
Mangoes are ripe when they yield to the touch and are fragrant. Store ripe mangoes in the refrigerator until you are ready to use them. Mango slices and mango puree freeze well. Magoes are good sources of vitamin A, vitamin C and potassium. That cookbook provides a recipe for mango sauce that would be delicious on ice cream or crepes.
Elizabeth Schaffner sends her mango chutney recipe for Barbara Schotten. She found the recipe in the 1989 Annual Recipes of Southern Living and has made it many times. Elizabeth always tries to have a few jars on hand to eat or give as a gift.
Judy Wilkins has been making mango and apple chutney from her recipe since she clipped it from the Ladies Home Journal several years ago. The chutney is served with roast pork at the Tavern on the Green restaurant in Manhattan.
Millionaire's Pie is a rich, creamy dessert and can be made in either a refrigerator or baked version. Fortunately, readers have supplied both recipes.
For: Barbara Schotten of Dunedin.
From: Joseph Welch of St. Petersburg.
Recipe: Mango sauce, from Historic Spanish Point Dooking Then and Now.
3/4 cup fresh orange juice
4 tablespoons dark rum
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
2 tablespoons arrowroot
1 cup ripe mango, peeled and diced
In saucepan, heat orange juice, rum and ginger. Mix arrowroot with small amount of water to form smooth paste; stir it into hot mixture. Stir until smooth and thickened. Add the mango and cook 2 minutes longer. Yield: 1 cup. Use on ice cream or crepes.
From: Elizabeth Schaffner of Ridge Manor.
Recipe: Mango chutney from 1989 Annual Recipes of Southern Living.
4 cups peeled, chopped mangoes (4 large mangoes)
3 medium onions, chopped
3 green peppers, chopped
1 1/2 cups raisins
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 cups cider vinegar (5 percent acidity)
2 cups sugar
1 16-ounce package brown sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon mustard seed
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon red pepper
Combine all ingredients in a large glass bowl. Stir well. Cover and let stand 8 hours. Pour into large pot or Dutch oven; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture is consistency of jam (about 11/2 hours).
Spoon hot mixture into hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles; wipe jar rims. Cover at once with metal lids or screw-on bands. Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Yield: 5 pints.
From: Judy Wilkins of Port Richey.
Recipe: Mango and apple chutney, Tavern on the Green in New York, recipe from Ladies Home Journal.
3/4 cup diced onion
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 lemon, seeded and sliced thin
1/4 cup golden raisins
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon each of ground cloves, ground allspice and ground red pepper
2 ripe mangoes, peeled and diced
2 tart green apples, peeled, cored and diced
In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients except mangoes and apples. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.
Stir in mangoes and apples. Increase heat and cook 15 more minutes, stirring frequently, until fruit is tender and chutney is thickened. Spoon into 3 clean 8-ounce jars. Cover and refrigerate. Makes 2 3/4 cups.
Note: Try serving thinly sliced roast beef and chutney rolled into a flour tortilla for lunch.
From: Nancy Eggert of Dunedin.
Recipe: Mango salsa from The Moosewood Cookbook.
2 tablespoons finely minced red onion
2 cups boiling water
1 average-size (about 6 inches long) ripe mango, peeled and minced (about 11/2 cups)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (must be fresh)
1 medium clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
Cayenne to taste (optional)
Place the minced onion in a small strainer over a bowl. Slowly pour the boiling water over the onion, then let it sit for 5 minutes. This will soften its bite and turn the onion a striking shade of purple-pink. Combine all ingredients and mix gently. Cover tightly and refrigerate. Yield: 1 1/2 cups.
For: Jennie Miller of Crystal River.
From: Phyllis Bowles of Dunedin.
Recipe: Refrigerator Millionaire's Pie.
2 9-inch graham cracker crusts
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 12-ounce carton frozen whipped topping, thawed
3/4 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup flaked coconut
1 20-ounce can crushed pineapple, drained
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Cherries or other fruit (optional)
In medium bowl, mix milk, whipped topping, pecans, coconut and pineapple. When well mixed, add lemon juice. Pour into pie crusts and garnish with cherries or favorite fruit if desired. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Makes 2 pies.
From: Rosemary Tindall of Seminole and Patricia Lynch of St. Petersburg.
Recipe: Baked Millionaire's Pie.
1 partially baked 10-inch pie shell
1 cup coconut flakes
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 tablespoons margarine, melted
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 eggs, beaten
Toss together the coconut flakes, chocolate chips and chopped pecans. Place in pie shell. Mix sugars, salt and melted margarine. Beat in corn syrup and vanilla. Gently fold eggs into sugar mixture. Pour evenly over ingredients in pie shell. Bake at 325 degrees for 55 to 65 minutes, or until deep golden brown on top and nearly set in center. Cool at room temperature.
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