I understand there's a heat wave on the east coast right now. Let's just say, I've been there, people. We had 90 degree weather here a week ago, and I was schvitzing like a chazer and ready to pull out all my hair. I also had a pineapple giving me attitude.
So who did I turn to in my moment of despair? With clothes stuck to skin, sweat dripping down brow, and a beady-eyed fruit mocking the whole, pathetic scene, I turned to Facebook, that's who.
Now I don't mean to get all social networky on you, but when I whined digitally to my FB friends about the heat, my lack of creative inspiration, and that goddamn pineapple, look what poured in:
Dana said: Peel it and thinly (like paper thinly) slice it to make pineapple carpaccio - then drizzle with maple syrup spiked with a little chipotle sauce. Or, just sprinkle with a tiny, tiny bit of cardamom and drizzle with honey and fresh lime juice.
Sue said: Just slice it up into rounds, unpeeled, and set them on the grill. They get caramelized and warm. Delicious topped with a big scoop of homemade ice cream.
Heather said: ...nothing quiets the judgmental eyes of a pineapple [like] pouring cake batter on top of them. Or maybe a sassy salsa...
And Sandra said: Put it in a blender with ice, a little bit of milk and a touch of honey
and make a "batido". You need to drink it soon after it has been made.
It gets all frothy and is delicious. Of course, if you happen to have
some rum around (in one of those huge coincidences...), you can add a
splash of that...
I got all this feedback in about 5 seconds. Two minutes later I was shaving half the pineapple on a mandoline and sprinkling it with cardamom, and chunking up the remainder for my very first batido.
Perspiration vanished, creative juices flowed anew, and I was back in the groove. For those who still think Facebook is useless, I say, wuh? Next time I'll post requests for inspiration on the 5SR FB page instead of my personal page and then you can all play along.
And don't forget to send me pictures of your moms...
...
Recipe for Makeshift Pineapple Batido
My friend and culinary colleague Sandra Gutierrez grew up in Guatemala and knows her way around cool Latin American drinks, like this smoothie-type batido. Because she didn't give me any proportions, I completely made them up, and guess what? It chased the heat away in minutes.
Serves 1
1 cup fresh diced pineapple
4 cubes ice
1/2 cup 2% milk
2 teaspoons honey
splash rum
Combine all ingredients in a blender, or use a stick blender (as I did). Serve immediately, with a bendy straw.
