Farewell, mangoes :: by mama

Another mango season is coming to an end.  The local mangoes are gone from the markets, and we are left with a trickle of a few crazily expensive imported mangoes from Thailand and Pakistan.  As much as I appreciate eating locally and seasonally -- and as much as I love the fact that mangoes are a local food for us -- I do feel a little twinge when this season ends.  So, in tribute to the mango, here are some of our favorite ways to use them:

:: Mango curd ::

Deb from Smitten Kitchen posted this recipe as a filling for a layer cake.  However, I had seen photos of lemon curd being served on its own as a dessert, so I thought I'd do the same with the mango.  So good!  I don't think I could bring myself to waste it by diluting the intense mango flavor with something as ordinary as cake.

:: Mango tres leches cake ::

Having just said that I wouldn't mix mango and cake, let me say that in this situation, the cake is the real star, and the mango is an accessory.  Despite having made this cake twice now, I don't have any photos because I have served it both times in the evening and, both times, there were no leftovers.  This is a fantastic tres leches cake, moist and sweet and delicious, kicked up a notch with mango in the whipped cream topping.  Chris has already requested it for his birthday.  This is a true showstopper.

:: Upside-down mango syrup cake ::

Again, the cake is the star here.  It's an almond-lime cake, which was so good I couldn't believe I had never tried it before.  This is from Donna Hay magazine, which is sort of like an Australian version of Martha Stewart Living with a more food-centric focus.  I have a whole stack of these magazines, and I had noticed that a substantial number of their dessert recipes called for almond meal (ground almonds).  I even saw a woman talking about almond meal on an episode of Masterchef Australia.  It seemed weird, this Australian obsession with almonds.  But wow, I am now completely sold on almond in desserts.  This cake was fantastic, and the mango syrup made it that much better.  Bonus: any leftover mango syrup is great on pancakes as well.

:: Soba noodles with aubergine and mango ::

I'm pretty sure this recipe is world famous by now, and for good reason.  When I made this, Chris said that he felt like he was in a restaurant.  It's not a quick and easy recipe by any means, but hey, good things require a little bit of effort sometimes.  Effort and patience, too, as it took quite a while before the starts aligned to make soba noodles, mangoes, and a whole lot of basil (40g, or about 75-80 basil leaves) available at the same time.  It all worked out in the end, though, and it was totally worth both the effort and the wait.   

That patience will come in handy as we wait for the next mango season to come around again.  But first, winter (cauliflower and broccoli!) and spring (lychees, perhaps even better than mangoes).  There is much to look forward to.

Happy birthday, Kaya

[From Kaya's early birthday party in Omaha, in July]

Kaya is six years old!  He had a great birthday.  He requested a sleepover party -- to which he was allowed to invite two friends, and so he chose two girls -- and then today he had his classroom party and family birthday dinner.  (What did he request for his birthday dinner, you might be wondering?  He asked for broccoli soup and green beans.  Seriously.  I love this kid.)  We had cake and presents after dinner, and he was genuinely surprised to see the presents on the table.  (It hadn't occurred to him that he would be getting more presents!  Seriously.  I love this kid.)

And so now he is six.  I have been having trouble adjusting to this fact, more trouble than I have had with any previous birthdays.  Six is an important birthday.  It means that he is no longer a little kid.  In my public health work, the focus is usually on children under five.  Once a kid hits six, they are not a young child anymore; they are a school-aged child.  It's a category that doesn't receive the special attention and care that the younger ones receive, presumably because these kids are older and don't need so much help anymore.

And indeed, Kaya is growing more independent every day.  I feel like I can see the shift happening before my eyes.  He is a big kid in so many ways, but -- thankfully for this mama -- still young enough to be a little boy, too.  He is a fluent reader, but he still loves being read to at bedtime (or anytime).  He has recently decided that boys and girls kissing is "gross," but he never objects to kisses from his mama.  I have to ask for hugs more often these days, but I still get wonderful hand-drawn cards with hearts and love on them.  He is still a kid, but I can see his childhood moving steadily forward, and I feel that I need to hold on to these years.

[The inside of a recent card, showing Kaya and Mama] 

As much as I want to stop time, the thing that makes it all okay is how much fun it is to watch Kaya grow and develop into his own quirky little person.  He is quick and curious, bright and sensitive, affectionate and often hilarious.  He wears his heart on his sleeve.  He is fiercely loyal, and he tries hard to be a good friend.  He is a good, often generous big brother.  He is our precious boy, adored by all of us.  I love this kid.

[Ninja cake made -- as per Kaya's request -- by Dad]

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Mama: So which do you like better, being five or six?

Kaya: Mama, I haven't experienced being six yet.

Mama: Oh, okay. But which do you think you'll like better?

Kaya: I don't know, but Daddy said last year that I can watch Transformers when I'm six!

Uh oh...