Mango Mania
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Mangoes, with their exotic flavor, lush texture and perfumy fragrance, are evocatively tropical and irresistibly seductive. The brilliant golden-orange flesh is exceedingly juicy and exotically sweet-tart. No wonder the mango tree is considered sacred in india and thought to have magical and aphrodisical powers. One bite and you know that mangos are truly the gift of the gods.  Choose fruit with an unblemished skin—they should yield to gentle palm pressure. Store unripe fruit at room temperature; ripe mangoes should be refrigerated in a plastic bag.

When I have eaten mangoes, I have felt like Eve.  —Rose Macaulay, British novelist

BLUEBERRY-MANGO CRISP

Makes 6 Servings
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats, regular or quick-cooking
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 cups chopped peeled mangos (about 2 medium mangos)
2 cups fresh blueberries (about 1 pint) or drained, thawed frozen blueberries
freshly grated zest from 1/2 medium lemon
1/3 cup chopped almonds
sweetened whipped cream (optional)
    Preheat oven to 35O^oF. Grease an 8-inch-square baking dish. In a medium bowl, combine flour, oats, sugars, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Add butter; stir with a fork until mixture is crumbly. To make crust, firmly press 1/2 of mixture over bottom of prepared baking dish. Layer mangos evenly over crust; dot with blueberries and lemon zest. Stir almonds into remaining flour mixture. Sprinkle evenly over fruit. Bake 55 to 65 minutes or until deep, golden brown. Serve warm, topped with a dollop of whipped cream, if desired.
© Sharon Tyler Herbst

GINGERED MANGO SALSA   I love this salsa so much that I usually double the recipe. It can be used in myriad ways—on pork or chicken sandwiches, tossed with chunks of cold leftover meat and served over greens as a salad, mixed into a salad dressing and as a last-minute stir-fry mix-in, just to name a few. Paper-thin slices of pale pink seasoned ginger can be found in Asian markets as well as in the ethnic-food section of many supermarkets. If you can’t find it, substitute 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger. If fresh mango is out of season, look for frozen mango. Some markets also carry mango slices in jars.

Makes about 2 cups
1 medium mango, peeled, seeded and diced (about 1 heaping cup)
1 large ripe tomato, seeded and diced (about 1 heaping cup)
1 jalapeño chile, seeded and minced
2 tablespoons seasoned ginger, drained and finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped mint
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
salt to taste
   In a medium bowl, combine mango, tomato, jalapeño, ginger, mint and lime juice. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour for flavors to blend. Taste before serving and salt if necessary. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.
©The Food Lover's Guide to Meat & Potatoes by Sharon Tyler Herbst

MANGO-MACADAMIA RICE   Jasmine (also spelled jasmin) rice is an aromatic long-grain white rice from Thailand. It’s very close to the flavor and fragrance of more well-known basmati at a fraction of the cost. Baking this rice gives it a mellow, nutty flavor. This rice is wonderful in cold rice salads (particularly with shrimp), makes a fragrantly delicious rice pudding and adds excitement as an accompaniment to almost any pork and poultry dish.

Makes 4 To 6 Servings
1 piece peeled fresh ginger (1 x 3 inches)
2 3/4 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups jasmine rice, or long-grain white rice
2 large cloves garlic, minced
salt
1 large mango, peeled, seeded and chopped (room temperature)
1/2 cup finely chopped toasted macadamias or almonds.
2 tablespoons finely snipped chives
    Preheat oven to 400^oF. Cut the ginger in half lengthwise. Place on a cutting board, cut side down. Lay the flat side of a French knife on top of each ginger slice and give the knife a sharp, powerful rap with your fist or heel of your hand. This will slightly break down the ginger's tough fibers and exude its perfumy juices. Put smashed ginger and any juice in a medium saucepan; add chicken broth, lime juice, sugar and cayenne. Bring to a boil.
    Meanwhile, in a heavy, ovenproof skillet or saute pan with a lid, or in a shallow, flameproof casserole with lid, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add rice. Sauté, stirring often, just until rice begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic; cook for 1 more minute. Remove from heat. Pour boiling chicken broth (with ginger) into rice, stirring to combine. Immediately cover tightly. Bake until rice is tender and all liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Remove ginger chunks; salt to taste. Add mango, macadamias and chives; stir rice to fluff. Serve immediately.
© Sharon Tyler Herbst

MANGO-MACADAMIA BREAD   The mango you use for the chopped fruit should be fairly firm, whereas the one to be puréed can be softer.

Makes 1 loaf
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup finely chopped mango
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 eggs
1 cup puréed mango
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 cup toasted chopped macadamias
    Grease a 9" x 5" loaf pan; set aside. Preheat oven to 35O^oF. In a large bowl, toss flour and chopped mango together until fruit is coated. Add baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg; set aside. In a medium-size bowl, lightly beat eggs. Stir in mango puree, sugar, milk, oil, and lime juice. Add to flour mixture, stirring only until dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in 3/4 cup macadamias. Turn into prepared pan. Smooth top and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup nuts. Use the back of a spoon to press nuts lightly into surface of batter. Bake about 70 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. If bread begins to over brown after about 40 minutes, lightly tent top with foil. Let stand in pan 10 minutes. Turn out onto a rack to cool.
©Breads   by Sharon Tyler Herbst

EASY GINGER-MANGO ICE CREAM    This fast dessert is sophisticated and simply delicious.  Crystallized (or candied) ginger is available in Asian markets and most supermarkets. Don’t skimp on the ice cream—buy the best you can afford for this elegant ending.

Serves 4 to 6
1/4 cup minced crystallized ginger
1 cup chopped mango
1 quart premium vanilla ice cream, slightly softened
    Use a rubber spatula to gently fold ginger and mango into softened ice cream (don't let ice cream become so soft it liquifies around the edges).   Immediately return ice cream to freezer; freeze at least 1 hour before serving.   Serve drizzled with pureed mango (thinned slightly with orange liqueur) or warm chocolate sauce. 
© Sharon Tyler Herbst