This dish is really worth the effort as it makes a very elegant and highly tropical presentation. To test if a coconut is fresh, pound a nail into one of the “eyes,” drain the coconut water and taste. If it tastes sweet it is fresh. Go ahead, mix a drink with some of the coconut water and rum or Scotch. You’ll be surprised by how good it tastes. Open the coconut by baking at 375 degrees F. for 15 minutes and let cool. Then, using a hacksaw, cut it in half. From the article Mango Madness!
Seafood Stuffed Chiles Rellenos
Although this chiles rellenos recipe calls for a mixture of seafood, a single ingredient such as shrimp works just as well.
Kokoda (Fijian Spicy Fish)
This spicy fish dish is a Fijian favorite and utilizes common ingredients of the islands. It is the Fiji version of ceviche. Serve it with a fresh fruit salad.
Tantalizing Catfish (Amok)
Cambodian cooking is very similar to Thai cooking, which shares the influence of Vietnam, China and Indonesia.
Vietnamese Chicken Curry
This recipe and others can be found in Dave DeWitt’s book, “A World of Curries.” Do your stomach a favor and pick up a copy of it here.
Crab Callaloo Recipe
This crab callaloo variation features crabmeat, a common and tasty addition, and it is often served after the road marches.
Making Curry Powders and Pastes
Many purists abhor commercial curry powders. “They are anathema to Indian cooking,” wrote Dharamjit Singh, author of Indian Cookery, “prepared for imaginary palates, having neither the delicacy nor the perfume of flowers and sweet-smelling herbs, nor the savour and taste of genuine aromatics.”
