The Dragon Fruit That Wasn't

Last time we "spoke", I suggested a mysterious post was forthcoming. Sorry kids, it just isn't going to happen:( I stumbled upon a few road blocks that I just couldn't over come in time. The most important being there is NO Dragon Fruit in central PA. I drove everywhere! Oh I know, you have no idea what I'm talking about. How could you? I'll spell it out, briefly.

photo source

As many of you may already know, Chinese New Year has been in full swing all week. If I have my notes in order, it lasts for about 14 days. (please correct me if I'm wrong) In honor of the occasion, I decided to explore the virtues of Dragon Fruit. Oh, I know the name doesn't sound too appetizing but, according to what I could find out, it taste somewhat like a kiwi of sorts. Enchanted by the night blooming flower which bears the fruit, I went on a quest to see if I could find just one Dragon Fruit in my neck of the woods. No can do. I don't know whether it has anything to do with its exorbitant price ($11-$25.00) or the fact that oddities in food are simply not on the menu in my neck of the woods.

photo source

Confucius Says...
To know what we know, and know what we do not know, is wisdom.

I'm no stranger to huge, fragrant flowers that bloom at night.

taken oven the fence during the full moon September 2011

The notion of trying a new fruit (new to me anyway) in honor of those who visit my blog was rather enticing. There's another reason. You see, in my travels I discovered that under the rules of the Chinese Zodiac, I was born in the Year of the Water Dragon! How cool is that???

The Chinese Lunar Calendar is 2,640 years older than ours and never begins on January 1st, nor does it begin on the same date each year. It can begin any time between January 21st and February 18th, depending on the date of the New Moon in Aquarius. Each year is named for an animal. Every 12 years this cycle begins again. The Chinese say that the animal ruling the year you were born will influence your life. In 2012, Chinese New Year begins January 23rd and will be the year of the Dragon - or more specifically, the year of the Water Dragon. Every animal of the zodiac has 5 elements associated with it. Because of this, there are five dragons, one for each element. Thus, every twelve years there is a different Dragon. (source)

I'll try to explain. According to Chinese folklore, each new year is named for one of twelve animals. "They are, Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig.  One legend is that this order was determined through a race in which the rat cheated by standing on the ox's head and jumping off ahead of him as they reached the finish line." Every 12 years the Chinese Zodiac animal cycle begins again. You too can find out what year you were born under in the Chinese Zodiac. Aren't you just a bit curious. Try it. It's real easy but be sure and come back:)

The Dragon Fruit, which also goes by assorted names such as Strawberry Pear, is borne from the fragrant bloom of a cacti plant. In Spanish it is called Pitaya. It is touted as an antioxidant which is truly hidden in this "spectacular" Dragon Fruit Salad. Besides containing high levels of antioxidants, Dragon Fruit, like rose hips, is high in Vitamin C. It is also high in fiber, protein, calcium, iron and phosphorus. Whew! Can you understand why I thought the Dragon Fruit was the perfect fruit to celebrate this Chinese New Year? In Chinese culture, Red Dragon Fruit symbolizes prosperity. It is seen as a lucky charm and is believed to be able to ward off evil spirits too. Today, Dragon Fruit is the leading fruit export of Vietnam. The juice of the Dragon Fruit has even caught the attention of companies such as both Snapple, Tropicana and a few organic companies right here in the USA!

The culinary uses for Dragon Fruit are only limited by the imagination. The inner part of the fruit is filled with a very juicy sweet tasting pulp. It's said to be very refreshing, especially when it has been kept in the fridge. Inside the pulp there are small black seeds. The pulp is GREAT in sorbets. Some say the flower buds, which are enormous, are enjoyed as vegetables. How do you eat a Dragon Fruit? It seems, it's really rather easy and chances are, if you're a fruit lover, you're bound to like it. However, remember, the price can be a bit steep. Despite it's price tag, Dragon Fruit sounds Easy to Grow at Home; Anywhere! (remember my pineapple?:) When you buy a fruit, all you need is the smallest piece attached to the fruit and it can be propagated from vine cuttings into a complete fruit bearing plant! That's how they do it at Disney's Epcot Center!

Are you convinced that you too should seek out the nearest Dragon Fruit? No? How about this? Dragon Fruit is said to be the exotic fruit with anti ageing properties! Just in case you're still wondering "What So Good About Dragon Fruit, I suggest you visit any one of these recipe links I have provided for you to begin your exploration. If I may, begin with the plethora of recipes I found at Tastespotting and go on from there:)

I must apologize for leaving you with all these links. I got so discombobulated while searching for the invincible Dragon Fruit that once again, I plum ran out the time to put this all together for you. I desperately wanted to share a recipe or two but alas, all I can say and do for now is wish everyone Gung Hay Fat Choy! and start my list of February Celebrations:) Cheers!See you Wednesday!

Bearded Dragon
source wiki

The Legend of the Dragon Fruit: According to legend, The fruit was created thousands of years ago by fire breathing dragons. During a battle when the dragon would breathe fire the last thing to come out would be the fruit. After the dragon is slain the fruit is collected and presented to the Emperor as a coveted treasure and indication of victory. The soldiers would then butcher the dragon and eat the flesh. It was believed that those who feasted on the flesh would be endowed with the strength and ferocity of the dragon and that they too would be coveted by the Emperor.

It is written that the dragon’s flame originates deep within its body near the base of its tail. The meat from this part of the dragon was the most desirable and most sought after portion. Only the officers of each division would be privy to this cut of meat. The ancient Chinese called this cut the “jaina,” which translates literally to “the sweetest and best tasting."The jaina was treasured by all who were privileged enough to taste it, and it is believed that man’s thirst for the jaina is what led to the destruction and eventual extinction of all of the dragons.(source)

P.S. For those of you who have never "met" Lottie Moon, may I suggest you visit my wikipedia worthy post I did about her a few years ago. (Imagine my surprise when I discovered my link for Lottie Moon; (aka The Cookie Lady) at wiki. Thank you whom ever you are:) From The Lottie Moon Cook Book:

Born in Virginia on December 12, 1840, Lottie (short for Charlotte) Digges Moon was raised in a family "of culture and means" rooted in a deep foundation of Christian Faith and missionary devotion. She would grow to become one of the world’s most well known missionaries, mostly in rural China, and became a tireless advocate for support of foreign missions. Though she stood just 4’3” tall, she laid a foundation for solid support for missions among Southern Baptists.

Resources
1. Chinese New Year Crime Fiction: Gung Hay Fat Choy
Recipes
1. Dragon Fruit Jam & Lemon Marmalade Jam (Kristy's My Little Space)
2. Red Pitaya & Strawberry Popsicle (another from Kristy)
3. Exotic Fruit Chutney (Chef Hari Nayak)
4. Dragon Shrimp Salad (another from Chef Hari Nayak)
5. Dragon Fruit Salad with Strawberries (Pitaya) (Kitchen Grrrls)
6. Strawberry & Dragon Fruit Tartlets (Smoky Wok)
7. Salad of Dragon Fruit, Pomegranate & Macadamia w/ Creamy Mint & Lime Dressing and Dragon Fruit Creme Dessert
8. Coconut Lemongrass-Braised Chicken with Pink Fettuccine
9. Dragon Fruit Caipirinha
10. Dragon Fruit Jelly (Delicious Asian Food)
11. Seared Scallops with Dragon Fruit Salsa (Food Network)
12. How To Make Your Own Dragon Fruit Beer

Dense Chocolate & Creamy Peanut Butter; What A Way to Celebrate Peanut Butter Day!

This is going to be a "drive by" post because I'm in the midst of preparing a rather unusual post (for me anyway:) and I'm still working on it. I'll give you a little hint by telling you it has something to do with wishing my Chinese visitors a Happy New Year!!!

In the meantime, rather than have this delicious cake go stale, I thought I would drop off just one sliver. Since my photography skills have not improved in the new year, I'm also including "their" pro image:) I adapted this recipe for Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting from The Land of Lakes Recipe Collection booklet published in 2005.

Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

Cake: 1-2/3 cups sugar (I used 1 cup regular sugar; 2/3 cup vanilla sugar:) 3/4 cup butter, softened 3 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 cups flour 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa (I erred and used Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa; it's all we had:) 1-1/4 teaspoons baking soda 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1-1/3 cups milk Frosting: 1 cup creamy peanut butter 1/2 cup butter, softened 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted 2 teaspoons vanilla 3 to 4 tablespoons milk (I used cream) Directions: 1. Heat oven 350°. Grease and lightly flour 2 (8 or 9 inch) square or round pans. 2. Combine sugar and 3/4 cup butter in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often until creamy. Add eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla; continue beating until well mixed. Add flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to butter mixture alternately with 1-1/3 cups milk, beating just until well blended. 3. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake 30-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pans. Cool completely. 4. Meanwhile place peanut butter and 1/2 cup butter in small bowl. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla (I only used one:) and enough milk for desired frosting consistency. 5. To assemble cake, place 1 layer onto serving plate. Spread 1 cup frosting over top; top with second layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Note: If you prefer, Land O Lakes Soft Baking Butter with Canola Oil can be used right from the refrigerator.

The cake was absolutely delicious. I was a bit worried it may be too peanut buttery so I used only 1/2 cup peanut butter. (It was also all I had:) Marion loved it!!! It came out sort of fudgy like a brownie but thicker and gooeier (is that a word?) Marion and I both decided it probably would have been better to make one layer and freeze the other but too late now!!!

I hope to see you all in a few days with the "mysterious" post. Don't forget National Peanut Brittle Day on January 26th. Here's a recipe from The Peanut Butter Cookbook by Judi & Tony Meisel. (©1993)

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Resources
1. November is National Peanut Butter Month

Grab a Cookie, It's National Coffee Break Day!

I was going to suggest you pull up a chair to celebrate National Coffee Break Day but, it occurred to me that you may already be sitting:) I suppose you could be munching on a cookie also but just in case, I baked up some of Pattie's Forget the Cake Crumb Cake Cookies for very good reason I might add; they are just so darn easy to make and they are precisely the right size for a coffee break albeit, a bit crumby:)

According to the National Coffee Association, "coffee lovers celebrated their first National Coffee Break Day last year." However, for those of us who crave out java, we pretty much celebrate coffee every day. So, what's with the notion of a designated coffee break day? Fact is, we may never know, not this year anyway. After numerous attempts to find out the goings on for National Coffee Break Day, 2012, neither the National Coffee Association website or twitter page had any information to offer. I did however find a fabulous Starbucks K-Cups Prize Bundle Give-Away posted on twitter yesterday. For those of you who are Starbuck's fans and own one of those pod coffee machines, you may just want to check it out. I'm more of a Dunkins Donuts coffee kind of gal myself and although I was lucky enough to get a brand spanking new Keurig machine for Christmas, I don't really use it much. (I still use my faithful percolator for my morning brew:)

The premise of celebrating National Coffee Break Day is simply described as "a way to celebrate the history of coffee and the centennial anniversary of the NCA." Let's take it a baby step forward shall we and stir up some history about coffee breaks in general. Are they any different than say, a coffee klatch? Well, sorta kinda. In case you missed the National Coffee Cake Day post I did a long, long time ago, (2008) let me refresh your coffee cup (or tea cup if you prefer:)

An afternoon kaffeeklatsch (coffee-and-cake gossip session) is one of Germany’s most cherished traditions. According to Evan Jones in American Food: The Gastronomic Story, German women brought to America the concept of the kaffeeklatsch, a break in the day to meet for some coffee, a sweet, and a little gossip. He also notes that Scandinavian hospitality was probably responsible for instituting the idea of the American coffee break that featured sweets, since so many of their simple pastries were called coffee breads, coffee cakes, or coffee rings. It pretty much sounds like a coffee version of a Victorian Kettledrum. For a kettledrum, tea is the choice beverage and the sweets served are dainties or sandwiches.

"...Scandinavians were perhaps more responsible than anyone else for making America as coffee-break-conscience as it is, and for perfecting the kind of food that goes well with coffee...it was in the kitchens where there was always a pot brewing on the back of the stove that Scandinavian hospitality and coffee became synonymous...From these social hours in homes evolved the worker's "coffee break," an office ritual so firmly established that it became in many cases a matter of union contract law.

By some accounts, the workers' coffee break originated in Wisconsin when working women in Stoughton, took 15 minute breaks to go home to tend to their chores. They usually returned with cup in hand. BTW, it may have started as far back as 1880. So some say that is...

Way back in 1880 Stoughton's Coffee Street was having daily coffee breaks for coffee. The citizenry being 80% Norwegian (100% on Coffee Street) just had to fit in some time of day to send a batch of coffee through their system between meals.

With the T.G. Mandt Wagon Co. going strong, it became necessary for tobacco firms to hire women for the seasonal tobacco steaming.  The Gunderson Tobacco Warehouse at Main & Coffee Streets was ideal for hiring women because it was so near their homes and they could run home to check on the kids, the house and see how the next meal was progressing.

With these chores done and a hot pot of coffee constantly on the stove, what was more natural than to have a cup?  So began today's coffee break - a few minutes to relax and refresh with coffee.

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The British may have invented “Tea Time” but America invented the “Coffee Break”. The practice began in WW II era war effort factories to give workers a brief rest and a jolt of caffeine. Thanks to a clever advertising campaign in the mid 1950s by the Pan American Coffee Bureau, 70-80% of American workers were taking a coffee break – both factory and office workers. General Eisenhower used the coffee break idea for “Operation Coffee Cup” during his presidential campaign to meet with voters, which continued to spread the social trend of the coffee break. (The History of Coffee in America)

I tend to agree with Susan Stamberg's rendition of the History of the Coffee Break. Certainly, coffee in some form or another has been around a very long time. It seems to me, somewhere in time someone took a break with a cup of coffee in their hand. Which by the way reassures me in another instance. Although Coffee Cake may not always have coffee as an ingredient, a coffee break must include coffee as an ingredient. Else, we just have a regular ol' break!

The world's first coffee break, Stamberg reports, "probably took place before 1000 A.D. in Abyssinia (today's Ethiopia). Legend has it that a goatherd named Kaldi noticed his goats dancing around on their skinny hind legs. Then he noticed the goats had eaten some red berries. Kaldi tried the berries; he started dancing, too; and so coffee break dancing was born!"...Continue reading.

So now that we got all the formalities out of the way, what shall we chat about? How about Cheese Lovers Day? Did you know today is Cheese Lovers Day. I may as well admit it, I did consider to a post in honor of the celebration. Perhaps next year...What about Buttercrunch? I'm not a huge fan of buttercrunch but it doesn't mean I wouldn't celebrate today as National Buttercrunch Day! Perhaps, next year...It's any one's guess as to when National Granola Bar Day is. Some say today, others tomorrow. Just to be on the safe side, I'll leave you this recipe from Coffee Makes It Delicious published by the makers of Maxwell House Coffee in 1981.

Since we're all sitting around "shooting the breeze," I should give you an update on my eye infection. We may have found the culprit. Humidity! That's right folks, after tons of questions, days of research, and lots of investigation, Marion and I have come to the conclusion that the humidity in the house (25%) may have been the cause. (the burden of complications pertaining to the infection are still in litigation) We have remedied the situation with a brand new humidifier in the house which seems to be helping. I know my houseplants are feeling perkier as are Marion's "pals."

Yes, she crocheted the hats, vests and booties:)

I tried to gather a few "appropriate" Coffee Break Day recipes from some of your blogs but I'm having a problem with my google search engine so, if you have a favorite "Break Time" recipe to share, coffee need not be included, please feel free to leave the link below. And, for those of you who visit T.W. @ Culinary Types, here's a heads up, January 21st is his birthday!!! Enjoy Break Time!!!

Oh goodness, I almost forget. Patties cookies do not include coffee as an ingredient. I just had to play around a little so, I spun up a batch, rolled them into little balls and plopped a few of them on a coffee cake that I baked for Marion. You really can't see it to well in the picture but it really came out good! Since the cookies took 15 minutes to bake, I allowed enough time at the end of the coffee cake baking to rest the cookie crumb balls gently on top of the baking coffee cake. Next time, I'm going to add more!!! (I really need photography lessons:)

Resources
1. Forget the Cake Crumb Cake Cookies
2. St Bart’s Cafe Celebrates National Coffee Break Day
3. What Can Be Down About the Coffee Break-(seems it was this employers problem in this video from 1958 which is rather long)
4. The Unpaid Coffee Break (TIME Magazine)
Recipes
Any Day All-Occasion Apple Snack Cake
Some of My Favorite previous Coffee Related Posts
Friendship in A Cup
August is National Coffee Month
National Coffee Cake Day