"mango" news and stories

Juicy and delicious mangoes can be a challenge to cut uniformly. These tips make it easier.

Grilled mango with balsamic drizzle. Photo: Jennifer Iserloh

If you've ever tasted real aged balsamic vinegar, you know that nothing compares with its aroma, texture and dark, deep flavor.

The real McCoy is from Modena, Italy, made from the white Trebbiano grape and aged for 12 to 25 years. A 4-ounce bottle of the good stuff (that's just 1/2 cup) can range from $100 to $150!

Sadly, my budget doesn't keep me from craving foods, so I've reduced some inexpensive balsamic vinegar to get a rich-tasting drizzle that I can use on my grilling favorites.

Mango and coconut verrine. Photo: Anitachu, Flickr.

It's a lovely thing to spy a gorgeous photo on Flickr, but even more lovely to realize its creator is a trained baker ... and that her recipe is available to mere mortals.

This layered verrine (from the French "verre," or glass) may look like the work of a prop stylist -- probably tasteless, intended to tempt hapless foodies -- but it is in fact a coconut and mango purée concoction from the prolific Bay Area blogger behind Dessert First. Not smitten yet? That's a chocolate wafer cookie straw. We thought so.

We adore this photo for its Care Bears like innocence (note the espresso cup with hearts) and the dreamy powdered sugar gracing those spare raspberries. Berry season being as fleeting as it is glorious, we appreciate as many reminders to take advantage of it as nature -- and the food blogosphere -- sends our way.

[Via Flickr]

Become a member of the Slashfood Flickr pool to get a shot at having your photos featured in Feast Your Eyes.

Like Hollywood, the food world has plenty of storied marriages, some of which hold up better than others. Peanut butter and chocolate? Like Jessica Tandy and Hume Cronyn. Chocolate and garlic? More like Pam and Tommy Lee.

And pulled pork and mango? Like Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward: love at first sight to last the ages. And this photo, taken by Kevin at Closet Cooking, helps to explain why. These jerked pulled-pork wraps with mango and banana relish look like lusty testaments to this savory-sweet match made in heaven. As scenes from a marriage go, this is an indisputably happy one.

[Via Closet Cooking]

Mango and poison ivy are members of the same family. They both contain a substance called urushiol (yu-roosh'-ee-all) which causes those annoying blisters and itches in some people.

Mangoes contain much less urushiol. However, you could get a rash from a mango if you are very sensitive to poison ivy.

Don't stop eating mangoes and don't be afraid to try one - they are really good! If you have a weird rash on your mouth, though, be aware that like blogger Silent Rant you may be be able to say, "Hooray! It's not herpes!"