An Ode to Crab Rangoon

I will begin this post on edibles by bemoaning the slow extinction of the crab rangoons that I've enjoyed for decades:

Look at them!  They were things of beauty.

     Every foray to a Chinese restaurant in my 20's, 30's, and 40's included an order of crab rangoon in the "traditional" four-cornered pocket form.  Always crispy and yummy, some fillings were better than others but overall, they never failed to please.

     I understood that these treats could be a regional expression when on a trip to Dallas in the 90's I couldn't find a Chinese restaurant that had ever heard of them.

     I moved to Florida in 2004 and for a time, the crab rangoon I knew prevailed until a few years ago when things began to change.

The first time I ordered crab rangoon and received an order of these, I was perplexed:

This flat soggy triangle is becoming the new norm.

Not only have I yet to bite into a crispy one, the filling tastes like cream cheese and sugar.

Did I miss something?!

It took a couple of reminders to get Mike to stop thoughtfully ordering them for me.  

Does anyone know where I can get the old standard in central Florida?

Closer to home (in my yard), edibles are thriving...

sometimes without me even knowing it.

One of my Trinidad friends dropped by and was excited to see a particular typed of weed covering the fence on one side of my yard.  I was on the verge of ripping it out by the roots (it always goes haywire at the end of the summer) but she informed me that it is a type of bitter melon and proceeded to pick every green seed pod she could find (once the pod turns bright orange, it is no longer edible).

I've always shied away from cooking with bitter melon, almost entirely because the name sounds unappetizing.  My neighbor instructed me in its preparation so I gave it a try.  The pods are small and by the time I cut the seeds out of each one, there wasn't much left to cook but I fried it up with oil and tasted it.  Intense flavor and not something I enjoyed however I could see it being used as a solid base note when cooked with other ingredients.  

The truly delicious part of this experiment is that, in exchange, she returned with a bag of fresh Trinidad-style fritters made with spinach, garlic and hot pepper.

Yum!!!

And finally...a PINEAPPLE!

It was years in the making but it tasted so good and I got 2 pups off of it (see the mini-pup at the base?) so in another 5 years, this fruit will be fruitful and beget 2 more pineapples.  I think production will be speeding up, though, since I've started planting them in the front yard:  they look much happier.

I've added my first varietal pineapple: the red pineapple.  

I got the start from a friend and the long welding gloves and saw were absolutely necessary in its procurement.  The leaves of this bromeliad are very long and heavily spined.  

While I was in their yard I picked up poop.

Tortoise poop, to be exact.

These nuggets of leftover tortoise edibles will make all my edibles grow faster and stronger and unlike the poop of many other animals, tortoise poop doesn't need to be composted; apply directly to plant, apply directly to plant, APPLY DIRECTLY TO PLANT.

Chicken poop is too strong to use directly from the bird so I'm still devising the perfect collection/compost system.

Btw, I named this young girl Lucy in honor of the recent film.  She's a forceful little bird.

I've caught other birds in my yard, namely mockingbirds and cardinals, eating the seeds of the southern magnolia by my deck.  

Who knew?

It was birds that planted my giant papaya tree.

I will have a bounty of fruit through the fall and winter!

Try as I might, I couldn't seem to grow another papaya from seed.

Finally, a merciful friend hooked me up:

She gifted me with a healthy, homegrown papaya plant and a pepper plant to boot.  

This papaya will go in the front yard.

I went farther afield to take advantage of the scallop season in Homosassa, Florida.

This yielded several delicious meals of scallops

and the silver lining to a golden day...

My new favorite SPF shirt!

It's from the Breathe Like a Fish company and it's super cool and comfortable AND protective.

The summer is winding down but for us Florida dwellers that just means the outdoor activities and lifestyle are ramping up.