mango salsa

mango salsa

The first time I went to the emergency room was when I was about 10.  I woke up really late in the night with horrible cramps/stomach pains in my abdomen.  I was in major pain and ran to my parents’ room crying out for help.  I must of scared them, because they quickly picked me up and had me lie down in the back of the car as they drove quickly to the emergency room.  I don’t really remember much from the car drive, but I remember lying in the back crying in pain.  I even remember explaining to my parents that it felt like someone was playing ping-pong inside me. [I was picturing a tiny man that looked much like a tiny hamburgular wreaking havoc in my body…] The pain was in what I now know as my lower abdomen.  My mom was reaching back from the front passenger seat and clenching my hand really tight and my dad kept on assuring me that I will be alright and we where almost there.

I don’t remember much after that.  I don’t even remember getting to the emergency room.  The next thing I remember was a curtain surrounding me and I was on a bed in the ER.  There was a nurse taking my blood for tests and through out all the pain and fear, I do remember being proud of myself for not crying when the nurse took my blood.  I felt like a man.  Hey, the crying from the internal ping pong match doesn’t count as a marker of my manlihood or lack there of.  It comes from blood being drawn.  Give me a break, I was 10.

The doctor and my dad talked for a bit and then after what was about 15 minutes in my head, but in reality probably a couple of hours, I went home and had a huge plate of mangos.  Awesome.  Go to emergency room and dad preps you a big plate of mangos.  Turns out I didn’t have enough vitamin C in my system and the doctor told me to take eat some fruit and he will contact my parents with the results from the test.  I assume the results where good, because I never returned to the hospital.  However, I did learn a huge lesson.  Mangos are still good and full of vitamin c.

I always loved mangos.  They are tart and sweet at the same time with a refreshing creamy juiciness to add.  It’s amazing.  Growing up, I only ate it as a fruit on it’s own.  Sometimes it would be dried, but always just on it’s own.  I was never into sweet salsas so when I heard of mango salsa, I was hesitant.  I made some for the first time in DC when I bought some mangos that where quickly about to spoil.  I served it with a simple grilled fish, and was sold then and there.  I’ve since served it with all kinds of seafood.  My favorite is marinating salmon in the harissa/sriracha and tequila lime marinade. The sweetness balances really well with the lime and tequila/rum and cools the heat from the chili.  Perfect for the summer grill.

Come to think of it, my parents could have just poured me a glass of orange juice.  I’m glad that in all the panic and excitement, it slipped their mind.

~stuff

1 cup diced ripe mango, ¼ to ½ inch

¼ cup minced cilantro

¼ cup minced shallots

½ tsp salt

1 minced medium jalapeno or serrano chili pepper (seeded if you don’t want too spicy)

1 medium lime

~steps

mix all ingredients with the juice of the lime

set in refrigerator covered for at least 10 minutes

serve chilled or at room temperature

-serves 4-

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