Santol, the Fruit

If you're not from the Philippines or any part of Southeast Asia, chances are you've never heard of the fruit Santol. It's a fruit that when fully ripe is very sweet though not too easy to eat. You mainly suck on the big seeds inside the fruit. Sometimes it is peeled and people eat the rind which is a bit tart with rock salt. Here's a link that shows what the fruit looks like.
https://www.google.com/search?q=santol+the+fruit&rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS597US597&espv=2&biw=1366&bih=667&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjXyfr3xcHOAhUBxCYKHV53BgMQsAQIGw&dpr=1

While I was in the Philippines, I bought several bottles of prepared Santol from the famous Blue Kitchen. My first dinner with my family was at a restaurant called Abe. There I had shrimps cooked in Santol; something I have never heard of before. So naturally, when I saw these bottles of santol, I knew I had to buy some.  The ingredients were not listed on the bottle unlike here in the U.S. when you have to list ingredients. I know they used the rind of the santol and probably added shrimp paste and some chillies which made it spicy.

I sauteed some shrimps in butter and emptied my last 2 jars of santol. This of course had to be served with steamed rice. Sandi, Otto and I enjoyed it. Sandi of course had it when she was in the Philippines. Amy and Nako thought it was "different". That could be a polite way of saying "it's not that good".

I served a salad of spinach and mixed greens with a dressing made with Chipotle olive oil and Peach Balsamic Vinegar. Everyone loved that. Amy brought some fresh tomatoes from their garden along with a mayonnaise dip. There's nothing like fresh grown tomatoes! The other entree I served was Chicken cooked in Coconut Milk. This was my moms recipe. It's very easy to make. You just lay chicken pieces in pan; put salt and pepper on them and lots of crushed garlic and whole peppercorns. Then you pour vinegar to cover the chicken. When the chicken is almost cooked, you pour 2 cans of coconut milk and simmer till it thickens (it could take awhile). Adjust according to your taste. If too sour, add more salt. This taste even better the day after. This too has to be served with steamed white rice.

 Amy and Nako survived the dinner. One thing about making dinner for friends (real friends), they are always gracious and we always enjoy each others company even if the food is sometimes strange.