I don’t know what’s better in this dish: the fresh tuna or the mango salsa? The fresh-from-the-sea albacore tuna loin we purchased stayed so moist and tender during grilling, often times a fish that easily dries out. What perfectly topped it was the mango salsa. The sweetness of the mango balanced beautifully with the fresh cilantro, onion and lime juice. It’s also a great addition to grilled pork or chicken.

Mango Salsa

1 fresh mango, diced
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
2 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
Juice of one lime
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
optional: 1 small Thai chili pepper or 1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped

In a bowl, combine all of the above ingredients. If the mango is firm, mash the chopped pieces a bit with a fork.

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It’s cold outside and the fire’s going, you’d think I’d want a nice hot soup. But, no, I want ceviche! Normally I think of this as a warm-weather dish: chilled, citrusy, something you’d eat al fresco. But last month we visited El Salvador and the ceviche we had there is still ever-present in my mind. It was perfectly “cooked” and had a wonderful hint of fresh ginger. While not exactly the same this Peruvian recipe looks quite appetizing and encompasses much of what was in our dish. I also love variations with cilantro, mango, avocado, etc.

I’ve had a difficult time finding a really good, comprehensive ceviche cookbook while there are thousands upon thousands of sushi cookbooks. Why have we not embraced this delicious South American dish con mucho gusto!? For inspiration and entertainment check out Chef Melissa’s blog on ceviche, the wrath she endured over her stated provenance of this dish and a great clip of Anthony Bourdain’s show No Reservations. If you’re not familiar with this show and love food and travel (and New York humor) then put this show on your TiVo list.

For even further inspiration check out the beautiful variations of ceviche on Flickr.

Cheers and good eats!

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