A love of all things coconut

Wow.

My last post was three weeks ago?  Three weeks go by that quickly now? Yeesh. I have had so much fabulous food in these past three weeks, and I've been narrating them in my head without putting them on this site. Well, it's time to get cracking (and put down that damn copy of Twilight).  I have something amazingly delicious to share today.  Brace yourselves.

Admittedly, you're not going to enjoy this if you're not a fan of coconut. The only reason I know this is because my poor, poor husband never acquired a taste for coconut and has no appreciation for something like this.  He doesn't even care for macaroons.  Poor man.   

Coconut is a gem - especially for those of us that don't tolerate dairy and are looking for some good alternatives.  Pick up coconut milk, flaked coconut meat, or coconut oil to substitute dairy products.  I like to use coconut oil as a butter alternative since it solidifies at approximately 70 degrees and works well almost anywhere that dairy butter would.  

My newest discovery though (read: addiction) is coconut cream.  It is heaven, I swear.  It's basically coconut meat that has been ground very finely but stores as a solid mass in the jar.  It is more dry than oily, and is best extracted from the jar with a fork or knife as opposed to a spoon. You can crumble it on warm food and watch it melt in like soft cheese, blend it with water to make coconut milk, add it to soups and stews for flavor, and - my favorite - eat it straight out of the jar in chunks like there is no tomorrow.  I confess, I haven't been very creative with my first batch of coconut cream.  Honestly, it's so tasty I've just been eating it by the spoonful or putting a small amount on a bite of bread to savor the flavor.  Sometimes with a bit of agave or salt.  I fully intend to play around with making milk out of it and using it in recipes but I've nearly killed the jar in less than a month. Looks like I'll have to buy another one.  What a shame.

I like to get it from Tropical Traditions which gives me an excuse to peruse all of the other delicious items on their website.  Try it out and let me know what you think and how you like to eat it.  Recipes are welcome, too!