The Alphonso Mango Preserve
It was a gloomy Sunday, and I hate Sundays especially Sunday mornings where we go back to work after the weekend and it just seems that no matter what fun activities do I schedule for a Sunday afterwork, it still feels heavy on my heart. Anyways, I had just returned back home from work, hassled by the events of the day and the crazy drive home, when there was a knock on my door and a small brown paper bag with a white envelope was handed to me.
Believe it or not, I was more excited by the envelope than by what may lay inside the paper bag! I hoped it was a note, not an invitation, and it was indeed a note and a very lovely one as well. The note wished me a happy Sunday and a happy week, something I really wished would come true and was heartfelt and truly made my day. It was also addressed to me by Chef Yasmine Al-Abdulghafoor, the owner of the delicious Pastry Shop who keeps spoiling me over and over again and only recently sent me some Alphonso mango tarts that are inspired by yours truly!
This time however what was inside the paper bag wasn’t something from the bakery, it was more personal. Chef Yazzy had made some mango preserve and was kind enough to think of me and send me a jar! A JAR OF MANGO ALPHONSO PRESERVE!
A JAR OF MANGO ALPHONSO PRESERVE! TOPPED WITH SAFFRON STRANDS! AND WITH A LOVELY NOTE! Never before have I imagined there would be an alphonso mango preserve, I don’t know why but every since we were little we’ve seen mango chutney’s and mango achar (sour pickles) but never a mango preserve! Now this makes total scene! The jar was a luminous orange colour beckoning for me to come over, oh my!
My first response? I almost danced, the I swayed a bit in my place because of happiness, then I grabbed the nearest spoon I could find and dunked it into the jar! Dan dararan daraaaan! Would you look at that? How gorgeous does the mango preserve look?
I resisted the urge to cram the entire spoonful of mango preserve into my mouth, I was fearing for my blood sugar to be frank, I’m not 18 anymore. I looked around, and there just happened to be a boxful of “Diet Treats” from Diet Care that arrived that afternoon with a copy of their Healthy Cooking cook book and an invitation to a the healthy lifestyle event they are throwing this week. Remind me to tell you about an amazing story which involves Diet Care’s cookbook that I am planning to post about, hopefully this week.
Anyways, there was a jar of luscious looking fudge-y diet friendly brownies, and they were just what I was looking for. They are diet brownies after all, no? How much damage could they cause? Would you look at these brownies?
And then there was the spoonful of mango preserve… forgive the bad quality of the picture for my hands were shaking with joy and there was no time to waste on a tripod.
Ta-da!
Dear mango preserve, where have you been all my life? You’d make the perfect combination to anything and everything! Why would people consume sour pickled mangos and not sweet mango jam is beyond me! How did it taste? Like a melted golden mango alphonso yet more creamy with jabs of mango chunks to chew in between smooth juicy mango waves.
Oh and it wasn’t very sweet! Not at all! In fact, I did something I’ve never dared do before, I did have a spoonful of mango preserve and enjoyed it. I don’t think there was much sugar added, it was sweet as it is and it will PERFECT over everything! What I missed, thought, is some vanilla ice cream and preheating the brownies a bit before putting together concoction! Guess what I’m going to do this weekend for my dessert? Yes, you’ve got it!
I don’t know exactly what I did to deserve this, but I must have made someone very happy or done something amazing to someone to be granted this jar which is not only holds the golden mango preserve, but several moments of pure joy for the days to come. Now dear Chef Yasmine, this jar must be sold by you before the season is over! I’ve tried many preserves before, locally made, and none of them could hold a candle to this one! Thank you so much for making my week and my horrible Sunday better, Chef Yazzy, I love you
Now, if you know how to make preserve and have mangoes at home you must make an alphonso mango one. Perhaps a tropical cocktail preserve, with passionfruit, pineapple, and mangoes would be great as well especially on bed of freshly toasted slice of bread! Now, can anyone tell me the difference between jam, preserve, and marmalade?
