Gary and I spent a Fab.U.Lous weekend in Charleston, South Carolina visiting my brother, Thomas. The architecture is adorable, the food is amazing; I didn’t want to leave. (If you head there soon, I highly recommend Xiao Bao Biscuit, Edmund’s Oast, and the Gin Joint. Ahhhhh, be still my beating heart!) Our own sleepy southern town does not rival Charleston’s fabulousness in food or aesthetics, unfortunately. But what Charleston has in charm, they lack in pineapples. That’s right, we can grow pineapples–PINEAPPLES!!–in our very own back yard!!
Pineapples are a bromeliad, which is a plant family that can capture and store water in their overlapping leaves. American colonists imported the fruit from the Caribbean as early as the 17th century. Because the trade routes were perilous, it was both a delicacy and an achievement to share a ripe pineapple with guests. Therefore, the pineapple became a symbol of hospitality. However, I should add that these early Southern Americans weren’t always the most hospitable; Thomas, Gary, and I toured a sobering building that used to be the slave market in Charleston where thousands upon thousands of slaves were sold, often ripped from their families to live and work in the most deplorable of conditions. That said, maybe a pineapple can be both a symbol of hospitality and a remembrance of those who were treated inhospitably.
Ingredients:
Yes, this recipe is another dish with shrimp. This recipe came from the Food Network.
1 lb large shrimp
1 1/2 c pineapple chunks, either fresh or canned
1 red onion, chopped into chunks
1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch squares
2/3 c pineapple juice
3 T lemon juice
3 T lime juice
1 T minced ginger
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
2 T soy sauce
3 T honey
3 T chopped cilantro
8 wooden or metal skewers
