PAPAYA LASSI
2-3 cardamon pods, brought to Mexico years ago by a dear friend visiting from Milwaukee and still flavorful after all these years, lightly toasted and cracked open.
2 cups or so chunks of super ripe papaya, peeled and seeded.
1.5 cups fresh yogurt, goat's milk handmade by a friend if possible, or use a good quality unsweetened yogurt if you don't live near Lori and Dan.
1 TBS or so Rancho San Cayetano's organic honey, if you're lucky enough to have some on hand, if not you can substitute your favorite honey for now and make plans to go to Michoacán with me next March to see millions of monarchs and cook with DK.
4-5 ice cubes
Put cardamom in to blender first, then add all other ingredients. Zap until velvety smooth. Pour into tall glass and breathe in the scent of cardamon before you take your first sip.
Makes enough for 2 if you're feeling generous, or just 1 if it's all about you today.
As I wrote this recipe down I realized that it is inspired by both the late great Joan Summers, creator of the Casa de Espiritus Alegres B&B, and her husband, artist Carol Summers. Joan taught me how to pick the sweetest papaya - it should look almost like it's on the way out - and I tasted my first lassi in India with Carol. They were a great combo, those two, and so are the flavors in this flavorful drink.
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About Betsy McNair
MY MEXICO TOURS began in the fall of 2003. Since then I've introduced hundreds and hundreds of intrepid travelers to the folk and fine art of Michoacán, Oaxaca, and Chiapas; the elegant colonial cities of Puebla, Guanajuato, and Morelia; the fabulous cuisines of Oaxaca, Michoacán, and Yucatán. We’ve enjoyed regional culinary experiences in humble huts, palatial homes, and cooking schools throughout the country; walked amongst the crumbling ruins yet seen the thriving preHispanic cultures in Michoacán, Oaxaca, Chiapas and the Yucatán.
