A Taste of the Tropics

The streets of New York have been covered with snow, and I must admit I am sick of it.  Since the warm weather has not yet found me and I can't afford a plane ticket to anywhere sunny, I decided it was time to take some sort of action.  Inspiration spoke to me from the freezer section of my local bodega.  Ice cream is sorta take-it-or-leave-it for me, but I find sorbet scrumptious and refreshing.  Ciao Bella has mastered the art of this cool treat (as well as gelato) and has created tons of amazing flavors, including the new (or at least new to me) BANANA MANGO.  For a very brief moment I thought I was sitting on a beach...until I looked at my snow-draped patio.

I did not want the weekend to pass by without trying a new recipe (plus I felt like a depressed housewife eating the sorbet straight from the container), so I decided it was time to turn it into a real dessert.  I threw a heaping scoop of this delicious sorbet into a chocolate cup (which I happened upon randomly in the grocery store - great for entertaining...even if you're just entertaining yourself, like I was tonight), topped with a fresh cherry compote (easy - just add sugar to fresh or frozen fruit and heat in a saucepan), and tossed some granola on top for a little crunch.  Next time I may try using a different fruit, like a berry, because the cherries fought with the flavor of the sorbet a bit, but it was still very yummy and nice to have the warm fruit syrup over the cold sorbet.

If you're able to find Ciao Bella in your grocer's freezer, buy some.  The blood orange, passion fruit, and blackberry cabernet flavors are personal faves, and I just learned prickly pear and peach ginger are two new sorbets that just hit the market and sound right up my alley.  I may have to wait a while longer before this city warms up, but for now I'll close my eyes, eat some sorbet, and pretend I can feel the sun on my back and the sand beneath my toes.