Near Wailea Beach, Maui, Hawaii
Greetings from the island of Maui, Hawaii! I’m currently sitting in the lobby of the gorgeous Fairmont Kea Lani hotel in Wailea, Maui, taking a short break from swimming, sight seeing and of course, eating. The scenery and food are fantastic here and the people are the friendliest I’ve ever encountered in my travels. We’ve been enjoying the local cuisine, which is very different from what’s local where I live. Coconut, pineapple, macadamia nuts, coffee and fish are all an important part of the Hawaiian diet and luckily, favourites of mine as well. The cuisine draws from a variety of influences from Portuguese to Japanese and fish features prominently. We’ve enjoyed ahi tuna, monchong (a whitefish with a meaty texture and mild flavour), shrimp, hamachi, salmon and oysters as well as excellent beef from the Maui Cattle Company. Fresh fruit is abundant and a wedge of sweet, juicy pineapple is served with almost everything. It’s been a wonderful week relaxing and getting inspired with new ideas for delicious recipes. In the meantime, here is a simple summery cocktail that was inspired by a poolside drink I enjoyed a couple of days ago (while unknowingly getting a terrible sunburn – the sun here really packs a punch!). I’ll have more to report later so until then…
Mango Bellini
Makes 1 drink – can easily be doubled
If you can’t find mango schnapps, substitute the more readily available peach schnapps.
In a champagne flute or small wine glass, add:
- 1 oz. mango OR peach schnapps
- 2 oz. mango juice
- Top with an inexpensive dry sparkling wine such as cava or prosseco
- Optional: Garnish with fruit or an orchid, if desired.
Aloha and Enjoy!
Mango Bellini with orchid garnish
The Seasonal Gourmet 