Nectar is quite easy to
create; a mixture of whole cow’s milk, honey and the stigmas (only 3 per
flower) of Crocus flowers aka saffron threads.
Crocus, being a plant of the mountains is sacred to the Gods; it gives a golden color to the drink, with extraordinary
rejuvenating and energizing powers.
Ambrosia, in its original form, is a honey cake laden with apples and
figs; the modern version is a simple mixture of fruits, honey and Greek yogurt.
Ah, but now we come to the
Americanized version of this simple Greek recipe; we’ve all seen it in any
salad bar. That wondrous mixture of
fruits, coconut flakes, marshmallows and whipped topping; looking like a total
mess, yet tasting so cool and refreshing…Ambrosia salad. This is one of those recipes where almost
anything can be added, and it doesn’t go wrong; even pasta! That’s right, pasta, which brings me to a
popular dessert salad that dates back approximately 40 years to a recipe on a
box. Acini di Pepe, also spelled Acini
de Pepe (pronounced ah-CHEE-nee dee PAY-pay); "Acini" means
"berries", "Pepe" means "pepper", so "pepper
berries" or “peppercorns”. If you
are a fan of Italian Wedding Soup, then you have eaten Acini di Pepe; and it
gives Frog Eye Salad its unusual name.
The original name of the
recipe was “Ambrosia Salad with Acine di Pepe”, but as it made its rounds
through home kitchens, it picked up the name of “Frog Eye Salad”. How is a good question, but the only guessed
at reasoning was that someone’s child must have said, “Yuck, that looks like
frog eyes in there!” As the recipe was
passed along, the nickname stuck as it traveled throughout the United States,
and to the dessert salad loving state of Utah.
The first time I’d ever heard of, or tasted, it was at an annual holiday
party; the pasta being a chewy addition to the salad. The consensus is, some love it, some hate it;
some don’t care, its food, so just eat it.
Personally, I didn’t see the point of adding the pasta while my husband
enjoyed it; so to each his/her own.
One recipe I found was
supposedly from the original box of pasta put out by the Ronzoni Company. I contacted them for verification, but, as
yet, they have not bothered to respond with an answer. So, I’m using a recipe from The Salt Lake
Tribune’s “What’s Cooking in Utah Kitchens” cookbook (no date) which is
extremely close to the other recipe I found.
It also makes a quantity that could feed a small army (about 20
servings), so cut the recipe as needed.
Frog Eye Salad
(page 66, by Donna
Kastler)
1 and ½ cups (12 oz. box)
Acini de Pepe (macaroni product)
2 quarts boiling water1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. oil
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
½ tsp. salt
2 eggs, beaten
1 and ¾ cups pineapple juice
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 cans (11 oz. each) mandarin oranges, drained
1 can (20 oz.) chunk pineapple, drained
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1 cup coconut
1 carton (9 oz.) frozen whipped topping
Preparation:
Cook Acine de Pepe in
boiling water with the 1 teaspoon salt and oil for 8 to 10 minutes. While macaroni is cooking, combine the sugar,
flour, ½ teaspoon salt, eggs and pineapple juice; cook until thick, stirring
constantly. Stir in lemon juice. Cool and pour over well drained
macaroni. Stir and refrigerate
overnight.
Several hours before
serving, add the mandarin oranges, pineapple, marshmallows and coconut. Stir well; add frozen whipped topping. Fold together.
Mary Cokenour