Some of you know I had a bout of vertigo recently that really set me behind in my regular job. Orgasmic Chef is a labor of love but it doesn’t pay the bills so it must come after I’ve helped to put a roof over our heads. I’d gotten back into the swing of things and I felt a lump under my right arm – about the size of a baseball, so I was more than a little concerned. Turns out it was the beginning of shingles. Thankfully today there are drugs you can take if you get to it early enough but that’s where I’ve been. I didn’t want to say anything because I felt like a freakin’ hypochondriac.

Anyway, I’m back.  I go to a local cooking demonstration class every Friday and recently we had a guest presentation by David Bitton, a chef and entrepreneur visiting from Sydney.  He came to Australia after meeting some Australians in France where he began his life and quickly established himself as a good chef. Years later, he’s married with children and he and his wife have created Bitton Gourmet — heaps of wonderful sauces and spice blends.

David started his presentation with the best bruschetta I’ve tasted in a long time. Who knew that the combination of pears, goat cheese, onions and chives would make my mouth sing to the heavens? Certainly not me but that’s what happened!

Now that I look at the photos, maybe they don’t look as fantastic as I thought they did before I popped them into my mouth, but trust me.  You need to try these.  They are definitely orgasmic.

Preparations for the bruschetta take only a few minutes and then they’re popped in a big bowl. David mixed the cheese with the ingredients and then the he added some of his lemon dressing (he sells his products worldwide) and placed the mixture on some lovely toasted slices of baguette.

After they were plated he drizzled some of his orange jelly (more like a sauce to me) over the top.  If you would like to be a hero at your next gathering, try this.  Even if you have to make your own lemon dressing and orange jelly.  It’s worth the effort.

Now, here’s a trick for you that we learned at the demonstration.  How often have you cut a mango and wished it looked like the ones in the photos?  If you’re like me you cut down the side and then score the fruit (sometimes going through the skin) and then popping the little pieces off.  Well, here’s a new way that I’m dying to try.  It’s just beginning to be mango season and I couldn’t be happier.  I love love love mango.

Cut down the front and back of the mango to get the cheeks and then run the knife down the two edges.  You should have 4 pieces of mango.  Cut the large cheeks into two pieces lengthwise.

Now here’s the trick!  Get a large wine glass and take your piece of mango and put the skin of the mango to the outside of the glass and push down.  The mango falls into the wine glass in one piece and the skin goes down the side completely with no waste of mango.  (you won’t need to take a bath after licking the inside of the skin – or maybe I’m the only one who does that?)

How simple is that?