mitsuya-cider sweet-and-sour meatballs

What do you do when the sushi chef's wife gives you Mitsuya Cider and you don't normally drink soda? Get creative! (Mitsuya Cider is a non-alcoholic Japanese fizzy drink that tastes a bit like Sprite, but different, too.)

Well, that bottle morphed into amazing sweet-and-sour meatballs, if you can believe it.

You'll need:

• 450 grams (about 1 pound) ground meat (I used a Japanese mixture of pork and beef)
• 1/4 c. almond flour (or binding flour of choice)
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 t. each powdered ginger, garlic powder, and onion powder
• 1/4 c. ketchup
• 1/8 c. apple cider vinegar (I use organic with mother--very flavorful)
• 1 T. Dijon mustard
• more pepper
• 1/2 t. each ginger and onion powders
• 1/2 c. Mitsuya Cider (or Sprite or ginger ale)

Do this:

To make the meatballs, mix the meat, almond flour, salt and pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon each powdered ginger, garlic powder, and onion powder in a bowl, then form into balls.

For the sauce, in a separate bowl stir the ketchup, vinegar, mustard, pepper, 1/2 teaspoon each powdered ginger and onion powder, and Mitsuya Cider.

Cook the meatballs in a frying pan, turning after a little while to brown on both sides. When the meatballs are cooked through, add the sauce ingredients and simmer gently till warmed through. Lovely over rice with some avocado on the side.

gingery-coconut banana dessert

Well, folks, this was completely yum. A Mamatouille original!

It's basically bananas, raisins, and coconut milk, but I added a few extra je ne sais quois touches.

You'll need:

• 3 ripe bananas
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 T. coconut oil
• 1/4 c. raisins
• 1/2 t. cinnamon
• 1/4 t. nutmeg
• 1 T. chopped crystallized ginger
• 1 T. chopped candied orange peel
• 1 T. rum

Do this:

Chop your bananas and throw them in a frying pan with the raisins and coconut oil. Heat gently over low-medium flame till the raisins are a bit plump. Add the cinnamon and nutmeg. In the microwave, heat the chopped crystallized ginger and candied orange peel in the rum for about thirty seconds.

Add the ginger and orange into the pan, and then pour in the coconut milk, heating till warmed through.

Enjoy in small bowls with your favorite peeps.