Mirlitons.

[Keir Colpitts]

My sister got a Cajun cookbook and a recipe calls for mirlitons and she
doesn't know what that is. Could someone please tell us what mirlitons are?
Thanks.

[Kate B]

The mirlitons I am familiar with are little puff pastries filled with almond
paste/cream and decorated on the outside with almonds. I am not sure how
you would use these *in* a recipe so I checked my Larousse Gastronomique
which described the puff pastry tartlet as well as "Crisp petit fours
flavored with orange-flower water are also called mirlitons."

I hope this helps.

Kate
Keir Colpitts wrote in message <7pua1m$62t$1...@garnet.nbnet.nb.ca>...

[Blount Mary Catherine]

I would bet that the recipe is actually referring to the
vegetable. I think that "mirliton" is actually a regional name -- here in
Boulder it's called "chayote" in the grocery store. I've never used it,
but my parents in Mississippi like it in salads.
I just found a webpage with some info on the chayote squash --
http://www.wegmans.com/kitchen/ingredients/produce/vegetables/chayote.html

cathy

In article <YAyw3.205$x87....@ord-read.news.verio.net>,

--

[Ken Venard]

I believe they are a type of squash.

[Bob Y.]

On Tue, 24 Aug 1999 11:24:31 -0300, "Keir Colpitts" <ke...@nb.sympatico.ca>
wrote:

>My sister got a Cajun cookbook and a recipe calls for mirlitons and she
>doesn't know what that is. Could someone please tell us what mirlitons are?
>Thanks.
>
>

According to Webster's, mirliton = chayote=the fruit of a "West Indian annual
vine (Sechium edule) of the gourd family that is widely cultivated as a
vegetable. You might want to check the Epicurious dictionary at:

http://www.epicurious.com/db/dictionary/terms/indexes/dictionary.html

--
Bob Y.

Pride is a blossom of ashes. Bitter in the mouth, sharp to the nose, stinging to the eyes, and
blown away on the first wind from the mountains. Plant no pride, lest you harvest shame.
_Once a Hero_, E. Moon

[Lapageria]

Minor correction. Mirliton is not an annual vine, but a perennial.
Chayote=choko=mirliton=christophene.

[nip...@my-deja.com]

These are great raw; they taste sort of like jicama. The also are good
cooked like summer squash. They have a big flat seed that is also very
tasty; don't throw it out.

- Kevin

In article <19990824183510...@ng-fs1.aol.com>,

lapa...@aol.com (Lapageria) wrote:
> Minor correction. Mirliton is not an annual vine, but a perennial.
> Chayote=choko=mirliton=christophene.
>

Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Share what you know. Learn what you don't.

[Jimmy...@webtv.net]

Mirlitons, also called Chayote, and vegetable pears are quite popular
here in New Orleans. The can be stuffed with seafood and baked, they can
be stewed with CajunTasso & hot peppers, and often are spicy boiled with
shrimp, crabs, crawfish, corn and baby red potatoes at "seafood boils"
(local version of a BBQ).
They look a lot like a pear and have little flavor, but they readily
pick up the flavors of anything they are cooked with.
Jimmy.

For great recipes, click my website below:

http://community.webtv.net/JimmySnook/JimmysBaccoPages

[Barry Grau]

Jimmy...@webtv.net wrote:
: Mirlitons, also called Chayote, and vegetable pears are quite popular

: here in New Orleans. The can be stuffed with seafood and baked, they can

There are two varieties. One, I have seen only in the ethnic groceries in
my neighborhood, has sharp spines (is this "prickly pear?"). Does anyone
know how to prepare them for eating?

-bwg
------------
Torn between...
Wish I was in New Orleans sitting on a candystand. (Rev G Davis)
and
Here we go round the prickly pear
At five o'clock in the morning. (T.S. Eliot)

[TJ]

In article <7q1dcd$10ps$4...@piglet.cc.uic.edu>, gr...@uic.edu (Barry Grau) wrote:

> Jimmy...@webtv.net wrote:
> : Mirlitons, also called Chayote, and vegetable pears are quite popular
> : here in New Orleans. The can be stuffed with seafood and baked, they can
>
> There are two varieties. One, I have seen only in the ethnic groceries in
> my neighborhood, has sharp spines (is this "prickly pear?"). Does anyone
> know how to prepare them for eating?
>

Prickly chayote? I've never heard of this. Do you mean cactus pears? What
color and what ethnicity of the grocery?
tj

[Barry Grau]

TJ (gara...@halcyon.com) wrote:
: Prickly chayote? I've never heard of this. Do you mean cactus pears? What

: color and what ethnicity of the grocery?
: tj

The groceries cater to a multiethnic clientele. The chayote, identified by
a sign saying "chayote," is slightly darker green than the ones you are used
to. In fact, it looks like the usual chayote, except darker green and thorny,
very thorny. Covered with thorns, in fact. About as thorny as the nettles kids
throw at one another and that stick to clothes. It looks like most of the
takers are Latino. I'm virtually certain it is a variety of chayote.

-bwg
Crossing Jordan I need not fear, halleloo

[John H. Sphar]

Mirlitons, as noted by the other respondents is chayote squash, the popular
southwestern squash. Prickly pear is from the cactus of the same name.

Barry Grau wrote:

> Jimmy...@webtv.net wrote:
> : Mirlitons, also called Chayote, and vegetable pears are quite popular
> : here in New Orleans. The can be stuffed with seafood and baked, they can
>
> There are two varieties. One, I have seen only in the ethnic groceries in
> my neighborhood, has sharp spines (is this "prickly pear?"). Does anyone
> know how to prepare them for eating?
>

[CC]

> There are two varieties. One, I have seen only in the ethnic groceries in
> my neighborhood, has sharp spines (is this "prickly pear?"). Does anyone
> know how to prepare them for eating?
>
> -bwg

There are a lot of those vegetables growing on my native island. My
mother used to make a " gratin " out of them .
1: cook them in boiling water rapidely
2:crash them and try to get rid of the excessive water ( it should be
like mashed potatoes)
3: combine with coconut milk
4: salt and pepper + spices ( any you like)
5: in the oven until there is a little crust
6: ready!

CC. from france