One summer day my family and I went fruit picking, came home with a bevy of fresh fruit and had no idea what to do with it all. Luckily, we stumbled upon this recipe. The fruit salad makes a great light breakfast, dessert or snack. We, however, have found alternative uses for this medley. We store the syrup and fruit separately, so it will last longer. For breakfast, we use the recipe to make yogurt parfaits (layer vanilla yogurt, fruit and granola in a glass; drizzle with the syrup and – if desired - honey.) Or, with the current frozen yogurt craze, we just buy frozen yogurt, top with the fruit/syrup, jimmies, etc., (Sorbet is a good alternative; ice cream doesn’t work well.) And some members of my family also like the anise syrup as a salad dressing for vegetable/fruit salads (i.e. the spinach/strawberry/toasted almond salad combo). As others have mentioned, fresh fruit works best. We prefer berries, but anise is also a good complement to kiwis and, in the wintertime, clementines.

Reviewed On: Jul. 7, 2009

I was leery of using loin chops because I’ve had iffy results with this meat cut, but the lamb turned out very tender and flavorful. Marinating overnight is best, but I’ve also had good results with five hours. We serve it with a robust salad, but if you’re really hungry you’ll want another side. It’s also a great dish for company. I would just note, however, that the cilantro and lime are what really make this recipe Vietnamese. Leaving off those items gives you a great piece of lamb; changing the toppings could easily adapt the dish to another cuisine.

Reviewed On: Jun. 23, 2009

Initially, I got the “Huh?” look from my family when I mentioned this recipe, but once the meatballs were on the table, they were eaten with gusto. Having made this recipe several times now, I've made a few adjustments: 1) Grate one onion and use this in the meat. It's easier to form the meatballs 2) use 2-3 pieces of soggy bread that are either torn or sliced. One piece wasn't enough to hold together all the meat 3) add more raisins (but, that's a taste preference) 4) add more Middle Eastern spices. We add a pinch of cardamom, some allspice and lots of cumin. The additional spices and raisins help increase the sweet to savory ratio. Finally, about those onions. Yes, they do produce water and create a liquid for the meatballs to simmer in. And with the additional spices, they are quite tasty. But 5 were just too much. Because we eat the meatballs as is (rather than served with pasta or rice), the onions overwhelmed the meat. I've since cut down on the number of onions used and add water instead before simmering. Overall, great recipe. Thanks.

Reviewed On: Jun. 18, 2009