Last weekend I got a new colander. It’s been sitting in a drawer waiting to be used ever since.

But then yesterday we had some new friends over for dinner. It’s always exciting but a bit frightening to have new people over. What if we have nothing to talk about? What if they don’t think I’m as fabulously interesting and hilarious as I desperately want to be? What if they don’t like my food???

No worries this time. They are delightful people who have lived all over the world and are great at sharing their adventures. The baby slept, the pre-schoolers were rarely loud enough to mute our laughter, and, whether they thought I was fabulous or not, they certainly ate a lot of my food. Yay!

And of course, I got to use my new colander to drain some potatoes. Wonderful potatoes, if I do say so myself (everyone had several helpings so I think they would say so too). These are my dad’s favorite: Boiled and then tossed with onions softened in a lot of butter, drizzled with whipping cream and drowned in more dill than you think is possibly necessary (and then you add a bit more). It’s the way my Baba and now my mom serve new potatoes from the garden. Very good memories went into that colander. And new memories of new friends filled it up.

A new discovery: Passion Fruit Concentrate

Our guests brought dessert and it was divine. Passion Fruit Mousse. I’m not usually a fan of passion fruit. I find it very bland, almost tasteless. But this had a deep full flavor, sweet and tangy and really really passion-fruity, which, amazingly enough, is a very good thing.

The trick, she explained, is to use passion fruit concentrate. I didn’t know such a thing existed. She said that it is used in Brazil (where she is from) quite a bit and she buys it at a specialty Brazilian grocer here in Orlando (yes, it seems that we have a specialty Brazilian grocer. Who knew?). She told us that the concentrate is layered in the can such that liquid rests below a thicker substance. She pierces a hole in the bottom of the can and lets the liquid drain out. She then uses the remainder to thicken and flavor the mousse.

Guess who’s making a trip to the Brazilian grocer soon???

Here’s a link to a Brazilian Passion Fruit Mousse recipe. It sounds very similar to what my friend described. But I’m going to convince her to give me her recipe and then, if she lets me, I’ll share it with you.

Before I sign off, I want to tell you why I’m so excited about this colander. It’s collapsible so that it lies flat in the drawer when not in use. Then you pop it up like a magician’s top hat and “poof!” it’s bowl shaped and ready to go. Mesmerizingly spectacular, right?

I’m an Amazon Associate now so I’m putting the link here. If you decide to buy it by using this link I’ll probably make a few cents. Actually, if you use this link to go look at the cool collapsible colander and then find yourself surfing around Amazon buying all sorts of other things, I get credit for those items too. So you should probably bookmark this page and then whenever you’re going to shop on Amazon you should come here first, click on the colander and then go on your shopping spree. Just kidding. Sort of.

The Squish Collapsible Colander:

Note that I also bought the 2 quart collapsible colander (but haven’t used it yet):

And, I’m totally eyeing up this collapsible mixing bowl:

Oh! Just to test out this whole associate thing, I think I’m going to use my Amazon link right now and buy it for myself. I’ll let you know if it works. Or better yet, how about you use the link too and tell me how it works for you. Just kidding. Again. Sort of. Again.

Some more tasty inspirations for you:

A Shrimp Boil is Surprisingly Delicious!A Drink Recipe for Brunch: Mango Lime BellinisMake Ahead Recipe: Granola, Yogurt & Walnut CupsA Warm Salad For Brunch (And To Win Friends)