5x6 - Tropical Sweet Tooth

February 16, 2007

By now the secret is out: Rick has a sweet tooth. For everything from ripe fruit to homemade candies to luscious pies. And when he travels to Mexico, he’s on the prowl for it all—lucky for us. We visit 100% Natural, a favorite stop in Playa Del Carmen for tropical fruit juices, creamy yogurt shakes and exotic fruit plates. At home, Rick transforms Mexican papaya into a surprising dessert he calls Caramelized Papaya with Mexican Cheese—think of a tropical version of apple pie with cheddar cheese. Which brings us to pie! Rick reminisces about (and enjoys a piece of) the coconut pie at Alberto’s Continental Patio Restaurant in Merida. These days he gets his coconut fix from a fast version of the classic sweet candy Cocadas Horneadas using frozen shredded coconut. In Tixkokob, a local cook teaches us her ethereal version of sweet baked meringues which brings us back to pie. Rick whips up a Mango-Lime Meringue Pie sure to inspire cooks everywhere.