Salsa from New York?

Last week Annie and I were in the Hamptons for her birthday and discovered some of the best Mexican Food that we've had in New York. The Hideaway in Montauk is aptly name and only determined foodies will find it on their first try. But the Black Bean Mango Salsa is a great reward for those that do.

While chowing down on my favorite style of cuisine and overlooking the boats of Diamond Cove Marina, I was mentally dissecting the ingredients in the salsa in the hopes that I might be able to replicate the amazingness that was before me at a later date. It was the kind of salsa that the only reason you have a chip involved is to transport the salsa and its freshness from the bowl to your mouth. It was the kind of good that might cause me to say something as ridiculous as "You should just use spoon and saving on carbs by excluding the chip" as an excuse to get more salsa to my taste buds faster.

When I was home with my family in Texas this past weekend, I pulled out my notes and did my best to recreate the Hideaway's masterpiece and added a little bit of my own love.  And, if the same family that raised me with an overdeveloped sense of self esteem is to be believed, I did a pretty good replication.

Here is how to do it if you'd like to give it a shot yourself:

Black Bean Mango Salsa

1 can strained Black beans 1 Mango diced 1 bunch of fresh Cilantro, chopped 3 small red tomatoes Tomatoes, diced 1/2 White onion, diced

1/2 a fresh jalapeno, diced (my addition) 2 ears of Corn

1 avocado

Combine everything into a large bowl and mix it up. For the ears of corn, cut of the kernels using a parring knife and make sure their mostly separated. Immediately prior to serving, add the avocado. Salt and pepper to taste.  Best served with a hearty corn chip and not some flimsy east coast organic piece of cardboard.

This salsa may be from New York, but it has my Texas taste-buds' stamp of approval.