Frog Eye Salad...wait, don't go!

The very first time I was introduced to Frog Eye Salad, I had the same reaction.

Also known as Frog's Eye Salad. Frog what? Eyes? No thank you.

Alas, not a frog one was harmed in the making of this Instructable.

Tiny little pieces of pasta, somewhat comparable to tapioca, plenty of
whipped topping, Summertime fruits and tropical surprises are hiding
in this light and fruity 'salad'.

Acini Di Pepe is said to be Italian for 'peppercorns'. Alas, I am not Italian, and cannot confirm.

You might compare this dessert to something along the lines of a
Watergate Salad, only without nuts and pudding. Watergate Salad has
been around longer than most of us. As a child, just the thought of
canned pineapple made me cringe, because it meant Mom was fixing
coleslaw. Suffice it to say I would agree to suffer before I voluntarily ate
such a thing.

With a grown-up palate, and a bit of a twist on the recipe, I'm giving it
another shot. Thank you, Mary Whitt, for introducing me to this recipe more
than twenty years ago.

For a fun twist, be sure to check out fellow member Mygibzone's Instructable:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Frog-Egg-Pudding/

I love it!

Step 1: Help! I can't find Acini Di Pepe!

Can't find this pasta in your area? Don't fret. You aren't alone.
But no need to worry, we have other options.

Acini Di Pepe is sold by several companies. Oddly, you may find it by one
name brand with holes in the middle of it. Another is the standard whole, yet
tiny pasta with which I am familiar. I was not happy to find the only Acini in
our area had holes in it, but trust me, once it is cooked, you'll never know.
Your tongue isn't going to detect that teeny little hole.

Here are a few companies that produce Acini or similar pasta:

RONZONI - PASTINA 12 oz. box

ANNA
ARCHER FARMS (*Organic)
CASA VISCONTI
COLAVITA
CORA
CREAMETTE
DaVINCI
DeCECCO
DeLALLO
DELVERDE
DiVELLA
FARABELLA
GIUSEPPE
MARKET BASKET
PRINCE
PRIMO
PRIVATE SELECTION
RAVARINO & FRESCHI
SAN GIORGIO
VERONA
WEGMANS

Don't give up. It is out there. Somewhere.

Comments

[katvanlew]

I used to make this for big family dinners and pot-lucks but we didn't put any marshmallows in it. It is delicious!

[Treasure Tabby]

Interesting. My mom would probably love this. Coincidently my mom uses this pasta type in her soup so little star shaped pasta would go nicely as well I would imagine. :)

[WUVIE]

Hi Tabby,

I just love little pasta! Anything small would work wonderful in this dessert. It is great in soups, too. :-)

[jessyratfink]

Sounds crazy but looks amazing. :D

[WUVIE]

Hi Jessy, thank you! It is yummy, and so light. Even for breakfast, it is fruity and not too filling. :-)

[canucksgirl]

Oh the humanity!!! Beaten eggs in Frog Eye Salad???

Just kidding... Nice ible, and very entertaining read. :P

[WUVIE]

Hi Canucks! Good to see you again! Thank you!