| REGISTER TO WIN | |
 |
Coconuts hide among the fruits at the supermarket
They don’t show off by being on sale, but luckily they are relatively inexpensive. They don’t come in several fancy species (there’s only one type of coconut from the Cocos nucifera tree). They offer good nutrition, and they are easy to use in everything from macaroons (stay tuned) to creative cocktails.
And they’re just plain fun. For instance, the “coco” in coconut refers to the monkey-like face that the three indentations form.
But first things first — you’ll want to go to howtoopenacoconut.com (with visuals from start to finish) for a look at cracking open the coconut to get at the “water.” Let’s be clear: Coconuts do not contain coconut “milk.”
The coconut meat stays for two to seven days in the fridge, one to three months in the freezer and if you shred and dehydrate it, a whopping six to 12 months in the pantry. Just as in life, there’s nothing like the real thing — if you can get ahold of a fresh coconut, try that in lieu of the packaged variety, especially when unsweetened coconut is called for in a recipe.
Once you have the meat, turn to homecooking.about.com and search for coconut treats such as Atkins Coconut Layer Cake, Homemade Coconut Milk and Easy Caramel Pecan Bars.
Want a recipe for the world’s best (and easiest) macaroons? This one is on us: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut and 2 egg whites until a uniform and sticky mess. Form small clusters on a silicone baking mat or parchment paper and bake 20 minutes, or until tops are crispy brown. Serve immediately and eat all of them.
And here’s more:
1. Order a painted (and personalized one at that) coconut cup from www.coconutgreetings .com.
2. Not a food spot, but one about tropical travel where coconuts rule, try www.coco nut.com. You’ll also find a coconut blog.
3. Lots of health claims are made about coconut oil and other coconut products. But beware of any site that makes such claims.
4. In northern India, coconuts are fertility symbols from the “tree of life.” Find out more about “coconuts lore” at www.homecooking.about.com.
5. Like hearts of palm in your salad? They come from the same tree as the coconut. Find out more about the tree, the fruits and who leads the world in production (hint: Indonesia) at the user-generated online encyclopedia, www.en.wiki pedia.org/wiki/coconut.
Join the discussion
Share your observations and experiences about news. Lively, open debate is the goal, but please refrain from personal attacks or comments that are racist, vulgar or otherwise inappropriate. If you see an inappropriate comment, please click the "Report as violation" link to notify a KansasCity.com editor. Thanks for your feedback.