Gourmet Gde: Fruit

The definition of "fruit" depends on whether you are discussing fruit in a biological sense or in a culinary sense. In biology, it tends to mean the seed-containing structure of a plant, sweet or not. For food, it tends to refer to a sweet tasting plant product, usually associated with seeds. This book, A Gourmet's Guide To Fruit, clearly focuses on the latter, and includes rhubarb as a fruit (but mentions its reason for inclusion). It's an awkward-sized book, measuring 11" x 5" x .25", but rich with color and JUICE in its 120 pages. You will find the familiar (apples, cherries, oranges), the less familiar (kiwi, papaya, and lychee), and the uncommon (particularly in the US heartland): pomegranate, starfruit, guava, and durian. The first 79 pages discuss the varieties, characteristics, storing, buying, and preparation of these fruits. The final section is recipes, including starters (watercress and apple souffle, p. 87), main courses (curried fish in pineapple, p. 90), baked goods (blueberry muffins, p. 98), and (of course) deserts (exotic fruit brulee, p. 112). They look good! And we do need to encourage more fruits (and veggies) in our diet. Just watch the fats and sugars. This volume does not have any nutritional information listed for the recipes, so beware.