Pretty treats are tasty treats, right? » Four easy-to-make recipes to perk up dragon fruit Morgan Hannah Life & Style Editor ’ve always wondered just what exactly was going through the mind of the first person to come across a dragon fruit and decide they were going to eat it. Did they just find this prickly, pink and green baseball of a fruit, rip it open to expose its zebra-coloured flesh, and say, “Yeah, I’m going to eat that,” or was it a more cautious approach? These fantastical-looking exotic cactus fruits originate from Central and South America and nowadays are largely grown in Southeast Asia, according to Serious Eats. My introduction to dragon fruit, also known as pitaya or the strawberry pear, was a less-than-stellar experience, but not because it didn’t taste good—rather, it didn’t taste like anything. This bizarre, white and black, kiwi-textured fruit was flavourless. Since then, I’ve now learned that I may have had a not-yet-ripe first contact, as ripe dragon fruit has a bright pink or yellow exterior, brown soft spikes, and a fresh scent much like tropical fruits. When giving the cactus fruit a squeeze, it should be soft but not squishy and have no mushy spots on the skin. Even ripe however, the dragon fruit just has no distinct flavour on its own, disappointing my palate but not my eyes. I’m presenting four easy-to-make recipes to perk up dragon fruit, because this is something you never thought you needed until now: Dragon fruit salsa with cilantro * 1cup dragon fruit, cubed (approximately 1 large or 2 small) * 1green onion, chopped * 5 stems cilantro, chopped * 1 teaspoon lemon or lime juice Bet youd never think up this savoury recipe for fruit. I sure didn't, but after finding and trying this simple salsa recipe with some corn chips, I caught myself thinking about adding it to soft shell pork tacos. Talk about yum! Dragon fruit and goji berry smoothie - dragon fruit * banana - frozen raspberries * unsweetened almond milk * goji berries * coconut shavings If you like odd-looking, exotic fruits filled with antioxidants and vitamin C, then try this sweet, beautifully dark pink smoothie. I just eyeballed the ingredients and threw them all into a blender. Five minutes, five ingredients. Make sure to start off with less milk than you think you'd need—you can always add more later. Dragon fruit jam - dragon fruit flesh, scooped * 2 teaspoons sugar * 1 teaspoon lemon juice Jam is such an easy, versatile condiment. I love to cook with it, make almond butter and jam sandwiches, and add it to a simple plate of cheese, meat, and crackers. Why not try this vibrant, magenta dragon fruit jam! Using a thick-bottomed non- stick pan, combine the dragon fruit pulp and sugar. Cook on medium heat and simmer until the pulp has a thick, jam-like consistency. Stir occasionally for about 20 to 25 minutes. Once it has begun to thicken, add lemon juice and stir well for about a minute. Remove the jam from the heat and allow it to cool in a jar. Dark chocolate dragon fruit coconut bars * 2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut + 1/2 cup dragon fruit cubes + 2 tablespoons maple syrup = 1/2 teaspoon sea salt * 2to 3 ounces dark chocolate (70 to 72 percent), chopped Like a Bounty bar, but with dragon fruit and maple syrup, this sweet and easily assembled snack is so good! Using a food processor, blend together the coconut, dragon fruit, maple syrup, and salt, then roll the dough into small balls or bars and Illustration by Cara Seccafien cover with plastic on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Put into the fridge for several hours. In a double boiler over low heat, melt the chopped chocolate. Using a fork, lower the refrigerated balls/bars into the melted chocolate, completely covering them in chocolate, then place them back onto the baking sheet to cool. If none of these dragon fruit pick- me-ups is your thing, try grilling the fruit alongside some pineapple by throwing a dash of chili powder on ’em and sticking ‘em ona skewer! Or you know, just don’t eat a fruit you obviously don't like after having tried it four other ways. Pour Boy: How to be your best bitter self » Embracing the convoluted world of cocktail bitters Jacey Gibb Distribution Manager long ago accepted the strangeness of cocktail bitters—how commonly they’re used, and yet how little people actually know about them. I myself owned two bottles of cocktail bitters before knowing what they were, but those iconic-shaped bottles are a cornerstone to many delicious cocktails. First off, bitters are highly concentrated extracts from various fruits, flowers, roots, herbs, or any combination of them. Bitters are strongly flavoured, so most recipes will only call for a few “dashes” or drops. Some bottles even come with an eyedropper for exact precision. Even with just a few drops, bitters can shape the taste of a cocktail. Bitters have been having a moment these last few years, so the market is overflowing with flavours to choose from. Cherry, apple, turmeric, lavender, ginger, maple, apricot, pear—if it’s a fruit, spice, or herb, then there's a bitters version of it. Most kitchen-centric stores will have a shelf brimming with various types of bitters, but relax: Most cocktail recipes call for the same kind, known as aromatic bitters. While it might be tempting to load up on bitters, there are a few things to keep in mind. For one, a bottle of bitters lasts a long time. As in, I’ve never successfully finished a bottle of them. Bitters come in relatively small containers, but since you'll never use more than a few drops at a time, they'll be around for years. On a related note, the cocktail community doesn’t appear to have a consensus on whether bitters ever expire. Some websites suggest bitters have a shelf life of five years, but I’ve had some aromatic bitters for almost a decade and my Old Fashioneds still slay, so I don’t know what to tell you. Another aspect to consider when assembling your arsenal of cocktail bitters is space. Space is a finite resource when living in the Lower Mainland, and if youre fortunate enough to have a dedicated area for your home bar, it’s likely already full of booze, drinkware, and other cocktail accessories. Cruising the bitters section can feel like being a kid in a concentrated extracts store, but limit yourself to just a few—I'm talking two, maybe three if you're counting the aromatic bitters. This will prevent your shelves from being overrun with niche bitters that only work in specific cocktails. The final reason to limit your bitters inventory is simply cost. Bitters ain’t cheap, usually running north of $15 for a small 200-mL bottle, and even though they'll last forever, there are more important things to burn your money on when it comes to setting up a home bar. Now that you know more about the mysterious cocktail bitters, it’s time to actually use them. Some well- known cocktails that call for bitters are Manhattans, Old Fashioneds, or Vodka Sours, but bitters can also be used to punch up any original creation. Pick your favourite liquor-and-base combo and see how adding a few dashes of bitters can change the flavours. Just remember to start with only a few drops; you can always add more, but you can't add less. You can even cut out the middleman and mix a liquor-and-bitters- only beverage. If it tastes good, then there’s truly no wrong way to use bitters. Give cocktail bitters the credit they deserve. They're a fun, easy, and effective way to drastically shape the flavour of any cocktail, and it’s about time the world knew about it.