Ponder the possibilities of pineapple

Native to South America, pineapples get their name from the Spanish word “piña,” meaning “pinecone.” Actually, it’s not one fruit, but a few hundred fruitlets fused together. Natives moved cultivation northward to other warm regions, and they were found by the same explorers who claimed the Americas back in 1492. Pineapple became a good keeping fruit source used by sailors who used it to battle scurvy. While Hawaii was once a big producer of the fruit, today the bulk of the world’s pineapples come from Southeast Asia, Thailand being the biggest producer.

When looking for a pineapple in your local megamart, it’s good to remember that the heavier they are relative to size, the better. Those will be riper. The ripening process stops when they’re picked, so they should smell fragrant if fresh, not musty or fermented.

Trim off the top using a sharp knife, being careful with the stiff, pointy leaves. Carefully trim the pineapple straight across the bottom to give you a flat base so it will stand up straight.

Steady the pineapple in an upright position, slice down the sides, cutting off not just the tough outer skin but also the inner spikes. Don’t worry if you don’t get all the dark stuff trimmed off in the first slice. Keep doing this all around the pineapple, following the natural contour. Once all the skin has been removed, you can now slice as desired.

To make rings: cut widthwise into slices. Then, use a cookie cutter to stamp out the inner core, which is rather fibrous and hard to eat. To make chunks: Slice lengthwise, around the core, to the thickness you want. Cut each piece lengthwise once more , and then finally dice crosswise to create chunks.

One thing to remember when using fresh pineapple in a recipe is that it contains an enzyme (bromelain) that causes it to react with meat and seafood, causing the surface proteins to turn mushy. Fresh pineapple in Jello will keep it from setting, because of the bromelain.

PINEAPPLE SHRIMP KABOBS

1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup olive oil

2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon thyme

1/4 teaspoon red pepper, crushed

2 cups pineapple chunks

1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 teaspoon cornstarch

Combine shrimp, lemon juice, oil, mustard, thyme and red pepper in shallow, non-metallic dish. Cover and let sit 15 minutes in refrigerator. Drain shrimp and reserve juice. Thread shrimp, pineapple, and bell peppers onto skewers. Broil kabobs 3-4 minutes on each side or until shrimp is pink and peppers are tender-crisp. Stir reserved juice and cornstarch in small saucepan until blended. Cook and stir until sauce boils and thickens. Serve sauce with kabobs.

PINEAPPLE PASTA SALAD

4 ounces uncooked bowtie pasta

4 tablespoons pineapple juice

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 teaspoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 cup fresh pineapple, cut in chunks

1 can mandarin oranges, drained

1 1/2 cups cooked chicken breast or turkey breast, chopped

1/2 cup thinly sliced celery

1/4 cup finely chopped green onions

Prepare pasta according to package directions; drain. In a large bowl, mix together juice, mayonnaise, sugar and curry. Add pasta, chunks, mandarins, chicken, celery and green onions to curry dressing; toss to coat evenly. Serve on lettuce-lined plate and garnish with shredded red cabbage, if desired.

HAWAIIAN BREAD

6 cups flour, divided

3 eggs

1 cup pineapple juice

1 cup water

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 packages yeast

1 stick butter

1/2 cup flour

Beat eggs; add pineapple juice, water, sugar, ginger, vanilla extract and melted butter. Put 3 cups of the flour in large mixing bowl. Add egg mixture and stir until well mixed. Sprinkle in yeast, 1 package at a time, mixing well. Gradually add remaining 3 cups of flour. Batter will be hard to mix with spoon. You may have to use your hands. Make sure it is mixed well. Leave batter in bowl and cover with cloth and place in warm place. Let rise for 1 hour. Remove from bowl and knead in the 1\2 cup flour. Knead about 10 times.

PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

3/4 cup butter, melted

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup pineapple juice

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sugar

3 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into rings

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush a bit of the butter on the inside of a round 9 inch cake pan. Mix 5 tablespoons butter with the brown sugar and 1/4 cup of the juice. Pour into the bottom of the cake pan. Arrange the rings flat on the sugar mixture. Set pan aside. In a bowl, mix together the flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder. Crack open the eggs and carefully put the yolks in one small bowl and the whites in a larger bowl. Beat the whites until just stiff. Beat the egg yolks until lighter yellow. Stir in the remaining pineapple juice, vanilla, and remaining melted butter. Add to the flour mixture. Fold in the egg whites. Pour batter over the pineapple rings. Bake until cake springs back when lightly touched, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Cover pan tightly with a serving dish and invert onto a serving plate so the pineapple side is up.