Cooking Basics

When was the last time you bought and used a fresh coconut? If you've never had the opportunity to taste a fresh coconut, you're really missing out on an incredible taste sensation. Fresh coconut tastes much better than the dehydrated, prepackaged version. Of course, getting to the heart of that sweet coconut meat can be tricky, but here are some tips that can help you takle the task with ease:

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Look for the three "eyes" located at the stem end of the coconut. Test each one to find the softest eye; use an ice pick and a hammer to pierce the eye. Drain the juice from the eye into a glass bowl through a fine sieve. Reserve the juice for using, if desired.
• Tap the coconut with a hammer until a palm-size piece breaks off the coconut. Continue tapping the coconut around the broken edge of the shell until it begins to break (it should spiral off following a natural fault line in the shell). Place the coconut on a baking sheet, and bake for about 10 minutes to loosen the flesh from the shell.
• Remove the coconut from the oven, and allow it to cool enough to handle. Pry out the coconut flesh with a sharp knife. With a potato peeler, remove any remaining brown skin. You can either grate the coconut flesh or slice it on a mandoline for thin strips. You can use the grated or sliced coconuts as a garnish on top of cakes. To make coconut milk, soak the grated coconut in whole milk for a few minutes, strain the milk through the cheesecloth and use the coconut milk as desired.