Freaky Fruit Salad

Instructions

• First, choose and prepare the fruits like so: A ripe star fruit will be golden yellow, it will yield a bit when you gently squeeze it, and it should be slightly fragrant. Wash thoroughly and cut, crosswise, into ¼ in. (0.5 cm) slices.

• Prickly pears are the fruit of a cactus plant and, therefore, are usually covered with tiny, nasty barbs that you won't notice until it's too late. Use gloves when handling them and avoid touching your face or lips - words of experience, believe me. The skin should be reddish, and the fruit should yield to a gentle squeeze. Wash well, then peel away the thick skin. Slice or cube the sweet, red, seed-studded flesh.

• Lychees are brown, cherry-sized fruits with a thick, dry skin. Peel them by cracking open the skin and slipping out the translucent white fruit. With your fingers, remove the shiny brown pit from the middle of each lychee. Cut the fruits in half, or leave whole. (If fresh lychees are unavailable, use drained canned ones instead - they come already peeled and pitted, and packed in a sugar syrup.)

• A pomegranate is an apple-sized reddish-green fruit with a prominent bump where the blossom used to be. The skin is thick and leathery, and the fruit should feel heavy for its size. Cut the pomegranate open with a knife, admire the beautiful interior, then break it apart with your hands and remove the bright red fleshy seeds (this is the edible part).

• Now that you have all your freaky fruits prepared, arrange them gorgeously on a platter or in a bowl. Don't toss before serving or you'll destroy your attractive design. Incredible or what?