Bitter or sweet, it’s all a matter of perspective, isn’t it? It was an accident. The gourds (aka bitter melons) were lying on the counter for longer than intended. Blame it on inertia or lack of inspiration, the lush green beauties sat there placidly peering back at me every morning as I poured my morning […]
melons
Braised Pork Ribs with Black Beans and Bitter Melon
Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet. ~ Jean-Jacques Rousseau Bitter melon, also called bitter gourd, is a green-colored, tropical fruit with a waxy skin. Its slightly bitter taste can be discouraging to some but recipes usually include ingredients and sauces to offset the sharpness, resulting in a rather unique taste. Recently an old friend, J, mentioned […]
Winter Melon 冬瓜 Soup
These pale-fleshed, spongy gourds are commonly eaten during winter. Low in calories, it has a mild and refreshing taste. A week ago, the Asian supermarket was selling 2-lb slices at incredibly reasonable prices, despite being an unusual crop for this time of year. I was recovering from a bout of ‘heatiness'(阳 yang); this ‘cooling'(阴 yin) […]