How to cut a pineapple, "Malaysian Style"

The pineapple, with all its spiky, rough & tough exterior actually masks a delicious, juicy interior for all who venture to try it!

But how do you get at the flesh inside?? How do you cut it??

• One way --- is to hold it by its crown (you may need to use an oven glove/dish towel, to avoid cuts from its spiky leaves) and just slice thickly the outer skin. Then you have the 'eyes'. You could slice until the eyes are gone, but so is the flesh!! Nothing much left to eat, then!!

• We (my mom, fruit sellers,...), normally will slice diagonally and remove a few 'eye' at a time. keep turning the pineapple around in one hand. This keeps as much as the flesh intact and makes a lovely design once you finish!!
  
  You can cut it into rounds or lengthwise. If lengthwise, you can slice off the hard stem.
  
  
  
  
  



• Martha's way : I saw on Martha Stewart's Show a 'strange' way (to us Malaysians-lah!) of removing the eye's. She just digs out the eyes using a small melon-baller (you know, the one used to scoop watermelon flesh into small balls). Left unsightly holes in the pineapple... However, slice the pineapple into thin (as thin as possible) round slices and BAKE IT (yes!) until its dry & crispy and... Voila! you have lovely delicate pineapple flowers. She used it to top small cupcakes using the Hummingbird recipe (a banana & pineapple cake).

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/dried-pineapple-flowers?lnc=5a79cf380e1dd010VgnVCM1000005b09a00aRCRD&rsc=recipecontent_food