Food Stuff

I love the tart flavor and juicy crunch of pomegranate seeds, even leaving aside how pretty they are. But honestly, peeling the darn things and getting at the actual seeds makes me feel a bit like I’ve been trapped in Hades, even without eating any. The process leaves my hands a dull, sticky purple, spatters my clothes with juice and inevitably crushes as many seeds as I extract. I was therefore quite delighted to find ready-to-use pomegranate seeds, in all their ruby-red glory, sold at Trader Joe’s in little packages. They’re ready to toss in an arugula salad with goat cheese for a colorful, seasonally appropriate addition to your holiday table. Float them in a pretty glass of champagne spiked with pomegranate juice for a festive variant on a mimosa or just sprinkle them on vanilla ice cream or a scoop of fruit sorbet. Like Persephone, I find them irresistible.