Bitter by myautofocuslife

Bitter

Lucretius: "What is food to one man is bitter poison to others."

So true, I think. This is bitter gourd. I don't like it. But The Husband and The Kid do, so I cook it sometimes. But as much as I avoid having to eat bitter gourd, I do like cooking it. Weird, much? I guess it's because it's very easy to stir-fry.

Just cut, scoop out the spongy mass, slice thinly. Rub in salt, leave for 5-10 minutes, wash. Heat the wok, add oil. Throw in sliced garlic and shallots, add marinated minced pork, stir around, add the bitter gourd slices. Stir, add a dash of sesame oil, some stock, cover. A minute or two later, stir, add a spoonful of black pepper sauce, mix. Turn off the fire and serve.

I like cooking it. I just don't like eating it. 8D
Absolutely beautiful DOF here. I cannot achieve it this perfectly. (And I've tried!) I don't think that I'm having much fun lately, Livia. Withdrawal from auto is hard. Bitter. Hmmm . . I know that I prefer bitter and salty to sugar. But maybe not this gourd tho. Is it anything like eggplant? No, probably not. I love eggplant. Sounds like this is easy to cook tho. :)
January 29th, 2012  
Love the focus! This is a FAV! I managed to condition my girls to eating stir fried bitter gourd and they love it! I usually add beaten egg just after turning off the fire. The egg absorbs whatever bitterness is left so the kids can eat it without qualms ;)
January 29th, 2012  
Lovely macro. The focus is spot-on & the vibrant colour makes a very eye-catching shot.
January 29th, 2012  
Fantastic DOF Livia! Perfectly composed.
January 29th, 2012  
Very textured shot, lovely, great focus.
January 29th, 2012  
Jo
I've never tried it but it applies to all sorts of tastes doesn't it. I can't eat spicy food but the smell is just fabulous!

Lovely shot, the DoF works well.
January 29th, 2012  
oh, heavens, this bitter gourd. it looks a lot more bitter than my experiences in life. good thing i don't have to eat it now. aaaargh!

love the angle. pretty neat shot.
January 29th, 2012  
As said before me, the DOF works great for this shot. This also makes you see a normal object in a different manner.
January 29th, 2012  
Lovely pic.
January 29th, 2012  
Fab angle and DOF, also love the delicately pretty colours. I will have to try the flavours, I love trying new foods, but haven't 'done' this one yet.
January 29th, 2012  
I have never cooked it or eaten it but sounds interesting. Thanks for the recipe and cool shot!
January 29th, 2012  
Interesting! Lovely color and texture!!! Good work!
January 29th, 2012  
You have a great eye, Livia!
January 29th, 2012  
Wonderful photo. I will skip eating bitter gourd!
January 29th, 2012  
Great focus and wonderful colors, yummy and fresh textures too :)
January 29th, 2012  
Really pretty and interesting shot. I don't think ive ever seen this gourd before but it sounds different!
January 29th, 2012  
Love the DOF...sounds interesting to eat. I have never tried any goud. Photo is great though!
January 29th, 2012  
Very unique photo! love the close up shot!
January 29th, 2012  
The graphic qualities of the seeds and their holes combined with the wonderful perspective really makes this image a fav ;-)
January 29th, 2012  
I love this! And while I've seen, and possibly eaten it(?) I never knew what it was called, so thank you!
January 29th, 2012  
nice thinking
January 29th, 2012  
excellent dof!
January 29th, 2012  
Nice focus and dof. I've never heard of eating bitter gourd. I've grown gourds but I've never knew they could be eaten. I'll have to look into this. I like to try new foods.
January 29th, 2012  
Your focus is so good, love the texture detail and colour. Cooking lesson is a nice touch.
January 29th, 2012  
wow amazing shot, and i don't think i would like it either because it is bitter.
January 29th, 2012  
Loving the focus!
January 30th, 2012  
Love the focus and DOF, I would never have guessed what it was!
January 30th, 2012  
amazing photo
January 30th, 2012  
The gourg looks so strange. Wonderful DOF.
January 30th, 2012  
I agree, I don't care for bitter gourd. But the photo is amazing.
January 30th, 2012  
Great focus
January 30th, 2012  
I really like the focus...I didn't know anyone ate gourds!
January 30th, 2012  
Like the epicurian quote and macro
January 30th, 2012  
Love your shot and I think I would like it.
January 30th, 2012  
cool shot - never would have guessed what it is
January 30th, 2012  
Never hear of gourd but you pic of it is marvelous.And you do cook it ,but don`t like . That`s true love.
Thank you very much for you so kind comment and being patient
January 30th, 2012  
sounds great
January 30th, 2012  
Beautiful shot. Love the perspective. Seems to be delicious, but who knows maybe if I taste it I wouldn't like it.
January 30th, 2012  
Beautiful photo.
what does it taste like?
January 30th, 2012  
@monika64 Tastes... bitter. But also crunchy. Actually, rubbing salt on the bitter gourd and then washing it off before cooking it helps reduce the bitterness. If the bitter gourd is less green and more pale on the outside, it's an indication of less bitterness too. 8)
January 30th, 2012  
@karenann Nope, it doesn't taste like eggplant. (I love eggplant too. 8D ) If you don't overcook bitter gourd, it's bitter and crunchy. Mixing it with salt and then washing the salt off the bitter gourd before cooking reduces the bitterness as well. Choose really green and young bitter gourd for more bitterness, more pale and older ones for less bitterness.
January 30th, 2012  
Absolutely cool shot. Nicely done.
January 30th, 2012  
An abstract bitter gourd! Good idea.
January 30th, 2012  
Cool interesting shot...never tried a bitter gourd before..It looks juicy and sweet..looks are deceiving!
January 30th, 2012  
Amazing focus Livia! Beautiful abstract for me:)
January 30th, 2012  
Never tried bitter gourd but it sounds delicious with all the ingredients you add. However ... great shot and maybe I'll give it a try one day :)
January 30th, 2012  
Wonderful colors and POV! love the focus as well :D
January 30th, 2012  
Great shot! Lovely colours and pov!
January 30th, 2012  
You're good at photographing it, too. Cool shot!!
January 30th, 2012  
cool shot!
January 30th, 2012  
well done......i like your POV on it
January 30th, 2012  
wonderful focus here!! awesome shot!
January 30th, 2012  
Lovely composition, focus and DOF. Never had that (Lucretius) before
January 30th, 2012  
very pretty! stunning focus
January 30th, 2012  
Very nice DOF!
January 31st, 2012  
Fabulous dof and lovely colour as well:)
January 31st, 2012  
awesome focus and recipe...I love to watch sushi being made and could look at it for hours, but never would it pass my lips!
January 31st, 2012  
A big, sweet, tasty "THANK YOU!" to everyone! Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by. I read every comment, I appreciate all your feedback. I'm still not crazy about bitter gourd but, if you don't mind your food on the bitter side, give it a shot when the chance comes up. You might like it. It can be stir-fried or added to soup (when the soup is almost done).

Again, thank you so much!
January 31st, 2012  
Stunning angle and focus!
January 31st, 2012  
wow, fabulous colour :) but I really don't like bitter gourd! urgh!
February 1st, 2012  
Beautiful capture Livia! Just gorgeous! Never heard of it before!
February 1st, 2012  
great macro, I've never tried it but anything with bitter in the title makes me suspicious
February 1st, 2012  
I like your perspective on this.
February 2nd, 2012  
Wonderful shot, but it really doesn't look very appetizing!
February 2nd, 2012  
Awesome shot! Thanks for the follow, too!
February 3rd, 2012  
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