You've Been Cutting Avocados All Wrong

Fanned-out slices of perfectly green avocado wedges are a sight to behold, not to mention the golden ticket to a gorgeous Instagram. The trick to getting it right, surprisingly, is in the second cut. Go ahead and make that first incision from top to bottom; but then, rather than cutting back up the other side, rotate the fruit (yes, it's technically a fruit) a quarter-turn and make another top-to-bottom cut. Continue around the avocado until you've segmented it into quarters; if the avo is ripe, three of the quarters should fall away, leaving one piece with the pit attached. You'll be able to remove the pit with your hand, instead of attempting the feat with a knife, which, unless you're a chef, usually ends badly. Starting from the top, gently pull off the skin from each piece. Then slice to your liking (such as uber-thin, for the trendy avocado carpaccio we've been seeing everywhere lately).

While a thin slice of avocado almost melts on your tongue, diced pieces can have a texture similar to soft cheese, a welcome contrast to the crunchy romaine in salads such as this stunner. Ashley Blom, whose forthcoming book How to Eat a Lobster: And Other Edible Enigmas Explained covers avocados, says the best way to get neatly shaped avocado chunks is to first slice the fruit in half vertically, then go up the other side. Twist the two pieces apart, remove the pit (use a spoon to gently lever it out) and use a paring knife to score the flesh in a crosshatch pattern, cutting all the way down to but not through the skin. Then, turn the skin inside out and the chunks will fall out.

Mangoes and avocados have more in common than you might think -- in addition to being associated with the cuisines of warm, sunny climates, they're both ideally suited for peeling with a simple drinking glass. The trick of sliding a mango "cheek" down the side of a tall glass to separate the skin from the flesh, and letting the fruit drop into the vessel absolutely works for avocados, too, says Anna Helm Baxter, author of the new book, Salad in a Jar: Green & Gourmet Salads to Take and Shake on the Go. Just take a ripe avocado, cut it in half lengthwise, remove the pit using the spoon technique mentioned earlier and slide each half down the glass, allowing the flesh to fall into the glass. The avo might lose its shape as it lands, so this method is best for when you want to mash the flesh, such as for guacamole or salad dressing.