Pomegranates are the perfect snack for the times when you’re not really hungry but want something to do. For example, I frequently eat pomegranate seeds while watching the Biggest Loser to combat the strong urge that show inevitably gives me to eat. When I first picked up my pomegranate habit, I experimented with a lot of different ways of cutting into it. It’s not good to cut right through a pomegranate because a lot of the seeds will pop and their juice causes stains. I have a perpetual urge to do things as efficiently as possible, and I think my final technique fits the bill.
First, slice off the very crown of the pomegranate. The crown is the part that has little fuzzy things in it. You want to cut enough off that you can see the pomegranate seeds, but not so much that you cut into many of the seeds. Looking at this cross-section, you can see that the pomegranate is divided into a few sections by a white membrane.
Then, use your knife to cut out the white bit of membrane at the center of the pomegranate. It’s not very big, so be careful not to cut down too far. You should then identify the section of pomegranate you want to cut out first and score the top of the pomegranate along those membranes. Continue scoring the outside of the pomegranate where the membrane would meet the pomegranate’s skin.
Put your thumb at the top of the pomegranate and carefully pull the scored section away from the main pomegranate. Don’t squeeze it too tightly or you will burst some of the seeds. The dark, ruby red seeds are like beautiful jewels. I never fail to appreciate their beauty. Continue scoring along the membranes and pulling sections of pomegranate away. You will notice that, in addition to the vertical sections, there is one section of seeds at the bottom of the pomegranate as well.
Have a great time with your healthy snack, and try not to make any stains!
To make these pastries, defrost some frozen puff pastry dough and preheat your oven to 400°F. Also cook a butternut squash (refer to my post on 
Pile some of the squash onto half of a puff pastry square, but make sure to keep the squash away from the edges so it is easier to seal the pastry later.
Spoon some onions and sage on top of the squash.
Then, fold the pastry in half and crimp the edges with a fork.
Scramble an egg in a side bowl and brush it over the pastries. Also poke a fork into the top of the pastries to let steam out while they bake. It really doesn’t matter how ugly or oozy your folded pastries look…
…because they’ll end up looking beautiful anyway!! Bake your pastries for 15 minutes until they are golden brown. These pastries are so fun and fancy and delicious, I just know they’ll be a hit!
To make this risotto, first prepare your butternut squash. You can either bake or steam it until it turns fork tender. I steamed mine in the microwave. To do so, cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Lay the halves face down in a microwave-safe dish, add a little water to the dish, and cover it with saran wrap. Microwave the squash for about 15 minutes until it is tender (if your squash is smaller, check it after 10 minutes). 
Then, soften a diced onion and some minced garlic in olive oil in a heavy pot. In the meantime, heat 1 quart of stock (chicken or vegetable) in a pot with some thyme and rosemary. When the onion is soft, add 1 cup of arborio rice to the pot and stir it around to coat it in the olive oil. 1 cup of rice yields at least 3 servings. Add 1/2 cup of beer (I used Blue Moon) and stir it around until it’s mostly absorbed by the rice.
Once the beer is absorbed, add 2 ladles of stock to the risotto and stir it frequently (if not constantly) until it’s mostly absorbed. Repeat the process of adding 2 ladles of stock and stirring until most of the stock is used up.
This is how dry I let the rice get before I add more stock.
Before you add in the last ladle of stock, drop your raw shrimp into the risotto. Add the stock and stir until it is mostly absorbed but still looser than you would want the risotto to be when you serve it. Turn off the heat. 
Then, mix in half of the butternut squash, salt, pepper, the zest from 1/2 orange, 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese, and 1 teaspoon of sugar to cut through the zest’s acidity. 
Your risotto is ready to serve. Put some on a plate and add more parmesan cheese to the top. Every bite of this risotto was so delicious. I love how refreshing the orange is. In addition to loving this meal, I hope you feel deep satisfaction when your risotto spreads perfectly on your plate. Yummm.