Pineapple with salt and pepper.

Growing up my dad hated us eating sweets, my parents worked really hard, dad for london underground and mum for royal mail. Both are very proud of working for them .They worked very hard always picking the shifts whereby one parent was always home when we finished school.I can honestly say I never came home from school to an empty house. someone was always preparing a meal.

When my dad was on lates at the weekend I was allowed to stay up a bit later. I loved it ,he always came back with his idea of sweeties and treats; a ripe mango, lychees, custard apples, tamarind in the pod, papaya , melon, coconut, always wrapped in newspaper ,later it was brown paper bags.

My absolute favourite treat was pineapple.I loved the the preparation,somehow this prickly looking thing turned into the most beautiful fruit.I 'm sure you all know how to prepare a pineapple,but i'm sure many of you have never had it sprinkled with salt and a fresh grinding of black pepper.

Next time you have a really juicy ripe (it must be ripe) pineapple try it like this,salty, savoury, flavoursome and sweet.So, next time that child of yours wants some sweets try and change their perception of what a sweet is.Its worked for my brother and myself and both my children have been bought up thinking fruit was a sweet.Of course, it hasnt stopped them eating sweets but they are quite happy to forgo them and eat fruit instead.