Cantaloupe Curls with Spiced Wine

When I was little, I used to be confused by the many words attributed to melon varieties. I could never remember (and am still occasionally vague) which cool, textured ball is the cantaloupe and which is the honeydew. Or, the "muskmelon", as my mom used to say.
My mother used to serve either honeydew or cantaloupe as dessert during summertime in our sunroom, windows open to catch the evening breeze. We ate our crescent-shaped slices with a combination of fork and knife, followed by spoon to catch all the remaining juices. Watermelon, on the other hand, seemed in a class by itself. Once sliced into requisite triangles and arranged on a platter, no reprimand ever resulted from grabbing it and running outside to eat it barefoot in the grass, juices streaming down the arms and chin.
This lovely summer recipe is a grown-up version of cantaloupe-as-dessert. I've adapted it from Gourmet magazine's August 2004 issue. The beauty of the presentation is simply the use of an ice cream scoop, to create long curls.

Simmer together in a 1-quart heavy saucepan:
1 cup dry red wine
2 tablespoons sugar
1 Turkish or California bay leaf
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 tablespoon pink peppercorns, crushed (optional)

Simmer until reduced to about 1/4 cup (10-15 minutes.) Remove from heat, and set saucepan in a bowl of ice and cold water. Discard the bay leaf.

Meanwhile, halve 2 ripe, chilled cantaloupes, discarding seeds. Use an ice cream scoop (not one with a lever) to scoop out curls and divide among four bowls along with juices. Just before serving, drizzle each serving with about 1 tablespoon of cooled spiced wine.
Note: Spiced wine can be made 1 week ahead and chilled in an airtight container.
Serves 4

Food Fact! A cantaloupe by any other name is still a cantaloupe. Cantaloupe refers to two varieties of muskmelon (Cucumis melo) a species in the family which includes nearly all melons and squashes. It is named reticulatus due to its net-like (or reticulated) skin covering. In Australia and New Zealand, it is called "rockmelon" due to the rock-like appearance of the skin of the fruit. A whole medium-sized cantaloupe is only about 188 calories.