Shredded coconut, or cocoanut as it was spelled at the turn of the 20th century, was never one my favorites growing up. I do not like it to this day — certainly not by itself. Those little shredded flakes used to decorate many a cake — applied like a pianist finishing a masterful performance. I wished my mom had not used them, but I did not scrape them off. I did learn to tolerate some things.