Avocado Cravings
Once in a while my body screams for luscious, creamy avocados. Not the large Florida alligator pears, watery and dense, but delicious, buttery Haas avocados with rugged and bumpy exteriors and rich, velvety flesh. Having grown up in Latin America, where these delicious fruits thrive (yes, avocados are fruits and not vegetables), I am very particular about avocados. I like to purchase avocados when they are not yet ripe, their flesh hard to the touch and unyielding to my fingers. When I bring them home, I prefer to leave them at room temperature and allow them to ripen slowly. In the case of avocados, trust me, patience works marvels. As an avocado ripens, magic happens inside, as their hard interiors begin their transformation into buttery and nutty flesh. Placing them inside a paper bag will hasten the ripening process but avocados do best when allowed to mature at their own pace, as do their tropical cousins, the bananas.
My biggest pet-peeve is purchasing what looks and feels like a gorgeous avocado, then driving home to prepare it and find it brown and bruised on the inside (a sure sign that it has been chilled during shipping, and thus irretrievably ruined). You see, avocados should not be chilled until they are perfectly ripe and softened, and at most for a couple of days only. They are not inexpensive, either (at least in North Carolina where I live) therefore, it pains me doubly when I find that my beautiful avocados are ruined before I even brought them home. I ask you to refuse to purchase avocados that feel cool to the touch and to let your produce managers know when you suspect them of refrigerating them. I have found that some store managers are more open to suggestions than others; I don't have to tell you that I shop accordingly.
An avocado is ripe when it feels slightly soft to the touch. Hold it in the palm of your hand and give it a gentle squeeze; if it yields a little, it is ready. I also have a simple trick that I will share with you: If you pull gently on the little stem at the top of the avocado and it refuses to come off, it is not ripe enough; if however, it comes of easily and you can see a green mark where it once stood, your avocado is most probably right to consume, as long as its flesh yields to your touch.
There are many wonderful culinary uses for avocados. They are wonderful stuffed into sandwiches (picture a panini with provolone, avocado, piquillo peppers and a touch of mayonnaise), and are delicious in soups, salads and mousse concoctions. They resist heat, although they will lose some flavor in the cooking process. The most exquisite way of enjoying the true, unadulterated flavor of an avocado is to use it in place of butter, spread thickly onto a slice of warm, crusty bread, with a light sprinkling of "sel gris" or sea salt.
Of course, it's most popular culinary use is in guacamole, of which there are as many recipes as there are cooks. Today, my craving is for the simplest of all guacamole concoctions. I hope you enjoy my simple version as much as I did--simply wrapped in warm, corn tortillas. Happy avocado craving!
Easy Guacamole
2 perfectly ripened Haas avocados
3 tablespoons minced, yellow onion
2 serrano chiles, minced (seeded and deveined for less heat)
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro (leaves and stems)
Lime juice to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
In a bowl, mash the avocados, leaving some small chunks. Stir in the onion, serrano chiles and cilantro. Season liberally with lime juice, salt and pepper to taste. Serve with warm corn tortillas or crunchy tortilla chips.
Tip: If you are not eating the guacamole immediately, cover it with plastic wrap (make sure it covers the surface of the guacamole, touching it, to form a "skin") and refrigerate for up to 2 hours.
Yield: 1 1/2 cups.
Copyright© Sandra Gutierrez, 2008; All Rights Reserved.
Recent Comments