In Praise of the Naked Avocado

I recently read a recipe for deviled eggs that included avocado. What a breakthrough! I’ve always loved deviled eggs anyway and the avocado is the fruit of the gods so what could be more natural? If you have a good recipe for deviled eggs, don’t change anything, just mash up an avocado and mix it in with the yolks (and your other usual embellishments) and prepare for a culinary delight. It even makes them look better! Of course, although I’m not really up on the scientific underpinnings here (the current concern about good and bad fats, you know), you might as well stab yourself in the heart with a stake of pure cholesterol. But, oh well…

Further to the above, you should take the time to behold the avocado all by itself. What ambrosia in a rough and tumble wrapping! I’m not sure about this but I probably, like everybody else, got acquainted with the avocado not by the beast itself but by a byproduct thereof, namely guacamole. Scooped with chips; on burgers and in sandwiches; guacamole soared nearly to the top of my taste preferences. The fresh, pure, meat of the matter itself came later in salads but, even then, its basic perfection was hidden by various oils and dressings. After that, to be vulgar and basic, all it took was a paring knife to cut the Haas in half, a quick flip of the point to eject the seed and a spoon to greedily scoop the yellow-green ambrosia down the gullet. Ahhh, yes…like immersing ones taste buds in the warm waters of the Gulf of…well, any warm, soft gulf will do. Spiky hair and cool shades complete the picture…