Cooks Go Cuckoo for Avocados
2 Comments | Written on April 4, 2012 at 1:00 pm, by Lesley Kennedy
iStock
Here’s a question worthy of the old Family Feud: “Name something you make with avocados.” No doubt, the winner-take-all answer would be: guacamole!
But what about cheesecake? Pudding? Or even…cocktails!?
Anyone who loves avocados but who’s had their fill of guac can no doubt find some wild inspiration from the participants in the third-annual Avocado Takedown contest held in Houston last weekend. As the Today show reports, there was nary a spoonful of guacamole to be found among all the entries.
“Avocados are wicked versatile, because they can be the vehicle or the front-and-center, or you can infuse with them and create any number of baked goods, desserts, whatever,” Matt Timms, founder of the national Takedowns, a series of themes amateur-cooking competitions, tells Today. “They’re subtle, so you can sneak [them] in to replace mayonnaise or butter, or hit people with its flavor in guacamoles and salads.”
First place went to Michelle Ramsey, who won for an avocado cheesecake topped with a mango whipped cream and lime reduction.
She had us at cheesecake.
The Takedown website lists Mike Ray as runner-up for his Sonoro-cado Pies, Dan Cutts as second runner-up for an avocado mint ice cream with candied bacon and Pat Grier won honorable mention for a raw avocado chocolate pudding with raw avocado salsa.
Other entries included avocado-wrapped bacon, avocado mousse in a pecan pie crust, avocado banana bread and avocado cannolis.
“They’re just so tasty,” Amy Ponterella tells Today, enthusing about the fruit (she and a partner entered fried avocado tacos). “Throughout my entire pregnancy, I was eating avocadoes with salt and pepper.”
But we don’t need the excuse of pregnancy cravings to do that, do we? And, come to think of it, a nice bowl of guacamole does sound good right about now.
What’s weird, wild and new in the world of food? Check out all the latest food news!
Categories:
Food News | Tags: appetizers, Avocados, Dips and Spreads, Guacamole, Mexican Cuisine
2 Comments | Post Your Comment
2 Responses to “Cooks Go Cuckoo for Avocados”
couldn’t find a place to check the recipe, but avocado-wrapped bacon just doesn’t make sense. I can understand bacon-wrapped avocado — will you please post the recipe?
Thanks,
J
Almost any salad, green or pasta, is good with avocado. I wish they weren’t so expensive so we could eat them more but at nearly $2 each it’s hard to incorporate them into our diet regularly.