Dare We Alter Alton's AVOCADOS?

     Food porn need not be strictly a visual phenomenon. I am often seduced by the very sound of food words, even if they are naked from description: noooodles, sizzzzling, cheddar, dumpling, vindaloo, lemon-lime, chocolate. (Consider, for instance, the highly suggestive power of the word 'curry'.)
          So Trina was talking about avocados, a sensual fruit indeed. Trina's report: "Alton Brown from The Food Network just did a show on avocados. He made an avocado butter..." and she went on to describe it.
          I was baited; my imagination was lit. "We're making it right now," I told her. "You're going to the store."

          After all, I reasoned, it was her idea.

          Now then, People. Back to the power of suggestion. If these words turn you on, do proceed: *avocado*garlic*lemon*cilantro*spices*....

RECIPE B-R-E-A-K-D-O-W-N

We whipped up Alton's recipe for Avocado Compound Butter, following it exactly. "Not bad," Trina said. "Yeah it's, y'know, pretty good..."

But it wanted some playing with. We wanted to be dazzled. A bit of spice just might accomplish that.

"Let's do it, Trina. Let's play with this."

She nodded and reached for the notebook.

Giddyup.

We then cooked up a couple experiments with our spices until we got it down just right....

     *     *     *

Fenugreek is a four-letter word to Trobee. I'm not talking about the seeds -- beige misshapen cylinders, lending a hard-to-place bitter-butterscotch flavor-tone to many masalas ( including most store-bought 'curry powders'.) No, not talking about them.

And I'm not talking about fresh fenugreek either a green leafy herb that is completely inaccessible in my midwest-USA Normaltown.

I'm talking about the dried herb, sold as kasoori/kasuri methi, often in a box. (NOTE: we at the NC whizz it to a powder instantly upon purchase --things can get a bit stemmy otherwise.

Kasuri methi: The Drama Queen spice that dances with floating veils. When lightly roasted, just enough to coax forth its iridescent, shimmery nature, a heady aroma will sweep and swell into your kitchen... and linger. It has the power to perfume clothes and hair.

Trobee would use different words: "Methi leaves reek when you cook with em'. My hair and clothes smell for hours afterward. I can't have that." Her one rule at the NC: No cooking with dried fenugreek/methi leaves. And I typically honor that...

Yet I find that methi leaves mingle marvelously with avocado. A scant amount was sure to move the flavor in mysterious ways....

"Don't fret," said I when she immediately (accusingly?) spotted the presence of dried methi leaves in our Avocado Butter trial recipe. "It's only aromatic when roasted. Hey, we'll try it and see what happens."

"It best not be acting up...., " she grumbled as she pulled it out from The Spice Shelf.

Later: "Courty, I'm actually loving the methi flavor in this."

"You are?"

Trobee went on to explain that despite past differences with the spice, she was not prejudiced. "Yeah... I'll gladly eat it... I just won't heat it."

Pause. Recognition of producing a rhyme. Repeat rhyming phrase. Haha. Crazy.

*     *     *

Trina then declared that she liked the original's use of cilantro. This was almost as shocking as Trobee's open mind with methi leaves. Officially, Trina does not care for cilantro.

We at the NC tend to be spice-centric in our creations and adaptations, allowing herbs is be optional enhancements. Nevertheless, Trine insisted on including the cilantro for our own Avocado Butter. Ruthie and Trobee agreed, and the result was a razzle-dazzle spread that we are mighty pleased to share with y'all.

 

photos by Trina and Trobee top pic, "An Aphrodisiac", courtesy of Christine

Curry-Spiced Avocado Butter

2 avocados
1 tablespoon lemon juice
¼ cup unsalted butter, softened or ghee
½ tsp garlic paste or minced garlic
1/8 tsp ginger powder
1/8 tsp ground dried fenugreek leaves [kasuri methi]
1 ½ tsp honey
¼ cup fresh cilantro

Masala
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 whole clove

1) Peel and pit the avocados and place in the blender along with the lemon juice, butter and garlic. Blenderize mixture until smooth, and then place in a bowl.
2) Dry roast the masala until the cumin seeds have darkened in color. Then whiz it into a powder with a coffee grinder and mix it in with the avocado spread.
3) Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Done.

Click here to see Food Network Alton Brown's recipe for Avocado Compound Butter