Thursday, May 30, 2013

FFWD: Pistachio Avocado

Good lord. Of all of the recipes in the world to have trouble with, this week's French Fridays with Dorie selection, Pistachio Avocado, is particularly ridiculous. The recipe, in it's entirety, is to halve an avocado, fill the divot left by the pit with pistachio oil, and eat. Pistachio oil is not the easiest item to come by, but many people posted recipes to make your own, so that wasn't where I had trouble. I mean, I didn't make my own - I was planning to just use some dreamy olive oil I picked up at an Umbrian agriturismo - but if I'd wanted to stick to the letter of the recipe, I could have.

The problem was my avocado. Avocados are not locally grown here, and those sold at the Italian supermarket are VERY expensive. The commissary usually has some, but their quality can vary dramatically. A few weeks ago, I bought some South African avocado from the commissary, and they were quite good. They tasted a little different, had a less-dense texture, and a smooth, lime-green skin, but once turned into guacamole, I couldn't tell the difference.

This week, they only had a version that looks like the kind I'm used to from home (you know, the dark, bumpy-skin kind.) They gave a little when I squeezed them, but they were difficult to halve, and turned out to be crispy - not hard, not unripe, but CRISPY - on the inside.
One way (the only way??) that living in Corpus Christi, TX beats living in Italy: quality of avocado. And tomatillos. I miss tomatillos.
I've been thwarted by ingredients at every turn this month. Ah, well. Here's to June!

16 comments:

  1. Awww - that's a bummer. I would miss the tomatillos too :-(

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  2. It´s hard for me with ingredients sometimes too, and I get the same uneven avocados. So I had made this recipe like two months ago, the day I opened an avocado and it was perfect!

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  3. Too bad :( My avocado the first time around was bordering on not quite ripe but it was ok after a while of hanging out in the oil. The next day, however, it was pretty darned amazing. You DO need to try this again. And boo for no tomatillos!

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  4. Too bad about your avocado. That stinks. Crispiness pretty much defeats the purpose!! Your fancy olive oil sounds wonderful though. I know the feeling about being an ex-pat and missing foods (for me, I was living in Australia, but from Arizona), though I have to say, there are compensations!! Next time!

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  5. Crispy?!?! Wow. I didn't think that was possible. What a pain. I hope you have better luck with the June recipes!

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  6. Too bad about your avocado! Keep trying to find a good one, though. This recipe is worth the effort!!

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  7. I couldn't even find any avocados until Wednesday - it seems like someone in Zagreb was preparing a huge guacamole party and bought all the avocados from every major supermarket in the whole city - and then when I finally found one on Thursday it was so unripe there was no way I could have used it. I was really disappointed but well OK next time and maybe that time I will be able to find or make some pistachio oil. I wish you a lovely weekend!!

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  8. Oh dear. I don't mind suffering the expense of an avocado because I know they are sublime. But to have to worry about it actually being crispy AFTER spending real money on it? Ouch. Talk about anxiety. I would not like that... but I would put up with it for living in Italy! Oh yeah.

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  9. Aw, bummer! Avocados should not be crispy...LOL. I'd give them and tomatillos up to live in Italy :)

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  10. Oh no! I have to agree with Trevor and Liz, though. Book me a ticket to Italy and hold the avocados!

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  11. I am coming to Italy too- and will pack some avocados (and tomatillos if I can find them :) I am always so impressed that you troubleshoot the ingredients when I have trouble finding some of these items in the states. And who would have thought that a crispy avocado would have been the foil. Enjoy your time in Italy and that wonderful oil you found over there !!

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  12. Hmm, crispy is never a word one wants to associate with avocados. Sorry to hear that avocados are difficult to come by. I would miss them terribly.

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  13. Crispy? Yikes. I actually bought my avocado a week ago and it was so unripe that I had to wrap it in newspaper along with a tomato to hasten the process. In the end it came out alright. I hope you get to try this simple recipe as to my humble opinion it was really very good.

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  14. How frustrating. I don't think I've ever encountered a crispy avocado. The Italian olive oil sounds great though.

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  15. Isn't that always the way! Problems creep up when you least expect them.
    A crispy avocado! Not a word I have every associated with avocados :)

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  16. Define, crispy. Like potato chips? Like carrots? Whoops, they may be crunchy. Like a over-cooked shortbread cookie? Like bacon. I just cannot get my arms around a crispy avocado. But, lady, you're livin' in Italy. A crispy avocado occasionally, that's okay. It's mighty hot in CC, Texas right now. Loved your Post. Well, I love them all because they often make me laugh.

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