This week seems to be the week of being behind, all starting with not feeling well on Monday and it seemingly has spread through out the week, whoops!! I know you are all pretty curious about the results from the Avocado Marriage Mondays, who wouldn't be, right? Such an unusual pairing cheese and avocado and actually, the interesting thing, is that I'm going to show you a way that more than one of our three contestants is a possible pairing for avocado and I will even suggest an interesting way to incorporate another well known cheese into the classic avocado dish we all know and love, guacamole!
So let's get going on our avocado discussion. Before I reveal the winners and loser and my secret to fantastic guacamole, or at least I think so, let me go through a few simple pairing rules in relation to avocado and cheese:
1. Creamy + creamy melds and mushes together. By that I mean, without a distinct difference in terms of consistency, two very distinct ingredients can become one in an all together not so successful manner, imagine eating avocado with Brie cheese -- there is zero sense of opposites attracting here, therefore neither of the two is able to illustrate the other's nuances.
2. Avocados do not work well with blue cheeses. Although avocados work well with piquant peppers and other spicy pairings, when it comes to the spice of a blue cheese, this is just not a route you should take.
3. Avocados do not work with well stinky or pungent cheeses as their flavors are delicate, vegetal, creamy, and gooey and the stink of a cheese will over power the avocado's tastes. This is rule, definitely disproves the potentiality of Avocado and Tomme de Savoie. Each so decadent in such different ways when combined, it is somewhat like oil and water and certainly not for all the right reasons!
So now lets move on to why Contestants 1 and 2 have potentials for success:
Contestant # 1: Mozzarella - Although quite the creamy cheese, it is the sort of cheese that is able to be sliced, meaning that it is not too creamy to be paired with avocado. Why you may ask? Because when you take thin fresh slices of avocado pair them with some nice slices of fresh mozzarella, some sprigs of cilantro and a few leaves of basil and drizzle the entire thing with basil oil and lime juice, you actually get a very refreshing salad and a new version of the quintessential Caprese that was featured in last week's MM series. You are probably thinking, wait a minute, she just gave us an example of how this works, not why it works...don't fret, it is quite simple. The fresh lactic qualities of the cheese play off the vegetal creamy qualities of the avocado and create an interesting relationship, is this a relationship meant for long term bliss? Well that is your decision! I think it is a pretty unique way to use avocado and a pretty successful one as well, perfect for summer picnics and barbecues. This is an example of where two somewhat similar yet somewhat different ingredients create a fantastic harmony, not an instance of opposites attracting.
Contestant # 2: Piave - A great example of how hard cheeses are extremely successful with avocado, the perfect example of opposites attracting! The hard crunchy, caramely, butterscotchy qualities of Mr. Piave are excellently complemented in their opposites with the creamy, grassy, herbal and vegetal flavors of the avocado. However this is not a pairing I would suggest with strictly raw avocado, what I like to do with hard aged cheeses that have a nice slow meltability is I like to make my favorite guacamole in an oven safe bowl and then top that guacamole with a nice thick layer of Piave or your favorite hard and meltable cheese. Then I like to bake it in the oven and serve with pita or tortilla chips. Great for winter movie nights with girlfriends or getting together with a group of friends in the late Fall to watch a baseball or football game. The best part about this dip is that it is good for you and delish! Enjoy a new way to eat avocado and cheese with contestant # 2.
And now lastly my little secret for extra creamy and super delish guacamole with a special added ingredient:
4 small avocados that are pitted, pealed, and halved (should equal between 1 and 1.5 pounds, closer to the 1 pound side though)
1/3 cup of finely chopped cilantro
1/3 cup of finely chopped basil
1/3 cup of finely diced vidalia onions
1/3 cup of finely diced shallots
1 fresh serrano chile
1/4 cup of thinly diced red bell peppers
1/3 cup of fresh greek feta
2 teaspoons of lime juice
1/2 to 3/4 cup of water
Blend all together in the blend and top with a few sprigs of basil, I guarantee you will find it to be delish.
Enjoy this delish dish with warm pita or ciabatta bread or tortilla chips.
Check back later today for our new section -- Cheese Spy Stories from across the globe
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