how i cook

 

“I wonder if” is one of my favorite phrases, and there is always some experiment happening in my kitchen. Yeah, I’m that person who has made my own nut milk. I’ve even made my own version of Cheetos. There’s a rumor that I may dehydrate things.

And avocados turn me into a complete avocadork. Although I’m an omnivore, I’m fascinated by whole-food, plant-based cooking when it makes the food taste amazing, and avocados make that so very easy.

Avocados can play so many roles, acting as butter in baked goods, cream in dressings or smoothies, or even eggs in homemade mayo. Avocado can take the lead in sandwiches, or play a supporting character adding richness to your salads and sides.

So throughout this book, you’ll see recipes that are vegan (or could easily be made vegan) right next to those that are definitively carnivorous. I let flavor be my judge. If I don’t think there’s a good plant-based substitute, I won’t make the suggestion. And if I think the substitute is even better than the original (like in the Avocado Ginger Latte), I’ll write the recipe that way.

While experimental, the food I cook is pretty simple, and I aim for (although don’t always manage) an eclectic but streamlined pantry. You’ll find that many of the recipes in this book use a similar set of seasonings, so if you buy an ingredient for one recipe, you’ll probably be able to use it again in another. This is especially important for the few ingredients that may be hard to find. If you have had to order a can of sweetened condensed coconut milk on Amazon.​com (you can, by the way), you’ll want to be sure to use all of it. As much as possible, I’ve tried to suggest great ways to use any extra ingredients, so there’s minimal waste. For example, many recipes call for just part of an avocado—the rest can be popped into the freezer and used the next day in a smoothie.