A way to deal with avocados

Pat <[email hidden]> wrote:
|| I went and bought this razzle dazzle avocado scooper/slicer
|| utensil, but I couldn't get it to work. I figured
|| Williams-Sonoma wouldn't have it in their catalog if it
|| wasn't good, so the problem must lie with me. Finally, I have
|| discovered a way to get the avocado slices out of the case
|| without reducing them to mush!
||
|| Here's the secret: slice the pointy end off of the avocado.
|| Then, when you draw the utensil toward that end, it can just
|| continue to go straight. No trying to curve it up and out of
|| the shell area--resulting in mashed avocado.
||
|| Pat in TX

My wife does an excellent and quick job with a paring knife.
However, no matter what the only thing I can prep an
avocado for is guacamole.

--
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"Since early 2005, more than 150 million personal records have
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BJ in Texas said:

Pat <[email hidden]> wrote:
|| I went and bought this razzle dazzle avocado scooper/slicer
|| utensil, but I couldn't get it to work. I figured
|| Williams-Sonoma wouldn't have it in their catalog if it
|| wasn't good, so the problem must lie with me. Finally, I have
|| discovered a way to get the avocado slices out of the case
|| without reducing them to mush!
||
|| Here's the secret: slice the pointy end off of the avocado.
|| Then, when you draw the utensil toward that end, it can just
|| continue to go straight. No trying to curve it up and out of
|| the shell area--resulting in mashed avocado.
||
|| Pat in TX

My wife does an excellent and quick job with a paring knife.
However, no matter what the only thing I can prep an
avocado for is guacamole.

Alton Brown has a great technique for avocados. I'll see if I can
remember which show it's on. I think, though, you slice all the way
around the avocado from top to bottom and completely around the
circumference. You then hold one side while twisting off the other side.
The side you're holding should have the seed. You whack a large knife
into the seed, twist, and pop out the seed. You pop the seed into the
trash. You use a large spoon to scoop out the meat.

--
Bob in CT

Bob in CT <[email hidden]> wrote:
|| On Thu, 19 Apr 2007 08:29:01 -0400, BJ in Texas
|| <[email hidden]> wrote:
||
||| Pat <[email hidden]> wrote:
||||| I went and bought this razzle dazzle avocado
scooper/slicer
||||| utensil, but I couldn't get it to work. I figured
||||| Williams-Sonoma wouldn't have it in their catalog if it
||||| wasn't good, so the problem must lie with me. Finally, I
||||| have discovered a way to get the avocado slices out of the
||||| case
||||| without reducing them to mush!
|||||
||||| Here's the secret: slice the pointy end off of the
||||| avocado.
||||| Then, when you draw the utensil toward that end, it can
||||| just continue to go straight. No trying to curve it up and
||||| out of
||||| the shell area--resulting in mashed avocado.
|||||
||||| Pat in TX
|||
||| My wife does an excellent and quick job with a paring knife.
||| However, no matter what the only thing I can prep an
||| avocado for is guacamole.
|||
||
|| Alton Brown has a great technique for avocados. I'll see if
|| I can remember which show it's on. I think, though, you
|| slice all the way around the avocado from top to bottom and
|| completely around the circumference. You then hold one side
|| while twisting off the other side. The side you're holding
|| should have the seed. You whack a large knife into the seed,
|| twist, and pop out the seed. You pop the seed into the
|| trash. You use a large spoon to scoop out the meat.
||
|| --
|| Bob in CT

Thats pretty much the way my wife does it except she peels
the halfs instead of scooping out the meat. She likes sliced
avocado and tomatoes.

--
--
"It does not take a majority to prevail, but rather an irate,
tireless minority keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the
minds of men." -- Samuel Adams

"Since early 2005, more than 150 million personal records have
been exposed in dozens of incidents, according to information
compiled by the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. " - Companies that
collect this data must be held accountable for its security.

You are obviously not from California.... =) =) =)

1) Always buy a nice, dark, bumpy Haas avocado, the flavor and texture
cannot be beat
2) Slice starting from the pointy top, all the way around till you meet on
the other side
3) Twist the two sides apart like an oreo (oooh, baaad reference )
4) Take the half with the pit, stick the knife into the pit and twist it out
in like fashion.
5) Score the avocado meat the way you want it sliced inside the skin, then
scoop it out.

Enjoy!
--
~Melodie~ Aka AnonomissX

"Pat" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I went and bought this razzle dazzle avocado scooper/slicer utensil, but I
couldn't get it to work. I figured Williams-Sonoma wouldn't have it in
their catalog if it wasn't good, so the problem must lie with me. Finally,
I have discovered a way to get the avocado slices out of the case without
reducing them to mush!

Here's the secret: slice the pointy end off of the avocado. Then, when
you draw the utensil toward that end, it can just continue to go straight.
No trying to curve it up and out of the shell area--resulting in mashed
avocado.

Pat in TX

BJ in Texas said:

Bob in CT <[email hidden]> wrote:
|| On Thu, 19 Apr 2007 08:29:01 -0400, BJ in Texas
|| <[email hidden]> wrote:
||
||| Pat <[email hidden]> wrote:
||||| I went and bought this razzle dazzle avocado
scooper/slicer
||||| utensil, but I couldn't get it to work. I figured
||||| Williams-Sonoma wouldn't have it in their catalog if it
||||| wasn't good, so the problem must lie with me. Finally, I
||||| have discovered a way to get the avocado slices out of the
||||| case
||||| without reducing them to mush!
|||||
||||| Here's the secret: slice the pointy end off of the
||||| avocado.
||||| Then, when you draw the utensil toward that end, it can
||||| just continue to go straight. No trying to curve it up and
||||| out of
||||| the shell area--resulting in mashed avocado.
|||||
||||| Pat in TX
|||
||| My wife does an excellent and quick job with a paring knife.
||| However, no matter what the only thing I can prep an
||| avocado for is guacamole.
|||
||
|| Alton Brown has a great technique for avocados. I'll see if
|| I can remember which show it's on. I think, though, you
|| slice all the way around the avocado from top to bottom and
|| completely around the circumference. You then hold one side
|| while twisting off the other side. The side you're holding
|| should have the seed. You whack a large knife into the seed,
|| twist, and pop out the seed. You pop the seed into the
|| trash. You use a large spoon to scoop out the meat.
||
|| --
|| Bob in CT

Thats pretty much the way my wife does it except she peels
the halfs instead of scooping out the meat. She likes sliced
avocado and tomatoes.

I do the slicing in half, remove the pit thing.

Then I take a table knife/butter knife (doesn't need to be sharp,
obviously) and just cut it into the sections I want while it's still
in the skin. Then just turn it inside out and you've got strips or
cubes -- they mostly fall right out or you can coax the reluctant
ones.

It's really easy and not as messy as peeling the skin off.
--
BlueBrooke
254/236/135 -- 01 Jan 2007

"BJ in Texas" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Bob in CT <[email hidden]> wrote:
|| On Thu, 19 Apr 2007 08:29:01 -0400, BJ in Texas
||
|| Alton Brown has a great technique for avocados. I'll see if
|| I can remember which show it's on. I think, though, you
|| slice all the way around the avocado from top to bottom and
|| completely around the circumference. You then hold one side
|| while twisting off the other side. The side you're holding
|| should have the seed. You whack a large knife into the seed,
|| twist, and pop out the seed. You pop the seed into the
|| trash. You use a large spoon to scoop out the meat.
||
|| --
|| Bob in CT

Thats pretty much the way my wife does it except she peels
the halfs instead of scooping out the meat. She likes sliced
avocado and tomatoes.

The key to what Bob said is the LARGE SPOON. Like a serving spoon - takes
out the entire half of Avocado at once.

If pre sliced in the skin, a regular spoon can be used to remove 1 or 2
slices at a time.

Bob - I'm not sure about Alton Brown, but I think I saw Michael Chiarello do
that, and then he popped the halves on a grill...
Hmm.. doesn't really show the detail:
http://www.napastyle.com/kitchen/recipes/recipe.jsp?recipe_id=2&category_id=306

Of course, they all "share" techniques, right?

LOL

Steve

"AnonomissX aka ~Melodie~" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

You are obviously not from California.... =) =) =)

Or from Turkey...

Around here the avocados just lie there and say "Do me". I've never been
able to understand why people have such trouble with them.

--
Bob
http://www.kanyak.com

Scionyx said:

"BJ in Texas" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Bob in CT <[email hidden]> wrote:
|| On Thu, 19 Apr 2007 08:29:01 -0400, BJ in Texas
||
|| Alton Brown has a great technique for avocados. I'll see if
|| I can remember which show it's on. I think, though, you
|| slice all the way around the avocado from top to bottom and
|| completely around the circumference. You then hold one side
|| while twisting off the other side. The side you're holding
|| should have the seed. You whack a large knife into the seed,
|| twist, and pop out the seed. You pop the seed into the
|| trash. You use a large spoon to scoop out the meat.
||
|| --
|| Bob in CT

Thats pretty much the way my wife does it except she peels
the halfs instead of scooping out the meat. She likes sliced
avocado and tomatoes.

The key to what Bob said is the LARGE SPOON. Like a serving spoon -
takes
out the entire half of Avocado at once.

If pre sliced in the skin, a regular spoon can be used to remove 1 or 2
slices at a time.

Bob - I'm not sure about Alton Brown, but I think I saw Michael
Chiarello do
that, and then he popped the halves on a grill...
Hmm.. doesn't really show the detail:
http://www.napastyle.com/kitchen/recipes/recipe.jsp?recipe_id=2&category_id=306

Of course, they all "share" techniques, right?

LOL

Steve

I'm sure, because I have a cooking book that describes basically the same
technique.

--
Bob in CT

"Opinicus" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"AnonomissX aka ~Melodie~" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

You are obviously not from California.... =) =) =)

Or from Turkey...

Around here the avocados just lie there and say "Do me". I've never been
able to understand why people have such trouble with them.

--
Bob
http://www.kanyak.com

You don't have to pay more then a $1.00 per avocado would you? I live in
Vegas, and they are rather 'dear' price wise....🙁

My favorite kitchen store:-) Sounds like an interesting contraption:-)

Carol J

"Pat" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
I went and bought this razzle dazzle avocado scooper/slicer utensil, but I
couldn't get it to work. I figured Williams-Sonoma wouldn't have it in their
catalog if it wasn't good, so the problem must lie with me. Finally, I have
discovered a way to get the avocado slices out of the case without reducing
them to mush!

Here's the secret: slice the pointy end off of the avocado. Then, when you
draw the utensil toward that end, it can just continue to go straight. No
trying to curve it up and out of the shell area--resulting in mashed
avocado.

Pat in TX

BlueBrooke .@. said:

Quoted message said:

|| Alton Brown has a great technique for avocados. I'll see if
|| I can remember which show it's on. I think, though, you
|| slice all the way around the avocado from top to bottom and
|| completely around the circumference. You then hold one side
|| while twisting off the other side. The side you're holding
|| should have the seed. You whack a large knife into the seed,
|| twist, and pop out the seed. You pop the seed into the
|| trash. You use a large spoon to scoop out the meat.

I do it that way but when I get to the point where you're scooping out
the meat, I just use a teaspoon and scoop out chunks. Works fine for
salads or sandwiches.

Jo Anne

<> My favorite kitchen store:-) Sounds like an interesting contraption:-)

Quoted message said:

Carol J

Well, while a lot of people here have offered their suggestions on how to
deal with an avocado, let me say I have tried all of them and have wound up
with mashed avocado each time. I was interested in the elusive perfect
slice.
Just like I am interested in the perfect spaghetti sauce, the perfect pizza,
the perfect chicken fried steak....I could go on and on. Of course, I don't
eat those things as often as I used to....

Pat in TX

Jo Anne said:

BlueBrooke .@. said:

Quoted message said:

|| Alton Brown has a great technique for avocados. I'll see if
|| I can remember which show it's on. I think, though, you
|| slice all the way around the avocado from top to bottom and
|| completely around the circumference. You then hold one side
|| while twisting off the other side. The side you're holding
|| should have the seed. You whack a large knife into the seed,
|| twist, and pop out the seed. You pop the seed into the
|| trash. You use a large spoon to scoop out the meat.

I do it that way but when I get to the point where you're scooping out
the meat, I just use a teaspoon and scoop out chunks. Works fine for
salads or sandwiches.

I do it with a spoon for quickie salads and stuff. When I'm trying to
make pretty slices for company, I spend the extra 30 seconds for that.
;-)
--
BlueBrooke
254/236/135 -- 01 Jan 2007

AnonomissX aka ~Melodie~ said:

You don't have to pay more then a $1.00 per avocado would you? I live in
Vegas, and they are rather 'dear' price wise....🙁

Ai yi yi...

I'm in southern Ontario, and I only pay $0.79 each.

Jo Anne

In article <[email hidden]>,

Jo Anne said:

AnonomissX aka ~Melodie~ said:

You don't have to pay more then a $1.00 per avocado would you? I live in
Vegas, and they are rather 'dear' price wise....🙁

Ai yi yi...

I'm in southern Ontario, and I only pay $0.79 each.

Yeah, every time I go to Canada, I notice how much cheaper supermarket
prices in Canada than in the US. At worst, items are the same price in
Canadian dollars as they would be in the US, in US dollars. So, if
cucumbers are 50 cents each, US, at home, in Canada they're 50 cents
Canadian, or less. This was the case, even when the exchange rate was 1
dollar Canadian to 65 cents US.

--
AF
"Non Sequitur U has a really, really lousy debate team."
--artyw raises the bar on rec.sport.baseball

Yeah well, to each their own I always say:-) I spent $18. on an apple
corer/slicer last week over there, takes alot less time then cutting one up
and then removing the core and the slices are nicer to look at too:-) It's
just all a matter of what's important to ya I believe:-) I'm debating about
whether to start collecting the set of LeCussiant <sp?> pans over there
lately, a huge investment but would be the last set I ever bought I'm
sure:-) The blue ones would go perfect with my Mara from Mexico set of
Celestrial dishes...........also expensive but hey, I don't spend all that
money on junk food anymore so why not? lol

Carol J

"Pat" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

<> My favorite kitchen store:-) Sounds like an interesting contraption:-)

Quoted message said:

Carol J

Well, while a lot of people here have offered their suggestions on how to
deal with an avocado, let me say I have tried all of them and have wound up
with mashed avocado each time. I was interested in the elusive perfect
slice.
Just like I am interested in the perfect spaghetti sauce, the perfect pizza,
the perfect chicken fried steak....I could go on and on. Of course, I don't
eat those things as often as I used to....

Pat in TX

In a previous article said:

You don't have to pay more then a $1.00 per avocado would you? I live in
Vegas, and they are rather 'dear' price wise....🙁

$1.50 each in Rochester, NY, and that's a pretty stable price.

Vicki
--
"I'm just a bad Christian. A bad born-again Christian. And certainly, like
the apostle Peter, I am capable of denying it, of presenting myself as a sort
of leftist liberation-theology enthusiast and maybe sort of a vaguely Jesusy
bon vivant. But it's not true" --Anne Lamott

Pat said:

<> My favorite kitchen store:-) Sounds like an interesting contraption:-)

Quoted message said:

Carol J

Well, while a lot of people here have offered their suggestions on how to
deal with an avocado, let me say I have tried all of them and have wound up
with mashed avocado each time. I was interested in the elusive perfect
slice.
Just like I am interested in the perfect spaghetti sauce, the perfect pizza,
the perfect chicken fried steak....I could go on and on. Of course, I don't
eat those things as often as I used to....

Pat in TX

Pat,

The perfect slice would be from the perfect avocado. If you choose the
avocado when just barely soft on the outside you should be able to
handle and slice it and still have a nice creamy attractive result.

The riper fruit can be sliced by just removing it from the skin with a
spoon, placing it upside down on a flat surface and handle each slice
independently. It will get smashed if you try to handle all at once.

As for prices, here in the Phoenix, Arizona area we pay as little as 25
cents or 2 or 3 for a dollar but usually about 69 cents. The major
stores will actually advertise avocados for as much as $1.69 each while
they are available elsewhere for the lower prices I've quoted. I'm sure
some people pay it. I learned long ago that you indeed do not always
get what you pay for. It doesn't taste a bit better to me to pay a
dollar more for the same product.

Avocados are very popular at our house at any meal.

Good luck and enjoy!

George