There are times when I have a craving for something and I have no idea why. Lately I've been obsessed with toast spread with butter and honey and sprinkle with salt. It's an oddly energizing and sustaining meal, keeping me going for hours, perhaps because the bread is home made and the butter and honey are organic? Or because of the sugar in the honey? I have no idea why it works for me, I only know that it does. Unfortunately the meal is completely lacking in any fruit or vegetable matter, which can be an issue. I believe you can balance your meals over the course of a day but it's funny how one carb-heavy meal leads to another. Having fresh bread on hand can be dangerous because it makes you a little bit lazy. It's delicious and so easily sliced and toasted that you can forget to make that salad you were planning on for lunch or slicing up that apple to eat with peanut butter for a snack. The next thing you know the whole day has gone by and you're scrambling for vegetables to round out the dinner table.
Today I remembered that there were avocados in the fridge. I wasn't thinking about the avocados, per se, I was thinking about the bread and honey when the avocados popped into my head. It's not a combination that I've explored in the past but once the idea was there, I couldn't make it disappear. So I mashed up my avocado with salt while the bread was toasting. Then I spread honey over the toast and spread the avocado over the honey. Finally I ground some black pepper over the top and settled down to tuck in. It was surprisingly (at least to me) delicious. Heartier than my usual buttered toast, the meal seemed so much more substantial than my usual fair. It was creamy and rich with the crunch of the bread and the bite of the pepper to accent the smooth softness of the avocado and the sweet almost chewy nature of the honey. I ate way more than I expected to and every bite was delicious and indulgent, comforting in an odd sort of way for something that I had never eaten before. I may try it next time with shichimi togarishi, I think that the layered citrus and spice might add a nice touch. Today, this was the perfect lunch for a sunny winter's day.
Years Past
February 12, 2006
February 12, 2005
Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work
Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook
Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table