I love the creamy richness of ripe avocados and enjoy them sliced and sprinkled with lemon juice.
They don’t taste like anything else and add lots of flavor and texture to everyday salads. But if you want to stretch your repertoire a little, branch out and try avocados several different ways.
We’re so fortunate to have the access we do to so many kinds of fruits and vegetables whether or not they’re in season, and avocados are just one example of our great good fortune.
And if you’re one of those people who’ve never tasted avocado, please don’t tell me you don’t like it. First you have to eat it. Then feel free to critique it.

When you think of cottage cheese, do you immediately think of dieting? Well, think again.
Cottage cheese has been the go-to food for those who want to slim down, but please don’t limit this versatile cheese to just being a tummy trimmer.
It is used here in a dessert, an omelet, a loaf of bread and in a potato salad. I think you’ll be surprised.
So try at least one of these and tinker with it as you see fit. Fine-tuning recipes is just another part of being a cook. I hope you enjoy one of these.

When spring finally arrives, the yard is calling my name.
I don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, so I look for food that isn’t too heavy or time consuming.
The crusted pork tenderloin is a nice weekend dish to make. Pork tenderloin is one of the leanest meats, and crusting it will keep it from drying out. It also makes great sandwiches the next day if there’s any left.
The cabbage apple salad will keep for several days and goes well with the pork, as do the sweet potato patties. The extra patties can be frozen and kept on hand for another meal.
The flourless chocolate cake is delicious, extremely rich and low in calories. Now isn’t that wonderful? People will fight over this cake, so be careful who you invite for dinner when you serve it.
Thank you to my readers for your thoughtful comments and feedback on the recipes.

I went to Sante Fe last week and fell in love with the art and the food.
All the recipes this week were gathered from the trip thanks to Leslie, our waitress at the Anasazi Restaurant, who got some of the information from their chef and Pam, our waitress at the Ore, for the information about the salad dressing and to Henry at the Villas De Santa Fe for sending us to a great Mexican restaurant for fry bread.
The food was excellent. We were surprised to see how different the flavors and selections were in New Mexico of Mexican dishes available at home.
And it isn’t all about the heat.
Yes, we had peppers in our hash browns, but the varieties of peppers, the amount of heat and the flavors apparently are limitless.

There’s nothing quite like a hot flaky biscuit right out of the oven.
The four recipes featured this week should please the pickiest eater.
Now, I’m not claiming that they’re fat-free, because they’re not. Nor am I even claiming they’re low in fat, because when it comes to good biscuits I don’t care about any of that. I care about how they taste.
None of these recipes are for people who are looking for diet food. If it calls for butter, use real butter. If it calls for cheese, use real cheese. After eating any of these, you may feel slightly guilty, but you will not be hungry.
Go for the gusto, and happy baking.

St. Patrick’s Day is this Thursday, and we are indebted to our Irish ancestors for the richness of the heritage passed along to our entire region.
Our music, stories, food and traditions bear the stamp of the shamrock whether Irish blood flows in our veins or not.
Irish potatoes and Irish stew make regular appearances in our kitchens year-round, so why not go all out on St. Patrick’s Day and make the menu an all-Irish one?
Feel free to fine-tune these recipes anyway you like.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all.

An old friend who happens to be a food enthusiast suggested I feature Thai recipes in a food page. I really enjoy Thai food, as does she, but hadn’t thought of it as a potential food page. It was time to think again.
This week the four recipes include cucumber salad, noodles, a chicken dish and a simple dessert.
One of the bonuses of eating Thai food is the low sugar and fat content of the food. You can go all the way with hot and spicy flavor or you can have very little heat in the food. It’s entirely up to the individual cook.
Not sure you’ll like Thai food? This is one good way to find out.
There are also a number of good Thai restaurants in our region if you want to introduce yourself to Thai food without going to any effort whatsoever. I hope you’ll try one of these.
It’s good for us to expand our knowledge and appreciation of other cuisines.

Perfection Salad has been around since 1905. The reason for its longevity is that it’s delicious and addictive.
The Watergate Salad came into being during Nixon’s presidency for obvious reasons but it really is good and easy to whip up.
I’ve been making the blueberry congealed salad for more than 30 years and we enjoy it as much now as we did then.
The Millionaire Fruit Salad is another old favorite. It’s great to have an old standby like one of the four featured this week.
You can almost make them in your sleep and they never fail.
They also look pretty on the table, and appearance is 50 percent of everything. I believe everybody will like at least one of these. Enjoy.

Peanut butter is a beloved standby.
There’s probably a jar of either creamy or crunchy in every home, unless someone in the family has a peanut allergy.
Children take peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to school, parents brown bag them to work, and weekends wouldn’t be complete without this traditional combo.
But you don’t have to limit yourself.

There’s no limit to the variety of bean dishes waiting to be tried by those who aren’t afraid of a little variety. The recipes this week feature navy, white soup, kidney and pinto beans, but all are different dishes with different flavors.
All are hearty, flavorful dishes and are guaranteed to fill up the hungry while satisfying their taste buds. Feel free to add heat if you like with red pepper flakes.
But, if you decide to do this, by all means take seriously the instruction, season to taste.

Chili Con Carne4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
2 beef bouillon cubes
2 (16 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes, chopped, juice reserved
2/3 cup red wine
Garlic cloves, crushed
1 (12 ounce) can tomato paste
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
2 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
12 drops hot pepper sauce
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
3 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons corn meal
1/2 cup water

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook green pepper, and onion, until softened. Add the ground beef and cook until browned.
Crumble over bouillon cubes, and stir in wine; continue to cook for a few minutes. Stir in chopped tomatoes, garlic, and tomato paste. Season with paprika, chili powder, cayenne pepper, basil, oregano, and parsley. Stir in salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium low. Cover, and simmer for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in kidney beans, and hot pepper sauce. You can add the reserved tomato juice if more liquid is needed. Continue to simmer for an additional 30 minutes.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, corn meal, and water until smooth.
Stir into chili, and cook for a further 10 minutes, or until chili has thickened up.

Senate Bean Soup
1 pound dried navy beans or great northern beans, washed and drained
3 medium potatoes, cooked and mashed
2 medium smoked ham hocks
2 medium onions, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
2 large cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper

Cover beans with water and bring to a boil; boil for two minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for one hour. Drain bean liquid into a bowl; measure and add enough water or broth to make five quarts; pour back into beans. Bring beans to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for about two hours, or until beans are very tender. Add ham hocks, potatoes, onions, celery and garlic, and continue to simmer for another hour.
Remove ham hocks and cut up meat; return to soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Boston Baked Beans
2 cups navy beans
1/2 pound bacon
1 onion, finely diced
3 tablespoons molasses
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar

Soak beans overnight in cold water. Simmer the beans in the same water until tender, approximately one to two hours. Drain and reserve the liquid.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
Arrange the beans in a two-quart bean pot or casserole dish by placing a portion of the beans in the bottom of dish, and layering them with bacon and onion.
In a saucepan, combine molasses, salt, pepper, dry mustard, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil and pour over beans. Pour in just enough of the reserved bean water to cover the beans. Cover the dish with a lid or aluminum foil.
Bake for three to four hours in the preheated oven, until beans are tender. Remove the lid about halfway through cooking, and add more liquid if necessary to prevent the beans from getting too dry.

Border-Style Beans
1 pound pinto beans, about 2 to 2 1/2 cups
8 cups water
1 pound lean ground beef
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 large clove garlic
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
1 cup chopped celery
1 can (14 1/2-ounce) diced tomatoes
2 medium carrots, sliced
seasoned salt, to taste
pepper

Wash, pick over, soak, and cook beans with the eight cups of water, following package directions. Sauté onions and garlic in oil; add lean ground beef. When beef is no longer pink, add chili powder. Add ground beef, parsley, celery and tomatoes to the cooked beans. Return bean soup to boil; turn heat to low. Cover and cook two hours longer. Add sliced carrots during last hour of cooking time. Salt and pepper to taste.