EASY RECIPE
This recipe is based on the original found in the 1954 cookbook entitled What’s Cooking In Walla Walla. This would make a good lunch meal, or dinner starter salad.
Serves up to 8 depending on whether main course or dinner salad.
4 Avocados
8 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
1 clove garlic, sliced into 8
2 1/2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1 1/4 Cup half and half
2/3 tsp Worcestershire sauce
dash of cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
pepper to taste
1 1/2 Tbsp grated onion
1/3 tsp Celery salt
2 1/2 cups Crab meat (canned ok)
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
Cut avocados in half, remove pit. In each half avacado place 1 Tbsp vinegar and 1 slice garlic and let stand for 30 minutes.
In saucepan, melt butter, blend in flour, add cream, cook at low temperature stirring constantly until it thickens. Add worcestershire, onion, celery salt, and other seasonings. Add crab meat and stir.
Drain the rice vinegar and garlic from avocados, fill with creamed mixture, sprinkle with cheese.
Set avocados on a sided baking sheet, add 1/4″ water to baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until cheese melts.
Serve with french bread and assorted fruit tray. Maybe a little Sangria too!
This would be extra good for a nice summer lunch on the deck.
AND STUFF
I was recently speaking with a friend who is new to the area. He was grousing about all the people in his community going to Palm Desert for spring break. He just couldn’t understand what the big deal was as Palm Desert is only 100 miles or so away. In my friend’s view, a vacation is going to Europe or at least somewhere farther away than 100 miles. Knowing my family’s spring break did not start for another week, my friend asked me where we were going? I responded straight faced, “Palm Desert”, and then started laughing from the look of embarssament and disbelief on his face.
Palm Desert is actually about 120 miles from where we live. But as they say, it is a world away. The trip by car can take anywhere from 2 ½ to 6 hours depending upon the flow of traffic. Cruising down Highway 91 is for the most part a blur of never ending tilt-up buildings, malls, and housing developments. But, then you exit onto Route 60, and you breakout into a beautiful stretch of curving road running through grass and tree covered hills and valleys.
The journey is not over yet, because the next merge is onto the 10 Freeway, and in no time at all the terrain becomes bare and for the most part treeless; until entering the “windmill forest”. They tell me the windmills are evidence of progress. Where there used to be untouched desert floor and foothills at the base of the mountains now stand hundreds of huge churning windmills. As I drive through the “windmill forest” I find the swirling blades to be somewhat disorienting. But, after about 15 miles the windmills are in the rear view mirror, and desert sand and mountains are again all that can be seen ahead.
Exiting onto Highway 111 going toward Palm Springs takes us past sand dunes, and then we arrive at the first stop light, where we always open the roof. It is uncanny, but as the roof opens and we slowly drive through the city streets, our work pressures simply dissolve. The pace of our city life slows down.
There is another tradition that further slows the pace of life. Trust me, we are not alone in enjoying this tradition. We once mentioned this traditon at a soccer game and others immediately chimed in that they too were followers. Our first stop in the desert is always for lunch on the courtyard at Las Casuelas Terraza . The view is great, the service and food wonderful, and the Cadillac Margarita requires two hands to lift!
This leads to our third tradition, a long post lunch window shopping walk up and down Palm Canyon Drive to buy a new hat or pool toy, while at the same time making certain the margarita has been tempered by time.
Next it is off to Palm Desert where we usually stay. In Palm Desert we slow down even further sitting by the pool, riding bikes, and golfing. The spring days are usually perfect, with the palm trees swaying and snow capped mountains in the background.
True, it’s only 120 miles from home, but that means it only takes a couple hours to get from LA to a desert paradise. That is the draw of Palm Desert.
Compare notes with your table guests. I bet you can come up with a number of wonderful places to visit very near your home.
Good Eating and Table Talk,
Roger
