Washington, D.C. – When creamy avocados from Chile met a traditional British picnic food and a Mediterranean flatbread, wonderful things happened, and the resulting creative dishes earned an Ohio culinary student and a New York home cook top honors in the “Bravo for Avocados from Chile!” recipe contest sponsored by the Chilean Avocado Importers Association (CAIA).
Erin Evenson of Brooklyn, N.Y., wowed the judges and won $1,000 with her recipe for “Cumin Lamb Pitzas with Avocado Gremolata and Minted Spicy Avocado Crema.” In the culinary student division, aspiring chef Jameson Alford of the Columbus (Ohio) Culinary Institute at the Bradford School also took home $1,000 and showed his future restaurant potential with a distinctive “Chilean-Style Scotch Egg.”
Evenson commented: “As avocados are my favorite green food, it is very easy to be inspired by them and to experiment with them in new and different ways. These lamb pita pizzas are simple crowd pleasers elevated by the marriage of a zesty, diced Chilean avocado gremolata and a creamy spicy avocado crema. I am so excited and honored to have won this wonderful contest. Viva Chilean avocados!”
Alford explained his muse: “My inspiration for this dish comes from my heritage. I am part Latino and part British, and I always enjoy finding ways to combine the two cuisines. I also like to play with foods that people may not be too familiar with. A Scotch Egg came naturally to mind. From there, it was easy to make the jump from a traditional Scotch Egg to adding some Hispanic flavors. A natural flavor trilogy for me is the combination of avocados, grapefruits, and some sort of hot pepper. These elements simply fell into place."
Runners-up in the contest were Susan Asanovic of Wilton, Conn., for her “Fire and Ice Avocado Sticks with Tomatillo-Apricot Salsa” recipe and aspiring chef Andrea Kreisel of the Cambridge (Mass.) School of Culinary Arts for her “Avocado Gazpacho with Salsa, Beet Salad and Pork Tenderloin.” Each won $250.
Asanovic commented: “I jumped at the chance to say ‘Bravo! for Avocados from Chile,’ as avocados are one of my very favorite Chilean fruits. I serve them in different ways every day when available, from breakfast omelet to dessert. It was a wonderful surprise to learn that I am a contest winner; there will always be avocados on our table.”
Kreisel noted: “I think avocados are an exciting ingredient to work with, as they lend themselves to a lot of creativity. I was very motivated with this challenge of making an original recipe using avocados and I hope everyone enjoys my creation of an Avocado Gazpacho Soup! It features Hass avocados from Chile, as well as a delicious and eye-catching combination of raw beets, salsa, and pulled pork.”
CAIA’s popular annual recipe contest was conducted November through February during peak importation season of Hass avocados from Chile. Recipes were judged based on the following:
Creative and original use of Hass avocados from Chile – 30%
Taste of dish – 30%
Appropriateness to foodservice (culinary student division), OR appeal to consumers and home cooks (consumer division) – 30%
Appearance / visual appeal of dish – 10%
About the Chilean Avocado Importers Association:
Established in 2002, CAIA is composed of Chilean Avocado importers, exporters and producers. The Association’s main objective is to conduct market development activities and promotions to increase the consumption of avocados from Chile in the United States during the Chilean season, October through March. Avocados from Chile are available throughout the fall and winter, when California avocados are out of season. For more information, visit www.avocadosfromchile.org or Facebook at facebook.com/avocadosfromchile or follow CAIA’s Twitter handle @avocados.
Source: Chilean Avocado Importers Association
