Foreword

When Colette and I first had the idea for this book over a dinner in Amsterdam, we had one major goal in mind: to celebrate the visual beauty of our favorite superfood, along with its nutritional bounty and great versatility. It turns out our mission became even more relevant in 2020. Food has always been central to our collective survival, but it’s also the way we offer love and comfort. In isolation at home, many of us have found solace in cooking. Although we may have become accustomed to enjoying food from fast food eateries, bistros and Michelin Star restaurants, we migrated en masses to our kitchens worktops, to our pots and pans and our recipe books. In the spirit of spreading a bit of joy, we are honored to bring you Avocados in Bloom, a homage to the healthful, flavorful, and beautiful fruit that has nourished civilizations for millennia. Today, avocados are a vital part of breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner and round-the-clock, round-theworld snacking. From restorative post-workout smoothies to amazing decadent desserts, avocados have become rock stars among superfoods. Avocados in Bloom has been both a labor of love and a great deal of fun. In all wonky modesty, I've spent decades successfully promoting this ancient fruit, proposing and writing legislation and regulations, lobbying, and creating industry groups to bring avocados to every continent on Earth . . . except Antarctica. (Hmmm, now there's an idea). And I couldn't have found a better collaborator than Colette, chief creative force and architect behind @ fooddeco, who just cannot resist adding a bright green pop of avocado to every plate of her world cuisine. For this book, she developed over 50 of the most stunning avocado dishes you’re likely to see online or offline. Some are sour, some sweet, some salty, and a few are unexpectedly yet perfectly paired with the distinctive flavors of vanilla or sushi vinegar. Avocados are the good-for-you stars of these healthy recipes. The majority are vegetarian and can easily become vegan with a few simple tweaks. Better yet, what appears to be complex plating is really a snap, using such common supermarket ingredients as sesame seeds, poppy seeds, chili flakes, broccoli, lime, and greens. Concise recipes, witty graphics and gorgeous photography provide everything you'll need to please your peeps and soothe your soul.