I saw these vividly colored 'tiles' at Goodwill, and simply could not pass them up. I thought they were reminiscent of Diago Rivera, but perhaps I have seen other works by Will Rafuse and been unaware of the artist. Rafuse is a Canadian born artist whose work is filled with food, kitchen, wine images so colorful, imaginative and striking they cause a kind of inner excitement in me, an almost trembling.
What with all the vegetables and fruits abounding, I can't seem to stop cooking or thinking about food and cooking. A trip to the Food Co-op the other day produced this magnificent Florida avocado. Years ago, my ex-father-in-law, who lived in Miami and had the greenest thumb I'd ever seen, would send me each summer/fall a huge box of these small football-sized avocados from his home orchard. Florida avocados are so much larger, more pale, and a bit milder then California or Mexican avocados, but they are just as delicious, if not more so.
Some say that avocados are a 'super food' as they are packed with many vitamins, minerals and nutrition.
(The word avocado comes from the Aztec word 'ahuacatl' which I was amused to find out, among other things means 'testicle'...mmm...maybe a Mexican or California avocado, but a Florida avocado?????)
I vividly recall the first time I had Florida avocado, it felt, in a way, kind of like eating butter. It was, however, such a delicious surprise to my palate that that night remains ever clear in my memory.
Whenever I have an avocado around, my very first thought is guacamole! We love guacamole, and this one avocado, with the addition of chopped onions, fresh chopped garlic, fresh chopped tomato, fresh cilantro, and just a bit of mayonnaise (Florida avocados are more moist then California or Mexican), became the stimulus for our Mexican meal last night.
What better to accompany the guacamole then chicken enchiladas.
And for good measure some chopped tomatoes with which to 'dress' the plated enchilada.
Having picked some cucumbers that morning, I decided a small cucumber, tomato, dill, garlic, mix with a dash of olive oil and wine vinegar, would make a fine accompaniment.
It did!
It was a simple, delicious meal!
This time spent in the kitchen today was not unlike my time in the workshop weaving. The same creative excitement fills me. Growing up, my mother was a great cook, but my father was an 'artist'. He worked magic in the kitchen, sometimes from almost nothing. I think my love for and excitement about food and cooking is my father lingering daily within.
