Ultimate Guacamole
Makes 2 cups

3/4 cup finely diced red onion
3 ripe medium size avocados
3/4 cup tomato, seeded, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, finely diced
1 small jalapeno pepper, deseeded, finely chopped
1/4 cup lime juice
1 cup fresh sweet corn kernel                         
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
to taste sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put onion into a sieve and rinse under cold water. Drain. Cut avocado in half lengthwise. Scoop flesh with spoon in to mixing bowl. Use a fork to mash until almost smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients. Combine well. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper.

Lemon Thyme Avocado Beignet
Chipotle Aioli
Serves 32 Hors d’oeuvres

Avocado Beignet
2 quarts grapeseed oil
1/2 cup rice flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour 
2 tablespoons lemon thyme
1/4 teaspoons sour plum powder  
1/4 teaspoons Togarashi
1/4 teaspoons salt 
1 egg, beaten
1- 1/4 cups club soda
4 avocados, seed removed, cut into 8 wedges lengthwise 
to taste organic sea salt flakes
**pinch Chef Bernard’s fennel pollen spice
Pre heat grapeseed oil into a 4 quart saucepan to 4” deep. Heat over medium heat until 350F˚.
In a large bowl, combine the rice flour, all-purpose flour, lemon thyme, sour plum powder, Togarashi and salt. Stir in the egg and club soda into the dry ingredients until a slightly lumpy batter forms.  Set aside.  If mix is too thick, add small amount of soda water.  Dip avocados in prepared tempura mix.  Deep fry 20 seconds, 6 at a time.   Place on paper towels to remove excess oil. Season with sea salt flakes and fennel pollen spices.

Chipotle Aioli
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 large vine-ripe tomato, peeled, seeded diced
2 tablespoons chopped shallots
1 tablespoon  chipotle peppers paste
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup olive oil
1 lime juice
to taste sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add tomato, shallots and chipotle paste. Cook for 5 minutes or until pasty consistency. Remove from heat. Refrigerate until well chilled.  Place mixture into blender and puree until smooth.  At medium speed add garlic, egg yolk and slowly drizzle in olive oil until aioli thickens (should take 2-3 minutes). Add lime juice.  Season with salt and pepper. 

California Avocado Crepe
Tequila Crème Anglaise
Serves 6

Basic Crepe
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
* pinch of salt
1 1/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
** butter for coating the pan
In a large mixing bowl blend flour, egg, sugar and salt with a wooden spatula.  Gradually add milk whisking constantly.  In a non-stick 6 inch crepe pan, melt the butter.  Add to the crepe batter.  Add   vanilla extract. Whisk well.  Strain to a fine sieve.  Coat pan with butter over medium heat.  Add 1 ounce of batter.  Swirl to spread evenly.  Cook for 40 seconds until golden brown.  Turn over and cook for about 10 seconds more.  Transfer to a large plate.  Repeat this process until the batter is finished.

Tequila Crème Anglaise
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups milk
1 split vanilla bean
3/4 cup sugar
6 egg yolks
1/2 cup Cuervo Gold Tequila
Bring cream, milk and vanilla bean to simmer over medium heat in large saucepan.  Shut off heat. In a small mixing bowl, beat sugar and yolks until pale yellow. In small stream, whisk in one cup of milk to egg mixture. Add mixture into saucepan.  Whisk well.  Place saucepan on stove top over medium heat.  Cook, stirring constantly until mixture reaches 180°.  Do not boil. Strain through a fine sieve into a stainless steel bowl set over ice to stop cooking process.  Return the vanilla bean. Cool.  Add tequila.  Refrigerate. 

Avocado Filling
3 egg yolks
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons corn starch
1 cup warm milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ripe avocados (1 1/2 cup of avocado pulp)
1 lemon, juiced
1 pinch cayenne pepper
Combine the egg yolks, sugar and corn starch in a mixing bowl.  Whisk well until the mixture is smooth.  Add milk stirring rapidly.  Place mixture into a sauce pan (non-aluminum) and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spatula until the mixture comes barely to a simmer.  Add vanilla extract.  Cool in a mixing bowl. Set aside.  Blend avocado pulp, lemon juice and cayenne pepper.  Fold in cream mixture.  Using a flat work surface, spread the crepes out and fill them evenly with the avocado mixture.  

Candied Lime Slices
2 limes
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
Cut lime into very thin slices.  In medium saucepan over medium high heat bring the water and sugar to a boil.  Add lime slices.  Reduce heat and simmer slowly for 30 minutes or until slices are translucent.  Remove from heat.  

Garnish
1/2cup toasted pepitas
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
6 mint sprigs
Place 2 filled crepes in center of a large dessert plate.  Ladle crème anglaise around the crepe.  Sprinkle pepitas, and dust with powdered sugar.  Garnish with candied lime slices and mint sprig.
 

Roasted Mexican Jumbo Shrimp
Avocado Mango Relish, Japanese Eggplant
Serves 6 as an appetizer

Jumbo Shrimp
2 pounds jumbo shrimp, preferably Mexican U-10 size
1/3 cup pink grapefruit juice
1 teaspoon thyme leaves, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon green curry
1 teaspoon finely chopped mint leaves
1/4 cup walnut oil
to taste sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Butterfly shrimp lengthwise.  In small bowl mix grapefruit juice, thyme, cumin, curry, mint, walnut oil, salt and pepper.  Place shrimp in square baking dish.  Pour marinade over.  Let stand 15 minutes.  Strain marinade.  Set aside. 

Japanese Eggplant
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
pinch cayenne pepper
to taste sea salt
6 small Japanese eggplant
Combine rice vinegar, brown sugar, olive oil, cayenne pepper, and sea salt in mixing bowl.  Cut Japanese eggplant in half lengthwise.  Marinate with above mixture 20 minutes.  Place eggplant on hot grill, flesh side down.  Grill for 5 minutes.  Turn over. Grill for additional 10 minutes or until tender, basting frequently with marinade.

Avocado Mango Relish
2 avocados, peeled, seeded and diced
1 mango, peeled, seeded and julienned
1/2 cup julienned jicama
1 teaspoon finely chopped cilantro leaves
1 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons Cuervo Gold tequila
to taste sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
** dash Tabasco
In large bowl gently mix avocado, mango, jicama and cilantro with wooden spoon.  Incorporate lemon juice and Tequila. Season with salt, pepper, and Tabasco. 
Presentation
Place shrimp on barbecue flesh side down over hot coals two minutes. Flip over.  Finish on shell side.  Cook until opaque.  Be careful to not overcook.  Place two eggplant halves, overlapping, on center of large serving plate.  Spoon Avocado Mango Relish in center.  Transfer three shrimp from grill.  Place around relish.  Whisk marinade vigorously.  Drizzle over shrimp. 

Chilled Avocado Soup
Crabmeat, Pepitas
Serves 6

Soup
1 cup tomatillo
1 tablespoon jalapeno
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 cup diced white  onion
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 large Haas avocados
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 cup vegetable stock
1/2 cup strain greek yogurt
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
to taste sea salt and pepper to taste

Garnish
1/2 cup shelled crabmeat
2 tablespoons toasted Pepitas
6 cilantro sprigs
Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Toss the tomatillo, jalapenos, garlic and onions with extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper in large casserole dish. Cook 20 minutes stirring occasionally. Remove from oven.  Cool. Refrigerate 1 hour. Transfer to blender. Add remaining ingredients. Puree until smooth. Pass the mixture through a fine mesh sieve. Transfer to chilled soup tureen. Top center with crabmeat.  Sprinkle pepitas.  Garnish with cilantro sprigs.