The Cooking Diva Blog: Original Tropical Creations by Chef Melissa De Leon

The Home Spa: Go Beyond Guacamole!

The avocado is colloquially known as the Alligator Pear, reflecting its shape and the gator skin like appearance of its skin. Avocado is derived from the Aztec work “ahuacalt”. While avocados are now grown in most tropical and subtropical countries, the major commercial producers include the United States (Florida and California), Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Brazil and Colombia.

I personally prefer the ones produced in Mexico, the US and Panama.

The avocado is a versatile performer that can take center stage or play a supporting role as a flavorful accent. The unique flavor and mouth watering creaminess marry well with ingredients from mild to wild, as well it is quite enjoyable when crafting natural skin products in your own kitchen!

Who needs and expensive trip to the spa, when you can have one of the best and freshest products, and made by you...of course!

Watch out for the food allergies! According to the World Healthiest Foods, people with latex sensitivities could react to avocados. Follows an excerpt of their report:

"Avocados contain enzymes called chitin's that can cause allergic reactions in people with latex sensitivities. Studies have shown a strong association between latex allergies and allergic reactions to avocado. The treatment of avocados with ethylene gas to induce ripening can increase the presence of these allergenic enzymes. Individuals with latex allergy should avoid eating avocados in cooked or raw form. However, if you really love avocados, some evidence suggests that cooked forms of this food may be acceptable for allergy-sensitive individuals since cooking can deactivate the enzymes that may be responsible for the cross-reaction with latex".

Free yourself from synthetic ingredients and experience the pleasure of homemade beauty products, following the following ideas:

by Chef Melissa - CookingDiva · October 03, 2005 · 06:59 AM
Permalink · Comments (14) · TrackBack (1) · Categories: The Home Spa · Tropical Fruit and Vegetables

I am a Texas girl through and through. I love Avocados!! I love them any way you can fix them. I have recently been eathing them in my sandwiches along with a freshly sliced tomato. Yummy! My grocery store sells them rock hard so I come home and put them into a brown paper bag, wait two days and they are good to go. This is one food that is full of fat that I can eat without feeling guilty, unlike that sausage sandwich this past weekend I wolfed down!!

Comment by: Vickie Brown • Oct 3, 2005 5:22:11 PM

That's a great idea! I am sometimes so into eating my food and cooking it to eat it that I forget that there are so many other ways it could be used! I'll definitely try this at home! Thanks for the tips! ...I wonder where my avocados come from...I'm going to have to check...

Comment by: Michelle • Oct 3, 2005 7:07:51 PM

An alligator pear. Well, I learn something every day. How great to find a Panama based gormet site.

Comment by: Don • Oct 4, 2005 7:10:31 AM

Buenos dias Vickie! Oh yes, avocado sandwiches are so beautiful to eat, and delicious too! Do you also add sprouts, mayonnaise, onions and hot sauce to your sandwich? I guess you are purchasing hass avocados at the supermarket; those have a very nice thin skin. There are some varieties that have a very thick skin and it’s difficult for some to tell when they are ready to eat. While in Mexico I tried one of their avocado delicacies, it is a very tiny variety, the skin is almost paper thin and purple. The meat is pale green and so creamy---but the best part is that the skin is edible!!! It was a treat :)
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Michelle! I would guess your aguacates come from Costa Rica or Dominican Republic...It is very interesting to know where are they from, how much traveling have done the green little devils before they get to your plate :)
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Don! thank you for visiting and also for bloggin' about the alligator pear :) Isn't that beautiful you could find here in Panama fresh avocados for as low 0.25 each?

Comment by: Melissa • Oct 4, 2005 9:04:08 AM

Melissa, I don't usually put mayo on my sandwiches anymore. I have been trying to lose 70 pounds and that is one thing I figured out that I could do without. I don't like bean sprouts. They always taste like dirt to me. I am a huge Mustard freak, but just not HOT mustard.

I didn't know that Carol had a blog either until I saw it posted on Mark's site. How funny! Just when you think you know someone, poof, they go and do something that surprises you. Are you going to do the pink food challenge for Breast Cancer Awareness month? I will have to come back and give you the url so you can read about the challenge. I have already done a test but since I have the day off tomorrow I will play some more and then take my final pictures!

Comment by: Vickie Brown • Oct 5, 2005 6:48:38 PM

Vickie, I love sprouts :) I can get lots of varieties, fresh, at the asian stores. Ohh yes! mustard is the best.
Yes, I am planning to preprare something PINK for the breast cancer awareness month---already decided what to prepare, lets see how it goes. Please send me the link. HUGS,

Comment by: Melissa • Oct 6, 2005 7:54:44 AM

http://dogdesserts.blogspot.com/2005/09/introducing-in-pink.html Here is the site. I tried to leave it yesterday when everything went haywire. My stuff posted twice here and then I couldn't get the link to show up. Maybe this time it will!

Comment by: Vickie Brown • Oct 6, 2005 10:58:03 AM

THank You for the link! I will for sure be posting something dressed in PINK very soon :) It is just a great cause!

Comment by: Melissa • Oct 6, 2005 11:00:59 AM

What do you use Eko cinnamon spirit -Espiritu De canela? Do you use this on your scalp for promoting growing hair?? I'm confused! I was given this from a Dominican hair dresser who told me this helps to grow hair?

I'm confused only to look on the side of jar whic reads"external use". can someone please tell me what is good to use this product for?

Thanks so much!

Comment by: Danyeille • Oct 11, 2006 8:59:52 AM

Does anyone have any information recommending or avoiding specific foods after spa treatments?

Thank you.

Comment by: Lynn • Oct 19, 2006 6:44:35 PM

Hola Lynn! thanks for the comment. I do not really have any info. on this subject, BUT I suggest you follow the guidelines by your family doctor regarding food allergies.

Best,
M

Comment by: melissa • Oct 20, 2006 3:30:34 PM

i love avocados i want to eat this with red wine for great taste

Comment by: Jakee • Jun 21, 2007 7:50:38 AM

avocados is my favorite dish i always eat with chilled white wine

Comment by: tony • Jun 30, 2007 1:45:24 AM

Very nice post. I liked your writing style and the way you covered the topic.

Comment by: HGH • Aug 31, 2007 5:10:55 AM

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