Roberto Abraham Scaruffi

From Jolinda Hackett, your Guide to Vegetarian Food Obviously, I love good food, or I wouldn't be writing about it all the time, and I often sing the praises of my favorite chocolate desserts, and of course, my favorite grain (quinoa, of course), but it's been a while since I waxed poetic about my favorite fruit. So great a fruit is it, that you might not even consider it a fruit. The humble avocado.

Getting started with avocados

Before we get started exploring the many ways to enjoy avocados, we need fresh ripe avocados. Here's how to choose avocados, how to ripen avocados and how to cut avocados.

See More About:  cooking tips  avocado recipes  fruit recipes

Like guacamole? Like tapenade? Try this olive avocado dip

Like guacamole? Like olive tapenade? Sure you do! And you're going to love this avocado and olive dip recipe. It combines olives, avocados, chili peppers, green onions and fresh basil. Delightful!

California-style vegan fudge

In California, when avocados are in season, we'll find a way to enjoy them any way we can. I love a touch of sea salt on a few slices as a side dish, or avocados drizzled with balsamic vinegar for a snack. But love of avocados doesn't stop there in my native California. Nope. We've found a way to enjoy avocados with another one of nature's greatest gifts: chocolate! I'm talking about avocado fudge. It's creamy, chocolatey, vegan and delicious! Try it!

See More About:  avocado recipes  vegan desserts  chocolate recipes

RFE/RL Headlines 9/19/2011 7:49:17 PM A daily digest of the English-language news and analysis written by the staff of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty RFE/RL is looking for guest bloggers, preferably writing from and about our broadcast region. If you're interested, drop us a line at webteam@rferl.org.

 

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More   'We Don't Have Anything To Eat' -- Desperation and Poverty Growing As Kazakh Strikes Drag On Myrzabai Lesov, a striking oil worker in the Kazakh city of Zhanaozen, says he barely earned enough to support his family even when he was working. Now he says they've got nothing to eat at all. Artur Nigmetov of RFE/RL's Kazakh Service visits one family to gauge the human toll of the continuing labor standoff in Central Asia's richest country. More   Showdown Over Palestinian Statehood Set To Spice Up UN General Assembly The Palestinians are expected to ask the UN to recognize them as an independent member-state as the world body begins its 66th regular session this week. The proposal is almost certain to set off one of the hottest debates of the UN's new year. It may also be one of the most divisive. More   Gandhi's Legacy: Civil Disobedience Takes Off In Iran Forecasts of a revolution to unseat Iran's Islamic regime have long been in abundance but have thus far been proved wrong by events. Now some see a new threat to the power of Tehran's ruling theocrats -- the proliferation of small-scale civil disobedience campaigns. More   News Iran Seeks Cozier Ties With Armenia President Mahmud Ahmadinejad has reiterated Iran's strong interest in expanding its "historic, deep, and friendly" relations with Armenia during a weekend meeting with Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian in Tehran. More   Yemeni Pro-Gov't Snipers Kill Protesters Pro-regime forces have killed some 20 people in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, today -- a day after at least 26 protesters were killed and hundreds more injured by security forces who fired into a mass demonstration. Demonstrators have vowed to continue their protest rallies. More   From Our Bureaus Uzbekistan Detains 11 'Religious Extremists' Eleven practicing Muslims have been arrested in Tashkent in recent days on suspicion of "extremism." More   Kyrgyz Demand Return Of Land Some 200 protesters have rallied in the Kyrgyz resort of Cholpon-Ata on Lake Issyk-Kul to demand the return of land that was leased to private companies. More   Kyrgyz Protest For Islamic Headwear Dozens of activists have demonstrated in front of the Kyrgyz Education Ministry to demand that Islamic head scarves be allowed in secondary schools. More   Trauma Toll Mounts For Afghan Kids Human rights officials in Afghanistan have endorsed earlier findings suggesting that endemic violence is inflicting considerable psychological trauma and distress on children in that country. More   Kyrgyz PM Given Electioneering Warning The Kyrgyz Central Election Commission (BSK) has warned Prime Minister Almazbek Atambaev against illegal electioneering prior to the official start of campaigning for the October 30 presidential election. More   Azeri Activists' Lawyer Disbarred A lawyer who recently defended four opposition activists in a Baku court has been disbarred by the Azerbaijani Bar Association. More   Activists Held Over Uzbek Child Workers Two Uzbek rights activists say they were detained by police for taking pictures of schoolchildren picking cotton in the southern Kashkadarya region More   Transmission With Qaddafi Preoccupied, UN Rolls Its Eyes Toward Ahmadinejad This year, former Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi seems to be having more pressing issues on his plate than a trip to the UN General Assembly. So all eyes now seem to have turned to Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad, who is scheduled for the seventh consecutive year to deliver from the high tribune his vision for world peace and prosperity. More   The Week Ahead: September 19-25 The Week Ahead is a detailed listing of key events of the coming week affecting RFE/RL's broadcast regio More   Lebedev Lands In Russian TV Tycoon Brawl Russian media magnate Aleksander Lebedev ended a talk show on national television by punching a fellow guest and property tycoon in the face, knocking him off the stage. More   Subtle Diplomacy Barely Conceals UN Divisions Over Kosovo Diplomatic battles are often concealed in formal language, which rarely betrays the intense pressure and acrimony that exists between the disagreeing parties. More   Persian Letters Another Iranian Lashed Over Political Activism An Iranian political activist member of a group called "Iran's Democratic Party" has received 30 lashes after being convicted of charges that are often brought against dissidents, including acting against national security. More   Caucasus Report ILO Condemns Dismissal Of Striking Georgian Metal Workers Three workers at the Hercules metallurgical plant in Georgia's western city of Kutaisi have been fired and some 100-150 more are under threat of dismissal following a protest strike. Why the Georgian authorities chose to take a tougher stance in the case is not clear. More   Photo Gallery Archive Photos Of The Week -- September 10-16 Rebel advance on Gaddafi stronghold, Putin plays the piano, and the 9/11 memorial opens. More

RFE/RL Central Asia Report 9/19/2011 7:43:57 PM A review of RFE/RL reporting and analysis about the five countries of Central Asia. For more stories on Central Asia, please visit and bookmark our Central Asia page .

 

Kyrgyz Protest For Islamic Headwear Dozens of activists have demonstrated in front of the Kyrgyz Education Ministry to demand that Islamic head scarves be allowed in secondary schools. More   'We Don't Have Anything To Eat' -- Desperation and Poverty Growing As Kazakh Strikes Drag On Myrzabai Lesov, a striking oil worker in the Kazakh city of Zhanaozen, says he barely earned enough to support his family even when he was working. Now he says they've got nothing to eat at all. Artur Nigmetov of RFE/RL's Kazakh Service visits one family to gauge the human toll of the continuing labor standoff in Central Asia's richest country. More   New Bakiev Extradition Request 'Likely' A senior official in Kyrgyzstan suggests authorities there are preparing to file a new extradition request for ousted former President Kurmanbek Bakiev, who fled to Belarus last year after a popular uprising. More   Status Updates For Syria A young Syrian activist works out how to take over your Facebook -- for good. More   21 Victims Of Ethnic Clashes In Kyrgyzstan Still Unidentified The bodies of 21 people killed in last year's ethnic clashes in southern Kyrgyzstan have still not been identified after DNA analysis abroad. More   Tired, Angry, But Determined, Striking Kazakh Oil Workers Say Fight Will Go On Since May, thousands of oil workers in western Kazakhstan have been on strike to protest unfair pay and demand better recognition for local unions. The strike has been largely ignored by the government, but it's raising questions about how long the energy-driven country can overlook its labor unrest. More   Religious-Freedom Report Singles Out Iran, Uzbekistan, China The U.S. State Department's "Report on International Religious Freedom" identifies Iran, Uzbekistan, China, and Burma among "countries of particular concern" and says Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan also face significant challenges in securing religious freedom. More