May 16, 2014 7 min read

Sometimes it’s really easy to come up with recipe ideas. Sometimes the ideas find me more than me actually coming up with them.

I consider myself an artist, much like a musician, but instead of creating music and lyrics I create recipes and dishes. Billy Joel was asked how he writes songs and his response is one that I can really relate to.

He said that he dreams in music. Billy said that he is constantly thinking about music as if it is all around him all the time. A rhythm or beat just comes to him from somewhere and he recognizes it. It almost follows him around and won’t leave him until he gets it out in the form of a song.

I often feel the same way when it comes to food. I don’t even have to be around food to be inspired or for an idea to come to me and hound me until I get it out in the form of some food creation.

For example, the weather outside will create an emotion that inside my head translates to a food experience or the feeling of a dish or flavor. It could be the weather, a person, a TV show, a song, or really any stimulus. You may have the same feeling I have, but I tend to translate my feelings through food.

Whether it’s cooking something for myself to enjoy or it’s creating a recipe to share in one of my columns, the exercise of acting on this inspiration is the process of creation.

Sometimes the idea finds me and sometimes I have to actively search to find it. Harnessing this power and being able to do it on command, or at least on a consistent basis, is what I feel separates true artists from people who simply enjoy art as a hobby.

Many people say that it’s a gift that some people are blessed to have. I feel it’s a discipline of being aware while at the same time having some sort of obsession and finding a way to express this obsession to the world.

Billy and other musicians do it through music while myself and other chefs do it through food. It’s the same practice and discipline, just using different vehicles of expression.

The recipes I created for this week’s column are recipes that just came to me. Truth be told, I’ve been in the mood for a gin and tonic and avocado toast for a week or so and since I couldn’t shake the hankering, I decided they were the perfect recipes to share in this column.

Maybe it’s the season or even seeing similar ingredients pop up around me. I don’t really know for sure, but I do know that this combination was something that was following me around for a while. I was inspired by something, so I had to give in.

Gin and tonic is the quintessential summer cocktail, so I can only assume that this time of year and the warmer weather made me want to make and enjoy one. I say this because I am honestly not a huge gin and tonic person. I do like the cocktail, but it is not one that I regularly make or order when I’m out. I have to be in the mood for one and lately I’ve been in the mood.

It’s one of the easiest cocktails to make and there’s really no need to mess with it, as it is perfect just the way it is. You may choose to use lime instead of lemon to garnish your gin and tonic, as lime is a classic garnish for this cocktail. However, I chose to use lemon to match the lemon that I used in the avocado toast recipe that I paired with the cocktail.

I am a fan of lime with vodka and club soda as featured in my last “For Starters” column, but I enjoy the refreshing flavor of lemon in my gin and tonic. I recommend trying it both ways to determine what you prefer.

Avocado toast is also a traditional summer item. Avocados are in season from spring to fall so this is the prime time to utilize them. They are rich and delicious and I love the way the gin in the cocktail cuts through the buttery richness and creaminess of the avocado.

I also love the textural contrast of the creaminess of the avocado and the crunchy crispiness of the toast. It’s also a great hors d’oeuvre to pass and very easy to eat as it is a finger food.

You can use whatever bread you prefer for the toast. I chose to use Ezekiel bread for mine. Ezekiel bread is sprouted grain bread and has a very unique flavor and texture that I really enjoy with the flavor and texture of the avocado spread.

Ezekiel bread is made from a unique combination of six organic grains and legumes and also carries with it additional health benefits not found in other breads. Ezekiel bread can be used as any other bread and can be found in the health section of most major supermarkets.

The most difficult part of making the avocado toast is picking a good avocado at the supermarket. The avocado shouldn’t be too firm as that signifies it is not yet ripe. At the same time it shouldn’t be too soft as that signifies it is over ripe. Find an avocado that is slightly tender when gently squeezed.

Mentally catalogue the firmness of the avocado just before you cut it so you can learn what ripe avocados feel like and what they look like when they feel that way. After a little practice you will gain the experience necessary to pick the perfect avocado every time.

I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as I did. They are an introduction to the summer season and will give you that refreshing summer feeling. Get together with some friends, have an opening to summer get together, and – Just Cook It!

Mario J. Porreca of Belle Vernon is a food personality, author and the host of Just Cook It on WMBS Radio 590 AM. He can be reached via his website at: www.JustCookIt.net. Twitter: @MarioPorreca

Avocado toast

Yield: 8 servings

1 avocado, peeled and pit removed

1 ½ tablespoons mayonnaise

1 ounce fresh squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons fresh parsley

Pinch of sea salt

4 slices Ezekiel bread, toasted

2 tablespoons butter, softened

4 cherry tomatoes, sliced

Pinch of red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

Procedure:

1). In a food processor, combine the avocado, mayonnaise, lemon juice, parsley and a pinch of sea salt and pulse until pureed. Transfer the avocado puree to a bowl and reserve.

2). Butter the Ezekiel toast and then spread a thick layer of the avocado puree over the layer of butter. Trim the crust off of the toast and discard. Cut each piece of toast into four equal size pieces.

3). Garnish each piece of avocado toast with a slice of tomato and sprinkle each piece with a small pinch of sea salt and red pepper flakes. Drizzle each piece with extra virgin olive oil, place on a serving platter and serve immediately.

Classic gin and tonic

Yield: 1 cocktail

2 ounces gin

Tonic water

1 wedge lemon

Procedure:

1. Add the gin to a highball glass filled with ice, top with tonic water, stir and garnish with a lemon wedge.