THE COOK'S TREAT? If you've ever baked something, boiled something, or thrown a dish together in the kitchen, you likely indulged in the time-honored tradition of the cook's treat. Think of it as the little (or not so little) nibble that's set aside for the person helming the stove, an extra sweet or noshy something that powers the home chef's ability to successfully complete the meal preparation. Some foods quickly spring to mind in this realm, like cheese cubes, while others don't often make the cook's treat cut. But something that almost always does? The avocado. There isn't a guacamole maker in existence who hasn't swiped some dip with a furtive chip before it makes its debut at the party on the patio, while unadorned avocado is often eaten straight from within the fruit's bumpy skin. Are you that avocado-obsessed cook? Then prepare yourself for the...
CALIFORNIA AVOCADO FESTIVAL, which is, quite frankly, a celebration that is only comprised of what might be deemed as "cook's treats." There are several guacamoles to try, and avocado ice cream, too, and aficionados of the alligator pear do on occasion come across an offbeat dish that they hadn't ever thought about before. Carpinteria is the home of this longtime party, which takes place just a few blocks from the ocean, so that's a treat, too. And the time of year for this creamy convention? It's always early October. In 2019 "early October" means Oct. 4, 5, and 6, which means you have a weekday, and a whole weekend, to guac-out. The 33rd annual bash'll also have the tunes (it's billed as "California's largest free music festival"), so plan for some dancing, in addition to some dip-devouring.
OVER 80,000 PEOPLE... attended in 2018, so arriving early on your chosen day is key. But wouldn't you arrive early at a patio party, especially when you know that a big bowl of guacamole will be there? If guac, avos, and everything to do with this fabled fruit is your ultimate cook's treat, best cross one of the ultimate avocado happenings off your bucket list. If only that bucket list was really a bucket holding a few dozen avocados, straight from the tree...