I was scanning a list of titles of new cookbooks that are scheduled to be released this fall when I was reminded of a quote from James Beard. “There are really no new recipes, only millions of variations sparked by somebody’s imagination and desire to be a little bit creative and different. American cooking, after all, is built on variations of old recipes from around the world.” (Beard on Food)

Lots of truth in that quote. I’ve been spreading avocado on toast recently, after seeing the idea making the rounds on food blogs, and thinking how innovative and creative that idea was. In reality, the idea has been around for a long time. It has resurfaced recently because of our current interest in healthy fats.

Thanks to James Beard again, I read about Mantequilla de Pobre or poor man’s butter. It sounds similar to guacamole with its mixture of avocado, tomato, and lime. According to Beard, it was “used as a spread or added to dishes to give the soft texture and rich flavor that butter would.”

Yet another example of the adage that if you wait long enough, everything old will be new again.