This recipe comes from the Western section of The United States Regional Cook Book, a 1939 cookbook that purports to showcase the “literally thousands of deliciously different foods representative of all sections of the country.”

Although the cookbook praises how Americans have assimilated culinary styles from different “foreign lands,” the cookbook is heavily Eurocentric. The chapters are divided into ten main American culinary regions: New England, Southern, Pennsylvania Dutch, Creole, Michigan Dutch, Mississippi Valley, Wisconsin Dutch, Minnesota Scandinavian, Southwestern, and Western. There is also a chapter titled “Cosmopolitan Cook Book” that contains a few recipes from countries and cultures not represented in the other regions (but still mostly European), such as Russia, Italy, Armenia, Hungary, Armenia, Czechoslovakia, and Turkey.

Even in sections that do include recipes from non-European cultures, they are often not credited. The introduction of the “Creole Cookery” section is a particularly egregious example, as the author waxes poetic about the French and Spanish contributions to the cuisine of New Orleans and even describes gumbo without once mentioning African influences (the name “gumbo” literally comes from a West African word, but you would certainly never find that out by reading this book). The United States Regional Cook Book is an interesting relic of how some Americans thought about food at the time, but I wouldn’t rely on it for historical accuracy or even for an accurate depiction of what Americans in different regions were actually eating.

Avocado Ice Cream:

• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 eggs, well beaten
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp lemon extract (or less; see tasting notes below)
• 1 cup mashed and sieved avocado

1. Combine milk, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan. Heat slowly just until milk starts to scald.
2. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl, then slowly pour in the hot milk, stirring constantly so the eggs don’t curdle.
3. Put the mixture in a double boiler and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (technically the original recipe doesn’t call for this step, but I didn’t want to put raw eggs in my ice cream).
4. Stir in the cream, lemon extract, and mashed avocado. Put in the fridge until completely cool (at least 1 hour).
5. Freeze the mixture in a 1.5 quart ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
6. Pack the ice cream in a container and place in the freezer until firm.

Tasting notes:

As the recipe promises, this ice cream does have a nice, smooth texture. Unfortunately, I wasn’t as happy with the taste – the lemon extract almost completely overwhelmed the flavor of the avocado. Perhaps lemon extract is stronger now that it was in the 1930s? If I make this recipe again, I would either reduce the amount of lemon extract or use fresh lemon juice instead. Lemon extract woes aside, the texture and color of the ice cream were perfect. I’m still not sure if it’s accurate to include this in the “Western” cookery section – I’ve lived in California all my life and never had avocado ice cream until now – but it is true that avocados are popular here, just as they were in the 1930s.

References:

Berolzheimer, R. (Ed.). (1939). The United States regional cook book. Chicago, Ill.: Consolidated Book Publishers.