shrimp and avocado salad

I'm always a bit apprehensive opening an avocado that's been in the refrigerator over a week. You never know what you will find.

Dressing:

* 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seed oil

* 1 teaspoon fish sauce

* 1 Tablespoon maple syrup

* 1/2 teaspoon sugar

* 2 teaspoons rice vinegar

* no oil because avocados are nearly all oil

Spices

* salt / pepper

* coriander 

* cumin

* chipotle powder

Shrimp is bathed for two minutes in water that had boiled.

ARTS!

Oh man, what a win.

Let me tell you about the gorgeous people at Trader Joe's. 

There are too many to mention. Workers and customers alike.  

I told the beautiful young woman behind me at the very front of the store, "I said 'wow' and the gum fell out of my mouth." I pointed to the gum on the floor. She said, "Oh, I have something for that." She dug through her purse for a scrap piece of paper, then seeing me struggle to bend down to get it, she offered to pick up the gum. 

There were other people I conversed with, the worker with the British accent describing what they have and don't have by way of sausages, and the older man checking out tinned peppers who laughed at my remark about mild jalapeños not having a point to them, agreeing, "It's like taking a bath with a raincoat." Then selecting a jar based on my recommendation.

Then to the woman who works there, I asked, where are the figs and dates? In separate places, she said. She offered to get them for me. I told her I'd like to see where they are put. She escorted me at my pace first to the figs then to the dates that need refrigeration. We got to the dates. 

Returning to the checkout line I told her that one time I boiled figs to a paste and made my own fig Newtons that are 10x better than the kind that you buy. I added, I wish my father could have tasted them because he sure loved the manufactured kind and my own beat the pants off of those. She asked if I had a recipe for the cookie portion. I told her, "I just looked on the internet." 

"Have you tried Trader Joe's brand?"

"No." 

She separated from me to go get a package of Trader Joe's brand fig Newtons. She opened the package and offered me one. (Too much cookie and no milk to drench it) It really is an excellent cookie. The fig flavor comes through sharply later, after the cookie dissolves, then the fig aftertaste lingers an incredibly long time. I heard her in the distance asking customers if they'd like to sample the Trader Joes' brand of fig Newtons. She was dispersing the entire package among customers. 

All based on my remark about making them. 

These Trader Joe's figs and dates are much better than the grocery store brands I've been buying. Especially the dates.