Name: Shrimp with Avocados
Cook time: 1 hr
Total time: 25 hr
Yield: Makes 8 first-course servings
Ingredients: 2 pounds medium shrimp (about 76), peeled and deveined; 3/4 cup white-wine vinegar; 1 cup vegetable oil; 1/4 cup capers, not drained; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon black pepper; 1 teaspoon celery seeds; 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco; 1 cup thinly sliced onion; 1/2 cup chopped celery; 7 bay leaves (not California); 2 firm-ripe California avocados; Accompaniment: soft green-leaf lettuce such as Boston

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Shrimp with Avocados

"I am 76 and consider myself a very good cook," writes Dorothy Harley of Norco, California. "I've always looked forward to receiving your magazine. Some recipes I try, love, and make over and over. One recipe I remember most is a shrimp and avocado salad. For our 25th anniversary, I cleaned and cooked 25 pounds of shrimp myself for the dish — it was a hit. And for my daughter's wedding, 21 years ago, I made it again. I'm sure that if you reprinted the recipe, you'd receive praise."

Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 25 hr (includes marinating)

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