Thursday, December 23, 2010

Holy Guacamole!


Is there anything better than guacamole?

I mean really.

Unless you're sitting on the beach in Mexico eating it, that is.

I've loved it for a long, long time. Long before I had it prepared tableside under the warm Mexican sun. Perhaps that is my mother's fault, what with all of her Spanish influence during my childhood years when groups of strangers would congregate in our living room and speak nothing but Spanish. They would bring interesting, intoxicating food and if I was lucky I could sneak a bite or two before running back into my room as I listened to the foreign words rolling off their tongues, imagining what they were talking about.

Naturally, one would think that when it came time to choose a language to fulfill my requirement for high school graduation, I would have picked Spanish.

One would be wrong.

Adhering to true angsty teenager girl fashion, I chose French. Simply because nobody in my house could speak it.

And I failed miserably.

The only good thing that came out of French class was my husband, so I shouldn't knock it too much. For, if I hadn't taken French, he may have never asked me out on a date in front of the whole class my sophomore year and I wouldn't have said "NO" in front of the entire class and then have spent my lunch hour penning an apology note which eventually lead to our first date some 3 months later - and then where would I be now?
Probably not making guacamole, that's where.

Anyhow...

I ended up taking Spanish. Like that has anything to do with my guacamole recipe.

I think the most important thing about making guacamole is to have your ingredients at room temperature. That way, it will taste pretty close to the way it should...flavors ripe and ready just like they are when you have it fresh in Mexico.


Holy Guacamole!
6 ripe avocados
1 diced roma tomato
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
juice from one small lime
dash of sea salt

Now, I know some of you will be saying, "Where is the jalapeno?" It's not that I don't enjoy jalapenos and love them with every little bit of my heard, but they have their place. And in this guacamole is not one of those places. They can hang out in the salsa. I want to taste the avocado.

So - take out your favorite bowl. I like to use a clear glass batter bowl so I can see the magic happen. Halve the avocados and scoop their insides into the bowl. Squeeze your lime all over the avocado. Then pile on the tomato, red onion and cilantro and sprinkle with sea salt.

Now, take out a large fork and mush.

Mush that until it looks just right to you. Some people like their guac a little more lumpy, I prefer mine somewhere in the middle.

Grab a few of your favorite friends, your favorite chips, a few pitchers of margaritas and have at it! Ole!

4 comments:

Leigh Ann said...

Okay so I seriously started drooling reading this post.

Sweet story about your husband. I would write more but I have to go buy 6 avocados.

Anonymous said...

Aaah.. the magic of French! You can thank Annie Waite for giving a thumbs up when I figured out who Brett was..

But thanks, also, to the old Tertulia group. I didn't realize you took anything away from it...

¡Feliz Navidad, indeed!

Anonymous said...

xxxooomom, to the above..

Miller Family said...

I remember French class with Mrs. Waite! Great story! A little trick I have learned to keep guacomole from turning brown (if you ever have any left over and what to save it for the next day), put a splash of milk in it! Merry Christmas Carrie and family!!!!