Once again life seems to have gotten in the way of blogging. I was gone the better part of last week for 3 days of training, for work and while I wasn’t able to get online and blog, let alone cook, it was a good time and very informative. An added plus was 3 nights of having a bed to myself!! No dogs hogging the space, no wife trying to pile up the covers on top of me, and no kid trying to sneak into bed then taking up 3/4′s of it by sleeping perpendicular to the way one is supposed to sleep. Sorry honey, I missed you, but it was glorious having a bed to myself!!!

Then, after I got back, my brother’s wife went into labor. After a long weekend in the hospital she finally gave birth to a beautiful little girl. We are so happy for them and my daughter is thrilled to have a little cousin. So thrilled, in fact, that when we went to see them, in the hospital, she was very disappointed that the baby wasn’t coming back home with us!

Needless to say, the last few weeks have been pretty busy, but that doesn’t excuse my lack of writing, so I will try to get back to something more regular, once again.

With summertime upon us, I often find myself sipping on Margaritas and other tropical, adult beverages. And of course, when sipping numerous adult beverages, it is inevitable that the munchies set in. One of my favorite ways to curb that appetite is tortilla chips and guacamole.

Guacamole is so easy to make I don’t know why anyone buys that heinous stuff that comes prepackaged. It is always so tart due to all the citric acid they have to use to keep it green, and it seems to have the consistency of baby food. It doesn’t even come close to the “real thing.” Good guacamole should be chunky, with a good citrus zip from lime juice, but it still should be well balanced and all the flavors should come through individually.

This is the recipe I use that has wowed friends, family and restaurant guests for years.

Guacamole

4 avocados
1/2 medium onion
2 medium tomatoes
1-2 jalapenos*
1/4 bunch cilantro, leaves only
1-1 1/2 limes
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
salt
pepper

Finally dice the onion. Core the tomato and cut in half width wise. Gently squeeze the tomato to remove all the seeds and watery pulp, then finely dice. Seed and mince the jalapenos. Finally chop the cilantro. Cut the lime in half and squeeze the juice of 1 half into a bowl. Combine with the rest of the chopped ingredients. Cut the avocados in half and remove the pit. The easiest and cleanest way to dice an avocado is to leave the flesh in the skin and cut it in the skin. To do this, make 4 slices, the length of the avocado, through the flesh just until the knife encounters the skin. Turn the avocado 90 degrees and repeat.

Now just take a spoon, slip it just under the skin and scoop out the flesh into the bowl. Add the cumin, a little salt and pepper, and mix just until everything comes together and the avocado is just starting to break up, holding it all together. Taste the guacamole and adjust the seasoning and add more lime juice, if necessary. You need enough lime juice to help keep the guacamole from oxidizing and turning brown and to help elevate all the flavors, but the lime juice shouldn’t overpower the other flavors.

To store the guacamole, place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the guacamole and push it down to remove as much air as possible. This will help to slow down the oxidization process by limiting the amount of air that comes into contact with it.

*If you like your guacamole with more kick don’t add more jalapeno or the pepper flavor will overpower. Instead choose a hotter pepper such as a Serrano, or use jalapenos and add a bit of ground cayenne to bump up the heat.

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