March 4, 2013
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Weekend Guacamole.
I grew up learning to consume avocados as a dessert beverage; blended with crushed ice and flavored with mocha/coffee syrup and sweet condensed milk, both the white and the chocolate variety. It resembles milkshake in all its goodness and comfort, but deep green in color. It was not until I went to USA for education that I was first introduced to avocado as savory food. It took a while for my palate to adjust to the change of flavor profile, but I have come to love avocados as something you bite and eat.
The easiest and best way to really appreciate the true flavor of avocados, for me at least, is to press-spread chucks of the delicate yellow-green flesh onto a piece of toast and sprinkled with coarse sea salt. It is like biting into a soft savory jade colored butter that happily melts on your tongue. Green heaven in a mouth.
Now it’s the season for avocados. My cousin bought me a bunch of them, knowing how much I love avocados. I had some at work for lunch a few days ago, but one can only have so many avocado sandwiches in a week. With so many of them lying around at home I decided to spend my lazy Sunday to do some lazy food preparation. I decided to make me some guacamole.
There is no right or wrong recipe for making guacamole. Every one has their own preference. I heard once that the best way to make tasty guacamole is by adding sour cream. YUM. Well, I had no sour cream in my fridge, and so I made mine with some ready-made freshly squeezed local lime juice, green onions (chives), brined capers, and some Himalayan pink rock salt I happened to have lying around. I placed them all in a large bowl, and added in a touch of pepper for an extra kick in flavor. I pressed them together into a mush using a fork until it turned into the consistency that I preferred. Easy-peasy and no cooking involved.
I wanted to enjoy the guacamole with some corn tortilla chips, but I was too lazy to go out and buy them. And so I enjoyed it with some store bought croutons instead, that I had initially saved for snacking with Boursin cheese. I put the left-over in a glass container and placed it in the refrigerator. But let me tell you, it didn’t stay long in there. Yeah, I’m such a pig when it comes to guacamole
Comments (11)
I want some of the guacamole now. It's really refreshing to eat during these hot days we have here in Sydney. Top notch posting, Rudy
I really enjoyed reading this.
Always love guacamole. I've been meaning to make it at home for some time, but I always lazy out and just eat the avocado by itself. Maybe I'll have to try it your way.
I'm not a big fan of avocados
Avocados are a strange fruit or vegetable (or whatever they are). I think I would only eat them in guacamole form, but it's a dish I won't fight over with people. But I am impressed that you have Himalayan Rock Salt "lying" around. I wonder if it really comes from there because the "salt" used back in Europe to melt the ice on the roads in winter just looks the same.
A xanga friend from Miami gave me a fabulous recipe. Cut open the avocado, remove and discard the seed, and drizzle mustard and ketchup on the surface of the fruit, and scoop it up with a spoon and eat it. At first I thought he was kidding. But Rudy, I LOVE it. In fact, these past two days I have eaten them daily like that. They are such an expensive fruit/vegetable. Each avocado costs almost $2. I am envious that you were able to get a bunch of them!
It's very cool that you made your own guacamole and not only used the recipe, but really put your own twist on it as well. I can imagine that a lot of people who are big on guacamole really would have enjoyed it ! Being in Mexico, there is no shortage of guacamole, but I have to admit it's not something I really enjoy...... I can be kind of picky with food sometimes !
The avocado drink sounds interesting. I never would have imagined anything like that, but I would definitely give it a try. It is silly so many people just won't try something and just assume they won't like it without trying it. I will usually try something new unless it's full of ingredients I know that I always don't like..... such as mushrooms and beans or onions !
As for your question I'm really not sure how I can answer it, so I'll give you some lines from wikipedia about what Horchata is:
"Horchata varies in taste across Latin America. Although the drinks may share the same name, the flavor of each is unique to its country of origin.
While in some countries the drink is usually tan and "milky", some recipes call for milk, and others do not. Other ingredients often include sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Though horchata was once typically homemade, it is now available in both ready-to-drink (shelf-stable or refrigerated) and powdered form in grocery stores. Horchata, together with tamarindo and jamaica, are the three typical drink flavors of Mexican agua frescas."
It's a very refreshing sweet tasting drink and I really enjoy it ! I hope that everything has been going well with you lately. Take care and have a great week, bye for now.
Kyle
Avocados rock. I love the avocado-on-toast-thing too (with really good bread).
I like avocado but never tried it like this before. I also enjoy avocado shakes. I could rub avocado all over me .... lol.
@stepaside_loser - thanks andrew. much appreciated. but i think you're the only one who thinks this is a 'top-notch' posting
@Roadlesstaken - give it a try, alex. and do it YOUR way. you may even sing sinatra's song while you making it :p
@oxyGENE_08 - so sad. gene, we are no longer friends...
@beowulf222 - it's a fruit, mr. nikki. and may i ask does the salt used in europe predominantly pink?
@ZSA_MD - SERIOUSLY?? mustard and ketchup?? oh my, that is a challenge for my palate, considering i'm not a fan of both mustard and ketchup. yeah, avocados can get real expensive in the States. come to indonesia, zakiah, i'll feed you kilos of them
thanks for the rec.
@kyle061685 - yes, kyle, being in mexico i would imagine you have tasted some of the best guacamoles out there. i envy you. but i'm a little surprised that you have yet to try sweet avocado juice/shake. i figured they may have something similar there, considering an avocado is a predominant ingredient in their cuisine. i don't consume much mexican food in my life since i'm not a fan of beans and onions myself. by the way, thank you for the explanation on Horchata. i reckon i'd enjoy that, especially served chilled during a hot day, cause i enjoy anything with cinnamon.
@n_e_i_l - thanks for the rec, neil. they do rock. more people should try fresh avocado on toast.
@ElusiveWords - oh my, matt, that response is for a different kind of blog. but yeah, i could imagine you use avocado for something more delicious than an avocado shake ;p
@rudyhou - The one used on the street in the winter has this pinkish hue.
@rudyhou - Hehe