We invited our neighbors over for a casual Friday night dinner, and I decided to make Mexican since Cinco de Mayo was only a few days away. While many people believe Cinco de Mayo is Mexico’s Independence Day, this is not actually true. The real Mexican Independence Day (dia de independencia), representing Mexico’s Independence from Spain, is actually in September, the 16th to be precise. Cinco de Mayo is only really celebrated in the state of Puebla, as it signifies the Battle of Puebla when the locals defeated the French intervention in 1862 on May 5th. So, why is Cinco de Mayo such a big deal in the US? You can thank the creative marketing teams at Corona, Jose Cuervo and the myriad other Mexican spirit makers who saw an opportunity to create a fun occasion to celebrate the arrival of spring. Not to mention Cinco de Mayo rolls off the tongue a lot easier than “diez y seis de septiembre”.
My Godson, Weston, loves to help me in the kitchen, and has even started cooking himself, which I love. He bounded through the door with his mom ready to make guacamole, and as I looked for my recipe for him, I realized that I had never actually posted it. How could that be? Guacamole is something I make frequently and was probably one of the first recipes I ever actually wrote up after someone requested it years ago. My Godson Joe, now 21 and finishing his junior year at Purdue, used to love it so much when he was a mere toddler that we had to give him his own bowl as he simply used the chip as a spoon . . . never mind double dipping! In any event, I had it written down in my notebook and Weston was able to make it to perfection! A tasty appetizer with some salsas followed by an accompaniment to chipotle marinated skirt steak and chicken and refried beans “al horno” (blended with salsa, scallions & cilatro, topped with cheese & jalapenos and baked in the oven).
KTINA’S GUACAMOLE
Equipment
- Chef's Knife
- Cutting Board
Ingredients
- 4-5 Ripe Avocadoes, preferrably Haas
- 1/2 Cup Red Onion, minced (1/2 medium red onion)
- 1 Jalapeno, seeded & minced finely
- 1 Clove Garlic, grated on microplane (or pressed w/ garlic press)
- 1 tsp Ground Cumin
- 2 TBSP Lime Juice, freshly sqeezed) (1-2 limes)
- 1/4 Cup Cilantro Leaves, chopped
- 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground Black Pepper
Instructions
- Halve avocadoes lengthwise and carefully remove the pit.
- Scoop out the flesh and add to a mixing bowl or shallow baking dish.
- Add remaining ingredients and mash together with a potato masher or a large fork until well blended, but still a little chunky for texture.
- Garnish with a little more chopped cilantro and serve with tortilla chips.
Notes
- Unlike many recipes, I don’t care to use chopped tomatoes. Initially, I omitted them for a friend with a tomato sensitivity and simply found I didn’t miss them. Further, the leftover guacamole keeps better, as the tomato juice leeches out and contributes to the guac turning brown.
- Ripe avocadoes should give slightly when pressed with your thumb.
- To ripen avocadoes, place alongside bananas in a bowl on the counter or place in a brown paper bag for a day or two.
- To remove the pit, use a spoon or gently press the corner of your chef’s knife closest to the handle into the pit and twist to remove. Resist the temptation to smack your knife blade into the pit to avoid injuries (just ask my friend Katy).
- I find it is easiest to simply squeeze the avocado flesh from the skin into your bowl or shallow dish (I like to wear nitrile gloves for less mess).
- Add more jalapeno if you prefer more spice.
- I like to wear nitrile gloves when working with jalapenos to avoid getting the oils in contact with my fingertips . . . even a few hours and several hand washings later it still stings when trying to remove a contact lens, trust me.