BootsnAll Travel Community

after travelling to 4 central american nations this spring and tasting all the different foods....guacamole might have been the staple throughout..i've tried making it here and it just isnt the same....any tips??

or any other simple central american dishes that will take me back?? i love spicy foods and will try anything...so send your recipes my way!!!

I don't know if my guacamole conforms to any tradition, but I cut a ripe avocado smush it up coarsely, add a squeeze of lime and perhaps put a chopped green onion in there or even a jalapeno and a tomato. I like the taste of avocado, so I try not to mess with it too much.

My trusty Mexican cookbook tells me to also add cilantro, which sounds good, and a little salt. It also says to roast the chiles and finely chop them. Don't refrigerate for more than a couple hours.

1 part guaca, 2 parts mole

"1 part guaca, 2 parts mole"
HOOT!

This is my re-creation of a dish I had in Mexico many years ago.

2 ripe but firm avocado
2 garlic gloves with a little coarse salt - I use the flat of a big knife to mash the garlic and salt into a paste
juice of one lime
Chop coarsely until it reaches the desired consistency.

My wife likes the addition of a little sour cream but I think the result is a little too rich.

But really - the ingredients just aren't the same. Different type of avocado, of garlic etc. I know that when I make guacamole, here in Costa Rica, it just tastes different than when I make it in North America.

Or maybe it's the air??

Raffi
(who has left the cold of Canada permanently for the warm climes of Central America)

I suspect that the differences in flavor have to do mainly with which avocados are available at the time, but also using limons (aka "Mexican limes") instead of Eureka lemons and using a decent amount of quality salsa picante and fresh cilantro.

We just had guacamole for dinner, served with radishes and jicama on the side.

Here goes: Mash one avocado, add juice of 1/2 lemon or lime, add a heaping tablespoon of Herdez hot "salsa casera."

Jim Paris

I can't give the exact ratios or my grandma might come haunt me , but here are the contents of her guacamole, as passed down from her mexican-spanish ancestors. This is a very hot, very "earthy" guacamole.

avocados - make sure they are very ripe - underripe avocados have a poor texture and won't properly absorb the other ingredients - it's worth it to wait another day
buttermilk (or goat's milk, which was supposedly in the original version)
garlic
onion
cumin
salt
habanero peppers
dash of lemon or lime juice - just enough to keep it from turning brown - too much will cut the flavor

a couple of grandma's tips
- don't use a metal bowl
- let it sit in the fridge for a bit after you've mixed it
- a tiny bit of a very hot pepper is better than a larger amount of a lighter one

have fun and good luck!

As has been stated, the basic mix is 2 avocados, juice of 1/2 lime, some garlic powder, and salt. You can also add cilantro, finely diced tomato, minced onion, or a combo of these also known as salsa of some sort.

I'm kind of a traditionalist on this and normally prefer a simple avo/salt/lime/ mixture to compliment the crazy spicy dishes I eat when I eat Mexican.

avocado... you should see this tree in my backyard, avocados the size of softballs that taste like butta!! er, yea, where was I... um...
finely chopped onion
vine-ripened tomato
sprinkle of cumin
couple squirts of tobasco
few shakes of black pepper
little lemon or lime juice
cilantro if I have it

not authentic in anyone's book but mine

:drool:

interesting tip on the metal bowl Liforce... will have to try that.... also I never used garlic, sounds gooood

An interesting and mildly related kitchen trick:

If you use half an avacado and want to save the other half, make sure to leave the pit in the unused half. It will significantly reduce the nasty brown oxidation. (This is, of course, in addition to traditional techniques like saran wrap or tupperware.)

... and a sprinkle of leftover lime or lemon juice on the leftover avocado (in addition to the pit) to completely keep away the icky brown.

I'm an east LA native and have been told I make GREAT guacamole. The keys are: 1) "just the right amount of ripeness" avacados; and 2) lime and salt. Take two ripe but not too ripe avacados (should be creamy green and smoothly soft inside with no trace of brown), scoop out and mash thoroughly with side of the spoon, being sure to leave some small "chunks". Seed and chop one ripe tomato - vine ripened roma is good - and add to the avacado. Add juice of 1/2 lime and a liberal amount of salt (I like coarse sea salt). Taste and adjust flavors. I usually find I want to add more lime.....

Yummy! It can be difficult to get ripe avocados here (the supermarket fruit are like stones, the market fruits overipe), but I miss a good guacamole

I always add a touch of fresh coriander, though.

Actually, avocados can't really get too ripe for guacamole, and finally they arrived back on the market!

Except that I squeezed on waaay too much lime juice. I could cut it with a bit of cream, but it just isn't worth it for the two of us. I'll try again tomorrow.

Favourite dinner for the next two days: black bean chilli, guacamole, rice, salad (or pico de gallo--either) and tortilla chips

I am addicted to avocados and love guacamole! I never make it the same way twice. Some things I love to add- shredded chedder cheese, roasted pine nuts, roasted garlic-

it always has lots of garlic though, some red onion, some diced tomatos, some chilis, cilantro, salt, lime juice and cumin.

Another dish I love which is very healthy and similar to guacamole:
dice an orange pepper, a yellow pepper, a red pepper and a jalapeno. Add fresh chopped cilantro. Add a peeled banana and three avocados and mash all together. Squeeze lime juice all over and season with sea salt and cumin. Yummy! And that is power food!

3 avocados
1 ripe tomatoe
1 red onion
2 limes
sea salt
a dash of cumin
a tablespoon of crumbled blue cheese (optional but so goood)
1 roasted jalepeno
-combine!

quote:

Originally posted by globalguppy:
3 avocados
1 ripe tomatoe
1 red onion
2 limes
sea salt
a dash of cumin
a tablespoon of crumbled blue cheese (optional but so goood)
1 roasted jalepeno
-combine!

Wow. I whole onion to 3 avocados. That would be intense, and different to any I've ever had/made. If using onion, I would never put more than 1 tablespoon of finely minced per avocado. Blue cheese huh? OK, I'll give it a shot next time.

quote:

Originally posted by braslvr:


Wow. I whole onion to 3 avocados. That would be intense, and different to any I've ever had/made. If using onion, I would never put more than 1 tablespoon of finely minced per avocado. Blue cheese huh? OK, I'll give it a shot next time.

hehe small red onion! red onions are more mellow then the other two colors. however, i do like my food intense!! Oh and for first timers try gorgonzola over the blue cheese it's a bit more mellow.

and and how could I forget the cilantro?!?!?! and a Pacifico to wash it down!

To any of the above recipes, add some chipotle chili powder. Adds a smoky kick. Probably not authentic either but delicious.