Guacamole

This is my very favorite way to make guacamole.  It’s so flavorful while staying true to the flavor of the buttery, rich avocado.  But, to be clear, in no way am I implying that this is an authentic guacamole recipe, which may include simply mashed avocados with a little lime juice and salt, or with a few mix-ins like hot chiles, onion, cilantro and/or chopped tomatoes.My version has a little lemon juice in addition to the lime juice, garlic, chives, cumin and hot sauce.  All of these offer just a whisper of flavor in the recipe as written to keep the taste of the avocados in the forefront, but you can adjust to your taste.  I love to drizzle just a little olive oil over top before serving for richness too.  Just make sure to season your guacamole aggressively with salt so it actually tastes like something!You can use either a serrano or jalapeño, seeded or not, depending on how hot you want your guacamole.  A few dashes of Tabasco (or your favorite hot sauce) adds a little more spice, but also some vinegar to cut through the richness.  Mash to smooth, or leave it chunky.  Really, everything is up to you with guacamole!  Just start with the basic ingredients and adjust to your liking.  While I didn’t do it for these photos, I do love adding chopped tomatoes into the guac-it adds a hit of sweetness and acid into an otherwise very rich dip.My very favorite tortilla chips are the blue corn chips with amaranth, quinoa and chia seeds from Trader Joe’s because they are so crisp and crunchy.  I highly recommend stocking up on your next TJ’s run so you can dip into this guacamole with the best chip ever.

You can serve this as-is for an appetizer, or put it on burgers, in sandwiches, on nachos, on pizza, on cardboard (JK), etc.  It’s good on literally everything, but especially anything Mexican or with Latin-American flavors.  Plan a taco night with your friends, and you’ve already got the first dish down with perfect guacamole recipe!

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