Turn to mangos to rock your guac
Holy guacamole! Summer is just around the corner and guacamole is the perfect food for summer cookouts.
Guacamole is a popular Mexican dip with avocado as the main ingredient. Most versions also have tomatoes, onion, cilantro, garlic, hot pepper and lime juice. It can be chunky or pretty smooth.
Avocados come from Mexico and California and did you know an avocado is a fruit? Crazy, right? You can tell it’s a fruit because it has a pit.
When you go to the store to buy avocados you should buy several, because one might be too ripe and one might not be ripe enough. You can tell when an avocado is ripe because it is not hard. You should be able to give it a squeeze.
The inside of the avocado should be light green and when you taste it, it’s mild and creamy.
Guacamole doesn’t have to be spicy hot. When I make guacamole I have a special ingredient: mango. I think mango gives the guacamole a sweet little oomph.
Most people think of guacamole as a dip to eat with tortilla chips, but there are many more ways to enjoy it. You can spread it on burgers and sandwiches or put it on chicken and fish. You can even put it into soup.
A word from Mom: The first time Jerome made guacamole was during a trip to his grandma’s house in Merida, Mexico, in Christmas 2009. Several hours had passed since dinner and we needed a late-night snack out by the pool. We walked into the kitchen looking for munchies and spotted the avocados that came from the market earlier that morning.
We had no recipe. We just chopped and mashed and tasted until it dazzled our taste buds. Admittedly when you start with ingredients close to the source, you’ve got an advantage.
It wasn’t until we were making guacamole at home several months later that Jerome decided to incorporate the mango. I think the mango works because it adds body and a hint of sweetness.
Guacamole is best made right before you want to eat it. Have the other ingredients chopped, then cut and mash the avocado and stir in the other ingredients. If you’re at a neighborhood cookout or family party, have the kids help. Even a 2-year-old can smash and mash this rockin’ guac.
Ÿ Jerome Gabriel is in fifth grade and has been helping in the kitchen since he could hold a spoon. His mother, Deborah Pankey, is the food editor at the Daily Herald.