My Mama's Easy Guacamole Recipe

And a Brief Education on the Beauty of Avocados

My appreciation for the beautiful flavor of avocados began as a small child. I grew up in a Mexican-American family that didn't have too much money to spend on fancy, gourmet ingredients. Instead, my mother and grandmothers insisted on the freshness and availability of a few select items. I've never been able to order (let alone eat) guacamole prepared at some of some popular Mexican food restaurants, as they often added unnecessary fillers like (gasp!) sour cream or added too much complexity with strong flavors like tons of cumin (which is amazing when used judiciously).

This easy recipe for guacamole requires that you find the avocados at their peak of ripeness (you can place them in a paper bag to hasten their ripening), as they don't need so much seasoning. Remember that an avocado is a fruit: just as you wouldn't want to add tons of sugar to perfectly ripe strawberries, respect the depth of flavor of the avocado as it stands on its own.

Here's a tip regarding the ripeness of avocados: at the grocery store, pick off the small stem of the avocado and look at the small circle of avocado underneath it. If the color is brown, the avocado is overripe. If it's yellow-green and the avocado feels hard, then it's probably too ripe. If it's bright green, even with one or two flecks of brown, and it gives slightly when pressed, then it's probably perfect.

Here are the key ingredients for My Mama's Easy Guacamole Recipe:

2-3 large Haas avocados or 4-5 small (the bumpy-skinned variety)
1-2 limes, preferably key or Mexican limes (these are smaller, but pack more flavor than the regular variety)
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt and more, if needed
chopped Roma tomato (optional)
chopped small onion or shallot (shallots have a mellow flavor that pair with the taste of avocado very nicely, also optional)

Directions:

1. Gather the following utensils:

serrated knife for penetrating the skin of the avocado and the limes
large knife for removing the pit
spoon for scooping the flesh
fork for mashing
cutting board
medium-sized bowl