Guacamole

Ah, Guacamole. The dip that signifies summer. I love guacamole, and for some reason this particular recipe is my favorite-my mouth is watering just thinking about it. I can't exactly recall what the reason was that I asked for it from my friend E so long ago, but I'm glad I did every time I remake the dish.





This recipe has proven to be a tried and true hit with family and friends alike. I brought this guacamole to a Christmas celebration one year after getting my annual Christmas avocado (among other things, my dad gets plantain chips and these gigantic avocados every year from a client of his, and hands them out to everyone in the family-I love that tradition) and am now requested to bring it to every.family.function. All the time. Then there was the time I made it over the fourth of July down in Dallas, got scoffed at by my friends there for bringing it, and by the middle of the party found the bowl nearly licked clean with comments about how the "Yankee" makes some good guac (all jokes, of course). This guacamole's even an award winner-when I worked at Tufts the teachers and staff had a "guac-off", so there were about 9 bowls of guacamole in the kitchen, and mine tied for first (I think it only tied because I was going against almost a pureed guacamole).



This is some good stuff.



I used to follow this with the recipe I wrote down-over the years I've ditched that method, and instead just glance at it before I begin, only to add more where I think I need it. It's one of the few recipes I'll do without a paper in front of me, and one of the few where I will continually experiment. Sometimes it's got too much lemon juice in it, so I'll add more salt. Too much garlic? Add a little more cilantro or lemon juice. Maybe one day I'll put in less onion than I'm normally used to, just because I don't feel like a lot of onion that day.

All I know is that it's really, really, really tasty and very fast. Start to finish I'd say it takes no more than ten minutes. I love this stuff-I'd eat it right out of the bowl with a spoon (wait, I would? Let's change that to I have.). And the best part is that it reminds me of sitting outside on a really hot summer day with friends, drinking beer or something else, just enjoying ourselves. Even if I am eating it with a full foot of snow on the ground outside.

Guacamole (origins unknown)

2 ripe avocados
juice from one lemon (maybe slightly less-depends on your taste)
1-2 cloves of garlic (I often use a spoonful of minced garlic)
1/4 c. cilantro, choped
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 onion, finely chopped
jalepeno pepper, finely chopped, ribs and seeds removed (optional-I never use it)

pit and scoop the avocado out of it's peel. combine the all of the ingredients in a bowl, and mash and combine until desired consistency (I like it on the chunkier side). Taste as you go, adding more of ingredients as you feel you want them (I often feel like I need more lemon juice and salt, but you might want more garlic. Whatever floats your boat).
I usually serve this with corn chips, not tortilla chips, but they're good with either. Or on top of a burger, or in a chicken sandwich. It is stupendous, if I do say so myself.

Lime-Mango Sorbet and Raspberry-Blackberry Buttermilk Cake

It's been awhile. Sorry about that. That's what happens when I stop giving myself rules to post to this thing daily. But I resolve to get better, friends. I've really got no excuse-I've been cooking, and baking, and experimenting. But I haven't followed through on the writing up part.

This will be fixed, believe me. I have lots of good recipes to share.

This weekend was beautiful in the Northeast. I managed to celebrate birthdays for three of my favorite people and spend a good time outside-the weather was perfect. All. Weekend. Yesterday, it was so nice that I decided that summer was here (even if it's not) and do some summer grilling. I grilled up some sweet potato fries, some marinated swordfish, and steamed up some broccolini, and then for dessert I tried something new: Lime-Mango Sorbet and Raspberry-Blackberry Buttermilk cake.

Okay, the cake's not really a new thing. I made it before, last week, and it disappeared so fast I decided I wanted it again (and no, I actually didn't eat the cake. I managed to have a sliver before it just got snatched up by people around me. I guess that's a compliment!)

So I started in on the Lime-Mango Sorbet first. I'm not sure why I decided to make it-mango's not my favorite fruit for that sort of thing-but it was different. So I gave it a whirl. Literally.



*As a side note, why didn't anyone tell me how hard it is to actually get the fruit from a mango? I have to google how to cut one, and once I got it nearly took some of my own fingers off trying to chisle the mango meat from the peel. It took forever. There's a reason why Stop and Shop sells it already peeled and cut in the store. Next time I'll totally do that.









The recipe is not that difficult-peeling of mango aside. It involves making some sugar water, lime juice and rind, and mango, and then blending the whole thing together and cooling it down, and then when ready for the ice cream maker you add a bit of tequila. Because I hadn't already had enough alcohol this weekend.

The sorbet is tangy and smooth, all at the same time. And it's orange, which would please my youngest niece to no end. Although it's still almost not quite the right weather for it, I can completely see myself eating this on a 95 degree day! and the flavors work really well with the cake that went with it.

While the mango puree was cooling down, I went for the cake. The last time I made it I used only raspberries, but since I had both those and blackberries in my fridge, I combined them. I cannot stress enough how simple this cake is. It's so simple that I threw it together, realized I had added too much buttermilk the first time around, chucked the batter and made it again, all before my oven completely preheated. This is such an easy cake. The site I got it from calls it an "everyday cake". I like to call this occasion "I-ran-four-miles-and-I'm-starving" cake. Or a "It's-feeling-like-summer-and-I'm-celebrating-by-scorching-myself-in-the-sun" cake. Or a "I'm-hungover-from-a-fun-birthday-party-and-I-need-sugar" cake. It is addictive, tasty, and easy enough that you could make several different ones at the same time and not break a sweat.







When I inverted the cake pan to let the cake cool on the rack, some of the cake got stuck to the pan. Normally I'll throw it in the sink and wash it anyway. This was the kind of cake that found me reaching in a drawer for a spoon to eat the remnants that got stuck to the pan. Awesome.



The cake? Perfect any time of year. Sorbet? Great, but maybe wait until the days are just a bit warmer. But a perfect ending to a perfect weekend, nonetheless.

Lime-Mango Sorbet (from www.simplyrecipes.com)

* 1 c. sugar
* 1 c. water
* Zest from one lime
* 3 ripe mangos (about 2 1/2 pounds) (I wound up using 4)
* 1/2 c. lime juice
* Pinch salt
* 3 Tbsp tequila

Heat the sugar, water, and lime zest in a pot until the sugar has completely dissolved, roughly a few minutes. Set aside.

While the sugar water is heating and cooling, cut the flesh from the mangoes.

Place mango pieces, sugar water, lime juice, and salt into a blender. Blend/puree until completely smooth. Pour into a container with a lid and refrigerate until completely chilled.

When ready to put the chilled purée mixture into an ice cream maker, mix in the tequila. Process the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the directions. Transfer mixture to a plastic storage container and place in freezer until firm, at least a few hours.


Blackberry-Raspberry Buttermilk Cake (from www.smittenkitchen.com)

1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
2/3 c. plus 1 1/2 tbsp sugar, divided
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1 large egg
1/2 c. well-shaken buttermilk
1 c. fresh raspberries/blackberries (or you could use one or the other. Or a totally different fruit. Do whatever floats your boat!)

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl and set aside. In a larger bowl, beat butter and 2/3 cup sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about two minutes, then beat in vanilla and lemon zest. Add egg and mix well.

At low speed, mix in flour mixture in three batches, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour, and mixing until just combined. Spoon batter into greased, floured (I just greased the pan) cake pan. Spread fruit pieces evenly over the top of the batter and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 tbsp. sugar.

Bake until cake is golden, about 20 to 25 minutes (also stick a toothpick in to make sure it comes out clean). Let it sit in the pan 10 minutes, then turn onto a rack and cool. Keep a spoon or a fork ready to just dive in as soon as it is cool enough to not scorch the roof of your mouth while you eat it.