I like guacamole. I miss it and am going to see if I can fins some avocados to make some.
Here’s a good recipe for guacamole, and a good place to start if you want to develop your own version:
In a glass or stainless steel bowl, mix together:
* flesh of two pounds of avocadoes, 2 or 3 cups
* 1/4 to 1/2 cup green chiles, if hot dried red chillies, to personal taste.
I also like to add a dash or more of Tabasco Hot Sauce. The Chipotle kind would be a nice touch.
* 3 clove garlic, minced
* 1/2 medium onion, fine chop
* Juice of one lemon or two limes, more or less
* 3 tsp dry leaf oregano
* 1 tsp freshly crushed cumin seed
* bit of salt and pepper
Mix well together, sprinkle a little more lemon or lime juice over the top to keep it from darkening, and let mellow for an hour or two.
This is a good starting point for personal exploration.
Mmmmmm…guacamole…
Cilantro is a gift from the green Gods of the Garden.
It well should be included in any guacamole recipe. Or about anything else, IMO.
Aside - I had a Columbian friend who would start each day eating a large bunch of cilantro. Good for the digestion and for the breath. Said he learned it from his Father who learned it from his Father and so on back.
Very high in nutrients and good things.
Thanks for noting that. I wasn’t aware it’s a regional term. However, according to wikipedia, cilantro is what it’s called in North America, not just the US. Therefore, if they’re correct, that’s also the name for it in Mexico (I don’t know if that’s true or not and I’d be curious to hear what Dragonbones has to say on that), which is important because cilantro/coriandor is so awesome in Mexican food.
Of course not everyone shares that opinion. The Internet provides support for all kinds of loonies, even those who are deranged enough to detest the tasted of cilantro.
It disturbs me that you didn’t know it was also called coriander. There must be a site for people like me also.
Not yet guacamole, which is also one of my favourite dishes, but the first day I ate an avocado was extremely memorable, coming as it it did on a hat-trick of firsts.
I’d popped over to visit an older friend, a legend for the quality of his illicit substances and exquisite taste in music. He fired up a joint made with “Thai stick”, incredibly potent dried head tied with red cotton, before suggesting we go and see some band he’d read about. The joint did its best and while crawling around the rafters he suggested a snack. Out came avocado on toast with lemon and black pepper*. Superb! It has since become a breakfast favourite**.
We then hit the gig, where the second first of the night appeared in the shape of two tequila slammers in quick succcession. We drank nothing else. Didn’t need to. No slammer has come close to those two that night.
Then the third appeared. Now I had reservations about the band, cos basically in those dark punky times anyone calling themselves the Violent Femmes were likely to be comprised of man hating lesbians. They weren’t of course, but that didn’t help the punters. We had the band almost to ourselves and danced away on a near empty dance floor.
A brilliant night! Many thanks.
HG
David Byrne noted on the cover sleeve of Stop Making Sense that the national dish of Australia is toast. I think he might have been right.
** Didn’t cut any mustard with the Taiwan missus the first time I offered this. She looked mortified and said she’d only ever had avocado milkshakes. I looked back equally mortified.
The huge ones found in Taiwan are just not up to the grade, I’m afraid.
I recall avocado was luo li (酪梨) in Taiwan, but I have seen other names like niu you guo (butter fruit 牛油果) and even crocodile pear (鱷梨). What I haven’t seen are the Fuertes variety. They do have them in HK, though . . and indeed in my fridge. Thai llme is way better than lemon.
In my belief, and I could be wrong, the term ‘coriander’ is used to refer to the seeds and to the herb when it is dried.
I also think ‘cilantro’ is the mexican word for the fresh herb. That is also the name used for the fresh herb itself whenever I have seen it in the US and south of the border…including central and south America.
Anyway, I think thats the case.
Fresh green herb - cilantro. Usually crumpled up or diced/chopped and added to the food after cooking is complete. A garnish if you will.
Seeds and dried herb - coriander. Both of these are used during cooking.
It’s usually called coriander in any Anglicised SE Asian dishes, especially in Vietnam and Thailand.
[quote]Coriander (Coriandrum sativum), also commonly called cilantro in North America, is an annual herb in the family Apiaceae. Coriander is native to southwestern Asia west to north Africa.
The name coriander derives from Latin “coriandrum” (which was first noted by Pliny[citation needed]), in turn from Greek “κοριανδρον”.[/quote]
I always thought avocado was synonymous with guacamole, in central America at least. .
[quote]The name guacamole comes from Mexican Spanish via Nahuatl AhuacamOlli, from Ahuacatl (=“avocado”) + mOlli (=“sauce”). In Spanish it is pronounced /ɣʷakaˈmole/ and in American English it is pronounced /ˌgwɑkəˈmoʊli/ or sometimes in British English /ˌgwækəˈməʊli/.
[/quote]
[quote=“Huang Guang Chen”]The huge ones found in Taiwan are just not up to the grade, I’m afraid.
I recall avocado was luo li (酪梨) in Taiwan, but I have seen other names like niu you guo (butter fruit 牛油果) and even crocodile pear (鱷梨). What I haven’t seen are the Fuertes variety. They do have them in HK, though . . and indeed in my fridge. Thai llme is way better than lemon.
HG[/quote]
Oops, I confused us all, getting the names backwards. Unquestionably the best avocados are the bumpy black ones, which are Hass variety.
Though the huge Taiwan avos look impressive, anything that’s not a Haas is only a consolation prize, such as the Fuerte and others.
I saw bags of the bumpy, black Hass in Costco just a few days ago (and fresh cherries! from Chile), but my wife, strangely enough, isn’t a fan of the avocado, so I had to pass.
I guess I’m making mine kind of differently, I mix mashed avocado with either sour cream or creme fresh, some lime juice and a bit of salsa dip or picante sauce. Quick easy and tasty.
I love it all, as long as its not made from those disgusting fibrous watery horrors they grow here.
HGC’s mate had it right, though. Toast, avos, black pepper and lemon juice is all you need. Or just hoick out the stone and fill the space with the best vinaigrette you can muster.
My guacamole is the best you’ve ever tasted, though. I guarantee it. It’s got fresh habaneros in it
[quote=“Mother Theresa”]
I saw bags of the bumpy, black Hass in Costco just a few days ago (and fresh cherries! from Chile), but my wife, strangely enough, isn’t a fan of the avocado, so I had to pass.[/quote]
Oh that is a deal breaker. I LOVE L-O-V-E guacamole. Could it eat every day. Well actually I did about 3 or 4 months back
Cilantro works really well with lamb also. I made lamb ravioli once and used cilantro from the local market here in it and man was it just brilliant!!!
When is season they are quite common & cheap in the wet markets. However, if they’ve been sitting around they will get fiberouse and water as they get overripe
Pepper, a good lime and some good salt is enough to make a great guacamole. Save the cilantro et al for the salsa
I LOVE L-O-V-E guacamole. Could it eat every day. Well actually I did about 3 or 4 months back 