Guacamole and Homemade Chips

There is a restaurant in Chicago (which will go unnamed due to their stinginess) known for it’s table- side guacamole. One night, I spotted a bowl of some white spice that could not have been salt. They wouldn’t tell me what it was! A year later, I was in Dallas for a teachers’ conference. My cousins, Ben, Amber, and Maddie whisked me off to Cantina Laredo where I saw the same little bowl. They were much more gracious with their secret: GARLIC SALT! It truly makes all the difference.

I make this in a wooden salad bowl so that I can chop all of

the ingredients with a knife IN the bowl. (Ina Garten’s tip.)

6 avocados

2 T lemon juice (or lime juice. . . )

1/2 jalapeño, diced - No seeds!

1/2 red onion, diced

2 small tomatoes, diced

1 T garlic salt

Optional: cilantro, garlic clove, green pepper, corn . . .

~ Halve and remove avocado pulp into wooden salad bowl. Coarsely chop with chef’s knife in the bowl.

~ Add lemon or lime juice, covering avocados to prevent them from browning.

~ Dice and add jalapeño. Lightly combine with avocado, and let sit while dicing onions and tomatoes.

~ Dice onions and tomatoes. Drain tomatoes to eliminate extra liquid.

~ Add onions and mix by cutting them into the mixture with the chef’s knife.

~ Add garlic salt to taste.

~ Lightly fold tomatoes into mixture.

~ Let sit in refrigerator for half an hour to allow salt and flavors to combine.

For Cinco de Mayo one year, I decided to copy an ex-boyfriend’s mother and fry the tortillas myself: big hit. I tried to bake them once, but they didn’t go over as well. Just slice a package of tortillas into wedges and drop into a pot of vegetable oil that sizzles and bubbles when the tortilla wedge is added. Work in batches, drain on paper towels, salt immediately. USE CORN TORTILLAS FOR GF GUESTS!