Vegan Food: Guacamole

Yes, I know I've talked about guacamole before but, here I go again. I took this great still life so I need to weave a story around it. Pictured above are six of the seven ingredients for guac, only the salt is not shown.

I really like guac - no, I mean I REALLY like guac. I just can't stop enjoying it.  It's a perfect combination of contrasting and complimentary  tastes and colors -  piquant and picante, soft and crunchy,  exotic and familiar, always fresh - red, purple, white, light green, dark green, forest green, yellow.  What's not to like?

And I get to play with a really sharp knife to make it! How cool is that?  If only fire was somehow involved.......then it would be perfectly reminiscent of favorite boyhood activities - knives and fire.

Chop, chop, chop - hundreds of times to get the ingredients down to the right size for mixing.

More chopping.......... (And be careful buying cilantro, it looks like parsley and is usually right next to it in the market - been there, done that).

And after squeezing the lime, it's always rewarding to run my thumb around the inside of it to puncture the hidden pockets of juice that didn't get squeezed out. Making guac is a very tactile experience. Did I mention I really like guac?

So, now  the supporting cast of ingredients are all chopped and mixed together, waiting patiently in the bowl,  ready to welcome the star of the show.......

Five perfectly ripe avocados - firm but soft, yellow at the center progressing outward through shades of green, and absolutely no bruises or bad spots to cut out.

I don't mix the ingredients until it turns to mush - I like each ingredient to be visible and not completely consumed and covered by mashed avocado - avocado chunks about the size of a grape suit me just fine.

And always, before serving, I have a taste to make sure it is presentable - okay, actually I have more than one taste but nobody's watching and I'm not telling...... (By the way, It is very difficult to take a picture with one hand while spoon feeding myself with the other, I should have shaved this morning, too).

And finally, it is available for serving - with chips, with carrot or celery sticks, on tacos or burritos, on veggie burgers, on pasta, on pizza, on bread with soup, on toast at breakfast, for a late night snack, pretty much at every meal with anything - I really haven't figured out any time when guac does not improve my food and outlook.  It's a guaranteed feel-good food!  It is always GOOD but sometimes it's GREAT!  Sometimes, when the stars align and I am lucky, I create the perfect combination of fresh, ripe ingredients in just the perfect quantities.  

A word of caution: jalapeno peppers are fickle.  I usually chop up the whole thing, seeds and all - except the stem. Sometimes a batch of guac is almost too fiery hot to eat (I said almost), and sometimes there is no fire at all.  That's part of the excitement of making guac. Each time I  make a perfect batch, the urge to make another keeps pulling me back to the cutting board for more.

Did I mention I REALLY like guac?............