Guacamole

It may be weird, but I know exactly when I discovered that I liked guacamole. For years, I stayed away from the "green mushy stuff". Then in the Spring of 2003 while having lunch at the Star Trek restaurant in the Las Vegas Hilton, I decided the "green mushy stuff" wasn't so bad. (Side note: it was not my idea to go to the Star Trek restaurant. The food was great but I could have cared less about the Star Trek atmosphere. No offense to the Trekkies out there.) I ordered a turkey wrap with the intention of having the guacamole left off but I forgot to request it. When the food came to the table, I had totally forgotten about the guacamole and took a big bite of the wrap. It tasted amazing and I looked down and realized I had just bitten into the guacamole. From there on out, I've been eating guacamole.

Las Vegas must be a special place for me and guacamole. While out in Vegas this past fall, I had dinner a couple of times at Cozymel's. It's a fabulous restaurant. One of the best things on the menu is their Tableside Guacamole. When you order it, they bring all the ingredients to the table and make the guacamole at the table. You get the opportunity to adjust the ingredients if you'd like. It was THE BEST guacamole I'd ever eaten. The second time I ate there, I just ordered the guacamole as my meal. I was craving that guacamole a few weeks back and decided to check the web for the recipe. Thank goodness for the Internet because I found a recipe that claimed to be inspired by Cozymel's recipe. I don't know if it's the actual recipe but it sure tasted like I remembered it. The first time I made it, I almost finished the entire bowl by myself! The best part of homemade guacamole is that you can customize the flavor to your liking.

Tableside Guacamole
http://mexican.food.com/recipe/tableside-guacamole-272953

1/3 orange wedge
1/2 lime wedge (the original recipe calls for 1/4 wedge but I liked a little more lime flavor)
1 1/2 tsp. fresh garlic, minced (I use one large clove)
1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. red onion, minced
2 1/2 Tbsp. tomatoes, diced
1 1/2 tsp. cilantro, chopped
1 Tbsp. serrano pepper, minced (I use 1 1/2 tsp. which gives it a nice kick but not too hot)
1/4 tsp. salt
2 large avocados

Open the avacados and scoop into a serving bowl. Chop up with a fork and spoon to the consistency you prefer. Use the fork to pierce the orange and lime wedges and squeeze juice into the bowl. Stir well. Add garlic, onions, tomatoes, cilantro, serrano peppers, and salt. Mix well and enjoy.

Note: The serrano peppers can be adjusted to increase or decrease the amount of heat in the dish. If you like it mild, add 1 tsp. of peppers. If you like it medium, add 1 1/2 tsp. and if you like it spicy, add 1 Tbsp of peppers.

Enjoy!
-Erin