Great Guacamole

This is the best guacamole I've ever had. And I can't take any credit for it. It's straight from Rick Bayless, my go to man for all things Mexican. The key is keeping the crunch of the onions, but ditching that overpowering, eye-burning quality that they so often have. His trick? Chop the onions, then rinse them thoroughly in cold water. That's all it takes.

For some, Super Bowl eats might mean beer and wings, but for me, it's all about the guac.

If you're looking for more Super Bowl foods to feed a crowd beyond the usual chili, here are a few more ideas:
• cheese straws
• sopa de lima
• corn tortilla casserole with mushrooms and chard
• smoked chicken, mushroom and wild rice soup
• chocolate almond bars
• pecan pie bars
• brown butter toffee bars
• triple chocolate cookies

Happy Game Day!



Great Guacamole

1 jalapeno
1/2 medium white or sweet (Vidalia or 1015) onion, chopped
1 medium round tomato, 2 Roma tomatoes or about 2/3 cup cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
3 large ripe avocadoes
salt, to taste
1 lime

Get out a large serving bowl.

Roast the chile by heating it in an ungreased skillet for a minute or so on each side until it softens and develops dark spots. Alternatively, you can hold it over a gas flame with tongs, but be careful! Let cool, then peel the skin off, remove the seeds and finely chop. Put the chiles in the bowl.

Put the chopped onion into a strainer and run cold water over it. Tap or shake it to get rid of the extra water and add to the bowl with the chiles.

Chop the tomatoes into small pieces and add to the bowl.

Add the chopped cilantro to the bowl.

Cut the avocados in half by cutting down the length of the avocado until you feel the pit. Keep cutting all the way around it until you comes back to where you started. You should be able to twist the two halves to separate them. One of the halves will have the pit in it. Use a sharp knife to whack straight into the pit and it should stick to your knife for easy removal. You can also scoop it out with a spoon, if you like.

Scoop out the flesh of the avocados with a spoon and add to the bowl.

Use a potato masher or forks to mash avocados into pulp. Leave it as chunky or smooth as you like. Squeeze the juice from half a lime over the top of the guacamole mixture. Stir it all together to incorporate everything. Season with salt to taste. You can also add more lime juice here, if you like.

If you're not serving this right away, it will keep for an hour or two in the fridge covered with plastic. Be sure the plastic wrap is in contact with the surface of the guacamole to help keep it from discoloring.

Makes about 2 1/2 cups to serve 6-8.

Adapted from Mexico One Plate at a Time by Rick Bayless with JeanMarie Brownson and Deann Groen Bayless.