Wow. It has been a very long time since I wrote something. I am happy to return. I have a few ideas for today's posts. I would like to start with the family who I have had the pleasure of dining with, and observing some of the action in the kitchen as they prepare for a family get-together. They are masters in creating delicious salsas and guacamole, and no surprise because they are from Guerrero, Mexico. I would like to take a moment to express how delicious and wonderful homemade Mexican food is. Keep in mind of course - Mexico is a large and diverse country, so folks from one part of Mexico will prepare foods differently than folks from another region in Mexico. I have had the privilege of tasting homemade food from a family from Guadalajara in the state of Jalisco (They live in Illinois though. I have not been to Jalisco yet). However, regardless of city, state, or region in Mexico, the salsas are so colorful, tasty, and explosive for my palate. I simply cannot enjoy Tabasco or Cholula sauce after having savored the experiences of observing homemade salsas being made and then tasting them.
Have you ever heard of a molcajete? Molcajete is a word in Spanish and is an integral tool for making homemade salsas and guacamole. You can find a molcajete on Crate and Barrel's website; it is almost like a larger version of a mortar and pestle and is made out of stone. More specifically, Crate and Barrel says volcanic stone. I grew up watching my mom crushing and grinding different ingredients such as saffron with a mortar and pestle. Gorgeous! Who does not enjoy seeing the radiant colors of saffron as it is being ground? Similarly, with the molcajete one can grind different peppers, spices, avocado, and other food items. The molcajete is rather heavy, but it is definitely an essential item for the kitchen if you are a person who enjoys creating and relishing fresh salsas and guacamole made from scratch. A blender is also necessary for many different Mexican salsas. One of my favorites is a green salsa with small chunks of avocado and pieces of cilantro mixed in. Yum! I am biased because of my love of the mighty avocado. An amusing note: My mom is in Iran visiting family currently, and she said she very much misses eating avocado. Apparently, there is no avocado in Iran. When I was a kid and I visited Iran the first time, they did not have broccoli. Fun vegetable facts. Moving on to guacamole. I always imagined guacamole as an amalgamation of avocado, tomato, red onion, cilantro, a touch of salt, and some fresh lime squeezed over the resulting guacamole. Well, let me tell you something. A simpler version of guacamole, but one that drew me in and caused me to crave guacamole more regularly, is the kind I tasted made from scratch by the family from Guerrero, Mexico. They do not add any tomato, onion, or cilantro as far as I can see and taste. They take a particular pepper and almost roast it until it burns a bit; they do this part using a flat iron skillet on the stove. Then employing the molcajete, they mash the avocado and add little slivers of the burned pepper; I need to ask which specific pepper they use because I cannot remember at this moment. Silly me. A touch of salt is added as well. I think this version of guacamole is divine. I kid you not. I am addicted.
Have you ever heard of a molcajete? Molcajete is a word in Spanish and is an integral tool for making homemade salsas and guacamole. You can find a molcajete on Crate and Barrel's website; it is almost like a larger version of a mortar and pestle and is made out of stone. More specifically, Crate and Barrel says volcanic stone. I grew up watching my mom crushing and grinding different ingredients such as saffron with a mortar and pestle. Gorgeous! Who does not enjoy seeing the radiant colors of saffron as it is being ground? Similarly, with the molcajete one can grind different peppers, spices, avocado, and other food items. The molcajete is rather heavy, but it is definitely an essential item for the kitchen if you are a person who enjoys creating and relishing fresh salsas and guacamole made from scratch. A blender is also necessary for many different Mexican salsas. One of my favorites is a green salsa with small chunks of avocado and pieces of cilantro mixed in. Yum! I am biased because of my love of the mighty avocado. An amusing note: My mom is in Iran visiting family currently, and she said she very much misses eating avocado. Apparently, there is no avocado in Iran. When I was a kid and I visited Iran the first time, they did not have broccoli. Fun vegetable facts. Moving on to guacamole. I always imagined guacamole as an amalgamation of avocado, tomato, red onion, cilantro, a touch of salt, and some fresh lime squeezed over the resulting guacamole. Well, let me tell you something. A simpler version of guacamole, but one that drew me in and caused me to crave guacamole more regularly, is the kind I tasted made from scratch by the family from Guerrero, Mexico. They do not add any tomato, onion, or cilantro as far as I can see and taste. They take a particular pepper and almost roast it until it burns a bit; they do this part using a flat iron skillet on the stove. Then employing the molcajete, they mash the avocado and add little slivers of the burned pepper; I need to ask which specific pepper they use because I cannot remember at this moment. Silly me. A touch of salt is added as well. I think this version of guacamole is divine. I kid you not. I am addicted.
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