An authentic guacamole recipe from Oaxaca, Mexico

Ingredients:

2-3 medium-soft Avocados

1/2 Jalapeno or Serrano Pepper seeded, fine chopped

1/4 Onion, fine diced

1/2 to 1 tsp Kosher or Sea Salt to taste

Juice of 1 Lime (add more if guac is trying to turn brown)

Handful of fine chopped Fresh Cilantro

1/2 medium tomato, fine chopped, or 1 whole Roma Tomato, fine chopped

Cut open tomato and empty seed chambers with the juices and seeds. Discard seeds and seed juice. This prevents the guacamole from becoming runny. A Roma is just right and not too juicy. Seed whichever tomato is used. Use 1/2 seeded medium Tomato, or 1 Roma.

Slice avocados in half. With a spoon scoop and scrape out flesh from avocado shells, put avocado flesh into a molcajete or bowl. Crush avocado flesh in molcajete until as smooth as desired. A few chunks makes it yummier. Or use a fork to smash the avocado flesh in a bowl.

Add lime juice, stir in well. Add more juice if still trying to discolor. Lemon juice can be substituted if no lime juice is available.

Add chopped peppers, onions, salt, tomato and cilantro, mix in well. Transfer guac into a bowl. Press pits from avocados into guacamole. Smooth guac flat with spoon, press plastic wrap to the surface of the guacamole, leaving no air pockets. This, the lime juice and pits all help prevent the guacamole from discoloring.

Chill covered this way in the fridge until time to serve. Use within a day or two.

If you're sensitive to hot peppers, leave them out. There are no other ingredients in this Guacamole. It is very smooth and creamy, and doesn't need anything but corn chips and time to make it disappear.

To test an avocado for ripeness: At the grocery store, very gently press avocado with fingertip. If it is hard, put it back, it's unripe. If it squishes quickly, it's overripe, and unfit for guacamole. If the avocado just does give under your fingertip, then it's perfect.

To help hard avocados ripen quicker, place them close to onions. Onions give off a gas that speeds up ripening of any fruit or vegetable. Check daily, as they'll ripen extra quickly with onions.

Names can be hard, I get that. Oaxaca is pronounced "wah-HA-ca" See? easy! ;)