The Midnight Snack - GUACAMOLE

I may not be the food network when it comes to preparing food, but I know my way around the kitchen enough to make a MIDNIGHT SNACK!

Tonight's midnight snack is GUACAMOLE.

Now, there are plenty of recipes online and in cookbooks so this won't be that different to those of you who already make it. However, I've learned a few things I like and dislike over the years with my travels and my time living in Santa Fe.

NOTE: Young musicians that are afraid of the kitchen, listen up here. These Midnight snacks aren't hard to make, so instead of running out to the drive-though at your local fast food joint, why not give this a try. It will taste a lot better and be healthier too. At the same time It could make for a good mind break from recording, it's a win-win situation so lets begin shall we?

First of all, I'd like to start this off with a few rules here

RULE #1 - ABSOLUTELY NO MAYONNAISE is to be used in the Guacamole!!
RULE # 2 - Repeat rule # 1 33.4 times so you don't forget. There are some recipes that call for this and it truly scares me more then something that's really scary.

Now, moving on to the ingredients list.

Hass Avocados or 3 Large - I get the large ones when I'm at Costco of all places. They're really good, almost guaranteed for it to taste amazing every time. Make sure they sit for a few days until they get slightly soft., not too soft though!!

Okay, moving right along.

1 Tomato - Take the seeds and squishy things out of it first. Then chop up the tomato.

1 Red Onion. Today I only have a white onion, not as good so do try and get a red one. You only really need like a quarter of it, don't over do the onion! finely chop it up.

1 Jalapeno or Serrano Chile - I prefer the flavor of the Jalapeno, sometimes I'll add two if I want it to be spicy. Of course, it really depends on the jalapeno. I've had some that have no heat what so ever and some that'll rip your head off!

Cilantro - Now, cilantro might not be for everyone but if you like it, it's okay to add it. I like cilantro in there so I chop up a hand full size or and add it in there.

Add some pepper a little bit of chile powder. If you choose, a little bit of red chile flakes, not too much now.

1 Lime - I like to squeeze about 1/2 half of the lime and mix it up in there.

Garlic Salt - I like this better then fresh garlic. Nothing against fresh garlic, but it just gets too Garlic'ie for me if it's added. Don't be affraid to add some of this in there, I like to add it, mix it up, add some more, just do it to taste. If you use regular salt, don't over do it, the garlic salt seems to work fine. After you're done and you want to add a touch of regular salt on the top to bring out the flavors, fine but for God's sake, don't get this thing too salty, it's easy to do and then there's no turning back and your Guacamole is doomed!!

Fresh Graded Monterrey Jack or Sharp Cheddar cheese (Don't worry, only for garnishing). I prefer the Sharp Cheddar Cheese, adds a nice extra flavor on the side.

3 Beers (2 for drinking during the prep time and 1 for drinking while eating the guacamole. In my case, I'm drinking light beer. Yes I know what you're thinking, but I'm trying to look presentable for the summer tour so it's ok)



Now start with chopping up your tomato and 1/2 onion along with your jalapeno. Depending on how spicy you want it, add more or less jalapeno but don't skip this step if you don't like spicy food! Take the seeds out and mince some of it up, you gotta get that flavor in there, very important. Oh, put some gloves on or something when de-seeding the jalapeno. Last thing you want to do is accidentally touch your eyes after. Been there done that, no fun.



Now, around this time, I usually like to stop for a quick snack. I'll slice a piece of Jalapeno and put it on a chip with a few pieces of cheese and have a few sips of my beer. Warning: do not do this if you don't like spicy things.



Ok, now cut the avocados in half with a knife and take the center seed out. Use a large serving spoon and scoop out the inside and put it into a bowl. In my case I'm using a Molcajete. Nothing fancy, just happens to be my favorite thing to use for this.



Note: on the left in the picture below - I recommend strongly that you have an extra bowl to put your trash in, makes things go a lot quicker. Also, by this time you should be finished with the first beer. Please take this time to grab a new one and continue on.



Take a whisk and spoon start smashing and whipping the avocado, the whisk helps get a nice texture. (They don't usually tell you that in the cook books, they'll usually say to use 2 forks but I find that a whisk does a better job.) If you have a Molcajete, you can use the stone to start smashing the avocado as I did but then I like to use the whisk after a bit. This is a good time to add a few pinches of chile powder and sprinkle some garlic salt in too.



Go ahead and add your chopped tomato's, jalapenos and onions. I don't usually add all of it, I add to the point of where I think it will be enough. I'll save the rest for garnishing later.



If you have a cat, you may not want to let the cat hang out above where you're preparing food. Cosmo is giving us a perfect example of what not to do. There is a slight chance they may jump down into your food. Let's just say I've learned this from past experiences.



Finely chop the cilantro and mix it in.



Add salt to taste. Make sure when you add salt, you get it mixed in well. Add enough to where it brings out the flavor throughout but not to where it's too salty. At this point, I like to add about 1/2 lime juice and a touch more of Garlic salt. Mix it up again to where it's all getting blended and add your garnishing.

And there you have it - Enjoy!