“Love is an attempt at penetrating another human being, but it can only succeed if the surrender is mutual.” Octavio Paz
2/2/2020 is a palindrome, which I learned today years old. It means a word, phrase or sequence that reads the same backward as forward. Auspicious! It won’t happen again for like another thousand years. So tickled this phenomenon is occurring during the same year as my blog. It is also the month I will explore one of Abby’s (and mine too) favorite ethnic cuisines. Mexican! This cookbook, which I love, was gifted to me by my son for Mother’s Day. The book specializes in the authentic sauces: salsas, guacamoles, adobos, moles and pipianes.
The secret to a great guacamole is in the chili paste. Most of us just throw in the chopped ingredients and mix it up. Not so here. First you must create a paste which enhances not only the flavors but also enables the tasty concoction to blend wonderfully with the avocado. It’s traditional to use a porous mortar and pestle or molcajete and tejolote but it’s fine to mince and mash with a large knife and fork if you don’t have one. Also, guacamole is meant to be chunky, not smooth, this is very important. Yum, eating guacamole never gets old. I surrender.
Abby in Isla Mujeres
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons finely chopped white onion, 1 tablespoon minced fresh serrano or jalapeno chile (more or less depending on your desire for heat), 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt of 1/4 teaspoon ofsea salt, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro divided, 1 large or 2 small Mexican Hass avocados, squeeze of lime.
1.Mash the onion, chile, salt and half of the cilantro into a paste in a molcajete (traditional Mexican mortar and pestle). You can also use a large knife and fork together on a cutting board and then transfer the paste to a bowl.
2. Remove the avocado pit. Score the flesh in the avocado halves in a crosshatch pattern although not through the skin with a knife and scoop into a bowl. Toss well and add the rest of the cilantro and paste and coarsely mash with a fork. Season to taste with salt or lime. Serve with corn tortilla chips.
A Year at Portsmouth 