Best Ever Guacamole

Years ago we celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary at the Paraiso del la Bonita in Rivera Maya, Mexico. The resort is incredibly beautiful, the service and food - outstanding!  In particular, the Guacamole which we enjoyed served poolside everyday.   Given their over the top service we decided to ask them for the recipe, and to our surprise, they printed and gave it to us...what a great anniversary gift!  It's a recipe we continue to share over and over again with friends and family -- most saying, "this is the best guacamole I have ever tasted!"

What: Authentic Mexican Guacamole

Recipe:

• 4 Haas avocados (mashed, leaving some small chunks)
• 1/4 cup onion diced (scallions will work, too, if you don't have onion)
• 1-2 green chilis chopped or diced (serrano or jalapeno) 
• Lemon juice (half a lemon, or a little more if you like lots of lemon)
• Olive oil (1/2 to 1 tablespoon, depending on the size of the avocados)
• 1 and 1/2 tomatoes (seeded and diced) 
• Fresh chopped cilantro (to taste, we like a lot!) 

Dice and mix ingredients together, then add salt to taste.  Serve with corn chips and white mexican cheese (queso fresco or queso blanco).  If you really want to wow your friends, buys fresh tortilla shells, cut in strips, and fry in oil until crisp (season with salt and pepper), and serve along side your delicious guacamole.

Why it's The Best:  What's different and unique about this recipe is the olive oil.  The chef said (and he's right) it gives it a creaminess to the avacados -- also different is that the recipe using a lemon instead of limes.

How We Know:  From the numerous requests we've had for the recipe from our guests who have tasted it at our home.

Craving level: Weekly, especially in the summer.

Best Pesto Recipe Ever!

By Jennifer

We love Pesto -- not just in the summer months, but all year long. After 20+ years of making it, I believe I've found the Best Ever Pesto Recipe. It's, ironically, from The New Best Recipe Cookbook (from the editors of Cook's Illustrated) -- a must have cookbook! It's best, of course, when you make it with home grown basil and parsley (flat leaf is best), but store bought works fine, too.

What: Fresh basil, parsley, toasted garlic and pine nuts, good parmesan cheese and extra virgin olive oil -- what can be better?!

Recipe:

• 1/4 cup pine nuts (lightly toasted in a dry skillet for 4 to 5 minutes)
• 3 medium cloves of garlic (I use 4, and toast them, too, with the skins on for about 7 minutes, and then peel)
• 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
• 2 TBS fresh parsley (I use extra -- about 1/4 cup of flat leaf -- it keeps the pesto nice and bright green)
• 7 TBS extra virgin olive oil, salt (to taste)
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan (pecorino is even better).
• Place the toasted nuts, garlic, basil/parsley (first bruise the leaves of these together in a freezer bag by beating with a mallet, or using a rolling pin -- or if you have one, a mortar and pestle), oil, and 1/2 tsp of salt in a food processor, and process until smooth.
• Transfer to a small bowl and stir in cheese.
• If you're not using right away, place a layer of plastic wrap over the top and refrigerate for up to three days.
• If you're using on pasta, be sure to mix about a 1/4 cup of reserved pasta cooking water into the pesto before you toss through the pasta. ENJOY!

Why It's the Best: Toasting the pine nuts lightly brings out the fullness of their flavor, and the toasting of the garlic cloves is key to the success of this recipe -- it tames the harsh garlic notes, and loosens the skin for easier peeling. And, pounding/bruising the leaves of the herbs before using them releases more of their wonderful flavor.

How We Know: Family and friends love it, and we never tire of eating it (in many different ways -- on pizza, pasta, grilled shrimp/chicken, crostini with goat cheese -- be creative), and it's the first pesto we've ever had where the flavors of the basil and other ingredients aren't overpowered by the garlic -- no dead vampires in our bedroom the morning after!

Craving Level: Frequent -- especially in the summer months when fresh herbs are abundant.