Guacamólê

I chanced on this good Mexican cookbook at National's Cut-Price Book Sale the other day called Antojitos: Festive and Flavorful Mexican Appetizers (for only P242!) and my cook, Marisú finally whipped up our own home-made guacamólê! Of course, it goes without saying that we made it from our own avocados; I wish I could say the náchos are from our own corn too!


The taste brings back many memories of trips to Mexico: backpacking in the Mayan south near Guatemála, a weekend in a charming B&B with my Mom in San Miguel de Allende, dining alfresco at the Zócalo in Mexico City, and many, many meals in Rosa's Cantina with my family in my sister's hometown of Temecula in Southern California.


I've got to plan a trip again soon!

Avocados

What's in season now this July is avocados! It's not top of mind for me since I don't usually see the trees that much and they aren't that many. But over breakfast, the staff prepared sliced avocados and home-grown bananas with milk for dessert and later found out, we had a basket-ful to bring back to Manila!


It's easy to grow: back in Science class in elementary, we were asked to bring a seed, place the lower half  on a jar full of water and see it grow roots and germinate in no time.


Avocados (Persea americana), originally from Central America, is a great source of protein and good cholesterol. It's good to use for salads and sandwiches, substituting it for greens, provided it's not yet that ripe (and mushy). This season, we'll finally learn to make guacamóle which would be very good to side with carne asada, nachos, and tomato salsa!