Review: Martha Stewart's Guacamole

The Husband and I love guacamole and have it often. When we were dating, he'd come over after work and we'd have fresh homemade salsa, guacamole and chips. Yum. We have turned our five-year-old son, Nicholas, into a guacamole convert as well. When I made Martha's version from the Martha Stewart's Hors D'Oeuvres Handbook, to tell you the truth, I wasn't expecting much. I have my own recipe that I whip together when our mood and cravings align, and although have tried other recipes, I always come back to mine. Guacamole is one of those purist things that I think less is more. It doesn't need fussing or extras ... just a few basic flavors and you're done. Fresh cilantro, an absolute must.

With the first bite, we were definitely hooked. The major difference in her recipe versus mine and others is the kosher salt she uses - a whole teaspoon and a half. That's a lotta salt! It definitely yielded a saltier guacamole than we're used to, but being a salt vs. sweet person myself, that's no problem here. Usually, in other recipes, the fresh cilantro is what comes through first, with the creaminess of the avocados following right behind. I gotta tell you though, I'll be switching over to her recipe from now on. The only change I made was to exclude the jalapeno pepper and I added a splash of lemon juice at the end (force of habit to keep the guacamole from turning brown, and it brightens the flavors). Between those two small changes, and her recipe, together, we have a winner. Hope you like it as much as we did.

GUACAMOLE
Makes 2-1/2 cups

1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 small white onion, finely chopped
1 large jalapeno pepper, seeds and ribs removed, if desired, minced
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro, plus more to taste
3 ripe avocados
1 medium tomato, seeds removed, cut into 1/4 inch dice

In a medium bowl, combine the salt, onion, jalapeno and cilantro, using the back of a wooden spoon. Cupping the avocado with the palm of your hand, split it in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Slice it lengthwise into 1/8-inch strips, then crosswise into 1/2-inch dice. Scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Add the avocado to the bowl and mix thoroughly into a paste. Add the tomatoes and cilantro, if desired, and serve with corn chips. The dip can be refrigerated in an airtight container, with a piece of plastic wrap laid directly on the guacamole to prevent it from discoloring, for up to 4 hours.