Ever since my college days at the University of Kentucky, May 5th has been more than just another day in May. Back then, Cinco de Mayo was an afternoon and evening of Mexican beer and fun and a huge party. Today, a lot of years later, Cinco de Mayo is still one of my favorite holidays. Now, we enjoy a nice party on our front porch (no couches, like in college) and lots of Mexican drinks and foods and sometime friends from college and their kids!!! We’re old.

So, in tribute to our neighbors to the South, and Cinco De Mayo, I will share with all of you my prized Guacamole recipe. Impress and Wow your friends with this great healthy treat.

Guacamole de Amy B.

• 1 Ripe Avocado (slightly soft to the touch, always hard to find on May 5, and Super Bowl Sunday)
• I recommend you buy extras in the event some of them aren’t good inside.
• 2 Roma Tomatoes (also referred to as Plum Tomatoes)
• 1 Tablespoon of Fresh Lime Juice
• 1/2 teaspoon of Salt
• Jalapeno Pepper, seeded and minced (wear gloves to prevent irritation, TRUST me on this)

Cut the avocado in half, set the pit aside for later. Scrape the avocado pulp into a small bowl, coarsely mash with a fork to desired texture. (I prefer chunky). Add the tomatoes, jalapeno pepper, lime juice and salt; mix until just combined. Put pit in the bottom of the serving bowl, scrape guacamole on top of pit and serve at once.

Tips: I like to combine all ingredients without the avocado in advance to marinate together prior to company arriving, its easy to add the avocado at the last minute.

The pit keeps the guacamole fresh, keeps it from turning green (I learned this from my friend Nicole, smart girl) I have eaten the guac more than 24 hours later and it is as fresh as the first time I served it!

I HIGHLY recommend serving with Stacey’s Plain Pita Chips. Its the right strength of chip for the chunky mixture, and bland enough to taste the slightly spicy dip.

Please wear gloves when slicing the jalapeno. You can steal a few from the deli at the grocery store. I learned the hard way on my birthday a few years ago, I got jalapeno in my nose, eyes, face, all over, and it was not fun. Lets move on.

This recipe is small for a large group. I would encourage you to have extra ingredients on hand and add the flavoring to the avocados proportionally, or to your taste. The MOST important items are the lime juice and jalapeno. Its not too strong, its just right!

This recipe also comes in hand on Super Bowl Sunday. The best guac I ever made was while on Vacation in Kona.  Steve and I found two of the most gigantic avocados at Greenwell Coffee Farm, and took them back to our hotel, not ripe. We ripened them, over a few days, and they were ready just in time for the Super Bowl, it was the Giants vs Patriots. I made it in our hotel room and we watched the game from a TV set up on the beach.

Cincinnati offers dozens of great Mexican restaurants to enjoy Mexican food. I know, as I am still and always in the hunt for the best Tacos in the city, currently Comet in Northside takes the prize.

Green Dog Cafe is located in the new Columbia Tusculum retail area. They make some great guacamole. I highly recommend trying a small portion if you are eating alone, or if you are sharing get the large. Green Dog is an organic place, but I just love the guac, and its in walking distance to my Keller Williams office.

J.Alexanders, favorite restaurant to Carson Palmer, Chad Johnson (besides McDonald’s) is the other place that I highly recommend you try the guacamole. It is seasonal there, and last time I went in the end of April, it wasn’t on the menu yet, but the server said in May it will arrive. So you will know were to find me in a few weeks! The chips are thick and salty, but the whole combination is worth waiting in line for!

I hope you enjoy the recipe, tolerated the stories, take the suggestions and have a FANTASTIC CINCO de MAYO!

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