Amazing Avocados from Mexico to DC

Last week we dropped by the Avocados from Mexico: Taste the WOW Spring 2011 Tour at the DC Armory. DC was the fourth of six stops, which began in NYC and will end in Atlanta, GA. As an avocado fan and a Mexican I was very excited to attend this event.

The WOW team offered up tastings of two delicious recipes prepared fresh on-site by famous Mexican Chef Roberto Santibanez, author of the recent cookbook Truly Mexican, and his WOW compadre, New York-based Chef Pablo J. Sanchez. I first tried Pablo's Avocado Gazpacho Shooters garnished with a swirl of sour cream and a cilantro leaf. Chef Sanchez is the mastermind behind this delicious dish--you can taste each ingredient for a balanced smooth, tasty, creamy, fresh experience with a little kick of jalapeno. It is quick and easy to prepare, so it is just amazing--great for serving this coming spring and summer or anytime tat you have an avocado craving.

Next, Chef Santibanez prepared a Pineapple and Cucumber Guacamole right there in front of our eyes. It took him about five minutes to surprise and pamper us with his exquisite variation of the traditional guacamole that everyone knows and loves. This delicacy also had the perfect balance of flavors--sweet and sour, refreshing and tasty. Once again, you can taste each ingredient and enjoy the balance of the flavors and how they combine on your palate. The acid of the pineapple in this guacamole gives the dish its punch and ensures it will not discolor as fast as traditional guacamoles. It will be great for warm evenings with drinks and friends.

Pablo's Avocado Gazpacho Shooters

Ingredients

• 2 ripe Avocados from Mexico
• 1/2 seedless cucumber peeled
• 1 jalapeno diced small
• 2 tbsp. sour cream
• 1 tbsp. hot sauce
• 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 liter cold water
• Juice from 2 fresh limes
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
• Salt/white pepper to taste

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a blender, puree to a smooth creamy consistency (if to thick add more cold water), salt and pepper to taste, refrigerate, pour into shot glasses, garnish with a swirl of sour cream and a cilantro leaf.

Roberto Santibanez Pineapple and Cucumber Guacamole

Ingredients

• 2 large or 3 small ripe Mexican Hass avocados, halved and pitted
• 1/4 cup finely diced red onion
• 2 fresh serrano or jalapeno chiles minced including seeds for more taste and spiciness
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice, or more to taste
• 3/4 teaspoon fine salt, or 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 1 (10 to 12 oz.) cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced (1/2 inch)
• 1/4 pineapple peeled, cored, and diced (1/4 inch)
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Instructions

Stir together the cucumber, onion, chiles, lime juice and salt in a large bowl. Score the flesh of the avocado halves in a crosshatched pattern (not cutting through the skin) with a knife and then scoop it out with a spoon into the bowl and gently stir together (do not mash). Stir in the pineapple last so the fresh acidity is a distinct counterpoint to the avocado. Season to taste with additional chile, lime juice and salt. Transfer the guacamole to a wide dish and sprinkle the cilantro on top. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 hours with a pice of plastic pressed against the surface. Let it come to room temperature before you serve it.

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In addition to feeding the hungry crowd, the chefs and their crew shared important tips ans facts about this fantastic fruit that is not only delicious but nutritious. The avocado is a Native Mexican fruit that is popular worldwide and is not only tasty but healthy, with nearly 20 vitamins, minerals and beneficial plant compounds that can improve the quality of your diet and your overall health. Avocados provide mono and polyunsaturated "good" fats that are recommended as part of a healthy diet; contain only 50 calories in each 1 oz. serving (about 1/5 of an avocado), 3 grams monounsaturated fat, and 1 gram of dietary fiber, all with zero cholesterol. My wife M and I like to eat them by themselves with a little bit of salt or in a tortilla and in salads, but the WOW tour has reminded us that avocado can also be the backbone of a dish and isn't just for garnishes or dips.

You can find more recipes, avocado advice, and additional tour dates on the Amazing Avocado website and via their Avocados from Mexico app, available through iTunes.

A little bit of everything for Lent

My friend JJ Garza-Onofre, the Burger Sherpa of Monterrey, sent me a picture of his favorite dessert, home-made Capirotada. I had to ask what it was - my grandmother is a formidable woman, but her claim to fame is her chicken and shells soup and her unflappable support for my coffee habit from a young age.

To honor Mexican grandmothers everywhere, we'd like to feature Capirotada, the most symbol-laden bread pudding you will ever eat. Served during Lent and with the Inquisition's seal of approval, tradition states that the bread represents the Body of Christ, the syrup his blood, the (whole) cinnamon sticks the wooden cross, and, in the furthest stretch of the imagination, the raisins are the nails and the cheese his shroud. This should also settle the great Catholic Food question of 2006. If you haven't given up sweets for Lent like Stephen Colbert a few years ago, give it a try.

I think this is the best one, courtesy of Discover San Miguel de Allende.

Now if only JJ Garza-Onofre could explain what the sprinkles in his grandmother's version represent...

Back to Life

Monterrey, my hometown, is the capital of a landlocked state in Northeastern Mexico. And yet, whenever I make it back for work or play, I eat seafood almost every day.

Not really a ceviche, Vuelve a La Vida (Back to Life) is the sophisticated older sister of the shrimp cocktail. Topped with slivers of fresh avocado, this seafood cocktail is one of my favorite ways to beat the heat. There's nothing in DC quite like it, but my mission is to successfully replicate it before summer.

Recipe from Big Oven.Another good one, also in English And a third
Remember, cocktail sauce is a must!

Oh, and if you ever find yourself in this neck of the woods, try Chef Alfredo Villanueva's valentine to regional Cuisine, San Luisito, Costa Nueva and El Muelle de Al Lado for Pacific seafood, and La Catarina for a contemporary spin on amazing Mexican food. And if you are looking for a Burger Sherpa in the city, check out my friend JJ Garza-Onofre's fantastic blog.

And so this is Christmas...

Today is the Feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe, the traditional start to Posadas, evening parties that run for the 12 days of Christmas in Mexico and where beloved traditions such as piñatas come from. The Mexican Professionals Network of Washington DC held its annual Posada at Lupe Cantina today, and the friendly bar staff made sure the margaritas were perfectly salty and chilled, the XX Lager flowed, and the shenanigans went by smoothly.

While we have enjoyed Lupe's kitchen in past events, posadas require a special menu, so we turned to our caterer extraordinaire, Connie Johnson. The evening featured champurrado (a chocolate-based atole, making it a hominy flour-based drink); chicken and pork tamales; pozole (a robust, medium spicy soup with pork and chicken, hominy, and traditional fixings of oregano, fresh radish, and greens); guacamole, and refried beans. The food was well prepared, and the combination was perfect to stave off the cold and the homesickness.

If you're sorry you missed out on a traditional Mexican menu in downtown DC, check out Mexican Jalapeño - this online store has everything you need to recreate the meal and even fill a piñata or two.

The Important vs. The Urgent

Lots of work and travel, hence the lack of updates. Though we always have time to eat, writing is another matter. Be back soon, and in the meantime, check out La Maison Francaise's Event this Friday:

Euronight 2009


Today's Mexican Independence Day, so check out some of the local Mexican eateries!