Source: Rachel Claremon

Scoop out

• 3-4 avocados

Mash the avocado gently with the back of a fork, being careful not to overdo it and leave some avocado pieces un-mashed for a chunky consistency.

Add to taste

• Lime juice
• Fresh cilantro, chopped finely
• Finely chopped or minced onions
• Garlic Powder
• Salt and black pepper
• Spoonful of salsa, hot sauce, or chopped tomatoes

Mix these ingredients into the avocados, being careful not to over-mash. Serve immediately or place in the fridge with saran wrapped pressed down onto the top of the guacamole. This doesn’t keep well more than a day in the fridge, but luckily it gets eaten so quickly that there usually aren’t any leftovers to worry about.

Rachel’s Secrets of Success

1. The three key ingredients in good guacamole are excellent avocados, lots of cilantro, and lots of fresh lime juice. When buying avocados, make sure they are not overripe (the guacamole will come out too smooth), or under ripe (the pieces will be rubbery and hard to mash up).
2. I add everything else to taste, usually heavy on salt, pepper, and garlic powder. I like it chunky, so I add onions and tomatoes for texture, and I like red onions better for the color.
3. Following are a few additional pointers I’ve learned from others over my formative guacamole-making years – I’m not sure which are true, but I try to follow them anyway. First, set aside a few pits when you spoon out the avocados, and drop them back in at the end before you stick the guacamole into the fridge – this supposedly helps prevent the guacamole from turning brown. Second, always use a wooden or plastic bowl, never metal – it can affect the taste.

Do vegetarians eat animal crackers?