Guacamole

Today I had a very unique culinary experience. I introduced my co-workers to the wonders of guacamole!

Yes, guacamole. That ever-delicious green concoction that all lovers of Mexican food voraciously devour by the bucket load. how, do you wonder, did i end up making this beloved food item for a kitchen staff of extremely talented Italian chefs?


It all began with a case of avocados that showed up almost a week ago. During one of my many trips to the fruit and veggie fridge I spotted them, inconspicuously hiding in the bottom right corner. Immediately I was enthralled. Avocados? In an Italian kitchen?

I did some asking around and found out that this was the first time they had even thought to order them from one of their suppliers and they had absolutely no idea what to do with them. Patiently I waited until finally Arcangelo brought one upstairs today and started playing around with it. There was a brief argument when I tried to explain to them all that an avocado is a fruit and not a vegetable, and on the subject, so was a tomato. This did not go over well. They all laughed at me and told me that of course a tomato is a vegetable and that the same went for avocados...silly American.

However, I got the last laugh when, after Arcangelo put out a passionfruit/mango salad with a cannel of plain avocado, he became frustrated and gave me the rest of it to play with. I immediately spooned out the insides into a bowl, cut up from tomato, red onion and garlic and went to Mexico! A little lime, some pepperocino for some heat and there we had it, guacamole in Abruzzo. Most of the staff had never had it before, the only person who seemed to even know what it was was Angela. She was extremely excited that I had made it and explained to the rest of the clueless that this was a traditional Mexican antipasto. She made everyone try it and although it seems to not please the Italian pallet the same way it does an American or Mexican, some of them really liked it.

This was the first thing I had ever made for them. Something I never would have imagined I would have made for them. I felt pretty proud of myself that I knew more about an ingredient (any ingredient) than these people. It just goes to show that the more you experience, the better you get. Another bonus was that this was the first Mexican food I have had since I left the States.

It felt great.

I could almost hear the waves and taste the Corona.