Olivia Jeanette

In celebration of Cinco do May, I’m sharing two family recipes, one for traditional guacamole and the other for a classic margarita. My mother, originally from Cerritos, San Luis Potosí, Mexico, always tried her hardest to share her Mexican culture with me and my brother. Born and raised in the Midwest made this difficult, hence the reason me nor my brother speak Spanish. I always asked her why she never taught us her language and she said back then it was important for children from immigrant families to have perfect English and become Americanized.

One way she taught us about our heritage was through food. She cooked us delicious dishes like, chorizo and eggs for breakfast, picadillo for lunch and enchiladas for dinner. For years I’ve tried to perfect these dishes, but it’s almost impossible! So now when I’m home, I watch her make everything and take note of the amount she puts in each dish. What I have learned about cooking Mexican food is that there’s no exact amount you have add to each recipe, it’s more of a recipe of how you’re feeling while cooking. If you’re ever read Like Water for Chocolate, you’ll know what I’m talking about! So the next time you’re cooking a Mexican dish, if you’re feeling a little spicy that day, add more jalapeños, your guests will feel those emotions through your food.

The first recipe is a traditional guacamole. Typically I add tomatoes, but my gringo husband isn’t a fan of tomatoes, so I’ve slowly adjusted. Start with two large avocados. A few tips when picking avocados, always feel each avocado for a slight tenderness in the fruit. You can also pop off the steam and if it’s really brown, it’s too ripe. Look for a greenish yellow color under the steam. If come across hard avocados at the store and you have a little time, when you get home place them in a brown paper bag and put them under your sink (or dark place). This helps ripen the avocados…just don’t forget about them!

I like texture in my guacamole, so I smash the avocados with a fork in a medium sized bowl. I then add finely chopped onions, jalapeños, and cilantro. Like I said above, you can also add tomatoes. Next, I add salt and garlic powder. I love salt, so I’d probably add more than a tsp to this recipe. Taste as you go! Then I finish it off with lime juice. I use the 2:1 ration, 1 lime for 2 avocados. The juice from the lime also helps it going brown while sitting out.

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Next is a classic margarita. I can never remember recipes for margaritas, so typically I stick with 2/1/2 recipe; 2oz of tequila, 1oz of Grand Marnier and 2oz of lime juice. Since everyone probably doesn’t love limes as much as I do or really strong margaritas, I made a few modification. For this recipe, you’ll need your favorite tequila, grand marnier, fresh limes, salt and sugar. Before you do anything, salt the rim of your glass. Then, in a shaker add tequila, grand marnier, lime juice, sugar, and ice and shake for 30-45 seconds. I like my margaritas really really cold, so I shake till I can’t hold the shaker anymore. Then pour it over ice and enjoy!

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Hope you enjoyed the recipes. Look forward to sharing more in the future!

xo, Olivia