I need recipes! For tomorrow!

[Aglaya]

Ok, so we agreed to throw a taco party for a friend's birthday tomorrow, only to realize that the reason our taco parties were always amazing was that the douchebag who moved out made really amazing pico and guacamole.  So, give me your best recipes for pico de gallo and guacamole.  Go!

[Greg Nog]

For guacamole, I just go with mashed avocado, lemon juice, and a bit of salt.  Maybe two avocados, one juiced lemon, ad two teaspoons of salt?  That's really all you need, you just let that basic avocado flavor shine.

[diesel_powered]

I make minimalist guac:

1 lime's juice
2 cloves garlic
4 avocados
Salt to taste.

Mash the above together, consistency is up to you.

Mmmm... guac. Maybe I'll wander down to the market and get some fixin's.

ed: X-post with Greg. Good for you for not buying into that let's-mix-pico-and-guac supermarket bullshit!

[Bernard]

Oh, I make a maximalist guacamole with tomatillo, cilantro, and jalapeno.

[donblood]

For guacamole, I just go with mashed avocado, lemon juice, and a bit of salt.  Maybe two avocados, one juiced lemon, ad two teaspoons of salt?  That's really all you need, you just let that basic avocado flavor shine.

Agreed.

I sometimes cut all the plasma bits out of a tomato, chop it into chunks and toss some chunks in after everything else is mixed.  You need to make sure you get rid of all plasma bits (down to scraping the insides of the tomato - moisture is the enemy here), and you can't use too much, and you might need some tiny-chopped-cilantro in there, but the pain in the ass is worth it.

[jess]

I like guac to have a bit of very finely minced onion, some cilantro (although if you may have cilantro haters around, then skip that) and little jalapeno in it, along with the standard avocado/lime/salt combo. I prefer the avocado well mashed but not past the point of some chunks left. I remember being kind of horrified when I discovered that some people think sour cream belongs in guac, I guess to make it creamier? That's all wrong to me.

[diesel_powered]

Adding sour cream to guac is an affront to God, democracy, and human decency.

[Thermofusion]

but am I allowed to use both as toppings at the same time

[DCDave]

but am I allowed to use both as toppings at the same time

Well, you really like chipotle, don't you?

[dieblucasdie]

Thermo do you go for carnitas or chicken?

[Thermofusion]

i can't go to chipotle i don't have shoes and my mule's been put down

[ellaguru]

but am I allowed to use both as toppings at the same time

I have taken to putting the salsa, sour cream and guacamole all in the same bowl for nachos, as I like to end up with them all on the same nacho, and it reduces effort. This implies some mixing of sour cream and guacamole. However, the sour cream is coequal in the bowl, it is not an ingredient.

[Andrew_TSKS]

Man, I ain't ashamed to have both sour cream and guacamole on a burrito.

[jess]

I tend to skip sour cream entirely in nachos/burritos/etc, but to me, putting both on something is very different from (and much more acceptable than) making the guac with sour cream, which is gross and wrong and leads to a substance that is not guac as I know it.

[Andrew_TSKS]

Oh, well, yeah, I completely agree with that.

[cold before sunrise]

usually i opt for the chunk factor by adding red onion, tomato, minced garlic and roughly chopped cilantro to a bunch of mashed avocados. squeeze on some fresh lime and salt well. *good as a starter with corn chips.

made nice shrimp tacos for this guy i was feeling for a minute not too long ago, courtesy of martha. start by heating a couple tbsp oil and saute together 1/2 chopped onion, 2 cloves minced garlic, and a finely chopped jalapeno for 4-5 min. add a couple chopped roma tomatoes and a thawed 10oz bag of frozen corn, cook another 4-5 min. now throw in 1/2 lb shrimp that has been defrosted, cleaned, and chopped into 1/2" pieces and give it 2-3 minutes to cook through. serve in warmed corn tortillas with sour cream and shredded cabbage. and remember: a mexicana party ain't complete without tequila!

[YojimboMonkey]

pico de gallo is easy, it isn't even really a recipe, just dice up some onions and good tomatoes (drain and seed the tomatoes, you only want the flesh) and jalapenos (remove the seeds and veins), chop up some cilantro, and toss it all together with a little salt and lime juice (again, just a little, you don't want it to be too wet).  Make it a couple hours ahead of time to give the ingredients time to blend.  Proportions, you just kind of eyeball, maybe 3 medium tomatoes to one small onion, a handful of cilantro, and 1-3 jalapenos, depending how hot you want it. 

edit: also peel the tomatoes, they're easy to peel, get a pot of water boiling and have a bowl of ice water to hand, drop a tomato in the boiling water for a minute or less, just enough to get the skin hot, then into the ice water, then you can use a knife to pull the skin right off.

[Doctor Bob]

Wow.  Cilantro = coriander.  I had no idea until right now.

[diesel_powered]

edit: also peel the tomatoes, they're easy to peel, get a pot of water boiling and have a bowl of ice water to hand, drop a tomato in the boiling water for a minute or less, just enough to get the skin hot, then into the ice water, then you can use a knife to pull the skin right off.

BEST TOMATO TRICK EVER.

[jess]

Oh man, so of course after I post here about my hatred of adulterated guacamole, this morning the boy was all, hmm, we don't really have anything here for breakfast, but I could make some guac... and I said of course I'd eat guac for breakfast, only to then witness him mix MAYO into it. And jarred salsa. And no citrus/acid. HORRORS.

Also, I realize I am pretty into this one when I still eat said guac without any complaint to him, and love him no less for having no clue how to make it properly. Next time I'm making the guac though.

[girl]

Uh oh!

[Bernard]

mix MAYO into it

wtf 

and I happen to love mayo
you may have found the one thing I don't think it improves

[donblood]

Yeah, I agree with my alter-ego.  I am about as big a fan of mayo as it is possible to be and I find that pretty unsettling.

[jess]

Trust me, it was. So much so in fact, that I went out to get proper Mexican (or close to as possible in Boston anyway) with a friend tonight, which included an order of guac that might have benefited from a tad bit more salt and a little less tomato, but otherwise was delicious and untainted with any creamy condiments.

[diesel_powered]

Dump him. Mayo in guac is unforgivable.