Guacamole

So to give you an idea how good this guacamole is, let me tell you about Hail and farewell.

The Navy has a lovely tradition of throwing a party at the beginning and end of people's duty station assignments.  It's a time to welcome the new, and thank the old, which in the Navy has quite a bit of overlap, since everyone moves so much- hardly a hail and farewell happens without an old friend arriving and a new one leaving.  Military are pretty much salt of the earth people.   It was pretty funny, I remember thinking one of the captains was sexist for asking if I'd go part time once we had kids- now, I realize he was not sexist, but wise.  Or perhaps, wisely sexist.   It's hard for (this) woman.

Anyway, I made this guacamole for the last one we would ever attend.  Someone else made guacamole too, not that anyone noticed.  This sat 18 inches from the other, lonely guacamole, and this one got demolished while the other just sat there.  Barely touched.   It was the first time I saw guacamole look embarrassed.

I've made it a million times since then, as does my husband (he takes particular pride).  Don't be scared by the tabasco- it's essential.  So is the lemon, unless you like brown guacamole.

This is always made as a double batch- too much is never enough.

Guacamole
Adapted from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

Ingredients
4 ripe Haas avocados
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 lemon)
8 dashes hot pepper sauce
1/4 cup small-diced red onion
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 medium plum tomato, seeded, and small-diced

Directions
Cut the avocados in 1/2, remove the pits, and scoop the flesh out of their shells into a large bowl with a spoon.  Immediately add the lemon juice, hot pepper sauce, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper and toss well. Using a sharp knife, slice through the avocados in the bowl until they are finely diced, or use a potato masher. Add the tomatoes. Mix well.