Most of my followers/readers have become acquainted with how my daughter and I love cooking together. Mind you, we are very different styles of chefs with me being more traditional and very in tune with remaking and recreating dishes from the original ones. Missy, on the other hand, has a tendency due to her independent nature to go a little rogue. She may look at a recipe and say to herself, I think I will do this or that, or change the entire recipe to satisfy her individual taste. Both of us love to cook and we love to brainstorm about how we each like this or that and that brings me to the focus of this blog. The title WHAT’S UP WITH GUACAMOLE AND LIFE has to bring questions as to the meaning of this message.
While Missy and I were discussing our upcoming Christmas get together which will be different from previous years of traditional feasts of every Southern dish and most of our families being present, we brainstormed about many future posts but while discussing the idea of Mexican food being a possibility for this meal, the topic of Guacamole came up.
There was a time in my life that I had a personal preference of aversion to the soft consistency of the avocado. Even though I learned the healthy benefits from the green soft ingredient, I shied away from it. It was only after my daughter who used to live in both Colorado and California and thrived on adding avocados in many dishes, made her Guacamole Dip for me and my husband. My response was “this is amazing” with the fresh cilantro and all of the ingredients and seasonings. I was hooked on this green stuff and have asked many times for her to make some.
She said something important while we discussed adding Guacamole to our upcoming menu. She and one of her dear friends, Teresa were discussing food and Missy remarked that as many times as she made this dish, she could not remember two times that it tasted exactly the same. Granted, Missy shoots from the hip, when she is making the same dish. Barring this fact, she told me while she was repeating what she and Teresa were talking about, she said the topic words about Guacamole “It all depends on each ingredient and how they can variate at any given time.” You will see how we think these ingredients can apply to our lives and people/friends/family and the effect the variations can have and what we can do to end up with a successful Life Dip courtesy of the Guacamole effect.
Here is how we know that each ingredient can be different:
- Avocado can differ in ripeness and texture. No two avocados are exact copies of each other, similar to each of us and our personalities with distinctive flavors and textures. Maybe some of the stiffer ones can use some softening by mixing more (giving more attention to loosen them for a smoother mixture). If they are too soft or already too ripened (experienced or like we say more baggage) we may have to lighten up on the amount of added mayo or additional stress.
- Cilantro can be stronger or milder at the time of acquisition. It can be a good flavor enhancer or overpower the entire dish. Isn’t this the same with people? Some people are more timid or even bullish. The secret is to smell or sample a little of the cilantro (don’t jump too fast in a relationship but test the relationship to know how much involvement you want to have)and decide how much to place in the guacamole. You can always add more but if you add too much in the beginning, it is hard to adjust later. In other words, in life, take it slow and know how much is enough or too much.
- Lemon and Lime as both make the best guacamole but one question to ask…Why do we need both? Why wouldn’t either one alone be enough? This one is interesting to me as this comparison is very applicable in life. If we have friends who could be twins, who like the same activities/faith/philosophies, we don’t have that mixture component. Actually the lemon/lime are enhancers of the other ingredient and makes the better flavor. One without the other might be acceptable but together they complete that unique combination. In life, we should welcome the variety and partnership of different interactions.
- Onions….how could onions play a part in life the same way they add the strong but sometimes sweet flavor in Guacamole? Life needs some spark or excitement. Bland lives as well as bland food can get boring. This brings me back to Missy’s words about how she can used the same ingredients and the finished guacamole, even though quite tasty, can be slightly different in flavor due to an onion being sweeter or stronger, and it even being smaller or larger in size can have an effect. People are different, relationships can be better or worse due to outside factors which we may or may not have control. Unless an onion is super sweet, it is hard to eat raw onions and that is life’s need for us to be able to adapt when something is not the same. ADJUST, ADAPT, OR AVOID!
- Seasonings are important, more or less, some or none, and taste to see how it blends and what and how much needs to be changed/enhanced to make it delicious. In life, relationships and friendships should be considered to see if we have added the proper seasonings or is it time to change some of the habits or attitudes to make the relationship as attractive and desirable as before. Keep it fresh so that your seasonings of life stay tangy and appealing as you remember the first time you met.
- Mayo, I purposely left it to the end for a good reason. This is the most important step in making fantastic guacamole. Too much of a good thing or if you want to look at it in a different light, a bad indulgence can spoil all of your prep, all of your selection of the freshest and best ingredients. Too little of a needed ingredient can make for dry and dull and a less desirable dish or as we have referred to the comparison of life. Life and relationships, friend or romantic, work or family oriented, and faith is a recipe and whether you follow all of the instructions, you have to use good judgment in applying the ingredients (people) to maximize the satisfaction of blending all that you do to give you a happy life. Consider the prep, making sure you buy ingredients that blend with your tastes as well as though who will be dining with you, take pride in the process, and give it your undivided attention. Bon Appetit!
Here is my daughter Missy Haas at my last book signing. The best ingredient God gave me in the form of the sweetest and talented daughter and my friend.
(C) Copyright 2012 – 2022 Arline Miller of Sipping Cups of Inspiration and Reinvention Queen with all rights and privileges reserved. Third party material/photos are sourced if known for credit references.
