Holy Guacamole

Trying to find time to post blog articles this week has been a challenge - I'm in St. Louis for a youth leadership conference, and we are barely allotted time to sleep, let alone time for our minds to wander into the food realm. And I have no access to a kitchen! I almost begged one of the hotel staff to let me back there so I could just chop an onion for them or something, but I'm pretty sure that kind of outright obsessive behavior would warrant psychiatric intervention.

Since I am not in a position to practice new recipes, I thought I'd share a tried-and-true favorite. It is one that has already gone through countless rounds of testing, and is often requested by my friends.

Recipe for Nathan's Favorite Guacamole:

• 3 ripe avocados
• 1 small ripe tomato (I like any kind except Roma/plum for this), diced
• 1/2 of a medium-sized yellow onion, diced in small bits
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 clove garlic, roasted
• about 3 tbsp chopped cilantro
• 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
• 5 dashes green Tabasco sauce
• 1 pinch of cumin
• Kosher salt (or your favorite good salt) to taste

Roast the clove of garlic until fragrant. Don't forget: "head" is the whole thing of garlic, made up of individual cloves. Not the other way around. I've actually mixed that up in a recipe before. My dish had so much garlic in it, I didn't get any kisses for, like, a week.

To pick out a good avocado, I like to grab the ones that are black in color and soft, but not so soft that they almost feel hollow. They should give just a little bit. They don't need to be refrigerated, but I like to stick them in the fridge before I make the guac so it's nice and cool.

Mash the avocados with the lime juice - the citrus in the lime will keep your avocados from turning brown. Mash the soft roasted garlic and add to the avocados. Mix in the remaining ingredients and serve. Purists might argue that I need a jalapeno or roasted poblano in there, but I really like my guac this way - I think it has a cool, fresh quality, and the touch of cumin and Worcestershire add a surprising little smoky flavor.

The best way to make guacamole is to keep experimenting and customize your very own favorite!

What Really Churns Me On

It's getting cold outside, and my herb garden is looking a little sad. I'm sad too - I need to make the most of the little time we have left together. One of my favorite things to do with excess fresh herbs is make compound butters. You can use just about any herb to make a flavorful butter spread or sauce. When it comes to butter, the possibilities are endless. One of my very favorite butter compounds is a simple honey butter, served on toast. Paired with English Breakfast tea (in bed of course), it is a typical start to my day.

Tarragon, chives and rosemary are what I need to bring inside from the garden. Tarragon butter is especially delicious - I often make it when I have guests, and serve with warm crusty bread. I always have unsalted butter on hand, and my own favorite salt (Maldon Sea Salt) and black pepper (I like Tellicherry) to add.

How to take care of your herbs, once they are on the way to the fridge:

• Wash thoroughly with cool water.
• Be sure to handle gently, so they don't break or bruise.
• Dry and roll up (again, gently) in a dry paper towel.
• Place in an airtight, sealed, labeled ziplock bag. Oxygen is the enemy.
• Try to enjoy right away, and avoid storage for more than a few days. But this will help them keep longer.

Tools that are very helpful in making compound butters:

• Tart tamper
• Mojito muddler (this is what I use)
• Mortar and pestle
• Any one of these helps immensely. If none are around, a fork or spatula can suffice, but it makes for very hard work with cold butter.

Recipes and ideas for serving:

2 tbsp chopped tarragon + 4 tbsp butter + salt + cracked pepper = tarragon butter (serve with crusty bread, on steak, grilled chicken or fish, veggies... good with leeks)

2 tbsp honey + 4 tbsp butter = honey butter (fantastic on toast, pancakes, popovers, sandwiches)

2 tbsp chopped chives + 1 tbsp dry white wine + 4 tbsp butter = chive butter (baked potato, corn)

2 tbsp chopped rosemary + 4 tbsp butter + salt + cracked pepper = rosemary butter (lamb, steak, pork tenderloin, mashed potatoes)

2 tbsp chopped parsley + 1 tbsp lemon juice + 4 tbsp butter + salt + cracked pepper = lemon parsley butter (steak, fish, veggies)

Mash ingredients together in a bowl. Store leftover butter creation in the fridge. Once you get the hang of it, get inspired and try new combinations. Lime-cilantro-chipotle butter. Orange-anise butter. Besides, what dish is not improved with a little more butter?