National Spicy Guacamole Day brings together some fresh flavors on November 14th. Call your friends, get the chips ready, and celebrate with a bowl of spicy guacamole dip.
Originating with the Aztecs in Mexico, guacamole is an avocado-based sauce. It’s become popular in American cuisine as a dip, condiment, and salad ingredient.
Guacamole is made by using a mortar and pestle to mash ripe avocados and then mixing in sea salt. Sometimes tomatoes, onion, garlic, lemon juice, chili, yogurt, or other seasonings are added. Jalapenos, chilis, cumin or red pepper can be added to the recipe to make the guacamole spicy.
A simple avocado carries a healthy punch of unsaturated fat (the good one). Additionally, a single avocado includes substantial amounts of Vitamins C and E. Good things come in small packages, though. There are nearly 400 calories in 1 cup of guacamole.
Does an avocado ever give you trouble when you have a hankering for guac? Well, there are some tricks to getting it just right. Make sure your avocado is ripe and add a few drops of lemon to keep the avocado from browning. It also adds a bright flavor. While picking ripe avocados can be daunting, it doesn’t have to be. A ripe avocado typically has mid-green to darker skin. It will give a little when lightly squeezed. However, a bruised avocado will be dimpled.
Bonus National Day:
NATIONAL PICKLE DAY
National Pickle Day recognizes the tart, sometimes sweet, and even spicy pickle. Each year on November 14th, pickle lovers pop open pecks of their preferred preserved pickle. It may be a Dill, Gherkin, Cornichon, Brined, Kosher Dill, Polish, Hungarian, Lime, Bread and Butter, Swedish and Danish, or Kool-Aid Pickle. No matter your choice, eat them all day long.
The term pickle comes from the Dutch word pekel, meaning brine. In the United States, the word pickle typically refers to a pickled cucumber. However, just about any fruit or vegetable can be pickled.
The process typically starts with a blanching process, depending on the fruit or vegetable. Then the product is packed into jars with seasonings that will give the pickles their flavor. They can be spicy, tart, or sweet. However, the tartness and sweetness come from the brine. A basic brine includes vinegar and water. Various amounts of sugar adjust the level of sweetness in the brine.
Pickle Facts
We consume a phenomenal 5,200,000 pounds of pickles each year in the United States. While pickles can be high in sodium, they are a good source of vitamin K. In moderation, they make a great snack.
Used in a sentence (for older folks).
"I don't want a pickle, I just want to ride my motor-cicle. "
