The Aztecs got it right when they began preparing a wonderful fresh sauce made from mashed avocados, tomatoes and salt. Today, Mexican guacamole is a staple at many outdoor events and parties. The secret to success is perfectly ripe avocados. Accept nothing less or you’ll end up with a bowl of flavorless goop.

Over the years I’ve fine-tuned my recipe for maximum flavor, texture and color. There is nothing better on a blistering hot day, except maybe guacamole PLUS an icy cold beer. Sure you could rush down to the supermarket and grab a couple of tubs of expensive deli-made guacamole or—even worse—that artificial packaged green slime filled with preservatives, colors, fillers and hydrogenated oils. But why? Try this and you’ll never go back to store-bought.

I find that the rich and creamy Hass avocados, which are available year round, make the best guacamole. Choose ones with black, roughly-textured skins that yield to gentle pressure. Avoid avocados that are rock hard, bruised, or overripe with loose skins.

Cutting avocados for guacamole is easy if you follow these steps:

1. Hold the avocado in your hand stem side up. Insert a sharp knife in to the top and cut downward to the pit.

2. Move the knife lengthwise around the avocado using the pit as your guide.

3. Separate the avocado by gently twisting the two halves apart.

4. Hold the half with the pit in your hand and give the pit a good whack with the sharp blade of your knife.

5. Twist the knife slightly and lift the pit from the avocado.

6.  Carefully remove the slippery pit from your knife using a paper towel.

7. Scoop out the flesh by running a spoon around the edge of the avocado.

Guacamole

4      ripe Hass avocados
3      tablespoons fresh lime juice
2      ripe tomatoes
3      tablespoons minced scallions
1–2  serrano chiles, minced
½     cup  chopped cilantro
¼     teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½     teaspoon salt
1       bag  corn or tortilla chips

Directions:
1. Cut the avocados in half; remove the pits, scoop out the flesh, and place it in a medium bowl.

2. Mash the avocados with a fork until they reach a chunky-creamy consistency.

3. Add the lime juice and mix.

4. Cut the tomatoes in half, discard the pulp and seeds, and chop the flesh.

5. Add the scallions, chiles, half of the tomatoes, half of the cilantro, salt and pepper to the avocados. Mix thoroughly.

6. Taste the guacamole and adjust the seasonings.

7. Spoon into a serving bowl and decorate with the remaining tomato and cilantro.*

8. Serve with chips.

* If you choose to refrigerate the guacamole before serving, place plastic wrap directly on top of it to slow the browning.

Yield: 2 ½ cups

Get a printable copy of the Beyond Wonderful Guacamole recipe and an illustrated, step-by-step guide on How To Peel, Pit, and Scoop Avocados.

I love picnics! Whether it’s a solo morning hike in the fog-shrouded hills with a thermos of coffee and muffins, or more elaborate fare shared with family and friends, I’m always game. So when the kids wanted to take our seventeen-year-old houseguest, Mahi Titus, kite flying on the shores below the Golden Gate Bridge, I sprang into action.

Mahi is from New Delhi, India and had come to spend a few days with us before heading to the Global Young Leaders Conference in Washington DC and a United Nations event in New York City. We’d done a whirlwind tour of Chinatown, Fisherman’s Wharf, North Beach, and snaked her down Lombard “the crookest street in the world”. Our kite-flying destination offered a breathtaking view and the perfect winds to get our dragon kites airborne.

My three rules of picnicking are easy, easy and easy. So lunch was lots of sliced cold cuts, cheeses, pickles, black olives, munchies and cold drinks. For dessert, I packed up a platter of freshly baked chocolate Guinness cupcakes that I’d just finished testing for the website that morning. We also had a large, crab-shaped sourdough bread from Fisherman’s Wharf, whose claws would make fun sandwiches.

As the kids worked together on the kites, I set a big checked tablecloth with bright plastic plates and piled on the food. I couldn’t resist licking a bit of chocolate-cinnamon buttercream off my fingers as I arranged the cupcakes. One taste settled it—the kids could have the meats and cheeses; my lunch would be several of these decadent treats!

The kites provided plenty of drama—particularly for little Sammy, who wailed in distress as the green dragon crashed on the rocks. Fortunately, his sunny mood was easily restored by a huge supply of black olives. He fitted an olive on each tiny finger and cried out happily, “look, I’m an alien!” As the olives disappeared into his mouth, we all agreed that he looked more like a chipmunk.

As I savored my second (alright, third) cupcake, I reflected on the incredible power of simple food in a beautiful outdoor setting, shared with people I love. It’s what summer is all about.

Meet Executive Chef Gianni Audieri, partner and guiding spirit at American’s oldest Italian restaurant, the Fior d’ Italia in San Francisco. Gianni has joined the Beyond Wonderful panel of culinary experts as our esteemed guest chef. He’ll be sharing his extensive knowledge and classic Italian recipes adapted for home cooks in the months to come. 

Gianni began his culinary career in Milan, Italy at age 14 and studied French cooking in Switzerland. Over the decades, he polished his craft at hotels, private clubs and on cruise ships before settling at the Fior in the early 1980s.  

One of the thrills of working with Gianni is, of course, eating his fabulous food. I’ve enjoyed his rich soups, seasonal salads, plates of pasta, beautifully prepared meats and his famous tiramisu mousse dessert. With so many memorable dishes, it was hard to decide which recipe to share first at Beyond Wonderful—until I tasted the calamari. It’s the best I’ve ever had; tender, incredibly meaty and delicious. When I asked Gianni his secret, he laughed and said, “everyone wants to know my secret ingredient but there isn’t one. It’s fresh calamari dredged in flour.” Gianni pointed out that he uses Atlantic calamari, since it tends to be meatier than the Pacific variety. He also cuts the tubes—known as “mantles” —in strips, rather than the more common ring shape.  

As we talked, I realized that those passionate about calamari usually order it at restaurants but are hesitant to try making it at home. Fear no more! I’ve discovered that delicious fried calamari is simple and easy to make when you know what you’re doing. 

Gianni took me to his kitchen, gathered some fresh, pre-cleaned calamari mantles and tentacles, rinsed them under cold water and placed them in a strainer to remove the excess moisture. Working quickly, he cut the tips off the mantles, made a vertical slit down the side and opened it flat. “Now, I cut them in ½-inch strips and pat dry with a paper towel.” Within seconds all the mantles were prepped for the next step. 

We moved down the line where he produced a shallow pan of flour, dropped in the calamari and gave it a couple of quick tosses upward. As everything went airborne, he said, “be sure to shake it well to remove all the excess flour.” I was impressed. How did he get everything breaded and returned to the tray without dropping anything on the floor? This was definitely a skill that I wanted to master.  

We moved to the deep fryer that contained preheated vegetable oil. “Barbara, most cooks fry this at 350 degrees, but I do it at 375 because the temperature drops the minute you add the cold calamari. Cook it 2–3 minutes until it’s the palest golden color. Don’t overcook the calamari or it will get tough.” 

Instinctively, Gianni pulled the basked out of the fryer at the perfect moment and gave it couple of good shakes to remove the excess oil. He put it in a spacious bowl and salted it, then tossed the finished calamari into a lined wire basket. A sliced lemon and a couple of dipping sauces completed the dish, although Gianni pointed out that “the sauces are an American thing” —the true Italian presentation uses only lemon. 

I eagerly dove in and asked Gianni where the home cook could find Atlantic calamari outside of the East coast. After all, he has clout with his daily 100-pound orders for the restaurant, while the rest of us just need a small amount. “Talk to a good fish monger and see what he can get,” he advised. “You won’t find this at supermarkets—not even most high-end markets. If you can’t find it, the Pacific variety is okay.”  

Gianni and I will be cooking together in the coming months and I’ll have more of his wonderful Italian recipes adapted for your home kitchen. Each will have a printable recipe and illustrated, step-by-step How To for easy reference. 

Today, check out the Calamari recipe and How To Make Calamari.