Guacamole Dip that Eats Like a Meal

Tonight we made a guacamole dip that rendered us unable to eat dinner. It was easy to make, nutritious, and delicious. And it satisfied like nobody's business, thanks to pumpkin seeds.* The satiating quality is a useful attribute for two reasons. Avocados are expensive and it sucks when your guac is gone in a heartbeat. This stuff, will not get eaten too quickly. And if it does, those people who eat it won't be eating much for the next few hours. That's the other benefit, fewer chimichangas.

Just recently, I learned to set the DVR to record all of the awesome cooking shows on PBS on Saturday morning. One of those is Rick Bayless' "Mexico: One Plate at a Time." So far, my favorite episode is the one where Rick is throwing a "block party" and he invites some PBS diversity over for finger food. Oh, hell yeah. That's my kinda party. Did yall know that Barack Obama loves Bayless' cooking? Well, me too. Only, unlike the very 'presidential' Obama, I'm quick to point out the cultural appropriation behind Bayless seeing the cuisine of real Mexicans and saying, "Si, se puede." Yes, we can - make some money off of the tasty techniques of Mexico.

One of the dishes that Bayless prepares is Toasted Pumpkinseed Guacamole and I was a little skeptical when he described it to the camera. He talked about the toasty flavor, compared to his Mango Guacamole, but he didn't, however, talk about the meal replacement effects of the dip. This dish , together with my whey revelation, will help me reduce my own intake and drop a few pounds, if I can remember to make it a few times a month. He served it along side some really simple tuna escabeche tacos. You can make these together, or you can just bookmark Rick's recipe list and go to town on his awesome recipes a couple times a week.

If you're too lazy to go to the link, just make guacamole like you usually would and stir in some pureed toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds).

What do yall think?

*Pumpkin seeds are a superfood. Pumpkin seeds are rich in the amino acids alanin, glycine and glutamic acid, and also contain high amounts of zinc. Enlargement of the prostate affects about half of men over the age of 50 and including a handful of pumpkin seeds may offer some protection against the development of prostate cancer. They contain high quantities of protein, iron and phosphorous and even a tablespoon a day would be a good addition to any healthy diet, particularly for vegans and vegetarians.

Contradictory Cookware: the Bayless Bargains

Rick Bayless, one of my favorite chefs, was just on Bravo's Top Chef. A couple years ago, I went to his Chicago restaurant, Frontera Grill.* It was fantastic. Recently, Bayless followed the crowd and jumped into the celebrity chef signature cooking accessories market with Sur la Table doing most of the promoting. After just a handful of months, the Bayless brand can be found at reduced prices at TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and for criminally low prices on Amazon.com. Even Sur la Table has reduced their astronomical prices.

Everyday Mexican is one of my very favorite cookbooks, as it synopsizes the phenomenal flavors and the essential ethics behind authentic Mexican food. So, at first, I did not judge Rick's latest marketing move. Instead, I presumed that the Bayless brand salsa maker, pepper roaster, and avocado masher must be essential additions to every kitchen (but, I sure as hell wasn't going to pay full price for them). After all, the Frontera line of salsas and cooking sauces are absolutely delicious (and worth every penny).

Bayless used Le Creuset pots and pans on his Mexico One Plate at a Time PBS show and thus many of the vessels sporting his name are slightly cheaper imitations. The stuff is all made by Copco - the same company behind the Mario Batali line of cooking utensils and enameled pans. They've been around a while and their products generally don't suck. However, they are all made in China, despite the fact that Bayless wanted his products "Hecho en Mexico" (not profitable enough for Copco, as it turns out).

Since we're on the subject of celebrity cookware, do any of you swear by a certain signature product? Jamie's T-Fal? Rachel's orange everything? Puck's panini press? I think the Emeril brand non-stick pans are probably pretty good, since they're made by All Clad. I keep a keen eye out for those in the clearance section. But, it looks like I'm going to have to sift through the piles of Bayless products for a while to come.

As you may have noticed on this blog, I can't pass up a bargain. A few weeks ago, I brought home this avocado masher from TJ Maxx ($5). It's a good idea, because you need to use a spoon to scoop the avocado out and then a fork (or potato masher) to make the guacamole. With this thing, it scoops and mashes, almost in one fluid motion. So, it's almost completely unnecessary, but I had to patronize my boy Rick, just a little bit. Oh, and I grabbed his cast iron griddle (comal) for less than half price as well.

Then, I saw this pepper roaster on Amazon, for $9.99, down from $59.99 (w/FREE shipping for a limited time, I'm sure - as Amazon deals tend to fluctuate). It's cast iron, pretty, and it doubles as a griddle. Wow. Who knows if I'll ever use it, but again, I can't and didn't pass up this bargain.

Another major reduction is the Bayless beanpot for $9.99, down from $39.99 (again with FREE shipping). One blogger was outraged by the beanpot, as were some Amazon reviewers. It seems that you can't cook with it over direct heat and it might only be safe in the oven up to 325 degrees (even though all stoneware is fired at 2400 degrees). So, perhaps there is cause for concern. But, you can still soak dried beans in it, or serve soup out of it, or just fill it with cookies! At 10" across, it's still a bargain, so I bought one for my dad.

If you're going to take up one of these Amazon bargains, you'll have to get your total up to $25 in order to get that FREE shipping. Do what I did and order the Top Chef cookbook. If you ever enjoyed the show (maybe more so before the formula and casting became so predictable), you'll love this book. It's designed beautifully, with a cloth cover and luminous pictures of precision plated food.

Readers, "pack your knives and go" buy some bargain cookware thanks to Rick Bayless' marketing misteps.

*We couldn't afford Rick Bayless' Mexican fine dining restaurant, Topolobampo.