In the chips? Add lobster to your guacamole! While lobster salad is also popular in an avocado half (i.e., stuffed avocado), you can add a twist using it atop guacamole. For special occasions, of course.

This recipe is adapted from one sent to us by Dos Caminos restaurant in New York City.
 
 
RECIPE: LOBSTER GUACAMOLE

Ingredients For 4 Servings

 
Garnishes

 
Preparation

1. MASH 1 tablespoon of cilantro, 1 teaspoon onion, 1 teaspoon minced chile, and the salt together in a medium-size bowl, using the back of a spoon to mash against the bottom of the bowl.

2. ADD the chopped lobster to the bowl. Add the avocados and gently mash them with a fork until chunky smooth.

3. FOLD in the remaining cilantro, onion, and chile. Stir in the tomatoes and lime juice; taste to adjust the seasonings.

4. GARNISH with the pickled ginger or extra cilantro. Serve with warm corn tortilla chips.
 
 
TO WARM TORTILLA CHIPS

1. PREHEAT the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet or pan with parchment paper (optional, for easier clean-up).

2. ADD the tortilla in a single even layer. Heat for 4 to 5 minutes or until the chips are warm.
 
 
> THE HISTORY OF AVOCADO

> THE HISTORY OF LOBSTER

[1] Fancy schmancy: lobster guacamole (photo © Temazcal Cantina | Boston).

[2] Tortilla chips taste so much better when warmed in the oven before serving (photo © Cabo Chips).

[3] Pickled ginger, the sushi condiment, adds an exotic garnish to the lobster guacamole (photo © Cotton Bro | Pexels).

We’ve been asked how to put together a cheese plate for Cinco de Mayo. Truth to tell, Mexico’s signature cheeses, from fresh to aged, are white cheeses made for cooking. They’re not intended to be nibbled during cocktail hour or as a cheese course.

To learn about Mexican cheeses for cooking, read our article, Cooking With Hispanic Cheese.

For a cheese course, we have three recommendations. You can serve one or all:

Creative presentation: wedges of Manchego cheese topped with wedges of membrillo and a sprinkling of chili powder. Photo courtesy The Best Spanish Recipes.

 
We’re already getting hungry for this cheese plate!
 
*Quince paste, often made in a loaf form, is a sweet, thick, jelly made of the pulp of the quince fruit. It is sliced and served with the cheese.

†Marcona almonds, imported from Spain, are a variety of sweet almond. They’re slightly shorter and plumper in appearance compared to the almonds typically found in U.S. markets. But you can serve any raw or roasted almonds with manchego or any cheeses.

[1] Ice cream tacos: olé! (photo © Taste Of Home).

[2] Chocolate shavings for “taco’ garnish (photo © Hebert Candies).

How about ice cream tacos for Cinco de Mayo?

You can make them the easy way, with frozen round toaster waffles, or make crunchy pizzelles and fold them into taco-like shells.

But we adapted this recipe from Taste Of Home, which uses actual tortillas. As a neater alternative to tacos, you can form the tortillas into a bowl (drape them over an actual dessert bowl).

Prep time is 20 minutes. With all due respect to Klondike’s Choco Tacos, these taste a lot better!
 
 
RECIPE: ICE CREAM TACOS

Ingredients For 4 Servings

 
Choice Of Toppings

Select two toppings; you’ll need two tablespoons of each.

 
Plus

1. COMBINE the sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle on one side of each tortilla.

2. HEAT the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the tortillas, one at a time, with the cinnamon side up. When the tortilla starts to brown, fold it into a taco shape and drain on paper towels.

3. USING the same skillet, cook and stir the pecans for 2 minutes or until lightly toasted.

4. ASSEMBLE: Line up the taco shells in a baking dish to keep them upright, open-side up. Place two small scoops of ice cream in each tortilla shell; add the toppings, drizzle with sauce and finish with the whipped cream.
 
 
HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE CURLS OR SHAVINGS

To shave chocolate or make chocolate curls, start with your favorite chocolate bars—solid, without nuts or other inclusions.

1. WARM the chocolate bar in a microwave for 3 seconds. Use a vegetable peeler to scrape down the side (not the front/back) of the bar, forming curls.

2. PLACE the chocolate curls on a wax paper-covered dish or baking pan and refrigerate until firm. It is easiest to move the curls with toothpicks.