[1] Party time! Check out this article (photo © Sally Roeckell | Heinen’s).

[1] Provide a plain bowl of chopped avocado and let guests pile on the toppings (photo © Nadine Primeau | Unsplash).

[2] Hass is the best avocado for creamy guacamole (photo © Hass Avocado Board).

[3] You don’t have to mix or mash. Diced avocado can be served in bowls, with toppings piled on top (photo © California Avocado Commission).

[4] At Frontera Grill in Chicago: crab, guacamole, bacon, toasted pumpkin seeds, queso fresco, tomatoes (photo © Frontera Grill).

National Guacamole Day is September 16th, and we wondered: If there are salad bars and frozen yogurt bars, cereal bars, baked potato bars and chili bars*, why not a guacamole bar? Who doesn’t love the opportunity to customize their foods?

Individual bowls and an array of ingredients enable each person to start with a base of smashed avocado, and pile on the fixings. They can then be mixed in or eaten as is—a mountain of flavors and textures.

Whether for a general party or drinks, we like to include a crunchy salad base, to make a more substantial dish. We prefer shredded cabbage, a.k.a. coleslaw mix. You end up with “guacamole coleslaw” at the bottom of the dish.

National Guacamole Day is September 16th and November 14th is National Spicy Guacamole Day.

> The history of guacamole is below.

> Ways to use guacamole beyond chips.

> The year’s 25+ Mexican food holidays.
 
 
INGREDIENTS FOR A GUACAMOLE PARTY BAR

To encourage creativity, mix some non-traditional items (bacon? mint? pineapple?) with traditional ones.

 
Plus:

 
Set the dishes on a table or buffet in this order: bowls, salad, avocado, veggies, heat, seasonings and toppings; include serving utensils with each option.

At the end of the table, place the forks and spoons for blending and napkins, and dinner plates for the individual bowls and chips. Place large bowls of chips or other dippers on the tables.
 
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*More food bar ideas: Breakfast & Brunch Bar, Lunch & Dinner Bar and Dessert Bar.

†Hass avocados are preferred. While other varieties are larger, the Hass variety is creamier, a desired characteristic for guacamole.

‡To accommodate those who just like a little heat, have two bowls of jalapeño: one minced and served as is, one with the heat-carrying seeds removed before mincing.
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THE HISTORY OF GUACAMOLE

Mesoamericans cultivated the avocado in what we now call Central America for millions of years. The conquering Aztecs** called them ahuacatl; the “tl” is pronounced “tay” in Nahuatl, the Aztec language (so, ah-hwa-cah-tay). Guacamole was compounded in a molcajete, a mortar and pestle carved from volcanic stone.

When the Spanish conquistadors arrived in 1519 under Hernán Cortés, they heard ah-hwah-cah-tay as “aguacate,” the spelling and pronunciation they adopted.

The name guacamole comes from Mexican Spanish via the Nahuatl “ahuacamOlli,” a compound of ahuacatl [avocado] + mOlli [sauce]. The chocolate-based mole sauce comes from that same word, mOlli.

Ahuacatl means “testicle.” Aztecs saw the avocado as resembling testicles and ate them as a sex stimulant. According to Linda Stradley on the website WhatsCookingInAmerica.com, for centuries after Europeans came into contact with the avocado, it carried its reputation for inducing sexual prowess. It wasn’t purchased or consumed by anyone concerned with his or her reputation.

American avocado growers had to sponsor a public relations campaign to dispel the myth before avocados could become popular. After then, their dark green, pebbly flesh also earned avocados the name, “alligator pear.”
 
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**The Aztecs, who probably originated as a nomadic tribe in northern Mexico, arrived in Mesoamerica around the beginning of the 13th century.
 
 
FUN FACTS

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

Top: Doesn’t this look so much better
than white bread? Photo courtesy
Tried And Tasty via Dave’s Killer Bread.
Bottom: Photo courtesy Dave’s Killer Bread.

When you tell people they need to add more fiber to their diet via whole grains, you get push back. We understand: We, too prefer the taste of white-flour pancakes, pasta and pizza crust to whole grain versions.

But bread? Did you ever meet a piece of bread you didn’t like? That’s why you should make a small switch to whole grain bread.

Sandwiches and toast are just as delicious with whole wheat bread. And if you use Dave’s Killer Bread, they are resplendent!

So today’s tip is: Stop buying white bread for sandwiches and toast, and try all the whole grain versions available to you.

Our favorite is Dave’s Killer Bread, available in 14 different loaf varieties plus hamburger and hot dog buns. There’s also a better-for-you cinnamon roll. It’s one of our favorite Top Picks Of The Week.

 
WHAT’S IN DAVE’S BREAD?

It is, indeed, killer. In addition to marvelous flavor and texture, the breads are organic, all natural, whole grain and packed with protein, fiber, omega 3 fatty acids. Whole grain bread has never tasted better. We’ll support Dave’s claim that this is “the best bread in the universe.”

In addition, the breads are vegan, Non-GMO Project Verified and certified kosher (parve) by Oregon Kosher.

Our only lament is that our local store carries only one variety.

Once only available in greater Portland, Oregon, Dave’s Killer Bread has quietly become the country’s largest baker of organic bread—the #1 organic bread brand!

Here’s a store locator. Discover more at DavesKillerBread.com.
 
PICK YOUR SANDWICH

We had Dave’s Killer Bread for breakfast this morning, toasted. It’s so flavorful that it needs no spread. And since, as far as bread is concerned, Dave’s is as guilt-free as it gets, we’re deciding on what to put on our DKB sandwich for lunch:

 
All are in THE NIBBLE coffers; we just can’t decide. But we hope we’ve sold you.

HOW TO BE SURE IT IS WHOLE GRAIN

While you can rest assured that Dave’s Killer Bread is whole grain, there’s a lot on the store shelves that appear to be—but aren’t. Package labels are deceptive.

Here’s more on what is and isn’t whole grain bread.

NOTE: If you eat gluten-free, millet is a GF whole grain bread.

Today is Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. One of the holiday traditions is dipping an apple in honey. But the tradition can be enjoyed year-round by anyone looking for a tasty snack or a simple dessert.

All you need are honey and apples. Slice the apples and serve them with a dish of honey.

TIP: While a bowl of honey lets more than one person dip at a time, a Honey Bear squeeze bottle or other squeeze bottle (with a dispensing tip) is much neater!

 
WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THE APPLE & HONEY
TRADITION?

Apples are sweet, honey is even sweeter. Combine the two and it’s symbolic of a [hopefully] ultra-sweet new year.

The apple symbolizes the Garden of Eden, which according to the Torah has the scent of an apple orchard, and in Kabbalah is called “the holy apple orchard.”

There’s generic honey—a blend of inexpensive honeys from around the world, blended to a common denominator for American supermarket purchases.

And then there’s varietal honey: single-source honey, such as Black Sage, Clover, Orange Blossom, Raspbery and Sage. There are hundreds of varieties, each made from the nectar of a different flower, bush or tree.

Each varietal honey has a distinct flavor; thus, and each pairs well with specific foods. Check out our food and honey pairings.

Consider these pairing tips from Rowan Jacobsen, an apple grower and author of Apples of Uncommon Character:

 
Here’s the full article.

Happy New Year to those who celebrate, and enjoy those apples and honey, to those who don’t.
  

But at Tony Roma’s, they switch out the cheddar and sour cream for macaroni and cheese. You can make the mac and cheese from scratch, or use leftover mac and cheese.

RECIPE: MAC & CHEESE POTATO SKINS

Ingredients

 
Preparation

2. PIERCE each potato several times with a fork or the tip of a sharp knife and place on the oven rack. Bake until the skins are crisp and easily pierced with a knife or cake tester, about 50 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool about 10 minutes.

3. SET the oven to broil. Slice each potato in half lengthwise. Scoop out the flesh, leaving about 1/4 inch of flesh around the skins. Reserve the scooped flesh for another use (e.g. mashed potatoes).

4. BRUSH the insides of the potatoes with melted butter; season with salt and pepper. Flip the skins and repeat.

5. SPACE the potato halves skin-side up on a baking sheet. Broil until the butter foams and the skins start to crisp, 2 to 3 minutes, watching so they don’t burn. Flip the skins over and broil until the top edges begin to brown, 2 to 3 minutes.

6. REMOVE from the oven and fill each skin with mac and cheese and bacon. Place under the broiler and broil until the cheese bubbles, about 2 minutes. Remove from the broiler and top each skin with chives or green onion. Serve immediately.
  

According to Produce Pete, green beans (also called snap beans) are best in early winter, early summer and early fall, when they are the most tender.

Select small to medium-sized pods that are velvety-looking and bright green, with no signs of wilting or wrinkling. Don’t think that bigger is better.

Choose the smaller beans: They’ll be sweeter and more tender. Long, thicker beans have been left on the vine too long, and can be tough and tasteless.

Fresh green beans should be tender enough to eat raw, and should have a crisp snap when you break them apart. If they’re rubbery and bend, pass them by.

One our favorite green been salads is Niçoise-style: lightly steamed beans, red onion, halved cherry tomatoes and anchovies in a mustard vinaigrette, garnished with quartered hard-boiled eggs.

For people who don’t like anchovies or onions, we adapted this salad (photo above, recipe below) from Chef Sean Lyons at Distilled NY, in the TriBeCa neighborhood of Manhattan. You can serve it as a first course or a side, lightly chilled or at room temperature.

RECIPE: GREEN BEAN SALAD WITH TABBOULEH

Ingredients For 4-5 Servings

 
*Use feta, smoked mozzarella, ricotta salata or whatever your store has that can be cut into cubes.

1. STEAM the green beans, ideally lightly so they still have a bit of crunch. Set aside.

2. PREPARE the base salad. You can make corn corn relish, bean or grain salad. We saved time by purchasing tabbouleh and adding corn kernels.

3. BLEND the sauce ingredients—yogurt, mustard, mayonnaise. You can tailor this to your tastes; for example, sour cream instead of yogurt, mustard and mayonnaise to taste. You want to get mild to medium mustard flavor.

4. PREPARE the vinaigrette. We particularly like walnut or hazelnut oil with this salad, although olive oil is fine. Toss to lightly coat the string beans.

5. USE a silicone barbecue brush to paint a swath of mustard sauce on one side of the plate or shallow bowl. Add the tabbouleh in an angle as shown. Place the green beans atop the tabbouleh.

6. GARNISH as desired.

FOOD TRIVIA

Green beans were formerly called string beans, because they originally had a string of tough fiber that ran the entire length of the bean. You had to remove the string from each and every bean before cooking.

The inconvenient string was bred out over time, and people began to refer to the stringless beans as snap beans or green beans. But people who learned the name from their parents or grandparents may still use the old name.