Starbucks 'Trenta': How The New Size Compares To Your Stomach
Famous Death Row Last Meals
 Amazon.com |
by Nathan Myers
Photographs by Jeremiah Webster
Chronicle Books 2009
Buy it on Amazon
Making that beloved standby, guacamole, is a simple enough task when fresh avocados are on hand, relying only on the chef's personal whims and a dash of imagination.
In the case of Nathan Myers' "Guac Off," however, we are reminded of the limitations of imagination when it comes to a classic recipe. A loving ode to the avocado, the book is comprised of three parts: a history of the fruit, guidelines for hosting a "Guac Off" competition and a selection of recipes ranging from the tried-and-true to the dangerously exotic (hard-boiled eggs and cranberries, anyone?).
The background info is fascinating, delineating the dip's roots as what the Aztecs called "testicle sauce," for its purported fertile and aphrodisiac powers. Tips are downright dopey, advising cooks that "Silly hats should be worn on an 'as needed' basis," or that a culinary task should be approached "with the wily ferocity of a cornered tiger."
What we tested and whether the book's worth buying, after the jump.
