Holy guacamole! Dip will send your tastebuds to heaven

(T-G Photo by John Philleo) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

(T-G Photo by John Philleo) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

I learned to cook at an early age, and when I was old enough to work, I got a job washing dishes at a Victoria Station restaurant in Altamonte Springs, Fla.

I soon worked my way up to salad bar prep, then to fry station, sautée and grill. After about a year, I was learning to carve bone-in prime rib to order -- not an easy thing to do.

I went on to cook at a few other restaurants, including the very first Ruby Tuesday's, formerly located on the Cumberland Avenue "Strip" in Knoxville. It's closed down now.

I learned a lot about cooking, and a lot of good recipes and tricks of the trade along the way. I finally broke through to the front of the house as a server, but my culinary education has never stopped.

I'm still learning things today, and always want to try new things, as long as it's not liver or topped with meringue.

A few years ago, I worked as a server at a Cozymel's (like Cozumel, but pronounced Cozy Mel's, as in, it's cozy there) Mexican restaurant in Knoxville -- another restaurant that is now closed. Hmmmmm ... is it coincidence? Nah.

Both places have other stores that are still thriving. We do have a Ruby's here, but I wish we had a Cozy's.

Anyway, one thing I learned at Cozymel's was how to make the best guacamole in the world. They had a dish called "Tableside Guacamole," which is prepared by the server at the table, as the name implies. It was very popular, and the recipe is certainly not a secret, so I guess it's OK to share it with you here.

Here's a couple of tricks, though, before you begin:

* If you are going to make the guacamole that day, get avacodos that are just right -- you should be able to easily indent the skin with slight pressure from your thumb. If you are going to wait a few days before preparing it, select avacados that are still a little bit hard to the touch, so they will ripen up in time. One note, though -- it's better to have them overripe than underripe.

* To easily remove the pit from the avocado, first cut the avocado in half lengthwise with a chef's knife, working the knife around the pit as you go. Separate the two halves by twisting them in opposite directions, and the pit will be stuck in one half. Firmly tap the sharp edge of the knife into the pit, then twist the blade of the knife sideways. The pit will pop right out. Use a soup spoon to scoop out the meat of the avocado in whole pieces.

* Save the firmest of your ripe avocados and dice it up, gently folding it in after thoroughly mixing the other ingredients. This will make your guacamole nice and chunky.

* To dice the garlic, first cut the ends off the clove, then smash it with the flat side of the chef's knife. The skin comes off easily. Don't smash it until you've cut the ends off.

* Adjust the recipe to your taste, but remember that the orange juice really makes this dish sing. I'd recommend leaving that in, unless you are allergic or something. It doesn't really make it taste sweet, but it does make it stand out from the rest. Of course, I wouldn't recommend leaving out the garlic, either!

* If you want to impress someone, dice everything up and put each ingredient into its own little cup (ramekins or soufflé cups work best) before your guest arrives. Then bring it all out on a platter and make it at the table. Don't crack the avocados until the last minute though, or else they'll turn brown.

Tableside guacamole

2 ripe avocados

1 large clove garlic

1 tbsp. fresh cilantro

1 roma tomato

1 serrano pepper, deseeded

2 tbsp. red onion

Juice of 1/2 orange

Juice of 1/4 lime

Salt to taste

Dice garlic, cilantro, tomato, pepper and onion. Cut orange in half and cut lime into quarters. Cut avocados in half and de-pit. Scoop out meat of three avocado halves and place in bowl. Dice remaining avocado half and set aside. Squeeze orange and lime over top of avocado in mixing bowl, then add all other ingredients. Don't forget the salt! Mix thoroughly. Add remaining avocado chunks and fold into mixture. Transfer to serving bowl, or if presenting at table, wipe edge of bowl with clean cloth before serving with white corn tortilla chips.

-- John Philleo is editor of the Times-Gazette, and is filling in for lifestyles editor Sadie Fowler.