Guacamole And Margarita Tips From Rick Bayless

By Sara Bonisteel

With March Madness finally here, it's the perfect time to revisit guacamole. Who better than Rick Bayless to provide advice? The Frontera Grill/Topolobampo/Xoco frontman is out with a new cookbook, Frontera: Margaritas, Guacamoles, and Snacks (W.W. Norton & Company, $25), and shared seven guacamole-making tips (plus a couple for a better margarita) last month at a demonstration in New York.

"This book is really about two master classes, and what I always like to do is to teach people how to make something that is very classic and to really learn the basics of it, so that then they can make it their own," Bayless says.

"Once you understand that guacamole isn't following a recipe but understanding a concept of how you put it together, then you can make your own perfect guacamole," he says. "The exact same thing happens when making margaritas, and I think a lot of people are in search of that perfect recipe when really what they need to do is go beyond the recipe to understand how to make it from the ground up."

While guacamole in Mexico is considered a condiment (slurried avocado with a little salt and lime), American-style guacamole--meant for chip dipping--has evolved to be an avocado canvas for all kinds of mixed-in ingredients. The classic version of the latter, Bayless said, is avocado seasoned with salt and lime along with anything that would go into a chopped tomato salsa. "Tomato, onion, green chile, cilantro--just those things," he said. "Some people like to add garlic, some people hate the tomato in there, but you're basically in that area, and your proportions are whatever proportions you like."

With that as a guide, Check out the slideshow above for seven Bayless tips for better guacamole.

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