Holy guacamole!

I got this recipe from someone I knew in college. He was Mexican-English, and he said the key to great guacamole is two-fold: Keep it chunky, and use creme fraiche or sour cream to make it a little creamy.

I made this today as a zesty side dish to a southwestern "lasagna" I'm making for my daughter's first birthday, which is tomorrow. That recipe will be posted soon. It has whole wheat tortillas layered with black bean-cottage cheese puree; I was sticking to foods she and her 10-month-old friend Maya have eaten already. I'm curious about how it will turn out!

The guacamole is for the adults. To make sure it stays fresh, I save the pits of the avocadoes and leave them in the mixture until serving. It's important that this sits overnight because that really brings the flavors together.

If any readers make this, I'd love to know what you think.

Holy guacamole! (makes scant 4 cups)

4 avocadoes, halved, taken out of skins, pits kept for later

2 small to medium tomatoes, chopped

3 cloves garlic, pressed

3-4 shakes of Tabasco

freshly ground black pepper and salt -- generous portions of both

juice of 1 lime

1/2 cup sour cream or creme fraiche

1/2 onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, and mix by hand to break up the avocado halves. Leave it chunky! Let it sit overnight with the pits in it. Remove them before serving with tortilla chips and salsa.