The NY Times has stirred up some controversy by recommending a novel flavor combination: guacamole made with peas. I must weigh in.
Sounds delicious! Would love to try it!
Botanical Wednesday: Two great tastes that taste great together!
Pharyngula
Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations from a godless liberal
Peas? In my guacamole? Pea Z, that’s disgusting!
While I do not plan to add peas to my guacamole, I absolutely cannot believe some of the comments on the bottom of that article. Even if they are joking, they are so over the top. What does it matter if someone tries a new recipe, and makes it available for other people to try? The tenor of these comments makes me believe that people cruise the internet looking for people to swear at. These people need to get a life.
Fresh peas from garden: yes
Peas in alfredo sauce with bacon: ok
Pea pods in stir fry: oh hell yes
Peas in guac: WTF I don’t even
No. No! This is just another example of the culture war PZ is bringing against these good, United States! [Sarcasm Ended]
Actually, it still sounds a bit odd, but I’d try it.
Guac with peas? Sacrilege.
…All the more reason to try it.
I ingested my lifetime ration of peas while still a youngster. Have not been able to endure them for decades. Little nuggets of nausea.
Avocados, yes! Peas, never!
On this issue I stand with our president.
I recently had hummus with avocado, which is basically just another name for the same thing. It was OK, but hummus and guac separately are delicious, so why mix them?
Except for the “respect NYT”.
This is the country that gave us the pizza bagel and cream cheese in sushi. Why on Earth shouldn’t we try fusing together dishes from different cultures? Maybe it works, maybe it doesn’t, but it’s worth the experiment.
I can’t believe this warranted President Obama and some 2015 hopefuls weighing in.
Blasphemy! This soiling and degradation of the great and almighty peas shall not stand!
BURN THE HERETIC!!!elebenty!!!!!
Mmm fresh sweet peas in with rich avocado? Sounds lovely.
GIVE PEAS A CHANCE.
futurechemist – I agree that trying new things, and fusing things is great; I do it all the time. I love guacamole, and like peas somewhat. I just don’t think I would improve something I love by adding something I sort of like. I could be wrong.
I suspect the President and hopefuls were happy to ring in on this because it is not a substantive issue, and they thought they could be cute. Also, probably someone asked them the question, so maybe what we should be asking is not why they ring in, but why we care.
I eat my peas with honey, I’ve done it all my life. It makes the peas taste funny, but it keeps them on the knife.
Throw in some wasabi and I’ll roll on my back and display my vulnerable under-belly!
Sounds like a pretty great recipe IMO. And you can hardly go wrong with a Jean-Georges recipe.
Canned peas are deathly. Fresh peas are amazing. Rehydrated dried peas are pretty darn good.
I used to be able to get avocado smoothies. They called it “avocado juice”. It may have had some added ingredients, but I couldn’t ask. It did have a swirl of chocolate syrup on the inside of the glass. It may have been some odd variety of avocado. I just know it was goood.
@spamamander, internet amphibian #13: you just made my day. ^_^
Am I the only one thinking “wow peas guacamole would be so much cheaper”?
No.
Avocados, roasted tomatillos, roasted jalepeno to taste, some chopped onion, some chopped cilantro, salt. And no, no tomatoes – basically, you are mixing tomatillio salsa with avocados. Very good.
Guacamole made with mushy peas?
Is this a subtle joke at Peter Mandelson’s expense?
Theron Corse, now that sounds good.
Minimalist guacamole: Mashed overripe avocados, liberal application of lime juice, liberal application of Tabasco sauce. Heaven. Used to do this to cure the 3:00am munchies in my younger years.
In the interest of science, I would prepare the Avocado and Pea Guacamole without the fresh pea garnish. I would also prepare a traditional Guacamole. I would subject a careful selection of friends to a blind comparison test. In fact, I am going to a Fourth of July potluck this Saturday and I think this is exactly what I will do. I will report back.
Have to admit, it sounds a bit weird. But so does apples in sauerkraut, and that works. Hell, I’m drinking Absolut Pear with Simply Limeade, and it’s rockin. (Thought I had OJ at home)
I’d try it, I guess.
Theron Corse’s recipe sounds way better though. I think I know what I’ll be snacking on during the World Cup sunday.
Peas are okay. Avacados I can’t stand no matter what form they’re in.
futurechemist
I think you answered your own question
@ 16 I just recently discovered the wonder that is wasabi-coated peas. Beautiful crunchy bits of heaven.
I think I’ll put some wasabi in my next batch of guacamole.
For those benighted foreigners who don’t understand this reference:
1) Peter Mandelson was a senior henchman of Tony Blair, and at various times a UK cabinet minister and EU commissioner. He was widely held to be “out of touch with ordinary working people”. This was ostensibly about his privileged background, but just may also have had something to do with his sexual orientation: he is gay, and has always been open about it.
2) Guacamole is a fairly recent culinary import to the UK, mostly eaten by the middle and upper classes.
3) British fish-and-chip shops, particularly in the north of England, often offer something called “mushy peas”: peas cooked until they disintegrate into a mush. This rather resembles guacamole in appearance, but is a distinctively northern, working-class food.
4) Supposedly, Mandelson asked for “some guacamole” with his fish-and-chips in such a venue. Cue side-splitting laughter.
NOPE.
In case anyone has missed it here is the last word on avocados and new, mind you, new peas.
MMMmmmmm MMMMmmmmm mmmmmmmmmmm.
As Arthur Godfrey used to say: Dayyyliciousss!
So there, ye unbelievers. Ye tasteless horde. You gustatorial rookies. I’m with Arthur, PBUH.
(and it pains me to feel so all alone) ;<)
British supermarkets have been selling “guacamole” made with peas for some time (not advertises as such, but it’s the first thing on the ingredients.) It’s revolting.
#31, Nick Gotts:
Didn’t all hell break loose when he was outed by Matthew Parris on Newsnight?
robinjohnson@34,
Thanks; my bad – I’d forgotten that incident.
But apparently:
So one might say he was out – but not out about being out :-p. Less flippantly, he was not secretive about it, but did not regard his private life as relevant to his political career, and so was pissed off when it was mentioned on TV. I can’t remember whether I knew before the “outing”.
My favorite comment on Jezebel, from RIGmaroler:
I’m from Texas and I live in Ireland with my Northern Irish husband. I looooove guac. He loves mushy peas. Neither of us can stand the other’s dish. I even like my guacamole warm (it makes the avocado even creamier, sweetens the onion, and deepens the flavor of the tomatoes/tomatillos and the hot peppers–add the cilantro and lime off the heat), but mushy peas are gross… especially with mint, WTF.
I have heard of using peas as an avocado substitute in guacamole for those who don’t like, or are allergic to, avocado. My brother in San Antonio is allergic to avocado, but he would rather risk a reaction than to have more of the peas-and-butter concoction his Mexican wife came up with one day. And she’s a good cook and I bet the pea guac was as good as possible.
I’d try it.
Is it possible that for some people the issue is thinking of it as freaky guacamole. If it was approached as “pea and avocado dip” it would probably taste fine.
But I’m from Australia, I eat Vegemite and cheese toasties.
I’ve never eaten a pie floater though.
out of curiosity, has anyone here ever tried guacamole from whole foods?
because if you have, then you’ve had guac with peas.
Astro @39: Yes. Hated it. Wondered what in the blazes was wrong with it. It all makes so much sense now…
Okay. This recipe is *NOT* substituting peas for avocado, or is it cooking peas in any form to resemble mushy peas. It is simply fresh english peas as a garnish. Now, unless you are one of the amazingly large number of people who dislike peas, fresh peas make an excellent garnish in dishes one wouldn’t think of. Uncooked frozen petite green peas make a surprisingly tasty garnish for mulligatawny– I never would have thought it. English peas with avocado sounds pretty good to me.
Fresh peas picked right of the vine are glorious. You haven’t tasted peas until you have eaten them right from your garden. Anything else is usually a starchy, gritty mess. I would be willing to try them in guacamole. I like my guacamole with nothing but lime juice, fresh cilantro and a pinch of salt. No onions or garlic. Too overpowering.
Feh! Peas yes, avocado yes, I even imagine that an avocado/pea spread would be good, but in guacamole? Guacamole is not just squashed avocado……..light garlic (fresh), light onion, light comino, a touch of green chile, light pepper, salt, lime, +/- cilantro; everything else in the mix is a hint of flavor supporting and not overpowering the avocado, so you taste as you mix……
As someone who puts chickpeas, maize and lentils in chili con carne (in addition to various types and sizes of beans), I’m on board with trying this, too. It may not be the classic recipe, but let’s try new things every now and then, the results can be quite awesome. I’ve got no clue whether this actually tastes good or not, but trying can’t hurt.
I don’t even like tomatoes and lime juice with my avocado. A little sea salt is all the embellishment a good avocado needs to put up with, and usually doesn’t even need that.
The mildly deranged penguin recommends making guacamole from wasabi, avocado, and cheese. First, catch your wasabi. You’ll probably need to use some of the cheese as bait. Wasabi has good taste, which is perhaps why it tastes so good. (Munch on the rest of the cheese while waiting for sufficient wasabis to take the bait.)
Then eat the wasabi. So fresh it’s not only still screaming, you’ll have to hold on tight. Threaten it with a pea if it squirms too much.
If the wasabi is fresh enough, it will blow your head off. This is mandatory for the next step, doing aerial reconnaissance to locate all the pea hoards. If any are too close to the avocados and any remaining cheese, you’ll have to deal with them(the peas) in the usual way: Orbital nuclear strike. This has the useful side-effect of also dealing with any horses in the area.
Safely de-horsed and de-peaed, you may now peel and mash the avocados as you prefer. (Pro tip: Reattach your head first. Duck tape works better than staples, glue, or welding.) If there’s any wasabi left, add it to the immature guacamole.
Enjoy.
And, as pointed out above, if there’s any cheese left, set aside some of the avocados and wasabi, and bake them later: Sliced avocado with wasabi, covered with cheese. Serve warm.
Recommended vin is anything which does not taste of wasabi, pea, or horse.
The only issue I can see with this is that I don’t like the texture of raw peas.
However, I’d have no issue with grinding the peas and mixing them up.