Angelica Hurtado

English 110-10
November 10, 2015
Julia Intawiwat

Guacamole is a Cruel Mistress

Reflecting on what you know

Do you have a cooking specialty? What food could you most want to
perfect? Why?
I am a good Peruvian cook and my specialty is ceviche, the most
traditional Peruvian plate.
I am learning how to cook a good paella, a traditional plate from
Spain. My husband and I lived in Spain for two years while we were
studying and I didnt have enough time to learn all the secrets of this
special recipe. I want to continue trying to make good paella because
I am sure that would be something my family would love to eat,
especially if I make it for them.

Questions for Study and Discussion:

1- Winik begins her process analysis by listing ingredients, like
many recipes do. What does she include in her ideal guacamole?

What ingredients does she exclude? What advice does she offer
about selecting the ingredients?
Winiks ideal guacamole has only four ingredients: avocado, salt,
lemon and garlic. She excluded tomatoes, onions, cilantro,
limes, salsa, or jalapeo. She advices that an avocado is ripe
when you can indent it slightly with your thumb but is still a little
firm. Also mentioned that the avocado is overripe when is brown
inside and taste nasty. Winik said that, if you buy rock hard
avocados you need to put them in a paper bag on top of the
refrigerator for few days.
2- What are the proper conditions for making guacamole? When
and how is it best accomplished?
She said that is not good to prepare it much in advance of the
guests arrival because it will not be the right color and it will be
even better to wait until the guests are in your house.

3- What are the steps for actually assembling the guacamole? How
does Winik use directional process analysis to make her steps
easy for a cook to reproduce?
First, cut the avocado in half lengthwise with a knife. Second, Pull
the halves apart, remove the pit, and slip a spoon between the
shell and the fruit to pry it out and finally, drop it into a bowl.
She used directional process analysis when she explained step
by step how to assemble the guacamole.

4- Notice that Winik use directional process analysis in paragraph 9.

How does her margarita recipe accomplish, on a smaller scale,
the same tasks as her guacamole instructions?
She said that the guests would be happy to wait the guacamole
if you serve a cold bohemia or margarita. She recommended to
mix in a pitcher one cup good silver tequila, one quarter cup
triple Sec, the juice of two limes two tablespoons Minute Maid
Frozen limeade. Pour over ice in glasses rimmed with salt.

5- Near the end of essay, Winik includes a scene from a party for
which she was supposed to produce her famous guacamole.
What do you think this adds to the essay?
It adds a very important advice to not use ingredients if you
dont know how they would work- like the fancy salt she found in
her friends kitchen - That mistake leaded her to another mistake
like using all the ingredients she first recommended not to use.