May 27, 2020
Like many others, we at Aria Marketing have been teleworking since COVID-19 hit Massachusetts in early March. While this has certainly taken some getting used to, we are amongst the lucky ones as working from home as a B2B PR professional is pretty easy to do—all we need are our laptops, phones, and some space to get our creative PR juices flowing. And, while there are certainly challenges to this set-up (homeschool being the biggie for me!), there is one silver lining: more time for cooking!
If you have been following The Pitch, you probably picked up on the fact that we Aria people are all about good eats. While we miss being together and sharing our breakfast Wednesdays, monthly happy hours and Amarin Thai lunches in the office, we are keeping our foodie energy alive and well. Just last week I hosted a virtual cooking class for my team where I taught everyone how to make guacamole and mango salsa. If you want easy apps to make this summer, follow along:
Jess’ Famous Garlicky Guacamole (serves 2-4)
Ingredients:
-
- 1-2 large garlic cloves
- Kosher salt
- 1/3 fresh jalapeno, seeded (more or less depending on spice preference)
- 1 tbsp finely diced white onion
- 2 ripe avocados
- 1 lime
- Cilantro (optional)
- Chips for dipping
Now, what we don’t want to do here is just throw everything in the bowl and mash it together – that would be the amateur way to make guacamole. We want to build flavor. So here’s how we do that:
- Using a mortar/pestle or the side of a chef’s knife, mash your garlic. You want it to turn into a paste.
- Add about 1 teaspoon of kosher salt to the garlic and mash it all together – again, you want this to form a paste. This is the base of flavor for the guac.
- Add your diced jalapeno and onion to the mixture. Mash it all together.
- Next: avocado time! Slice your avocados in half, remove the pit, and scoop out the avocado. Add to the bowl and mash (hot tip: use a potato masher!).
- Add the juice of half a lime and mix it in.
- Add some chopped cilantro – if you are using – to taste.
- Taste your guac. What does it need? More lime? More salt? Adjust seasoning and voila!
Mango Summer Salsa (serves 2)
Ingredients:
-
- 1 cup mango, peeled and diced (or buy it already cut up!)
- 1 ripe tomato, seeded and diced
- 1/3 jalapeno, seeded and diced (can borrow from the one you buy for the guac)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, diced
- 1 lime (zest and juice)
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar
- Drizzle Extra virgin olive oil
- Drizzle honey or agave
- Salt & pepper to taste
This is an easy recipe and a crowd favorite. You can serve this salsa with chips or on top of grilled chicken or fish – get creative!
- In a medium bowl, add your diced mango and tomato. Give it a quick toss.
- Add minced garlic (I like to use a garlic press for this).
- Throw in jalapeno to taste.
- Add cilantro.
- Zest your lime and add to the bowl. Then cut your lime in half and squeeze both halves into the bowl.
- Add a splash of red wine vinegar and a dash of EVOO. Stir gently.
- Next: add a little bit of honey or agave. This will bring out the sweetness in the mango. I just eyeball this, but if you need measurements, let’s call it about a half a teaspoon.
- Season with salt (always kosher salt) and black pepper to taste.
Have you tried any major cooking projects (hello banana bread) during the COVID lockdown? We want to hear from you. Tweet us @ariamarketing and share your favorite recipes. And, if you make either of these recipes we posted today, make sure to take a picture and tag us on Instagram @ariamarketing. We can’t wait to see your creations!
