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What is a Balaboosta?
Balaboosta (n.)(bah-lah-b00-sta) A Yiddish term meaning the perfect housewife, homemaker, wonderful mother, cook, and gracious hostess. She does it all and does it well.
I make simple food with easy recipes and I like to try new things. My family and friends love my cooking and always ask me to share, with them, what I know about food, flavor, and technique.

I'm not a professional chef and I've had no formal culinary training. What I know and do in the kitchen comes from three women...Nana, Grandma Della, and Rose, my mom. Each one of them knew more about putting a meal on the table than any fancy chef in a white hat. They were the ultimate Balaboostas.

What I offer you is a lifetime of experience in the kitchen with my compliments and theirs. I hope they'd be proud. I will bring you my recipes as I make them with photos of the actual food I'm preparing. I'm no professional photographer either but I promise, my food will speak for itself in every picture.

The food on my table isn't stacked in a trendy tower.
Instead, my food is stacked with flavor and full of my passion for cooking. So please come in, make yourself comfortable, and enjoy.

To see amazing detail in any photo just click on it!
Don't forget to SIGN MY GUEST BOOK at the bottom of this page and/or LEAVE A COMMENT (be sure to leave your email address if you'd like a response)

Disclaimer: While most of my recipes are "Jewish Style", I do sometimes cook with pork. This might have been a great disappointment to some but my grandmothers knew that I live in modern world. I light Shabbos candles religiously but I have to admit...I do not keep a Kosher home.

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Holy Guacamole


Guacamole has Aztec heritage but today it's quite common in both Latin and American cuisines. It can be smooth or chunky, spicy or mild. Either way, it's made from fresh avocados and can be spectacular appetizer dip, part of great taco or burrito, or even as the perfect side relish to a Churrasco steak. The avocado has a high fat content but it's a good fat, and it's rich in vitamins. Classically, guacamole is prepared in a mortar and pestle. Some restaurants prepare this green goody at table side for the gourmand effect. I like using the mortar & pestle idea when serving on a buffet creating an interesting setting. The bottom line, however, isn't in the presentation....it's all about the flavor!

Ingredients...

  • 2 Ripe Avocados
  • 1/4 cup Tomato, seeded and finely chopped
  • 1 Jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup minced Onion (you can use a red onion if you prefer)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Cumin (optional)
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon (you can add more depending on the size of your avocados)
  • Juice of 1/2 lime (if you only have a lemon or a lime use all of it instead of half and half)
  • A handful of fresh Cilantro (leaves only), finely chopped.
  • Kosher (coarse) salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Here's how you do it...


  1. Seed and chop the tomato and Jalapeño and put them into a medium sized bowl.
  2. Chop the onion and cilantro and add them to the bowl.
  3. Cut the Avocado's in half & remove the pits. Using a large spoon scoop out the fruit into the bowl.
  4. Squeeze the lemon and lime onto the avocado.
  5. Sprinkle with Cumin, coarse salt & black pepper. (you can always add more salt & pepper so use only a pinch at a time).
  6. Using a fork, mash the avocado and blend with the other ingredients already in the bowl.
  7. Mash until you have a texture you prefer. I leave some small chunks in mine.

Optional: a dash of hot sauce if you like it even spicier.

Serve with tortilla chips or cucumber slices and enjoy!

Keeping it green.... Save the pit....Use the avocado pit as the garnish in the center of your guacamole and it won't turn brown.

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