We all have little ‘secret ingredients’ we like to put in foods we make. I, for one, love cayenne pepper. Adding 1/2 a teaspoon of cayenne to almost anything gives it a wonderful kick without the flavor associated with jalapeños or other peppers. I make an olive dip that’s fantastic by itself, but adding cayenne takes it to a whole new level.

But this isn’t about olive dip (although it could be…). This is about guac – America’s favorite dip. We all hold extremely hard opinions about guacamole. Remember the outcry a few years ago when the New York Times posted a recipe for guac with peas in it? People flipped their shit. But there’s no reason to. The beauty of cooking is that you have the ability to add your own spin to extant recipes; to make something your own. It’s a process that’s often frowned upon unless you have the word ‘chef’ in front of your name.

Well, as a seasoned cook for over half my life, I’m here to tell you that it’s totally okay to put your own spin on recipes. And trust me, you’re going to want to use this one.

I discovered this little twist a few years ago while putting together some guac for a party. It was about ten minutes before the guests were to arrive, and I was rummaging around my kitchen looking for something that the guac was missing. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but it needed something. I began flipping open cabinets and furiously opening and closing refrigerator doors. Time was running out.

Finally, I found it. It was staring me in the face the whole time and I didn’t even realize it. So I cut some up, added it in, and it was hands down the best guacamole I’d ever tasted.

Know what it was?

Avocado.

I know! It surprised me, too. Who would’ve expected that such a strange, green fruit would go so well mixed with onion, cilantro, tomato, and garlic. Ever since that fateful day, I haven’t been able to make guac without it. How do I do it? I’m glad you asked.

Split the avocado down the middle, twist it open, and remove the seed. I find that biting the seed and tearing it out with my teeth works best, but it’s entirely up to you.

Then, make a fist and mash it into the inside of the avocado. Make sure you get the green goop nice and mushy. You don’t want there to be large chunks remaining in your final product.

After that, just flip the avocado skin inside out so that the meat falls into your bowl, and voila. Repeat as many times as you want. It really depends on how much avocado you want to add to your guac. Start out with a little at first to see if you like the taste. I can almost guarantee that you’ll want to add at least two or three.

The next time you’re mixing up your famous guac for friends and family, try throwing an avocado or two into the mix. You won’t be disappointed.