Persistence.

Aaron has been perfecting his salsa recipe for the last few weeks.  It's not easy for him, because I am probably the pickiest salsa-eater in the world...don't like onions...don't like too much cilantro....like it spicy...no, not too spicy!  My step mom makes great salsa, and I am a big fan of the pico at Guadalaharas, but I pretty much dip my chips in the liquid and none of the salsa chunky goodness makes it to my mouth.  Too risky! 

No chunks.  I never eat the chunks...there may be onions hiding in there.

I realize I am a grownup and I should probably get over hating onions, but they make me gag!  It's much easier to avoid onions than to gag and spit out your food at a restaurant (I would know).  Want to know the dumbest part?  I like onion rings, as long as they are well cooked.  Fresh onion - yuck!  Can't get that crunchy nastiness down my throat...when a piece of onion sneaks into my salad or sandwich I turn green.  Now, if I don't see the onions (say in a casserole) I'm okay...until I spot a piece, and then I pick them all out...like a child.  It makes ordering fajitas so very difficult....big fat fried onions - no thank you!  The whole onion phobia keeps me away from mystery salads at family reunions, delicious looking dips, and (after one Easter at Grandma Sell's) jello salad.

The jello salad story I will save for another time (believe me, you want to hear it).

I really wish I liked onions, it would make life so much easier!  I like so many other vegetables.  Actually I really love most all vegetables except raw carrots and cooked peas are not my favorite, but I just don't do onions.  I love broccoli, cauliflower, beets, asparagus, sugar snap peas, green beans, colrabi, cabbage, brussels sprouts, celery, cooked carrots, jalapenos, lima beans, vegetable soup...you name a veggie, I probably love it!  But raw onions?  No.

Not green.
Not red.
Not vidalias.
Not chives.
Not today
Not tomorrow
Not in a house
Not on a boat
Not with a fox
Not with a...goat?
I will not eat them Sam I am.

Yes, I read Dr. Seuss to the kids tonight.  :)

Now my Aaron on the other hand, LOVES onions.  Onions on his sandwich, brats, in salsa, fajitas, burritos, hamburgers (but not on CHEESEburgers), steak, anything that's "onionable" (which he claims is a word).  He's kind of an onion fanatic!  Thank goodness he doesn't like it on pizza or we wouldn't stand a chance on eating a meal together!  We agree on pretty much everything except onions... 

...and eating his vegetables.

So anyhoo, Aaron made a batch of salsa sans onions last week, and he was disappointed at the flavor and how thin it was.  I suggested putting some onions in the blender, maybe they wouldn't make me gag then?  So he did, and then he dumped everything into the blender (maybe got a little carried away...) and the salsa turned BROWN!

Aaron: "Try my salsa?"
Noelle: "Uhm, that's salsa??"

I know he was so excited to see if I liked it, but for the sake of perfecting his salsa recipe I had to be honest.  You can't be married to me and be afraid of honesty for crying out loud!  When he brought me the salsa, it was brown with red chunks of diced tomatoes in it...not the most appetizing.  It was also still warm and turned my chip to mush...ewe. The flavor was good, though.

This brings us to tonight.

Aaron came home with a bag full of produce to add to his salsa and has been happily chopping away in the kitchen...he is so persistent.  He reported that it's "Better.  Less brown, more chunky."  Wish him luck!

Does anyone have a great salsa recipe?  More importantly, does anyone know the salsa recipe for Guadalaharas?  :)  heheee

Noelle