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Fewteeth.. I know you are probably long gone from here, but I'll ask anyway. What exactly is a "sewer beetle?" Something you invented?

I disliked guacamole growing up. I was only exposed to the supermarket and cheap restaurant versions though. Then one night my wife and I went to dinner with some friends, all of whom were either cooks, bakers or restaurant managers. They raved about the guacamole at that restaurant, but I was still hesitant. That is until our waiter came back and prepared the guacamole at our table. He cut the avacadoes, tomatoes, onions cilantro, garlic, and squeezed the lime right there. It looked fresh. good and inviting, and my reservations about prepackaged and mass produced guacamole didn't apply, so I tried a little. I ordered another serving for the table because my wife and I were eating so much of it. We are now guacamole experts.

When we have friends over for dinner that haven't had our guacamole, we like to use the same approach. We will wait until most everyone is there and then make the guacamole right in front of them. We have converted a few non-guacamole friends to the green side. We live in GA so we like to use Vidalia onions.

We like to eat it with steak. For some reason it is a perfect pairing.

3 Has avocados, diced
1 medium tomato, diced
½ onion, diced (sweet, Vidalia, or red)
½ lime or 3 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbs cilantro, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and stir.

Serve immediately or refrigerate for 1-2 hours for flavors to combine.

I was shocked to read the list of ingredients. I always add dry refrigerated chicken soup base prior to salting. These flavors compliment each other, try it!

I like to keep it simple, just avocados, lime juice, garlic, salt, pepper and a little cayenne to add some heat.

In an old Pink Adobe cookbook by Rosalea Murphy, the guacamole recipe specifies mashing the avocados with a SILVER fork. Any chemists out there know what that's about?

If I am eating by myself, I almost always make a meal that involves sauteed onion, green bell pepper and mushrooms. Whether I combine that with baked chicken breast or in a half-assed frittata is generally the only thing I have to make a decision about. I usually use goat cheese as a nice addition, and use sriracha as a condiment.

Spaghetti stir-fried with onions and sliced ham, with soy sauce and butter.

this week i've made mario's pasta pomodoro twice in a row and would have made it again last night but i got home late and had an unexpected visitor.

it's so wonderful: saute some chopped garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes until they're brown in the inevitable EVOO, then add a handful of halved sungold cherry tomatoes and stir it around for a minute. add a handful of chopped basil. throw it on top of some noodles along with some grated parmesan.

if i don't eat an enormous salad before i sit down to this, forget about it... i'll eat until i'm coma

Dinners alone usually give me a chance to cook all the things my boyfriend hates. I once ate an entire pan of roasted brussells sprouts for dinner. Other delicious meals have included a big bowl of mussels in white wine and garlic broth, pasta puttanesca (capers AND anchovies---heavenly!), and the occasional container of cottage cheese.

Still, the ultimate dinner for one is a fat heirloom tomato, a ball of burrata cheese, and a crusty chunk of bread, with lots of olive oil and a little bit of salt. Luckily, the boyfriend agrees with me on this one, so I don't have to wait for a night alone to eat it!

Usually I'll have eggs of some sort if I feel like cooking. Been very partial to Nigella's Masala Omelet (from Nigella Bites, I think).

If I don't feel like cooking, it's usually bread and cheese.

garlic shrimp and bread, smoked salmon and cream cheese on a giant potato pancake, or leftovers

Weird, I love dinner on my own, now. I used to hate eating alone, but this past year I've had to have dinner on my own a couple of times a month and I really like being able to eat what I want, when I want.

Usually I plan the meals for hubs and myself, keeping in mind his preferences. While we like the same things, I could eat Asian everyday and not get tired of it; whereas, hubs needs a few meat & potatoes meals a week.

I figure if I have to be on my own for a meal, then I only need to please myself. I allow myself to be indulgent and have a Korean feast if I feel like it.

sad to say that it's probably dry cereal and nuts, or cakes and cookies ( or whatever's in the fridge) eaten while reading a book...I always want to have a good meal when I'm eating with family and friends, but I dont really like eating a proper meal alone in the dining table