Guatemala: Avocado "Grilled" Cheese

Our first afternoon in Guatemala was spent exploring the colonial town of Antigua. We walked along the cobblestone streets and admired the crumbling architecture. Formerly, Antigua was the capital of the colony of Guatemala. After a series of earthquakes destroyed much of the city, the capital was moved to what is now Guatemala City. Daily life in Antigua is marked by a juxtaposition of modern and as the name of the town suggests, antigua (old or ancient). Without a second glance, the people walk past beautifully crumbling old churches and buildings that were once central to every day life. Some of the ruins have been preserved as museums. Others have new functions or simply became empty, chained lots. Founded in 1543 as Santiago de los Caballeros and now called La Antigua in reference to formerly having been the capital, Antigua is a town with lot to tell.

What does Antigua have to tell? The first lunch we had in Guatemala was at a café across from Parque Central called Café Condesa. The building it occupies was once the house of a count. As the legend goes, the count walked in on his wife (the countess) with the butler. The house was undergoing renovations, so as a punishment, the count buried the butler in mortar and bricks. Many years and a few owners later, the house was undergoing further renovations. It is said that the construction crew found a body in one of the walls they tore down. That's just one of Antigua's many legends.

As I fretted over choosing a sandwich, I read about the legend of the count. Once I knew the history, I knew I had to choose La Condesa (The Countess): wheat bread with melted cheese, avocado, lettuce and tomato.

Objective
Recreate La Condesa sandwich from Café Condesa in Antigua, Guatemala.

Materials
2 slices whole wheat bread
2 slices cheese (Gouda & Swiss if you have them)
1/2 avocado
salt & pepper
tomato
lettuce
jalapeño hot sauce

Methods
1. Very lightly toast the bread. Place one piece on a broiler-safe pan. Top with the two slices of cheese. Broil until the cheese melts, just a few minutes. Do not let the bread burn.
2. Meanwhile, mash up your avocado with salt and pepper, to taste. (I used a mortar and pestle.)
3. Place a large leaf of lettuce on the second piece of toast. Slather the lettuce with the avocado. Top with sliced tomato and add the slice of toast with the melted cheese, cheese side down.
4. Slice the sandwich in half and serve with jalapeño hot sauce on the side. (If you're making this for yourself, you can just add the hot sauce while you mash the avocado because you know how much heat you can tolerate.)

Results
Yum! Warm and creamy with a little bit of a kick.

Discussion and Future Directions
While it will never taste quite right because I'm not in Guatemala, and sometimes the experience and company make the meal, this is a very good imitation. Though Café Condesa does not serve the sandwich with hot sauce, they should! Luckily for me, C ordered huevos rancheros which was served with a side of jalapeño hot sauce. We liked the hot sauce so much that we bought a bottle and brought it back to the USA. Knowing that we have a limited supply, my next goal is to recreate La Condesa's jalapeño hot sauce. Be sure to use jalapeño hot sauce (picante) and not jalapeño salsa!

Supplementary Materials