Episode 2 Nacho Average Pay-per-view Production date 3/30/03 Summary: Cooking nachos for a wrestling party. The audience was fairly small -- only three people -- and it was something of a challenge just coming up with the right amount of food. You might want to make margaritas or refried beans to go with this as well as what I have below. From what I'm able to gather, nachos were invented in Texas around World War II and have since spread both north and south of the border. Recipes range from the very basic ballpark recipe of tortilla chips with hot spiced cheese sauce to the famous layered Mexican dip all the way up to dinner-worthy productions like this one. Remember not to make the common-sense mistake I made a few times when I was a teenager: do not bake the nachos with the salsa, guacamole, and sour cream on top, or they'll get very soggy. Thanks to zxcvbob@charter.net from the Usenet newsgroup rec.food.cooking for the suggestion of doing a meat side (he suggested carne asada, but he gets credit for the idea anyway). Thanks also to Catapult from Somerville (http://www.catapulttheband.com) for (hopefully) allowing us to use music from their EP Broken Nursery Rhymes. Nachos I forgot the sour cream when we taped the episode. Nobody complained, but I would have preferred to have it. The cheese is a suggestion; you could also mix some white monterey jack or swiss in; I've even heard of using gouda (Cooks Illustrated suggested that as a possibility). Don't, however, do like my sister does and use mozzarella -- it doesn't really have the flavor, and winds up too gooey. Presentation is important, but that goes without saying if you've ever had nachos in a restaurant. If you want, substitute a large oven-safe glass platter for the baking dish; just remember to put a towel or a trivet down to protect the table. 1 lb/450g sharp cheddar cheese, yellow or white, shredded 8 oz/225g white tortilla chips 8 oz/225g blue tortilla chips 1/2 c chopped scallions about 10-15 black olives (I like Kalamata), pitted and sliced 1-2 plum tomatoes, sliced (optional) 1-2 jalapeņos, sliced (optional) Sour Cream (optional) romaine or iceberg lettuce, shredded (optional) Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Mix white and blue tortilla chips. In a large baking pan lined with foil, put down some chips, then sprinkle cheese over it, then repeat so the cheese is well-distributed among the chips. Top with more cheese, then the scallions and olives (and tomatoes and jalapeņos, if using), then bake for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted and starting to brown. Braised Beef in Chili Sauce This is sort of most of a recipe for chili, without the tomatoes. I've doubled the simmering time used on-screen and replaced the crumbled tortilla chips with masa harina. 1 lb chuck steak, sliced into strips 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced or crushed 3/4 c amber/dark beer (preferably Mexican) or stock 1 1/2 tsp ground chile 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp oregano 1/2 tsp salt 1 tbsp masa harina In a preheated saute pan over medium high heat, brown the meat, then add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions are transparent. Deglaze with stock or beer, then add spices and turn heat to low. Cover and allow to simmer for two hours; towards the end, with 20-30 minutes left, mix the masa harina with some water and whisk in to thicken. Basic Salsa Remove the seeds from the jalapeņos if you don't like this so hot. Also, I don't much like cilantro, but I did use a fair amount in this. It's basically similar to any jarred salsa, but much fresher-tasting. The flavor of broiled/grilled tomatoes is said by some to be the single most characteristic flavor of Mexican and Southwestern cooking, so don't worry too much about the condition of the tomatoes when they come out of the oven; the skin 1 lb plum tomatoes, as ripe as possible 4 jalapeņo chiles 1/2 medium yellow onion, sliced 2 cloves garlic, peeled 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped salt to taste On a foil-covered broiler pan, place the plum tomatoes, onion, chiles, and garlic under a broiler for about 5 minutes, until the skin on the chiles and tomatoes is dark; turn the vegetables over, repeating until the skin on the tomatoes and peppers slips off easily (keep an eye on the garlic in case it starts to scorch). When finished, set them aside to cool for a bit, then remove the skin from the tomatoes and chiles. Chop the onions, peppers, and tomatoes (if you want a more liquid consistency, the tomatoes can go in the blender), then mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Check for seasoning, then cover and put in the refrigerator for at least a half hour to allow the flavors to blend. Lime Guacamole There is a certain bit of folk wisdom that says that if you leave an avocado pit in a bowl of freshly prepared guacamole that it will keep the contents of the bowl from discoloring. What it will in fact do is protect only the surface of the guacamole immediately below it from discoloring; the trick is simply to cover it with a layer of plastic wrap or aluminum foil to prevent oxygen from attacking the dip. In any case, the lime juice seems to retard discoloration; the bowl sat out for about two hours during the eating and the green color never faded. 2 Hass avocados, very ripe 1 plum tomato, seeded and chopped 1 clove garlic, minced or crushed (roast it for a milder flavor) juice of 1 lime salt to taste Scoop the avocado flesh out of the skin into a bowl. Add tomato and lime juice and mash (you want to leave it somewhat chunky); salt to taste and cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and refrigerate until ready to serve.