Friday Fuck Up: Are Those Tortilla Chips in Your Jell-o?

I confess: I don’t like recipes. That, and my tendency to leave out key ingredients even when they are listed right in front of me, makes me a worse-than-average baker.

It’s not that I can’t follow directions; from K*nex to origami, I have personally experienced the power of step-by-step instructions in my life. When I’m in the kitchen, though, I’d rather be swept up in the moment, adding a little of this, a little of that. Generally, the results are, if not supremely delicious, at least edible. Next time I make tomatillo salsa though, I will do so with recipe in hand.

I have made plenty of homemade salsa in my life, so I thought this would be a no-brainer.  I threw the tomatillos in my beloved Cuisinart with some onions, cilantro and salt. I added a little lime juice, sampled, and congratulated myself, but too soon. When I pulled the salsa out of the fridge a few hours later, it had solidified. SOLIDIFIED. MY SALSA SOLIDIFIED.

Or perhaps a better word would be Jell-O-fied. It was more of a slice-and-spread than a dip. Perhaps this would be considered avant-garde in some molecular gastronomy-enlighten circles, but to me, it was just nasty.

It softened when heated, but really, hot salsa? No gracias.

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