Nachos Gone Wild!

With football season kicking into high gear, it’s about time for some serious snack talk. But you know us ES-ers aren’t gonna just crack open some Tostitos spicy cheese dip and call it a day. These 10 recipes are taking nachos to a whole new level.

1. Greek Nachos

Pita chips, ground lamb, and tzatziki stand in for the usual Mexican ingredients in this inventive Mediterranean take on Nachos.

Greek nachos recipe from elly says opa!

2. Chimichurri Nachos

It’s Argentina’s turn to get creative, topping their nachos with grilled steak and the country’s signature cilantro sauce.

Chimichurri nachos recipe from The Girl Who Ate Everything.

3. Totchos

Yes, that’s tater tot nachos, and really, can anyone argue nachos wouldn’t be better when you replace the chips with crispy fried potatoes?

Tater tot nacho recipe from Riley J. Briggs.

4. Pasta Nachos

At San Francisco Italian restaurant Puccini and Pinetti, wonton wrappers serve as the base for Italian nachos topped with marinara sauce, fresh mozzarella and basil.

Recipe for pasta nachos.

5. Grilled Nachos

Once again proving that any food that tastes good tastes even better cooked over a grill.

Grilled nachos recipe from Jenn’s Food Journey.

Next: Potato chip nachos, dessert nachos and more

Peanut Butter and Philly

Last week I was in Philadelphia for my 9-5. But what’s funny about Philly is, even though it’s my hometown city, I barely know about it. I lived on the other side of the *bridge* and crossing that bridge was portrayed as such a big deal, such a hardship, such a production that it almost never occurred. And what my mom said goes, if she didn’t do Philly, we didn’t do Philly.

Of course, I still knew, and benefited from, many of Philly’s culinary offerings.

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The soft pretzel. I never knew the soft pretzel was special to Philly. When I was little I thought all cities were filled with pretzel street vendors.

After a very brief google search, and a hunch of my own, it looks like Philly owes its signature snack to the Pennsylvania Dutch. The pretzels here are not dipped in butter and shaped like shoelaces, but have a crust, yet are soft and chewy inside. They do not need mustard. The office where I was working receives a weekly present of pretzels from a previously satisfied client. Pretzels are not just a snack, but a gesture of thanks, good taste and local flare.

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Feed Us Back: Comments of the Week

– To straw or not to straw? Looks like gansie has hit a nerve, with more than a few of you admitting to drinking alcohol through a straw. Scott:

Just a few weeks ago I sat at the bar of a pizza joint next to a beer straw practitioner. Her reasoning was that it got her intoxicated more quickly. She also covered her beer glass with a napkin when she went out for a smoke to keep it “fresher” and to also keep people from fucking with her beer.

These are all very rational thoughts.

Not that it should matter but this woman was a truck driver from West Virginia on disability due to back problems. Not one to judge I inserted a long black plastic straw into a bottle of Budweiser. I found my mouth full of froth and foam and looked across the bar to see a guy shake his head at me. I’m sticking to bottles.

And Karen writes in with a fantastic tip:

I have to agree with you, everything is better with a straw.  Have you ever been to Madison Square Garden (of course you have)?  Well, next time you’re there, buy beer!  I’m serious! They put a lid on it and you can use a straw.  It’s amazing!  MSG is to beer what McDonald’s is to soda (they have the best fountain in the world…it’s a fact).

– Not so surprised that everyone has their own favorite to add to the Top 10 Jersey Shore Foods. KeepingitKlassy:

I take issue with the philly shore bent to this Top 10! That aside, I would respectfully like to add some trashy Seaside flavor with the ol’ Pork Roll, the classic, if not obvious, sausage and peppers hero(a la “the situation”), and the oil and vinegar drench on every hero.

Tim:

Great article, but…

No cheesesteaks? They’re a true staple of any NJ boardwalk and the good ones will stand up to the best Philly has to offer.

And let’s not forget another gem from the original Jersey Shore, which was a single episode of True Life. “WHERES MY F*CKIN CHEESEBALLS?!”

A Klassy Klassic (see above).