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Birthdom

I read in a narrative I gleaned from Wikipedia that Nachos originated in the city of Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico, just over the border from Eagle Pass, Texas. In 1943, the famished wives of U.S. soldiers stationed at Fort Duncan in Eagle Pass were in Piedras Negras on a shopping trip and arrived at the Victory Club Restaurant (Later confirmed by the creator to be the El Moderno restaurant in Piedras Negras) after it had closed for the day. The Maître d’Hôtel,  Ignacio “El Nacho” Anaya Garcia, stepping in for the cook who had already gone home, created a new snack for them with what little he had available in the kitchen: Tortillas and Cheese. Anaya cut the tortillas into triangles, fried them, added shredded cheddar cheese, quickly heated them, added sliced pickled jalapeño peppers, and served them hot as a meal. The women loved them and a new type of now famous iconic Mexican fare was born. Voila!

I love Nachos if they are prepared properly. One restaurant that we favored going to in the Los Angeles area when we lived there was the El Torito Restaurant. Since there is one in Miami also, we went there quite often for brunch when we lived and worked in South Florida doing reconstruction after Hurricane Andrew.

El Torito Restaurant’s Nachos Supremos consisted of grilled Chicken strips (or seasoned Ground Beef) on a mound of warm chips, melted cheese, refried beans and guajillo chile sauce topped with fresh jalapeños, tomatoes, green onions and guacamole. I always added Steak strips for an additional cost to make a meal of this fest.

Living In Rural Nachos Limbo

We do have two Mexican restaurants in our nearby town of Defuniak Springs, Florida, but their nachos are not quite the same. So, being that I am planted in the center of Rural Nachos Limbo, I figured I would have to create my own satisfactory Ignacio Nachos. Just like my pursuit in the blog entitled “In Search Of The Perfect Burger”. 

So, one day I created the following recipe for a quickie-style lunch:

IGNACIO NACHOS TO GO

1. Grabbed a bag of Tostitos “Ranch Style” Tortilla Chips.
2. Laid out a single “primary” layer of chips on a large ceramic dish.
3. Sprinkled on a layer of grated cheddar cheese to cover.
4. Then I added bits of finely chopped green onions.
5. Spread out a second layer of chips on top of the first.
6. Repeated the process of steps 3 & 4.
7. Added sliced pieces of jalapeño peppers (fresh or frozen).
8. Heated the concoction in the microwave oven on high 2 min.
9. Included a cup of sour cream on the side as a garnish.
10. Served the dish for lunch.

La Caramba! Ignacio Nachos To Go!

Kicked Up A Notch Additions To Your Festive Dish

My next batch will include an extra bit of experimentation. To wit:

As An Appetizer

• Add sprinkling of Sliced Black Olives
• Add freshly Diced Tomatoes
• Guacamole, if I have it (But should be made fresh)
• A dash of Habanero Sauce carefully sprinkled on (Maybe)
• Shredded Lettuce, if you want, but then it starts looking like a freakin Tostada

For A Full Blown Meal

• Add a generous helping of canned refried beans
• Add Grilled Steak Strips or Ground Meat cooked with Taco Seasonings 

Notations Of Merit

The reason I prepare two layers is to ensure the cheese permeates all the nacho chips. Otherwise the lower layer will have almost nothing on them.

Also, I do not like the gooey pre-melted cheese in a jar like Queso Dip, because it makes the chips soggy towards the end of your meal. Real shredded cheddar cheese does not do that, it just makes the chips stick together. You then have to pull them apart to eat the suckers.

If you’re going to include Salsa, make your own or homemade Pica De Gallo. The goo you buy in jars can alter the flavor in the wrong direction and reduce your creation to a concoction of fancy chips and mediocre dip. Not at all what you want.

Doing this with the Nachos on a pizza pan in the oven at Low Broil gives a much crispier texture to the meal and tinges the chips to a golden brown when done. But be careful with this method. When the Nachos just begin to brown on the edges, pull them out of the oven immediately. Otherwise they will burn in the blink of an eye. Bummer!

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I am requesting that my readers click on the links provided and download a sample read of each book and give a review on Amazon. You will have free access to the first four chapters of each book. My hope is that you will like the story lines enough to obtain either an eBook version or a paperback copy that you can put on your bookshelf as a masterpiece when you are done. FATE STALKS A HERO I: RESURGENCE, FATE STALKS A HERO II:THE FIJI FULCRUM, and THE SAGA OF HERACLES PENOIT. I will be giving excerpts on these works in upcoming blogs to familiarize you the reader with exciting details about the contents of each one. Thank you!

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