In which there’s sodium citrate, aka melting salt, in American cheese, so it makes great nacho cheese sauce.

You may be a human being who, from time to time, thinks to yourself, “I want some freakin’ nacho cheese sauce.” But when you look up nacho cheese sauce recipes online, they’re all roux-based, which is basically cheese gravy, and you’re like, screw this, there must be a better way.

WELL, THERE IS. THERE IS A BETTER WAY.

It’s really easy, too. It’s, like, stupid how easy it is:

1/4 c. milk or half & half
5 slices of American cheese, quartered
1/4 c. shredded any other cheese you like (how about cheddar, maybe)
1/2 c. can green chilis
salt, to taste

Put the first two ingredients in a bowl and nuke them for, oh, 40-45 seconds or so, then stir well, and nuke again for another half a minute or until it’s bubbling up a bit.

Stir in the cheddar until it’s incorporated. Stir in the chilis. Taste and add salt if needed. Serve.

If your nacho cheese sauce sets up while you’re doing other nacho-related stuff, just nuke it again for 25 seconds or so.

In which there’s a recipe. Another recipe. Yes, this is a recipe blog now.

Beans are fucking awesome. And cheap. And delicious and filling.

So Make A Pot Of Beans Already

1 lb dry pinto beans
1 onion, peeled
2 jalapenos, slit
2-3 large cloves garlic, peeled
1 bay leaf
1 clove
2 tsp salt
6 c water
dash oil

Cook on high in electric pressure cooker for 35 minutes, or on the stove for a few hours, adding water as needed, until beans are soft. Remove aromatics, adjust seasonings, and serve as soup, drain for a side dish, or re-fry.

The first day, I put these on tostadas covered with melted cheese, and salsa. Delicious.

Make Some Soup on Day 2

oil (or bacon grease, if you eat pigs)
smoked paprika
2 c prepared beans
1/2 c water
hot sauce (I used Waris Hot Sauce, a local delight made by this guy)
oregano
salt & pepper to taste

Heat oil or fat in a pan, add the smoked paprika and let sizzle for a couple of seconds. Add beans and water, oregano, and hot sauce.

Bring to a simmer, adjust seasonings, and serve, garnished with cheese and onions.

On day three, I’ll freeze some, and puree the rest for refried beans.

…”the soup of Ezo the bride” is an amazingly delicious red lentil and bulgar soup famous in Turkey. Here’s some in a mason jar on the window sill in my office! I brought it for lunch! It’s totally raining outside! (April 16, 2012)

Ezogelin çorbası

Serve with a lemon wedge. Can also garnish with sumac and fresh mint

…that feeling when you glance over at the griddle and your bread has puffed up into a little steam-filled ovoid.

This stuff is so easy and so delicious I don’t understand why it isn’t just a thing that everybody always does. I mean, aside from a piece of naan here and there, how did I live forty-odd years without ever having had fresh homemade flat bread?

Store-bought pita bread is awful. Most store-bought breads are awful. (Consistent and cheap, yes. Tasty? No.)

Ingredients: Sourdough starter, water, salt, white whole wheat flour, water. (You don’t need the starter for leavening or anything; it just makes the bread taste awesome.)
Procedure: Put a spoonful of starter into a bowl or onto the counter. Add flour, water, and salt. Knead until incorporated. Cover and let sit for half an hour. (You don’t have to, but it gives the whole wheat flour a chance to absorb some moisture and improves the final texture.) Pre-heat a griddle. Roll the dough out and transfer to the griddle. Takes a few minutes per side; if the loaf doesn’t puff up on its own, press down with a kitchen towel.

…English cukes, white onions, red bell pepper, garlic. Brine is water, cider apple vinegar, sugar, salt, black pepper, Bay leaf, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and chile pequins.

I made a pint of these last week and couldn’t stop eating them, so this time I made two pints!

Ingredients

Servings Per Recipe: 4 – Calories: 119.6 – Total Fat: 5.0 g – Cholesterol: 12.4 mg – Sodium: 180.5 mg – Total Carbs: 15.1 g – Dietary Fiber: 3.1 g – Protein: 3.2 g

…this is my version of the Garlic Soup For One recipe from the NYT.

2 c. water
2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1 pinch thyme
salt to taste
1/4 c. multi color Parmesan tortellini
1 tbsp carrot, diced
1/2 stalk broccoli, chopped
1 tbsp corn, frozen
1 medium egg
black pepper to taste

Place water, garlic, salt if using, thyme, and pasta into a sauce pan. Bring to a simmer.

When the pasta is nearly al dente, add the carrot, broccoli, and corn. Simmer until the vegetables are tender and the pasta is done.

Break the egg into a small bowl and whisk with the black pepper. Add a bit of the broth from the soup to the bowl to temper the egg, then pour the whisked egg and pepper mixture back into the soup and stir.

Adjust seasonings if necessary and serve in a big ol’ bowl.

Servings Per Recipe: 1 – Calories: 219.3 – Total Fat: 6.8 g – Cholesterol: 207.0 mg – Sodium: 358.2 mg w/o added salt – Total Carbs: 29.8 g – Dietary Fiber: 3.3 g – Protein: 12.6 g – Vitamin A: 45.5 % – Vitamin C: 42.1 % – Iron: 12.4 %