Conference turris::cooks

  We frequently have a nachos concoction for dinner that's easy to prepare
(and for us different each time - we kind of wing it with whatever's around)

	needed:

		1 bag plain nachos/tortilla chips
		1 jar chunky taco sauce (mild/med/hot to your taste)
		1 lb ground beef (or turkey or lamb or whatever)
		2 c chopped lettuce
		1/2c diced tomatoes
		2 c monterey Jack cheese (or whatever's in the fridge)
		1 med onion diced
		1/4 c diced green pepper (if we have it)
		1 c sour cream

   Fry (brown) the meat,
   add diced onion & pepper and heat until the onion is translucent
   add taco sauce & turn down the heat (you want to warm up the taco sauce)
   spread 1/2 inch of the tortilla chips out on a microwavable platter (could
	be done in the oven I suppose)
   put the meat mixture all over the tortilla chips
   cover with cheese
   microwave (or bake?) until the cheese melts
   top with the lettuce and tomatoes

    SERVE   It's always a winner at my house.

Al

    Hi, Lou,
    
    The only Mexican part of this dessert is the tequila.  Good, though.
    And a complete kitchen klutz can get away with it because you can
    do almost the whole thing before the meal.  Of course this only
    works if you can keep them frozen.  Serve icy cold tequila with
    it too.  
    
    Also, the last time I was home I'm sure my parents had received a 
    new Bon Appetit magazine and the section where the magazine
    interviews 'Joe and Mary Gourmet Cook' was on a guy who was having
    a Mexican theme barbecue on his back patio, which was roughly the
    size of Arkansas.  Anyway, I remember some of the stuff sounded
    pretty good but I won't be within 'borrowing' distance until after
    I leave DEC so see if you can't raid someone elses cookbook cupboard.
    It would have had to have been between January and now.
    
    Have a good time and if you ever want to come 'mind your own business'
    in my neighborhood, just let me know.
    
    Christine
    
    
    
    Tequila Sunsets
    
    6 servings.
    
     10 large juice oranges
      1 large lemon
      1 cup sugar
    1/2 cup tequila
    1/2 cup whipping cream
    1/4 cup Cointreau
    
        Shredded coconut
    
        Grenadine
      6 fresh mint sprigs
    
    Cut top third off each orange.  Squeeze juice from both parts of
    oranges; you should have about 1 quart.  Pour juice into shallow
    metal pan.  Reserve 6 best hollowed-out orange bottoms.  Squeeze
    juice from lemon.  Add to pan.  Freeze juice until solid.  Using
    fork, break up into chunks.  Transfer to blender.  Add next 4
    ingredients and mix well.  Return to pan; freeze sherbet until firm.
    
    Scoop sherbet into hollowed-out organges.  Garnish with shredded
    coconut.  Freeze until firm.
    
    Set each orange in dessert cup.  Drizzle with grenadine.  Garnish
    with mint sprig.  Serve immediately with shots of tequila on the
    side.
    
    

    Why not try the recipe in note 1789.

    This is a great appetizer too. I don't know proportions, enough
    to fill the bowl I guess. This is addictive!
    
    			7 Layer Dip
    
    Ground beef (or shredded chicken), cooked and cooled
    Diced tomatoes
    Shredded lettuce
    Shredded Colby cheese
    Salsa or taco sauce
    Refried beans
    Sour cream
    
    
    Find a pretty glass bowl of appropriate size for number of people
    attending (straight-sided is nice). Layer the ingredients in the
    order given (meat first). Garnish with sliced green onions and serve
    chilled, with corn chips.

    The Tex-Mex rage here in Dallas these days is Quesadillas.  Restaurants
    serve them as an appetizer, though I always order them with something
    like Tortilla Soup as a full meal.  They are easy-easy-easy and
    wonderful!  I've entered the instructions somewhere else in this
    conference, but I can enter them again quicker than I can find the
    original. 
    
    You will need:
    
    Flour tortillas (2 per Quesadilla)

    About 1/2 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese per Quesadilla (or
    alternately you can cut the cheese into thin strips)
    
    Or a combination of Monterrey Jack and cheddar, for a slightly
    different taste.  The cheddar is especially good if you use some
    bacon.

    Canned or fresh chopped mild chiles (if canned, drain really well
    before using)
    
    Now, here you can get creative with some combination of the following:
    
    Cooked chicken, shredded or cut into strips, marinated in Fajita
    marinade or not, doesn't matter
    
    Pico de Gallo (if you use this, forget the onions, cilantro, and
    jalapenos) 
    
    Bacon, cooked till crisp then crumbled fine
    
    Fresh jalapenos, chopped (I've never tried the pickled kind, but
    they would probably work fine if drained well first)
    
    Onions, chopped
    
    A small amount of fresh chopped cilantro
    
    and whatever else captures your imagination.
    
    Spread the ingredients you have chosen as evenly as you can over a
    tortilla.  Put the second tortilla on top, sandwich style.  Then grill
    on both sides, either in a large skillet or griddle that has been
    brushed with oil, or on a charcoal grill.  Cook till cheese is melted
    and tortillas are crispy and spotted brown on both sides.  Cool a
    little bit so all the cheese doesn't squish out when you cut them. Cut
    each Quesadilla into quarters with a sharp knife.  Serve with salsa,
    sour cream, and/or guacamole.  These hold together well enough to be
    finger food, so for an outdoor party they'd be perfect appetizers.  And
    believe me, they're G-O-O-D! 
    
    							Pat

    This is easy - tequila, lemon wedges and a salt shaker!
    
    If you don't want to "cook" mix up a batch of Sangria.  Or if you
    have a blender, frozen Margueritas.  As a former bartender, here's my secret
    recipe:
    
    3 parts of your favorite tequila
    1 part Triple Sec
    1 part Rose's Lime Juice (the sweetened type in bottle)
    2 parts Daily's Sour or Cocktail Mix 
    
    For a party, it's easiest to mix this up ahead of time.  Then fill
    a blender can 3/4 full of ice, add mix till it comes 2/3 of the
    way up the ice and blend!
    
    This is very easy to adjust amounts for - use a 1/4 c measure for
    the "part" if you only want to make a few; use a 1 c for party quantities.

    A few comments: I haven't found an acceptable substitute for the
    Rose's and Daily's, these are not for people who don't like the
    taste of tequila, any leftover mix can be kept in the freezer. 
    In fact, in the summer, we make it specifically to have a stash
    ready in the freezer!  

    Enjoy!
    

    I've looked everywhere under the sun for Daily's, and I have yet
    to find a store that's even heard of it.  Is it possibly a brand
    sold only in the NE?  I'm in Dallas, and would just *love* to find
    it somewhere out here in the desert!!
    
    							Pat

    I had a hard time finding it retail, too - it's the brand that most
    bars use (at least in the Midwest!).  Kroger's grocery chain carries
    it; it's in the section with all the fruit-flavored mixers, but doesn't
    have a specific fruit flavor itself.  You could try beer drive-throughs
    or restaurant-supply places.  If yours is a familiar face at the
    corner bar, ask the bartender - they might sell you a bottle cheap.
    If you try this, go for the neighborhood places; the accounting
    systems of trendy corporate "pubs" can't handle such transactions!
    
    It comes in quart and half-liter bottles; the half liter costs about
    $5.  If all else fails, send me mail with your address and I'll
    send ya some!  I'll check the label tonight for an address, too.
    
    Terry
    

    Well,
    
    	Thanks for the contributions everyone;
    
    	As it turns out the party went off without a hitch.
    
    	Had about 15 people there (Close to 100% attendance for the thing).
    
    	The way I finally worked it was to co-ordinate the menu with the
    	people that were coming, and worked with several to "decide" on
    	recipes that they thought they could handle, then threw in a few
    	items myself to fill in the gaps.
    
    	Everyone then took a "risk", and made something a little out of the
    	ordinary for the others to try.
    
    	One thing I hadn't anticipated, was that word of the party got out
    	and those that didn't get invited got torqued off...  Oh well,
    	can't please everyone (this was originally intended as a
    	"customer/digital" project completion party, so those from the
    	local office that didn't make the cut, my abject apologies, no
    	offense intended.)
    
    	(Of course now I still gotta explain it to some of my friends on
    	 customer site *sigh* who also weren't invited....  *Jeez* I didn't
    	 really think all that many people would be interested in this sort
    	 of thing....)	
    
    	Final menu turned out being:
    
    	Drinks:
    
    		Margarita (Lemon/Lime variety, homemade)
    		Sangria   (Homemade, by moi...)
    		Assorted Mexican beers (5 kinds at last count.  We had
    			someone who didn't feel like cooking who came...)
    
    	Soup:
    
    		Gazpacho (Homemade, from a recipe from a restaurant
    			  in Illinois (I believe), of all places)
    
    	Appetizers:
    
    		Karen Green's patented Taco Dip (a kind of layered affair
    			bean dip/avacado's/sour cream+mayonnaise+taco
    			seasoning/ tomatoes/black olives/green onions/
    			cheddar cheese.  Provided by moi aussi...)
    
    		Guacomole (sp?) (Homemade from a recipe passed down 
    			from generation to generation by one of the ladies
    			in attendance)
    
    	Main Course:
    
    		Tamales (Homemade, and pretty decent)	
    		Taco "bar"
    
    	Deserts:
    
    		Tequila Sunsets (Which went over real well, provided by
    			moi.)
    	
    		Mexican Brownie supriz' (Recipe cobbed from the Frugal
    			Gourmet;  Take brownie mix, add two 4 oz. can
    			green chiles, cook as usual.  Tasted pretty good
    			believe it or not.)
    
    		Brownies (Homemade by one of the guys mothers, quite good)
    
    		Sugar Cookies (Made by the same Mom, quite good as well,
    			kinda chewy, which I thought was a bit different)
    
    		Chocolate Pound Cake.
    
    Anyway thanks for the assistance provided by all.  Everyone enjoyed
    this outing so much, that it looks like we are going to get together in
    a month or two for another "theme" party.
    
    Suggestions?
    
    	Current thoughts are:
    
    	o  Based on Italian Cuisine
    
    	o  Based on Southern Cuisine (My current party of choice)
    	
    	   -  Cajun
    	
    	   -  Creole
    
    	   -  etc.
    
    	o  An Oktoberfest (of course this would probably be later around
    		September or so...  The challenge here of course would
    	 	probably be to put together an informal combo to do a 
    		few Oktoberfest songs, and things)
    
    
    			Lou "Now comes the Siesta part" Northern
    
    
    P.S.
    
    	I will attempt to get together the recipes of interest and post
    	here at a later date.  Right now, I'm going to bed.