so i like to cook. i like to make things from scratch. i have cake flour in my kitchen. multiple types of sugar. that sort of thing.

yesterday i got this insanely compulsive desire to have nachos. i’m not really much of a nachos person generally — if someone has them, i might (will probably) eat some. i, like everyone else, will try to strategically steal the chips with all the cheese. but i don’t generally go out of my way to acquire nachos. i mean, they’re just not very good for you and it is my patriotic duty as a not-svelte american to feel guilty if i so much as look at a waitress carrying nachos to someone else’s table. so it was a little uncharacteristic for me to want to go forth and fetch nachos. or, nacho-making supplies as, of course, it would be cheating and unworthy to not actually make the nachos. fortunately, i have a lovely little supermercado almost literally around the corner (i have to walk to the end of my block, turn, and go half a block) and they have everything i need, down to the escobeche. so i just started making my nacho accessories. i soaked my pinto beans overnight and fried them up today. (damn, bad idea: it’s too hot-slash-muggy to be cooking!) it turns out that it’s really stupid easy to make refried beans. it’s also pretty damn easy to make really tasty fresh salsa. i’m feeling pretty good about this so far. i even invented a delicious tasty drinkie to go along: fizzy water + framboise liqueur + lime + ice. plus non-optional paper umbrella. sip and relax. contemplate your avocados. (of course the unfortunate bit of making the refried beans came after i realized that the company i’m having over tomorrow is at least nominally jewish, and of course i used bacon fat. (no lard. i could not bring myself to buy a whole pound of manteca. bacon at least seems slightly justifiable. also it smells fantastic while cooking.) great, so now i’m not even going to have any help with the approximately eight thousand pounds of frijoles refritos i now have. way to plan that there, sabrina!) now i just have guacamole to make up, but i ran out of tomatos and it’s over ninety degrees out there, and i’m not sure i’m willing to give up my tasty drinkie, even just to walk around the corner, to fetch one. ridiculously, stupidly easy recipes beyond the jump.[MORE]