Author's note: this is a repost from blog.jeremey.com... I've been meaning to repost it since a friend reminded me of it... I finally found the data export from my old blog today. Enjoy.
I learned something on our trip to NJ [way back when, now]: there isn't any real salsa in NJ grocery stores (I had a very small but quality set of sample data, so I understand that there are probably a few odd exceptions). Now that I'm home (Houston, Texas), I've been doing some salsa research.
First, there's the salsa itself. Houston groceries (even the big ones) have good salsa in them. My current favorite is Tejano Salsa from right here in Houston. Real salsa eaters will enjoy the Native Texan (Hot) variety, and those looking for real salsa without the heat will enjoy the Naturalized Texan (Medium) variety. They also sell the Wannabe variety, but I've never tried it. Your can order Tejano Salsa on their website (or via a link from it, at least).
Second, there's the preparation. IMO almost all good salsa is better enjoyed warm, not cold. Get yourself a good-sized bowl (e.g., half to three-quarters of a Tejano salsa jar), throw it in the microwave for a minute, stirring once at about 40 seconds, and go to town.
Ah, the bowl. The bowl should be primarily deep, not wide. Wide bowls are inappropriate for salsa because they facilitate a low salsa-to-chip ratio. This is bad. You need a deep bowl.
Speaking of chips, you need chips that are thick enough to withstand a significant weight of salsa on top. Better yet are scoop-style chips which are designed to carry more salsa per chip. Purists will no doubt object, but I highly recommend Tostitos scoops. They're made from corn, they're salty, and they hold a LOT of salsa. Since the chip's primary purpose is as a vehicle for salsa, it's OK to buy a major brand's chip, if they serve the goal of increasing the salsa-to-chip ratio.
At last we come to the elusive salsa-to-chip ratio. The optimal salsa-to-chip ratio is a bit of a debate, but my rough estimates are at least 1 US tablespoon per 2 square inches of chip. A 1-to-1 (tablespoons to square inches) ratio would probably be better, but is difficult to achieve with current chip technology. So somewhere in between is probably the best you can do these days. So on your big flat restaurant-style chips, you need enough salsa to make a serious mess on your carpet. Do yourself a favor and buy scoops.
Recipe for a really good salsa experience:
- 1 jar Tejano Native Texan salsa
- 1/2 smallish bag Tostitos scoops
Place 1/2 jar of salsa in bowl. Place bowl in microwave, cover with paper towel or wax paper. Microwave for 60-80 seconds, stirring once at about 40 seconds. Place the bowl on a large plate, and surround with half your chips (1/4 of the bag). Eat. Repeat for the other half of the jar and chips. If you've really maximized your salsa-to-chip ratio, you'll have chips left over (not including the unused half of the bag).
Mmmmm.
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