"homemade tortilla chips" news and stories

Happy National Tortilla Chip Day!

With a vast variety of crunchy tortilla chips available -- salted or unsalted; baked or fried; white, yellow, or blue corn -- we think there are three main necessities: saltiness, crunch and corn.

Most of all, we like ours fresh and salted -- something best achieved served with pico de gallo or guacamole at Mexican restaurants, or cooked from the comfort of your own kitchen. To make your own fresh tortilla chips, simply cut fresh tortillas into quarters and fry them in corn or vegetable oil once its heated to approximately 360 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook until golden, one to two minutes, then drain on paper towels. Salt to taste and serve.

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In a world where we're inundated with super-sized flavor, it's easy to forget how delicious simplicity can be -- the one exercise in restraint that makes life all the sweeter. It never fails to astound me how delicious a piece of toast with butter is, and the same can definitely be said for tortilla chips.

These days, we've got a whole variety of powdery flavors to up the junk food ante, but while many of them are tasty, nothing compares to the simplicity of a homemade tortilla chip. Simply make some tortillas (I use the Robert Rodriguez recipe), rip or cut them into the shapes and sizes you prefer, and then bake them on a low heat until sufficiently crisp.

A homemade tortilla chip with salsa is like a fine, rustic bread with your favorite cheese. That simple combination of ingredients makes the perfect pairing for salsa, helping and emphasizing the spicy tomato flavors rather than overpowering them. Try it -- there's nothing quite like it.