[1] Naked Nachos: no cheese (photo © The Better Chip).

Here are three modern takes on the classic: Naked Nachos (without cheese), Cast Iron Skillet Nachos, and Dessert Nachos.

The recipes were developed by The Better Chip, whose delicious tortilla chips are round, colorful, and a great platform for snacks, Made from double corn masa, 40% fresh veggies and enhanced with a smidgen of sea salt or natural seasoning for a better tasting and better dipping chip.

The colorful chips include:

• Beets: red
• Chipotle: orange
• Fresh Corn: yellow
• Jalapeño: yellow
• Spinach & Kale: green

This interpretation leaves off the cheese, but adds flavor through roasted tomatoes and corn. If you’re pressed for time, you can substitute a can of roasted tomatoes and a tub of fresh corn salsa.

Ingredients

• 1 bag (6.4 ounces) tortilla chips
• 3-4 tomatoes, roasted
• Fresh corn on the cob, roasted
• Fresh basil, oregano rosemary or thyme
• Olive oil

 
Preparation

1. ROAST the tomatoes: Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. CUT the tomatoes horizontally and remove the stem. Cover the bottom of a glass baking dish with olive oil. Place the tomatoes sliced side down; sprinkle with herbs. Bake for 1 hour. Add salt to taste; slice to serve.

3. ROAST the corn: Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place the corn on a baking sheet—do not shuck. Roast for 15 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove from the oven and let cool. Shuck corn and cut the kernels from the ear.

4. HEAT the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the corn kernels and sauté until heated through and golden yellow in color.

5. LINE a baking sheet with the tortilla chips. Layer with the sliced roasted tomato and sprinkle on the corn. Garnish with fresh herbs. Broil on high for 2 minutes until the edge of the chips start to turn light brown. Serve.
 
 
RECIPE #2: QUICK & EASY SKILLET NACHOS

This version of nachos is super easy to make.

Ingredients

• 1 bag (6.4 ounces—The Better Chip recommends its Chipotles flavor)
• 1 can pinto beans
• Pepperoni, sliced
• Aged sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 350°F.

2. COMBINE the ingredients in a cast iron skillet. Place in the oven and cook for 5-10 minutes until the cheese is melted.
 

RECIPE #3: GRANDMA’S CANDY APPLE NACHOS (DESSERT NACHOS)

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. DICE the apple into small pieces. Heat the chocolate and caramel sauces so that they are warm and easy to drizzle over chips.

2. PLACE the chips on a plate, spoon the diced apples over the chips and drizzle the chocolate and caramel sauces over the chips and apples.

3. SPRINKLE the walnuts over the nachos and garnish with a few marshmallows.

THE HISTORY OF NACHOS

Nachos are an example of necessity being the mother of invention.

As the story goes, in 1943 a group of Army wives from Fort Duncan, in Eagle Pass, Texas, had gone over the border to Piedras Negros, Mexico, on a shopping trip. By the time they arrived at the Victory Club restaurant, the kitchen was closed.

But the accommodating maître d’hôtel, Ignacio “Nacho” Anaya (Nacho is a nickname for Ignacio), threw together a snack for the ladies from what was available in the kitchen: tortillas and cheese. He cut the tortillas into triangles, added shredded Cheddar cheese, quickly heated them, and garnished the dish with sliced jalapeño chiles.

When asked what the tasty dish was called, he answered, “Nacho’s especiales,” Nacho’s Special.

In Mexico nachos are also called totopos, the word for tortilla chips. French fries, potato chips and even popcorn are sometimes substituted for the tortilla chips.
 

Treat yourself to a slice of autumn. Photo
courtesy Bi-Rite Market | San Francisco.

One of the benefits of using the nuts as a garnish instead of mixing them into the batter is that people who are nut-averse can pick them off and still enjoy the delicious dessert.

1. PICK YOUR BUNDT CAKE FLAVOR

While chocolate always works, think seasonally and consider:

• Apple bundt cake (here’s a recipe)
• Carrot bundt cake
• Cranberry-orange bundt cake
• Maple bundt cake
• Pumpkin bundt cake
• Rum bundt cake
• Sticky toffee bundt cake

2. PICK YOUR NUTS & FRUITS

We personally like pecans with cranberries. Then, caramelize (candy) the nuts (here’s how).

3. MAKE THE CARAMEL SAUCE

Ingredients For 2 Cups

This recipe was adapted from WickedGoodKitchen.com. Prep time is five minutes, cook time is 15 minutes.

You can make a lighter caramel glaze, but the color will be pale and the flavor less deep.

• 2 cups sugar
• ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into cubes, softened to room temperature
• 1 cup heavy cream, room temperature
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 to 3 teaspoons fleur de sel or other sea salt (types of sea salt)

Preparation
1. PLACE the sugar in a 2- to 3-quart, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat and whisk as the sugar melts. Continue to whisk as the sugar begins to clump and turn into a light amber liquid. It will be completely melted into light amber caramel in 8 to 10 minutes. Once the sugar is completely melted, stop whisking and swirl the caramel by gently tilting the saucepan from side to side.

2. COOK without whisking until the caramel reaches a medium or deep amber color (almost dark reddish-brown), about 5 to 7 minutes based on your color preference (the darker the caramel, the deeper the caramel flavor). It is important to pay attention and prevent the caramel from smoking. Use a candy thermometer: a reading of 350°F will deliver a deep amber caramel sauce.

3. TURN off the heat, the remove saucepan from the heat and wait 20 to 30 seconds. Then add all of the butter at once and whisk vigorously until it is fully melted and combined into the caramel. The addition of the butter will cause the caramel to bubble up vigorously. Just keep whisking.

4. WHISK in the cream slowly and carefully, along with the vanilla extract. Expect more bubbling, and just keep whisking until the caramel is smooth and the cream is fully incorporated. Add the salt and whisk until completely dissolved.

5. SET the caramel sauce aside to cool slightly and thicken, about 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a glass jar. Cool completely before capping jars and refrigerating.

6. ASSEMBLE the cake. Use a spatula to transfer the majority of the caramel to the cake. You can then melt the remainder and pour it on top for the “drippy” effect. Top with the nuts and fruits and admire your handiwork (then eat it!).

A stack of winter squash makes a
Thanksgiving centerpiece that keeps for
weeks—and then can be eaten! Photo
courtesy HGTV. Here are more of their
centerpiece ideas.

Some people like a Thanksgiving centerpiece of flowers in seasonal colors, perhaps with some autumn leaves. We’ve been known to create cornucopias full of fruit and an elaborate bread basket decorated with cranberries, lady apples and garlands like [in the words of our father] a “Thanksgiving Christmas tree.”

One year, we held a pumpkin decorating contest, where guests brought their gourds from home, already designed. The winning pumpkin had the place of honor at the dining table, with others decorating the foyer and other areas of the home. The winner was a gorgeous pair of pumpkins seen on HGTV.com: a large pumpkin sprayed in copper metallic paint with pretty black hard candy decorations glued down the folds, and plain smaller pumpkins in silver metallic paint.

More ideas (see photos) here:

• A short glass vase layered with different whole nuts, with florists’ moss between the layers, topped with feathers.
• A vase of apples, attached to sticks to resemble a bouquet of roses.
• A glass vase or clear salad bowl filled with pomegranates, lady apples, clementines, fresh green leaves and metallic-sprayed pine cones.
• A stack of three heirloom winter squash—like flatter pumpkins but in different colors (remove the stems from the bottom two.

• A narrow, rectangular tray of candles in different heights and widths.
• A narrow, rectangulartray of colorful miniature gourds.
• A narrow, rectangular tray of lady apples.

But if there will be a lot of kids in attendance, the people’s choice award would go to a large chocolate turkey.

CHOCOLATE TURKEY CENTERPIECE

The handsome gobbler in the photo is a three-pound milk chocolate turkey from Moonstruck Chocolates. Nine inches tall (you can place it on a base for more height), its intricate details are personally hand-decorated by Moonstruck chocolatier Julian Rose.

It also makes a heck of an impressive hostess gift.

After dinner, you can appoint someone to “carve” the turkey (break it into pieces with a clean hammer). If everyone is too stuffed to eat it, you pack pieces into plastic sandwich bags to take home.

Three pounds of chocolate tom turkey. Photo courtesy Moonstruck Chocolate.

The turkey $100, which includes shipping, at MoonstruckChocolate.com.

Baskin-Robbins is celebrating Veterans Day all month long, honoring military veterans new November Flavor of the Month, called First Class Camouflage.

First Class Camouflage, emulating camouflage in its colors and design, is a combination of chocolate, salty caramel and cake-flavored ice cream.

On Veterans Day itself, November 11th, there’s an in-store donation program to support the USO (United Service Organizations*. Baskin-Robbins will donate 10 cents† from ice cream scoops sold at all U.S. locations to the USO. Baskin-Robbins’ support is part of the USO’s “Every Moment Counts” campaign, which calls on Americans to honor and create special moments for troops and their families, who make daily sacrifices as they serve.

So what better excuse to enjoy an ice cream: the ability to honor veterans, U.S troops and military families. Your choices:

• In a standard cone or cup.
• In a special Camouflage Waffle Cone or Waffle Bowl, which are decorated green, brown and tan.
• In a First Class Camouflage Layered Sundae, which includes Oreo cookie pieces, hot fudge, caramel praline topping and whipped cream.

If you want to give thanks for our troops, serve a scoop atop a slice of apple pie at Thanksgiving.

For more information about the USO’s “Every Moment Counts” campaign, of which First Class Camouflage is a part, visit USOmoments.org, and consider a donation of $11 on 9/11.
 
ABOUT CAMOUFLAGE DESIGNS

Since the mid 18th century, camouflage patterns have been used by military forces to protect personnel and equipment from observation by enemy forces. Colors and materials have been applied to including vehicles, ships, aircraft, gun positions and uniforms.

“Camouflage” is a French slang word that came into common English usage during World War I, when the concept of visual deception became an essential part of modern military tactics. In that war, the advent of long-range artillery and observation from the air expanded the field of fire, so camouflage was widely employed to decrease the danger of being targeted and to enable surprise.
 
*The USO provides critical support to forward-deployed troops, military families, wounded warriors, troops in transition and families of the fallen. The USO is a private, non-profit organization, not a government agency.

†The donation is inclusive of all regular (4-ounce) and kids (2.5-ounce) scoops of ice cream sold as cups and cones on Tuesday, November 11th, 2014. It is based on regular-priced cup and cone scoop sales only, including kid size. It does not include scoops that are used in other desserts (sundaes, beverages, cakes, take home, novelties, etc.).
  

People get the government they deserve, said Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821), a French count, lawyer, diplomat, writer and philosopher. (The quote is often misattributed to better-known commentators such as Abraham Lincoln and Alexis de Tocqueville.)

De Maistre’s actual statement was “Toute nation a le gouvernement qu’elle mérite”—every nation gets [has] the government it deserves.” It was published in 1811 in a book of his letters. The statement is variously translated as “Every country has the government it deserves” and “In a democracy people get the leaders they deserve.”

It’s Election Day. Exercise your right to vote. Even when the choices don’t appeal to you, one candidate has got to be more appealing than another. Leave the choice to others, and you get the government you deserve, if not necessarily the one you want.

Even if you’re ambivalent about the candidates, there may be issues that will affect you for a long time. So do a bit of reading up and head to the polls.

Then, you deserve a treat. Is there anything better than fresh-baked bread?

You can bake bread with a message, and use it as a signature dish for any special occasion: BOO for Halloween, FEAST for Thanksgiving, NOEL for Christmas, LOVE for anniversaries and Valentine’s Day, CONGRATS for promotions or great report cards, and so forth.

Present the bread on a platter with a side of sweet and/or savory spreads, cheeses, pâté, other favorites, or simply butter and jam.