How To Refresh Stale Tortilla Chips

I admit some things on this here blog that I shouldn't proclaim to the entire world wide web. Things I should be embarrassed by, but, really, I have no shame. This is another one of those things.

Recently, the husband and I had a couple pals over for dinner. We were going to serve chips and guacamole to get things started. Thankfully, I had purchased a giant bag of tortilla chips from Costco. There was one little problem with the chips, though. I wasn't exactly sure when I had purchased that giant bag. And I wasn't exactly sure when the husband opened it in search of a little snack. What I was sure of...those chips were stale. 

If I was a really good hostess, or a person with moral scruples, I would have purchased a fresh bag of tortilla chips for my guests. But these are really good friends and the kind of folks who would be willing to be guinea pigs for a little experiment I had in mind. 

You see, those stale chips reminded me of a conversation my pal Shivani and I had many years ago. She told me that you could pop tortilla chips in the oven for a few minutes, and they'd taste like the ones served at Mexican restaurants. I don't know what took me so long to try it out, but it was high time. I baked those stale suckers and served them to our guests. I totally admitted this, mind you, and asked for their honest opinion about the freshness of the chips. It was unanimous; the chips were delicious!

So here's the secret...

How to Refresh Stale Tortilla Chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread tortilla chips on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for about 10 minutes, stirring them halfway through if you remember. Serve warm. 

Asian Glazed Pork Tenderloin

This Asian Glazed Pork Tenderloin is a new favorite of mine because it's fast and easy. Butterflying the pork helps it cook quickly so dinner is on the table in no time. Make it a balanced meal with sticky rice and edamame. Delish.

Asian Glazed Pork Tenderloin
Serves 4
Adapted from Real Simple

1.5 pounds pork tenderloin
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

Use a very sharp knife to butterfly the pork tenderloin. (How to butterfly pork tenderloin: Lay the pork on a cutting board, and use one hand to hold it still. With the other hand, very carefully cut the pork tenderloin lengthwise, stopping when you're about 1" from the edge. Then fold it open like a book.)

In a small bowl, stir together hoisin sauce and rice wine vinegar. Set about 1/3 cup aside for serving.

Preheat the broiler to high, making sure the rack is about 5" from the heat source. Place the pork tenderloin on a foil-lined, boilerproof (in other words, not glass) baking sheet. Use a spoon or basting brush to spread the hoisin mixture on both sides of the pork.

Place the pan under the broiler and cook, basting twice with hoisin mixture, until the pork tenderloin reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees, about 12-15 minutes. Tent with foil and allow pork to rest for 5-10 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 145-150 degrees. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve with the reserved hoisin mixture.

How To: Chiffonade

When I was in college, I took a year and a half of French. I loved it. I neglected my other studies so I could flip through vocabulary flash cards and conjugate verbs. I rented "Babar the Elephant" for an assignment and actually watched it, despite the heckling from my roommates. French was one of my favorite courses. (The others were Piano for Beginners and Table Tennis, but we won't go there.)

Unfortunately, my love of the French language didn't mean I was any good at speaking it. Although I do feel that my years of study give me a certain appreciation for macarons, soft cheeses, and champagne, I can't get much past "Bonjour!" But I do like to throw around a few French phrases in the kitchen for good measure. (No matter that I learned them from the Food Network or "Julie & Julia.") Who doesn't like a fancy-sounding word that means something easy? It's just classier in French.

Chiffonade simply means to cut something (usually greens or leafy herbs) into long, thin strips. And it looks as pretty as it sounds. Here's how you do it:

Stack the leaves you want to chiffonade. (Here I'm using basil.)

Roll up the leaves as tightly as you can until they look like a little cigar.

Using the sharpest knife you have, cut across the rolled leaves so you have thin strips.

Et voila! Chiffonade.