Not Your Cheese

Gourmet Nachos with 2007 Eos Estate Zinfandel: 5/5

2007 Eos Estate Zinfandel: 91/100

I don’t know about you, but I like my cheese made from cows or goats, with all the fat included. Manipulating and flavoring soy into the consistency of Velveeta does not sound very appetizing to me. But luckily with a few Whole Foods close by, Shelbey was able to find Teese cheese http://www.teesecheese.com/sauces.php, for her vegan nachos this past Thursday. Just to forewarn you, for those brave enough to purchase Teese Cheese, I highly recommend having someone else prepare it for you. Packaged similarly to sausage, the initial overwhelming soy smell, along with the excess liquid that bursts forth from the package upon puncturing, is enough to make you loose your appetites. (Maybe that’s why vegans are so skinny).

Forecasting a semi-bum of a meal from the vegan nachos, I decided to make some gourmet nachos as well, to pair with a bottle of 2007 Eos Estate Zinfandel. Zinfandel, known for it’s ability to stand up to big bold flavors, won’t have a problem with greasy cheese, cumin, chili powder, tomatoes or avocado, just be careful when it comes to the Jalapenos.

When craving nachos, many times I just grabbed a jar of salsa, some Tostidos, some pre-packaged grated cheese, and maybe some ground beef, but with all day to cook I wanted to do everything from scratch. At Pastoral, a great wine and cheese shop just down the street from me, I got some Prairie Breeze Cheddar from Iowa, with a nice sharpness, and some Asiago Fresco from Italy, perfect for melting.

Trying to keep as healthy as possible for Shelbey, I decided to make my own tortilla chips. All you have to do is preheat an oven to 400 degrees, spray some tortillas with some non-stick spray, cut them into quarters, and bake for 5-7 minutes, until slightly golden brown. Of course you can dust with some salt or spices if you want, but I kid you not, that’s it. No oil, no frying, and you still get all the crunch.

Next up, guacamole. Personally, store bought guacamole tastes disgusting, I don’t know what they put in their to keep the avocado from oxidizing, but what ever it is, it makes my palate shrivel. If you’ve never made guacamole before, I recommend ordering it table side form an authentic mexican restaurant and watch how simple it is. All you have to do is core and chop 2-3 avocados, add 1/4 a cup of finely chopped white onion, 1-2 table spoons of diced cilantro, the juice from 1/2 a lime, 1 teaspoon of salt, and pepper to taste. Simple. If you want it spicy, add some diced jalapeno, but be careful of the seeds.

Keeping things simple, salsa doesn’t have to be complicated either. Since it’s no fun trying to scoop soupy salsa up from your plate, when it comes to nachos, I recommend making things a bit chunky. Chop 2-3 large tomatoes, half of a green pepper, and half of an onion. Put everything in a bowl and mix in a 1/4 cup of tomato sauce (or tomato juice), 2 table spoons of sugar, 1-2 table spoons of cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste. To add some depth I added a pinch of chipotle chili powder, which gave the salsa a slightly smokey flavor.

Finally to add some protein, I whipped up some fajita style chicken. After coating 2 chicken breasts with some salt, pepper, cumin, and chili powder, I popped them into a skillet with some oil. After 5-7 minutes of cooking I added some julienned red and green pepper. After the chicken breasts were completely cooked, 15 or so minutes, you can either chop it into strips or, if you are feeding lots of people, shred it by taking a fork and scrapping, prong side down, along the muscle grain of the chicken.

When it came time to eat, the smell of peppers and chicken competed with the Teese cheese, melding into soy flavored fajitas. Drizzling florescent orange sauce over the chips, and topping with guacamole and salsa, Shelbey’s plate looked like nachos, but I was still hesitant about the outcome. As Michael and I’s cheese melted in the oven, I poured some wine and put the condiments on the table. Craving sour cream, I tried to keep the container as far away form Shelbey as possible.

Swirling my glass of fairly opaque ruby wine, I noticed some substantial legs, indicative of the Zinfandel’s 15% apv. Taking in the aromatics, I was met with a strong plum aroma that gave way to a jammy blackberry. With noticeable acidity but an overall velvety weight, the wine coated my palate, enveloping even the miniscule crevasses. Complete with a gulp, I was left with a lingering oaky and smoky aftertaste.

Completely confident in my pairing, I tried my gourmet nachos first. With smoky cumin, and chili powder the chicken was met with the sharpness of the cheddar before mellowing out to the zesty avocado and sour cream. Tingling my taste buds, the acidic salsa popped against the crunch of the tortilla chips, all with a light saltiness. Compared to store bought ingredients, everything rang with freshness.

Cutting through the fat of the cheese and avocado, the wine’s subtle tannins left the palate cleansed, while the fruit forward flavors brought out the sweetness of the tomatoes and lime. Able to stand along side with out overpowering, I now fully understand why Zinfandel is a beautiful mate for big flavors.

Mustering up the courage to try Shelbey’s nachos, I yanked a Teese Cheese covered chip off of her plate. Was it as bad as I expected? No. With a fairly recognizable “nacho” flavor, similar to that of ball park nacho cheese, when mixed with the salsa and guacamole, the underlying soy-ness took a back seat. But After Shelbey likened the consistency to that of Creme Brulee after resting away form the heat, I decided one taste was enough for me.

As the feast came to a close, I began feeling the warmth from the 15% apv starting to kick in—definitely a dangerous wine. While we all waited for Project Runway to start, conversation buzzed about our dimly lit apartment. Good friends, good food, good wine—another perfect pair.