Salsa – the #1 condiment in America

The headline above is a reference to one of the funniest shows of all time, “Seinfeld.” I don’t know if that’s true or not, but it is an interesting thing to ponder. When I was growing up, I hardly ever heard of anybody eating salsa, and making it at home was a completely foreign concept. Maybe it’s just where I grew up, but salsa didn’t really catch on until the 90’s.

The closest thing I remember to salsa during my childhood was what Pancho’s Mexican Restaurant called “red dip.” I rarely ever ate the red dip as a kid, but my mom loved it. Those of you who were lucky enough to grow up near a Pancho’s will fondly remember the little bowls of cheese dip and red dip they would bring out with their round tortilla chips. Back then you could get an unlimited amount of refills on the dips as long as you were ordering real food off the menu. I remember there being a little leaning tower of cheese dip bowls on the table when we would finish eating. As I got older, I began to enjoy the red dip, but the ultimate taste treat was mixing cheese dip, red dip and Pancho’s dressing. Good times, good times…

As far as I know, the only Pancho’s left is the original in West Memphis, Ark., that opened in the 1950’s. Whenever we get the chance, we brave the mean streets of West Memphis to have a taste of the foods we fondly remember from our childhoods. I’m happy to report that everything tastes exactly the same, but there is one lamentable change. After you order, you still get a little bowl of cheese dip and red dip with chips, but the days of unlimited refills are over. Now if you want another cheese dip you are charged for it, but I think it’s only $1.50. Even though that’s a bummer, I’m just glad there is still a place I can indulge my Pancho’s craving. I know that you can buy their cheese dip, red dip and even the dressing in area stores, but it’s just not the same.

Back to the original issue of salsa’s emergence on the culinary scene, before anybody thinks I’m crazy, I do remember bottled picante sauce being fairly common. in 80’s kitchens. However, I do not equate this as being even remotely close to homemade or restaurant quality salsa. No, real salsa is a thing of beauty with fresh tomotoes, onions, peppers and cilantro among other things. I don’t know when it happened, but at some point it became common (and even expected) for salsa to be an ever present item at restaurants that aren’t even remotely Mexican or Southwest in their offerings.

Over the years I began to make my own version of salsa. Mine is probably closer to pico de gallo than salsa, but it’s good all the time. It’s a pretty simple recipe that’s probably already known to most people, but I’m going to share it here anyway. it goes without saying that it’s best with homegrown tomatoes, but I had to settle for store bought ones. The end result is great with chips, vegetables, meats and probably some stuff I haven’t even thought of yet.

I had to use two limes this time because they were so tiny. I was too lazy to chop the garlic, so I just used garlic from a jar. I usually put a little bit of olive oil in my salsa, but I started Weight Watchers yesterday, so I left it out.

Here is my simple, fresh salsa recipe:

2 lb. tomatoes, chopped
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 to 2 jalapenos, seeds removed and finely chopped
1/4 c. lime juice
3 or 4 cloves of garlic, crushed or 1 T. minced garlic
1/4 c. fresh cilantro, chopped
salt to taste

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

I served the salsa at dinner with black beans and chips. We also had corn and some chorizo stuffed chicken breasts I found in the frozen section at Wal-Mart.