I Like Fritos

I Like Fritos

There, I said it. I’m not ashamed. Come to think of it, I have no shame. Whatever. Fritos taste good to me.

Compared to fresh-fried tortillas, no comparison, but this is the first taste that I had (read: Eisenhower Administration) of how wonderful corn could become when it was dried, milled, fried and presented as a snack. Remember, during the early years of the Cold War, the only way we had corn was in a can (the better to resist Strontium 90 contamination). Fritos proved an excellent use of the corn surplus that existed after WWII.

Today, at Café Marianao, as I waited for my Cuban sandwich and media noche, I selected a bag of Fritos because, you know, we were both there at the same time.

Later, nibbling them with a Wild Turkey Manhattan, I realized that these are indeed excellent treats. There is no resistance to the bite, as there is with “real” tortilla chips, but when the sun is going down over a well-tended garden, and all you really want is a little salt and crunch to perk the buds, a slight counter-taste to balance the bourbon, well, Fritos do that.



Doritos? Whole ‘nother story.

David “Not afraid to go downscale, downtown, downlow” Hammond

Please pass me a Frito pie!!! For some reason Fritos became a topic in a conversation item. They said Fritos were a Texas thing. I am from Texas, but I am not too sure about that. But, apparently Frito pie aka white trash nachos...that is what was written under Frito pie on the menu at Silver Cloud is an item you can order.

Silver Cloud
1700 N Damen Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 489-6212

Scary how many flavors they come in today compared to when (Cuban Missile Crisis) I was growing up. Yes edible and somewhat filling.

I seem to remember Persian Gulf circa 1989 US Army...uh...Army Peoples claiming they made MRE rations palatable.

Now Sun Chips, I think we should discuss Sun Chips in the near future.

I scarfed one of the small bags designed for school lunches recently, and was surprised at how natural they were: corn, oil, salt. In this world of faked-up snack foods, it's nice to see an old stalwart comes across as basically pressed ground corn nuts.

I remember well the Frito Bandito, both endearing and racist at the same time, and I couldn't help but sing along.

-ramon

I don't have them often anymore, but I like Fritos, too. They have a great flavor that I can imagine even now.

And a fun memory came back to me while reading your description of the taste. Back in the '60s, we visited Disneyland. In Frontier Land, The Frito Company had a snack stand where they offered Frito ta-cups, which offered taco filling (beef, lettuce, sour cream, avocado, tomato, taco sauce) in a cup formed from Fritos. When I was 13, that seemed not only delicious but pretty darned exotic. I think I had one every day we were there.

Cynthia,

Sloppy Jo's in Highland Park offers their signature dish over Fritos.

Munch a munch a Fritos! Corn chips!

Regards,

I think the jingle went something like: "Its not polite to smack your lips, but you can't help it with Fritos corn chips. Munch, munch, munch a bunch of Frito's-corn chips." Now if I could only remember the pythagorean theorem...

Mario wrote:But, apparently Frito pie aka white trash nachos...that is what was written under Frito pie on the menu at Silver Cloud is an item you can order.

I believe you can also get Frito pies at the Horseshoe and Chili Mac's

Oh COME ON!. NOBODY?????

muncha buncha muncha buncha muncha buncha muncha buncha fri-tos go with lunch...."CRUNCH!"



Texas thing might be true:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fritos

In September, at the Santa Maria Lauretana Festival behind the North Riverside mall, you can usually get a "walkin' taco" -- bag of fritos filled with chili and jalapenos. Not bad.

Also, Flying Angels:
http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?p=34103

The Walking Taco is also a staple of Boy Scout cookery, and of high school athletic concessions. The standard Frito bag is quite useful as a leakproof container.

That reminds me -- has anyone ever seen an ice cream cone-shaped tortilla product? It might be worth a patent if it doesn't already exist. A "cake" style cone would probably work better to prevent chorizo grease from dripping down your arm.

JoelF wrote:That reminds me -- has anyone ever seen an ice cream cone-shaped tortilla product? It might be worth a patent if it doesn't already exist. A "cake" style cone would probably work better to prevent chorizo grease from dripping down your arm.

I think that's a cool idea. Taco contents like ground beef and beans could be easily scooped in, like ice cream, then topped with cheese, bada-bing, a Tacone.

A childhood favorite sandwich of mine:

Tuna salad and a layer of Fritos on squishy white bread.

Best,
Michael

JoelF wrote:The Walking Taco is also a staple of Boy Scout cookery, and of high school athletic concessions. The standard Frito bag is quite useful as a leakproof container.

In the city it's been updated to flaming hot cheetos covered with nacho cheese.

David Hammond wrote:In September, at the Santa Maria Lauretana Festival behind the North Riverside mall, you can usually get a "walkin' taco" -- bag of fritos filled with chili and jalapenos.

Thank you for answering my question. And I didn't even have to ask it. I'd never heard of a walking taco until last summer in Melrose Park. I took a picture to remind me to look it up but forgot about it. Looks like there's no need to wait until September!


Butch's Beef
1918 W Lake St
Melrose Park IL
708-681-2333

JoelF wrote:That reminds me -- has anyone ever seen an ice cream cone-shaped tortilla product?

The Walking Taco Cone turned up just now while I was reading about walking tacos.

Rene G wrote:

JoelF wrote:That reminds me -- has anyone ever seen an ice cream cone-shaped tortilla product?

The Walking Taco Cone turned up just now while I was reading about walking tacos.

In all humility, I still prefer Tacone.

Also, the Taco Cone is made from mostly wheat flour, with some cornmeal added. I think JoelF* and David envisioned a 100% corn Tacone, no? That would be a clearly superior product taste-wise (and more like a Frito), although perhaps a bit brittle and prone to collapse.


* Edited to reflect David Hammond's gentle correction, below. Sorry, JoelF!

JimInLoganSquare wrote:Also, the Taco Cone is made from mostly wheat flour, with some cornmeal added. I think David envisioned a 100% corn Tacone, no? That would be a clearly superior product taste-wise (and more like a Frito), although perhaps a bit brittle and prone to collapse.

Actually, JoelF introduced the idea; all I did was come up with the killer name.

And, yes, I was imagining it would be made of cornmeal.

JoelF wrote:That reminds me -- has anyone ever seen an ice cream cone-shaped tortilla product? It might be worth a patent if it doesn't already exist.

Unfortunately a method for making tortilla cones has already been patented.

Speaking of cones, Crispycones might be the most horrifying fast food concept I've seen. A while back JiLS introduced us to Kono Pizza (here's a working link to the KP website) but I find Crispycones even more revolting. Check out their menu for a good laugh and be sure to click on the Chicone Quesadilla link. Franchises are available.

Rene G wrote:

JoelF wrote:That reminds me -- has anyone ever seen an ice cream cone-shaped tortilla product? It might be worth a patent if it doesn't already exist.

Unfortunately a method for making tortilla cones has already been patented.

Speaking of cones, Crispycones might be the most horrifying fast food concept I've seen. A while back JiLS introduced us to Kono Pizza (here's a working link to the KP website) but I find Crispycones even more revolting. Check out their menu for a good laugh and be sure to click on the Chicone Quesadilla link. Franchises are available.

Meatballscone? Pestocone? Porcone? Unbelievable...and yet, I would eat one.

David Hammond wrote:In September, at the Santa Maria Lauretana Festival behind the North Riverside mall, you can usually get a "walkin' taco" -- bag of fritos filled with chili and jalapenos. Not bad.

Also, Flying Angels:
http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?p=34103

That rocks!!

oh man..Fritos!
I really miss the wild n mild ranch fritos.
I haven't seen those on the shelves for a few years.

Fritos 'n chili are the best Morning After relief I've ever found. Even better than menudo. Whoda thunk?

There's nothing else quite like 'em.

Geo

PS. Anybody a fan of cornuts?? Love 'em!

Geo wrote:PS. Anybody a fan of cornuts?? Love 'em!

In the Condor thread, I posted this pic:



In the upper left-hand corner is a very fine version of cornuts; basically toasted corn, very crunchy and salty but with none of the filling-shattering hardness of CornNuts (which, incidentally, I like, too).

Hammond

Have you had Glad Corn. It's a bit like CornNuts -- great corn flavor, good crunch -- but it's not hard -- kind of like very firm popcorn. Simply fabulously great snack.

http://www.gladcorn.com/

Second on the praises for Glad Corn. I had it at the Fancy Foods show in May and it was one of my favorite take-aways.

I haven't found it in mainstream retail, but I (randomly) found it being sold in the little health food shop on the first floor of the Glenview Park District building in the Glen.

Glad Corn's webpage lists retail stores, by state. They seem to be in all the Gander Mtn and Cabella shoppes in the world.

Geo

Somebody left 1/2 a bag of chilicheese fritos at my place about a year ago, and on a whim I crumbled them on top of my mom's hashbrown and sharp cheddar casserole before it went in the oven. Came out pretty darn tasty!

JoelF wrote:The Walking Taco is also a staple of Boy Scout cookery, and of high school athletic concessions. The standard Frito bag is quite useful as a leakproof container.

That reminds me -- has anyone ever seen an ice cream cone-shaped tortilla product? It might be worth a patent if it doesn't already exist. A "cake" style cone would probably work better to prevent chorizo grease from dripping down your arm.

Every year on the Fourth of July (which is also Dad's B-day), my parents have "meat fest". We are all encouraged to bring fun and different meat dishes.

One year my brother and I developed Meat Cones.

We used regular ice cream cones (not the sugar ones). Made some tasty taco meat. Filled the cones and then sprinkled cheese on top and baked them. Then we put out toppings for each person to choose for himself.

They were awesome!!!