#cookit

How Epicurious Throws a Nacho Party

For our first #cookit event, Team Epicurious made a lot of nachos and invited some friends over. Things got cheesy.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle
  • Image may contain Human Person Pub Bar Counter Clothing Suit Overcoat Apparel Coat and Skin
    Photo by Chelsea Kyle
    1/18

    Don Some Team Swag

    Senior Editor Matt Duckor and Executive Director Eric Gillin showed off some #epistyle.

  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle
    2/18

    Invite Some Friends

    Our first #cookit event went down in the test kitchen at the Brooklyn Kitchen, a specialty grocer and classroom space in Brooklyn, New York.

  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle
    3/18

    Make a Huge Tray of Nachos

    Kat Sacks and Rhoda Boone from our food team started the evening out with a huge tray of the 50-ingredient nachos we developed for the Super Bowl.

  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle
    4/18

    Make Sure You Prep Everything

    Food editor Anna Stockwell prepares the nacho ingredients.

  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle
    5/18

    Everyone Should Have a Drink...

    Matt made two cocktails for both Super Bowl teams. The Pink Panther (for Carolina) featured Lillet, vodka, and pink grapefruit juice ; the Mile-High Margarita (for Denver) had habañero-infused mezcal.

  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle
    6/18

    ...And a Photo Opp

    Of the five sections of the 50-ingredient nachos (which included artichoke dip and Buffalo chicken), which was our food team's top pick? The smoked baby back ribs with smoked mozzarella was Anna's favorite.

  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle
    7/18

    Say Something to Your Guests

    Fun fact: the first nachos were three ingredients. One night while closing up, a maître d' of a restaurant in Piedras Negras, Mexico had three guests come in who were hungry. With the restaurant's cook nowhere in sight, the maître d', a guy named Ignacio, improvised with what was on hand. He called his combination of sharp cheddar, jalapeños, and tortilla chips "Nacho Especiales."

  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle
    8/18

    Give a Demo

    Food Director Rhoda Boone gave a demo on how to build nachos. The most important rule? "Don't add the fresh ingredients until after they come out of the oven."

  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle
    9/18

    Don't Be Too Serious

    How do you keep it clean when you #cookit with nachos? Follow Rhoda's advice and wrap your sheet tray in foil.

  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle
    10/18

    Take a Break

    Sometimes you really have to just stand back and take it all in. Or just take a photo, like Matt did.

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    11/18

    Then Let Your Guests Have at It

    And it's safe to say when people weren't Instagramming them, they really liked the nachos.

  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle
    12/18

    Keep a Healthy Supply of Toppings

    After a demo, our guests built their own nacho trays with just a few of the 50 ingredients we featured.

  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle
    13/18

    Check for Quality Control

    We're also not past sneaking from our own supply.

  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle
    14/18

    Keep Hot and Cold Toppings Separate

    Once the trays got nice and melty in the ovens at Brooklyn Kitchen, they were ready for cool ingredients like cherry tomatoes, banana peppers, guacamole, and shredded red cabbage.

  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle
    15/18

    Take Lots of Photos

    There were some fantastic creations, and guests didn't mind sharing!

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    16/18

    Check in With Everyone

    Special Projects Editor Adina Steiman checks out the nacho demo's structural integrity. We all were really excited about wearing bandanas.

  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle
    17/18

    Give Your Guests a Party Gift

    And then everybody else wanted one!

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    18/18

    And Don't Forget Dessert!

    After all of that salty stuff, we needed something sweet. Fudgy Double Chocolate Brownies, Peanut butter cookies, and caramel corn blondies rounded it out. Thanks to everybody that came out!

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