Happy National Tortilla Chip Day - February 24, 2012

National Tortilla Chip Day

Rebecca Webb Carranza invented tortilla chips in the 1950s. Carranza and her husband owned the El Zarape Tortilla Factory in Los Angeles and were among the first to automate the production of tortillas. The machine often produced misshapen tortillas, and Carranza decided to try and use them instead of throwing them away. She cut the rejected tortillas into triangles, fried them, and sold them for a dime a bag.Tortilla chips soon became a nationwide sensation.

To celebrate why not try a drink made from corn. Chicha is a term used in some regions of Latin American for several varieties of fermented and non-fermented beverages, often derived from maize. It sometimes referred to as Corn Beer. While brewing real corn beer may be to difficult and time consuming. Here is a non-alcoholic version.

Peruvian Chicha Morada Drink Recipe

• 1 gallon water
• 1 (15 ounce) package dried purple corn (maiz morado)
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 tablespoon whole cloves
• 5 large lemons, juiced
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1/2 cup fresh pineapple, chopped
• 1/2 apple, chopped

Directions

1. Bring the water to a boil with the corn, cinnamon sticks, and cloves in a large pot. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 40 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain through a mesh strainer to remove the corn and spices. Stir the lemon juice and sugar into the chicha until the sugar has dissolved. Refrigerate until cold.
2. Stir in the chopped pineapple and apple before serving over ice.