Rick’s having people over for a relaxed evening of parlor games. He doesn’t want to spend all day cooking. But still, he wants it to be special. So he’s set himself a challenge: in one hour, with one bag of groceries, he’ll pull off a big-flavored spread of Mexican party food. The secret is starting with great prepared ingredients and combining them to make something exciting and new. That means finger-food like little Tuna in Jalapeño Escabechefilled with good-quality canned tuna, quickly warmed with vinegar, onions and pickled jalapeños. It means using canned chipotles to transform ordinary nuts into spicy-smoky Chipotle Roasted Nuts, and doctoring tortilla chips with lime juice and seasonings, and then baking them to make Garlicky Black Pepper Tortilla Chips. And it means an ultra-easy Wild Mushroom Queso Fundido, a hot cheese dip made extra-flavorful with a splash of beer. From a few avocados and a handful of grocery store ingredients, Rick whips up a sweet-spicy Mango Guacamole and a nutty Pumpkin seed Guacamole. And for drinks, he shares his restaurant’s classic recipe for Topolo Margaritas with fresh lime and blanco tequila. It’s a race to the finish—a one-bag fiesta that’s fun, flavorful, and best of all, fast.
