The Elegance of the Hedgehog

by: Muriel Barbery

p.169

"There's so much humanity in a love of trees, so much nostalgia for our first sense of wonder, so much power in just feeling our own insignificance when we are surrounded by nature ... just thinking about trees and their indifferent majesty and our love for them teaches us how ridiculous we are - vile parasites squirming on the surface of the earth - and at the same time how deserving of life we can be, when we can honor this beauty that owes us nothing."

Chicken & Pinto Bean Nachos

If you know anything about me, you know how much I love food. And one of my favorite foods is nachos. This is a great recipe.

Ingredients:
Meat -
18oz container Chi-chi's Shredded Chicken for Tacos

Beans -
1 can chipotle chilies in adobe sauce
2 tbs water
2 tsp lime juice
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 15oz cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Topping -
1 15oz can diced tomatoes
1 diced avocado
1/3 c diced sweet onion
2 tbs lime juice
1 tbs olive oil
1/4 tsp salt

More -
8 oz tortilla chips
2 c shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro
Jalapenos, sliced as needed
Sour cream, to taste

Directions
1. Heat chicken as directed on package.
2. For beans, remove 2 chipotle chilies and 1 tbs sauce from can. Keep remaining chilies and sauce for some other time. Drop chilies through food chute with processor on; pulse until coarsely chopped. Add water through beans and process until smooth. Stir in bacon.
3. Pre-heat broiler.
4. For topping, combine tomato and next 6 ingredients and toss well to coat.
5. Arrange chips in a single layer in a baking pan. Top evenly with bean mixture, chicken, and cheese. Broil 4 minutes or until cheese is melted.
6. Top evenly with remaining ingredients. Serve immediately.