英语博客：Loaded nachos.

 　　Studies show that the favorite food in the U.S is Mexican. The traditional hot dog and hamburger have to take second and third places, because the tasty and sometimes spicy¹ food found south of the U.S takes first place. When I first came to the U.S., I had very little idea of how much influence Mexico has, in general, on this country. As I am English, and England is very far away from Mexico, I had only ever been to one Mexican restaurant that was in London. I didn't know much about Mexico either.  Now, twenty years on*, I'm sure that there are many more, up and down the country, especially the popular food chains like Taco Bell and Taco Time. So, during my first visit here, I ended up eating more Mexican food than I had expected. You could say that while I have lived here, I have learned not only about the U.S way of life, but also about Mexico, its food, its culture, and its people. I've been fortunate enough to* go to Mexico a few times, see its capital, explore some of its major historical buildings, and experience some of its traditions. And Wenatchee, believe it or not, is very influenced by the Mexican culture. Although it is a small town, of about 40,000, a large percentage of the population is from Mexico. Their culture is attractive and lively, and very proactive*. There are more and more restaurants, bakeries, dance clubs, travel agencies, and daycares that are Hispanic and Spanish speaking. A healthy bicultural nature is emerging² in this town. Because of this, even the traditional supermarkets are offering products that Hispanics like to buy. It's good business. And one of the prefered dishes is nachos. It is based on corn or flour tortillas, which are flat and round. These can be fried to become crispy, toasted slightly in a frying pan with no oil, or simply warmed in the microwave. Nachos typically are crunchy. Bags of tortilla 'chips' are purchasable anywhere, so it's easy and convenient. Some people make a simple nacho dish of tortilla chips with tomato salsa and shredded³ cheese on top. However, 'loaded nachos' is a much more substantial⁴ dish that is varied⁵ and filling enough to be a full meal. The word 'loaded' is used to mean that it is a full, and quite heavy dish. A loaded gun comes to mind; it's ready to do some serious firing, and the nachos are ready to deliver some serious taste. So, we have the tortilla chips, and on top, fried , seasoned, minced⁶ beef, salsa, sour cream, advocado slices, black olives⁷, shredded cheese, and sliced chili⁸ peppers. Wow! Beat that! It is full flavored, as you can imagine. This dish is perfect for parties and get-togethers. Recently, the Superbowl was on, and it is a tradition to have loaded nachos available as one of the dishes to enjoy while watching the football on television. The supermarkets stock up with all the ingredients, so you can easily throw them all together to make this easy but satisfying dish.

　　Related vocabulary: ....years on, to be fortunate enough to..., proactive. (Get-together found on Facebook under Anna from A cup of English.

　　1. She started a naturopathic clinic. Several years on, she had to open two more; it was that popular.

　　2. We were fortunate enough to find five pairs of shoes on clearance⁹.

　　3. He is so proactive. He is always making good things happen, and when there is conflict, he finds a way to create a good situation out of it.

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1 spicy   

adj.加香料的；辛辣的，有风味的

参考例句：

• The soup tasted mildly spicy.汤尝起来略有点辣。
• Very spicy food doesn't suit her stomach.太辣的东西她吃了胃不舒服。

2 emerging   

adj.正在不断出现的

参考例句：

• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency. 两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。
• I saw the woman emerging out of a shop. 我看见那个妇女从商店里走出来。

3 shredded   

shred的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• Serve the fish on a bed of shredded lettuce. 先铺一层碎生菜叶，再把鱼放上，就可以上桌了。
• I think Mapo beancurd and shredded meat in chilli sauce are quite special. 我觉得麻婆豆腐和鱼香肉丝味道不错。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 substantial   

adj.大的，相当可观的，大体上的

参考例句：

• She is preparing a substantial meal against his return.她正在准备一顿丰盛的饭菜为他接风。
• The country bought a substantial number of weapons.这个国家购买了大量武器。

5 varied   

adj.多样的，多变化的

参考例句：

• The forms of art are many and varied.艺术的形式是多种多样的。
• The hotel has a varied programme of nightly entertainment.宾馆有各种晚间娱乐活动。

6 minced   

v.切碎( mince的过去式和过去分词 )；剁碎；绞碎；用绞肉机绞（食物，尤指肉）

参考例句：

• He minced over to serve us. 他迈着碎步过来招待我们。
• A young fop minced up to George and introduced himself. 一个花花公子扭扭捏捏地走到乔治面前并作了自我介绍。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 olives   

n.橄榄( olive的名词复数 )；橄榄树；橄榄色；油橄榄

参考例句：

• We sat drinking wine and nibbling olives. 我们坐在那儿，喝着葡萄酒嚼着橄榄。
• He sent her two pieces of olives in letter. 他在信中给她夹了两片橄榄树的叶子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 chili   

n.辣椒

参考例句：

• He helped himself to another two small spoonfuls of chili oil.他自己下手又加了两小勺辣椒油。
• It has chocolate,chili,and other spices.有巧克力粉，辣椒，和其他的调味品。

9 clearance   

n.净空；许可(证)；清算；清除，清理

参考例句：

• There was a clearance of only ten centimetres between the two walls.两堵墙之间只有十厘米的空隙。
• The ship sailed as soon as it got clearance. 那艘船一办好离港手续立刻启航了。