GINA My attraction to mangoes was confirmed on a trip Pat and I took to Mexico. The velvety fruit tastes like an exotic mix of pineapples and peaches, and the flavor just explodes in your mouth. In creating this salsa, I stuck with Mexican tradition and added fresh cilantro, which you can chop or tear apart. Cilantro also offers a health benefit by soothing the digestive system. So, little do the guys know, I’m taking care of their stomachs as well as their appetite! (Ladies, y’all can thank me later.) Mind you, I was a little skeptical about whether they’d go for it, so I deep-fried the tortilla chips, so they’d have something familiar to dip.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4 to 6

　　2 mangoes, peeled, chopped into 1/2-inch chunks

　　2 plum tomatoes, seeded, diced

　　1 small red onion, diced

　　1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

　　1 jalapeño, ribs and seeds removed, minced

　　2 cloves garlic, minced

　　Juice of 2 limes

　　Kosher salt

　　

TORTILLA CHIPS

Peanut oil, for frying

　　10 corn tortillas

　　Kosher salt

　　(serves 4 to 6)

　　

Step 1

Combine the mangoes, tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, jalapeño, garlic, and lime juice in a bowl. Season with salt, and toss. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving, so the flavors can marry.

　　

TORTILLA CHIPS

Step 2

Heat the peanut oil in a large Dutch oven or deep-fryer to 350 degrees F. (For tips on deep-frying, see page 19.)

　　

Step 3

Arrange the corn tortillas in a stack, and cut into six equal wedges. Drop the tortillas into the oil, in batches, and fry until crisp and golden, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.

　　

Step 4

Remove the chips from the fryer and place on a paper-towel-lined sheet tray. Sprinkle the chips immediately with the salt, and serve warm with the salsa.

　　

ALTERNATIVE: Baked Tortilla Chips

Step 5

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

　　

Step 6

Lightly brush both sides of the tortillas with a few tablespoons of vegetable oil. Stack a few corn tortillas at a time, and cut through the stack to make each tortilla into six equal wedges. Spread the wedges out in a single layer on two baking sheets, season with salt, and bake for 15 minutes, or until crisp and golden.

　　Reprinted with permission from The Neelys' Celebration Cookbook by Pat and Gina Nelly. Copyright © 2011 by Pat and Gina Nelly with Anna Volkwein. Excerpted by permission of Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.Pat and Gina Neely are restaurateurs, best-selling authors, popular speakers, and hosts of the Food Network hit series Down Home with the Neelys. They recently opened their first New York City restaurant, Neely's Barbecue Parlor. They live with their daughters in Memphis, where they enjoy cooking at home with family and friends.Ann Volkwein is a best-selling food and lifestyle author based in New York City and Austin, Texas. Her previous books include: The Arthur Avenue Cookbook, Chinatown New York, Mixt Greens (with Andrew Swallow), and, with Guy Fieri: Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives; More Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives; and Guy Fieri Food.