Eating like our Quarterback

Taco salad is one dish Nick and Tori Foles frequently make at home. Here’s a recipe from Keith Bernstein of Northern Liberties’ Tex-Mex spot El Camino Real that you can use to make your own. Eating it during an Eagles game could be just the thing to make them win — Silver Linings Playbook superstition-style.

Taco Salad

• 5 ounces dried black beans
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 ear corn, cut off the cob with a sharp knife
• 7- to 10-ounce bag mixed greens
• 4 ounces (about 1 cup) shredded cheddar
• 4 ounces toasted cumin vinaigrette
• 13-ounce bag tortilla chips
• 1 avocado, peeled and sliced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Cook the black beans until tender and cool rapidly. Mix with the diced peppers and corn and season with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, combine the black-bean mixture with all the other salad ingredients through the cheddar. Add half a cup of the vinaigrette (see recipe below), or more or less, to taste. Place 10 chips on each serving plate. Arrange the salad over the chips. Place a quarter of the sliced avocado on top of each salad. Serves 4.

To make the vinaigrette: Toast and grind cumin seeds to make 3 tablespoons powder. Combine in a blender with 3/4 cup apple vinegar, 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, 3 tablespoons honey, 1/2 tablespoon granulated garlic and 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard. Turn blender on low and begin to increase speed. Add 1 1/2 cups canola/olive oil, blend slowly to emulsify salad dressing along with salt and pepper to taste.

Philosopher Nick

Nick Foles is not exactly a quote machine. (His thoughts on our city? “It’s definitely different than anywhere I lived. But you just get used to it. And when you’re going around the city, it’s awesome,” for instance.) But in more than a dozen years of talking to sports rep-orters, he has said a few things that are almost Anthony Robbins-worthy.

“Everybody says it’s luck. [But it’s really] are you prepared for the opportunity when it arises? Because some people aren’t and they will never get another [opportunity].” —July 23, 2014

“You can’t play scared. You can’t play timid. I play with all my heart.” —Aug. 8, 2012

“I’m very fortunate to be here playing. ... I know any given day could be [my] last. [If it is] I’ll be thankful for the time I’ve had.” —Nov. 7, 2013

Tabletop Action

So you may not be able to play football like Nick, but with the help of these instructions, you and your Tori Foles stand-in can play another one of his favorite games, a card game called Speed. Like Chip Kelly’s speed-up offense, it features nonstop action and requires quick thinking and luck.

Each player gets 20 cards. You place the remaining 12 cards face down in the center of the table in four piles: the two outside piles get five cards each, and two center piles each get one card.

Each player picks up five cards from his facedown stack of 20 and holds them in his hand.  Then, each player turns over a card from the two single piles in the center of the table.

Both players simultaneously begin laying any card from their hands face up on top of either of the center cards. The cards have to be played in sequential order, but you can go higher or lower. (For example, you could put a king or a 2 on an ace.)

As each player places a card from his hand on the table, he picks up another one from his original stack of 20, so he always has five cards in his hand.

If neither player has a playable card, each flips a new card over from the outside stacks of five in the center of the table.  Once these piles are used up, the two center stacks are turned facedown and moved to the outside, and their top cards are flipped over to become the new center ones.

The first person to get rid of all 20 of his cards and yell “Speed!” wins.