But for those of you who—like us!—are pinching pennies, rest assured there are great-tasting budget wines that will charm both your palate and your wallet.

Here are two of our most recent discoveries:

Gato Negro

Gato Negro (that’s “Black Cat” in Spanish, for all you gringos) is a Malbec from Argentina, one of our preferred wine countries. The 2010 variety is quite good, and at only $3.99 (at Randalls) you might pass it up for being TOO cheap.

Don’t let the bargain-basement price fool you! This is a great choice for pairing with any spicy dishes like our homemade tacos or Beef Chili with Bacon and Black Beans, or anything with red meat (Bleu Cheese Bacon Burgers) or tomato sauce.

Sea Ridge

A California Chardonnay, Sea Ridge‘s 2009 variety is also an amazing $3.99 (again at Randalls). As the back of the bottle describes it, “This is a full, ripe Chardonnay with hints of tropical fruit, citrus, and butterscotch.” Celebrity Intern and I tried it with shrimp last night (see his “hot damn, shim does shrimp!” post at diet-of-insects for the recipe), and it was a great accompaniment.

I would also recommend pairing it with grilled chicken or a Caesar Salad.

More Cheap Thrills

Looking for something special for Thanksgiving, or a great gift for the holidays? Wine.com is currently offering some “spooky deals” over Halloween weekend. Check out their site for more cheap thrills, as you can save up to 50% on selections you won’t find anywhere else:

Used with permission

Okay, so he came up with the idea to try this recipe when we were fumbling around at the grocery store, asking ourselves “What should we eat?” But that’s about it. He’s currently spouting some nonsense about my just being “the vessel” for his “genius,” which you can take or leave. I mean, it’s obviously an old Italian recipe passed down by generations of nonnas. Still, you ought to try these sandwiches. Check his blog for the deets on how to make ‘em, and then give him the gears for reducing me to a mere “Celebrity Chef” footnote!

Old El Paso isn’t being particularly singled out here; it’s just one example among many. People seem to think that you need “taco seasoning,” purchased in a packet such as this one, in order to make great tacos.

This is a lie.

The way to great tacos, my friends, lies in combining just five important seasonings you probably already own. They are:

• chili powder
• cayenne pepper
• cumin
• oregano
• salt

You can also toss in some ground coriander seed, to bump up the corianderliciousness of your cilantro leaves (sprinkled over the top of the finished dish), but it’s purely optional. If you’ve got chili powder, cayenne, cumin, oregano and salt, you’ve got it made in the shade. Enough with the pre-packaged “taco seasoning”! Free your kitchen of this sodium-laden packet of injustice, and marinate your meat in deliciousness.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Brown about a pound of ground beef (or pork, or chicken, or whatever) in a buttered skillet.
2. Chuck in your minced garlic (2 or 3 good sized cloves) and chopped red onion or shallot.
3. Add your spices, as mentioned above, plus about a cup of water to create the “sauce.” My spice ratio is about a teaspoon to a tablespoon each of the coriander seed, oregano and cayenne pepper, plus about 1/8 of a cup of both cumin and chili powder; adjust these as you please for heat and general taste, adding more if you like it more savory. Simmer down your sauce, stirring occasionally, until most of the water has evaporated—about 10 minutes or so.
4. Spread on your favorite tortilla, garnish as desired, and enjoy. Suggested garnishes include: lettuce, tomato, white cheddar cheese, cilantro, guacamole, salsa (I enjoy both red Salsa Casera and green Salsa Verde from Herdez), pickled banana pepper rings (I’ve been using some from Mt. Olive), and Celebrity Intern’s favorite, La Vaquita’s Crema Salvadoreña, a kind of El Salvadorean crème fraiche.

That’s it, that’s all. No fuss, no muss. Just great tacos. You’re welcome.

Also, if you’re looking for a great recipe for breakfast tacos, my fellow blogger Shim’s got you covered, over at Diet-of-Insects. (And no edible insects, I promise.)