Taco

Chop the black olives.

Slice the fresh tomatoes, optionally discarding the gooey parts.

Place the olives, tomatoes, and cheese in the eating area. These toppings will need to be ready to use when the taco shells are hot.

Place the beef in a wide pan on a large burner. Ground beef will need to be broken up as it cooks; chopped beef needs to be stir-fried and may require oil. When using high-fat ground beef you may wish to: add water to float the fat, cool to solidify the fat, remove the fat, drain the water, and reheat.

Add lots of cumin to the beef. Cumin is the magic ingredient that makes a taco taste like a taco. You may also add cilantro, celery, or mushrooms.

Prepare the shells. Pre-made shells should be propped up on each other and/or on cardboard, then heated in the oven. Do not brown them. Plain corn tortillas need to be fried. You may use a deep-fat process, going one at a time and using a large spoon to form the shells into the normal U shape. Pan frying in 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch of oil will also work; be sure not to let the tortillas stiffen prior to being bent into the normal U shape.

Place hot beef into a taco. To avoid cracks, it is important to do this first when using pre-made shells. The heat and moisture of the beef will soften up the bottom of the taco just enough to prevent cracking.

Place cheese onto the beef. The heat of the beef should slightly melt the cheese. You may wish to microwave the taco a bit, especially if the cheese is cold or if you are using low-fat cheese.

Place chopped olives, tomatoes, and any other vegetables onto the cheese.