New goal: Try Takis.

Personally, I prefer Jalapeno Cheetos to Hot Cheetos. But what are these Takis you speak of?

Snack Jail Release Program: Taste the Cairo

I hope you've been following the "Escape from Snack Jail" site that chronicles my efforts to clean up my infamous, glass-walled Snack Jail -- home to uneaten, old, scary, and odd snacks. Not everything is worthy of a post on this site, so I've been sharing quick pics and notes about that release program on Tumblr. Everyone's getting off with "time served!" But eating it takes time and focus, so it's a slow process.



I released a particularly special friend yesterday -- these Cheesy Cheese Pringles came back with us from our trip to Egypt ages ago. I can't tell where they were actually made, as most of the writing on the package is Arabic, but we picked them up in Cairo before flying home. They've held up really well.

The flavor is pretty basic cheese, but with a sort of hidden mystery note -- almost yeasty or what I imagine the background of marmite might be (side note: when will I remember to try marmite?!). In the English ingredients list I see buttermilk powder and onion powder, which I think contribute to this slightly "thick" cheesiness.

Speaking of the ingredients, anyone know what "nature-identical cheese flavour" would be?  The incomplete explanation given in parentheses is, "composed of cheddar cheese and parmesan cheese out of non-animal enzymes." Sounds a bit iffy to me.

Still, I approve of Cheesy Cheese! What's your favorite international Pringles flavor?

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Poetry Tuesday: Crabby No Crab

Crabby-No-Crab wanted crab.
Crabby didn't get some.
For seasoned chips, they weren't that bad,
But seafood content? None.



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New Breed

It seems like the Union Square Subway (sandwich place, not train station) is my place to spot new flavors of Sun Chips. I found another one there last week. This variety, Sun Chips 6 Grain Medley Parmesan Herb, claims to contain "corn, wheat, oats, brown rice, buckwheat, [and] quinoa."

They tasted like parmesan, sure. Herbs, too, I guess, in that indiscriminate "flavored chips" way. But quinoa? Buckwheat? That's a stretch.

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Chips Notes

Loaded Chili & Cheese
- Beany!
- Fair amount of spice without being "hot."
- Cumin?
- Cheese undertones.
- Onion.
- Better than "fully loaded"
- Sturdy, thick chips



Molten Hot Wings
- Tangy
- Vinegar
- Hotter
- Sturdy, thick chips

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Where'd they all go?

Happy Herbert's Cruncheezy things look like a healthier alternative to Cheetos. Taste good, too.

Oops. I ate the whole 4.5 oz. bag in one sitting.  So much for "healthier."

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Another new Sun Chips flavor spotted at Subway.

Has anyone else tried this one?  It's not bad, but it hasn't supplanted Garden Salsa's place in my heart.

[p.s. Yes, you are entitled to an explanation of my absence.  You'll get one a little later.]

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Voodoo Baby

Shoes by American Eagle for Payless
Jeans by Uniqlo 

Dan brought home a bag of Zapp's limited edition "Voodoo Gumbo" potato chips.  I think I ate most of it.

According to the copy on the package, this flavor was created by accident when an employee spilled some flavor powder in some other flavor powder (I'm paraphrasing).  And then the resulting mess (I don't mean that as a denouncement) was named in a contest.  This must be why it doesn't taste like voodoo or gumbo.  But it is good, if you like sweet-and-spicy, tomato-based chips (as I do).  And it does taste kind of like their Tabasco chips, which I also like.  So, although there's no distinct flavor in there, I can get behind this kind of accident.  I look forward to more limited edition flavors from these guys.

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Unhelpful Review: Japanese Crab Chips

[A gift from Jeff H.  Thanks, man.]

These tasted warm.

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Unhelpful Review: Blazin' Buffalo & Ranch

Spicier than my cat's snore.

Sorry, Kettle Chips.

I don't think you can approach the layered cheese+bacon+sour cream taste of a fully loaded baked potato in chip form without using artificial flavors. "[G]reat taste...naturally" works in a lot of kettle chip varieties, but not in this one.

Disappointment, thy name is Spicy Chipotle Sun Chips.

Did that blog title seem harsh? It's just that I was really looking forward to this new flavor, having read about its existence on some blog or other. When I spotted it at Subway last week, I knew I had to try it.

My verdict? Not spicy enough. Also, not zippy or exciting. Where's the zazz?! ("Zing! Zork! Kapowza! Call it what you want, in any language it spells mazuma in the bank!")

Don't worry, Garden Salsa Sun Chips, my love for thee remains true.

Giant Movie Night -- Bowie Bars Fwends!

GMN Week five
Film: Labrynth, starring David Bowie, Jennifer Connelly, and a fake baby.
Snack: Bowie Bars, carrots and hummus, taro chips.
Guests: Dan, Dave Johnny, Kevin D.
Outcome: This was a great Giant Movie -- nutty and sweet and soft like the Bowie Bars, as well as silly and dated in a pleasing way. Why didn't I notice how tight Bowie's pants are when I first watched this as a child? It's awful hard to miss.


Bowie Bars
Adapted from Ruth Wakefield's Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars, a recipe found in The King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion: The Essential Cookie Cookbook

2/3 c. (5.3 oz) unsalted butter, melted
2 1/4 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 large eggs
2 c. whole wheat flour
3/4 c. bread flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 c. chocolate chips
1 c. peanut butter chips
1 c. chopped pecans

Stir together (I used my KitchenAid mixer) the melted butter and brown sugar until combined and smooth. Add vanilla and stir to combine. Set aside. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and baking powder. Set dry ingredients aside.

To the wet ingredients, add the eggs one at a time, stirring after each addition until incorporated. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, while stirring. Add baking chips and nuts. Stir to incorporate.

Press this dough into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan.

Bake the bars roughly 30-35 minutes at 350 F, until set and golden brown. Cool before cutting into squares. The center of the bars will be set and baked through, but squishy and not dry. You can also use all-purpose flour in this recipe (as called for in the original). Bowie wouldn't use all-purpose, though. I'm pretty sure. He might also throw in some glitter, which I wouldn't recommend.

Giant Movie Night: Hot Stuff!

Meet Cholula and Jackie!

GMN Week four
Film: Ian loaned me Jackie Brown, which I hadn't seen before.
Snack: Mexican! Chips and stuff, hot sauce, salsa.
Guests: Dan.
Outcome: The movie was giant; the guests were few (one). I think the story and acting were stronger than the director (no fan of Tarantino, I), but it was a good flick.

Mystery Dips

Thank goodness Manuel had a birthday and someone threw him a big party. Thank goodness someone made two dips for that party in a quantity that left (after the party) enough dip for him to tote them to work the next day and share them with us. Thank goodness he chose to do so (and with tortilla chips, too).

One was white bean and very garlicky. One was chopped mushroom and olivey. Both were a little mysterious and hard to pin down. Each was delicious; I liked them very much.

Thank goodness!

Eating in bed is a privilege, not a right.

You have to earn it.

(Mmmm! Sweet potato chips from the drugstore. Only 99 cents and worth 10 to 30 cents more! Who told me about Utz Kettle Classics? Bets? They're good.)

Giant Movie Night Strikes Again

GMN Week two
Film: from some of the people who brought you "The State," it's Wet Hot American Summer.
Snack: stuffed hot American jalapenos (see this post), Red Hot Blues tortilla chips and salsa, Ciao Bella gelato (chocolate jalapeño or chocolate mint).
Guests: Dan, Carolyn, Rachel, Moss, Hero.
Outcome: Funny movie, good friends, amazing jalapeño gelato? What could be better? I got the lighting wrong and didn't get a good screen shot (the picture below manages to look like porn, not that I know what porn looks like), but the movie was definitely giant. Don't you worry about that.

Poetry Tuesday: Guest Poet, Chester Cheetah

[Jennette says: As it turns out, these are no better than the generic versions of "no hull, no seed" popcorn or melt-in-your-mouth cheese puffs that have been around since my childhood.]

Sunday, BBQ Sunday

Diana's BBQ featured spicy macaroni and cheese (the jalapeño in there was a nice idea) and potato salad (my favorite ingredient: capers), many meats and meat-substitutes (I went for the turkey dog Vincent offered to cook for me), and a bevy of chip-type snackfoods.



For one thing, someone had procured several small bags of British crisps. My favorite? These Tayto Pickled Onion, which mostly (but enjoyably) tasted of vinegar.



I brought a bag of Popcorn, Indiana (named after a real place, though the brand is a NYC creation) Smoked Cheddar Kettlecorn. The mixture of truly smokey cheese with the sweetness of kettle corn was pleasing, but I would have liked a little spice in the mix. I'd certainly eat this again, but I'll be looking for other flavors to try.

Desperately Seeking Sun Chips

There's a new Sun Chip flavor floating around out there -- Peppercorn Ranch. I picked it up a month or two ago with a sandwich at a Subway, but haven't found it again. It wasn't bad. I'd like to try it again, if the universe will allow.