Category Archives: Snacks

FIERY LITTLE CRACKERS

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I recently saw a post inquiring about where to buy Savory Party Cracker Seasoning:

I’d never heard of this, but then someone responded with a recipe, and I was intrigued.  This is a quirky little snack, spicy and quite addictive, and an excellent example of factory-to-table cuisine.  You don’t even need a kitchen to make it.

The recipe has two key ingredients — Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix and Good Seasons Italian Salad Dressing Mix:

These are mixed together with vegetable oil, garlic powder, and a healthy dose of crushed red pepper, then poured over mini Saltine crackers.

After sitting overnight, the crackers absorb the oil, yet remain crispy.  These are a snap to prepare and make a great game day snack.  I test drove them at my office, and brought home an empty container.  If spicy isn’t your thing, you can scale back on the crushed red pepper.

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FIERY LITTLE CRACKERS
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Ingredients
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 tablespoons crushed red pepper
  • 0.7-ounce package Good Seasons Italian Salad Dressing Mix
  • 1-ounce package of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
  • 2 11-ounce boxes of Mini Saltines (or 1 16-ounce box regular Saltines)
Instructions
  1. Place the oil, garlic powder, red pepper, Italian dressing mix, and Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix in a small bowl, and stir together until thoroughly combined.
  2. Place crackers in a 2-gallon Ziploc bag. Pour the oil mixture over the crackers. Turn the bag over repeatedly to evenly distribute oil mixture, and then turn over every 5 minutes for 30 minutes. Allow crackers to sit overnight to soak up the oil.

 

Whoa, those are spicy!

Snack game on!

ROASTED CHESTNUTS

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With cooler weather finally here, my thoughts turn to Thanksgiving.  There’s a ton of things I look forward to about Thanksgiving — my kids coming home, the senior luncheon we host on Thanksgiving Day, and pumpkin bread, to name a few.  And chestnuts.  When I lived in Manhattan, I bought them from street vendors all winter long, but I especially enjoy roasted chestnuts during the holidays.

Chestnuts can be hard to find here in Houston, and when I’m able to find them they’re usually expensive, and at least a third of them are moldy inside their shell.  So I’ve taken chestnut matters into my own hands and ordered them online from Cedar Hill Farms in Missouri.  The smallest amount they sell of their beautiful large chestnuts is a 5-lb bag, which is $30 plus shipping.  That’s really more than I need, so I share them with other chestnut lovers.  These meaty chestnuts are delicious — and I’ve never come across a single moldy one.

Here’s my 5-lb bag of chestnuts:

It’s filled with plump, shiny, beautiful chestnuts:

Roasting them in the oven is easy, but they require a little prep work.  Although you can use any sharp knife, I recommend buying a chestnut knife like the one pictured.  Using your knife, cut an x on the round side of each chestnut, which helps keep them from exploding during roasting.

Place the prepared chestnuts on a baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until the shells pull back where the X is and the chestnuts are golden:

To make peeling them easier, wrap up the chestnuts in a dish towel and press down hard on them to further crack the shells.  Snuggle up in front of a fire and enjoy your fresh-roasted chestnuts (but be sure to save some for Thanksgiving stuffing!)

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ROASTED CHESTNUTS
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Ingredients
  • 1 pound chestnuts
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Using a chestnut knife or other sharp knife, cut an X on the round side of each chestnut, Place chestnuts on a baking sheet and roast for approximately 15-20 minutes, until the shells have pulled back from where the X is, and the chestnut meat is golden.
  3. Transfer the chestnuts to a thick dish towel, and press down on them hard to help crack the shells further and make them easier to peel.