I love to snack. Ive written before about some of my favorite snacks, like those tasty trays of smoked salmon (Im salivating just typing about it). But other snacks I have come to enjoy havent gotten their own Taste Bud column for whatever reason, which is why I want to shout them out now.
One of my favorite snacks since childhood has been peanut butter. My mother was of the choosy variety, meaning that I grew up on Jif, never Skippy. But in recent years I discovered that peanut butter is crammed with sugar. Its ridiculous to think sugar would even be an ingredient, but it is. And so I decided to switch to Simple Truth organic peanut butter. Why? Because the ingredients are: organic peanuts and sea salt. Thats it.
Whats in Jif? Glad you asked: Roasted Peanuts and Sugar, Contains 2% Or Less Of: Molasses, Fully Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils (Rapeseed And Soybean), Mono And Diglycerides, Salt.
Rapeseed?
The downside here is that the organic peanut butter is, well, really oily. In fact, it kind of oozes. But on the advice of a friend, I started keeping it in the fridge. It keeps the consistency like the peanut butter you remember as a kid, and with no sugar. Or rapeseed. I like it best with Cheez-It crackers. (My dog loves this snack too.)
Know what else I love to snack on? Crispy Jalapeños by Fresh Gourmet. My girlfriend Cynthia found these recently at Costco, and she bought a bag of them the size of all outdoors, which means Ive had more than my share. Theyre just what they sound like: dried pieces of jalapeño pepper with a sort of breading-style coating. Theyre salty, spicy and full of flavor, and theyre kind of amazing.
You can eat them straight from the bag, or use them on a grilled-cheese sandwich. Sprinkle them in your tacos if you want, or top a burger. Heck, theyd probably be great in some tomato soup. I just eat them by the handful. What I find fun is that, since theyre made from fresh jalapeños, the flavor profiles and heat levels vary a bit from chip to chip. You might sail along with several relatively mild peppers in a row and then hit one with a big kick. Keeps your taste buds on their toes.
Another spicy treat Ive been binging is Sabras Supremely Spicy Hummus. I love hummus of any kind, and its a fairly healthful snack, but when you add spice, it just ramps up the deliciousness. Its the usual blend of chickpeas and tahini, but topped with a dollop of some sneaky-hot salsa made with red bell peppers and chili peppers. Its great with plantain chips or pretzels if you dont have pita handy. Heck, I even eat it with the aforementioned Cheez-Its if nothing else is available. And if you are committed to healthfulness, I guess you could try it with carrots or celery.
But the latest thing I found that intrigues me is an alternative to my beloved Lays Flamin Hot potato chips (possibly my favorite snack ever) in the form of Spudz BeGEEzus Spicy BBQ chips. I ran across these recently at Holsopple Brewery in Lyndon Ive been a fan of the cheese and onion flavor of this locally-owned snack company, but Id never seen the hot barbecue version.
When I saw the fiery, red words Sooo hot! on the package, I had to find out for sure. I will say this: They arent as hot as they claim to be. And yet, theyre hot enough that I cant wait to get more. If youre a fan of Grippos barbecue chips, youll love these because the flavor profile is similar, and there is more heat.
Like with the Grippos chips, the Spudz chips are thick, with a soft layer of flavor over them that gets on your fingers and stays there until you lick it off (hey, thats part of the snacking fun). But its a great addition to the smoky, slightly sweet, salty experience to add some chili pepper heat, even if its a tad restrained.
Yeah, now Im even hungrier than when I started this.