…if what they want is GOOD food.

I can remember eating Chex Mix by the handful as a kid.  Seems like wherever there was a birthday party there was bound to be a bowl of the stuff lying around, just waiting to get picked over by the ravenous scores of children in attendance.  I mean, the mix was usually devoured within moments of being put out on the table, which meant that by the time I had a chance to do my own digging, the only things left were those dehydrated, brown croutons and a few broken pretzel pieces lying at the bottom of the bowl — certainly not anyone’s favorite components, but damn good, salty snacking nonetheless.

These days, I’m not being invited to as many five-year-old’s birthday parties as I once was, and by default, haven’t been eating as much party mix.  However, after coming across a recipe for an updated, Asian riff on the classic snack mix in a recent Food & Wine Magazine, I decided it was time to get back in touch with my inner child and get down 0n s0me party mix.

This stuff is as addictive as the mix sold in bags at the grocery store, only with a whole lot more of the items you’ve always wished you’d find inside of them.  Cashews, almonds, pistachios, pretzels, sesame sticks, Asian rice crackers and Chex cereal all get coated in a mix of pure maple syrup, soy sauce and fragrant Thai curry paste for spicy, salty-sweet flavor combination that will leave you craving a refreshing beverage to wash it all down with. The perfect compliment to a nice, tall glass of homemade lemonade and an even better match to a frosty-cold beer, you’ll find few snacks as enjoyable to munch on while watching the big game as this uniquely delicious party mix.

Continue reading chex mix . . .

I usually do the cooking in my house, but on a recent trip to the farmers market, my girlfriend stumbled upon a vendor selling what looked to be the last of this season’s tomatoes and was instantly inspired to make this soup. A little overripe, she decided that the still beautiful specimens would taste especially good after roasting in the oven to concentrate their flavor.  Now, I myself am not the biggest tomato soup fan, but I was blown away at how delicious and flavorful the end product became. Somewhere between a tomato bisque and an earthy, slow-cooked tomato sauce, this soup had me sopping up the leftovers from the pot with a piece of toasted sourdough. Perfectly seasoned and especially comforting on a foggy San Francisco evening, my place in the kitchen might be in jeopardy if my girlfriend continues to turn out such satisfying fare.

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