Salty, Crunchy, Home-made Snacks

[maggiethecat]

Puff pastry cheese twists. I think they go with everything. Your cook doesn't need to make the puff unless he/she wants to. Store bought is OK. A little parm, some cayenne ... enhances everything.

[dougal]

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds makes for a trivially easy-to-DIY, salty, savoury accompaniment to less extreme drinks. However, other than a padded cell, I'm not too sure what goes with Absinthe!

[Chris Amirault]

Great ideas, everyone:

Avoid any kind of mixture, which only encourages pillaging by patrons who only like one element of the mix.

That's genius.

Possibly the best (and coolest) bar snack I ever had was at a dive bar in San Francisco. They had a Girolle cheese slicer behind the bar, and when asked, they'd shave off some cheese and serve it with a plate of saltines. Not only was the cheese great, but you got to watch the cheese shaving while you waited.

What a great idea! Sort of reminds me of McSorley's in NYC but with better product. You'd sell more simply by having it out, I'd bet....

Whatever you do, serve water with the snacks, both because the snacks are salty, and because you don't want patrons trying to quench their thirst with your cocktails (or have them think you're serving salty snacks to make them drink more).

Rule #1: Everyone gets a water back.

So, folks, what recipes are you using for these snacks?

[bmdaniel]

Like I said, I haven't tried it but I don't think the relatively light and sweet flavor of those picks would clash too much with cocktails. I'll play around next time I whip up a batch of pickles.

[syoung68]

I know the Violet Hour does savory rice krispie treats. You could do your own version.

[Mallet]

The Momofuku chincharrons are amazing and infinitely customizable with different spice blends...

[KD1191]

I know the Violet Hour does savory rice krispie treats. You could do your own version.

They just had a chef change, and those are sadly gone from the menu, along with the truffle-oil garnished chickpea "popcorn". New menu is here.

[Dave the Cook]

Great ideas, everyone:

Possibly the best (and coolest) bar snack I ever had was at a dive bar in San Francisco. They had a Girolle cheese slicer behind the bar, and when asked, they'd shave off some cheese and serve it with a plate of saltines. Not only was the cheese great, but you got to watch the cheese shaving while you waited.

What a great idea! Sort of reminds me of McSorley's in NYC but with better product. You'd sell more simply by having it out, I'd bet....

Peeps love to watch stuff, which accounts not only for the ubiquitous bar television, but the success of cheese shavers and, for that matter, real bartenders. So along these lines, what about a small theatre-style popcorn machine, like this? Set up a few shakers with various seasonings (e.g., the aforementioned truffle salt, Old Bay, grated parmesan, regular table salt), keep a stack of paper-lined baskets (or even popcorn boxes) close by for easy service.

[andiesenji]

Great ideas, everyone:

Possibly the best (and coolest) bar snack I ever had was at a dive bar in San Francisco. They had a Girolle cheese slicer behind the bar, and when asked, they'd shave off some cheese and serve it with a plate of saltines. Not only was the cheese great, but you got to watch the cheese shaving while you waited.

What a great idea! Sort of reminds me of McSorley's in NYC but with better product. You'd sell more simply by having it out, I'd bet....

Peeps love to watch stuff, which accounts not only for the ubiquitous bar television, but the success of cheese shavers and, for that matter, real bartenders. So along these lines, what about a small theatre-style popcorn machine, like this? Set up a few shakers with various seasonings (e.g., the aforementioned truffle salt, Old Bay, grated parmesan, regular table salt), keep a stack of paper-lined baskets (or even popcorn boxes) close by for easy service.

A warning about that particular Waring popcorn maker. It does not work as described and produces an awful smell. I had one and less than half the (fresh) kernels popped, it smoked, producing the smell that permeated the drapes and the carpet in my family room, requiring cleaning by Coit (they did a great job).

I returned it to the local store where I had purchased it and got the more expensive Maxi-Matic Elite at Smart & Final (local store) and it has worked fine.

Since then, it has been made available on Amazon for less than I paid (plus tax) and I would rate it as a best buy for the money. In this case you do get what you pay for.

[andiesenji]

I also have a recipe for sesame crackers that I think may have been from this forum.

I've made them several times and they are always a hit (even a slightly scorched batch when I forgot them due to a minor kitchen emergency).

I've also made these pretzels, which are versatile - and very crunchy.

http://www.grouprecipes.com/67527/hard-pretzels.html

I tried filling one batch with cheddar, with fair results but I think that was my fault - too generous with the cheddar.

Edited February 22, 2010 by andiesenji (log)

[Fat Guy]

Not quite crunchy but my standard cocktail snack when I serve cocktails to guests is Pecorino Romano cheese. This cheese is so salty and powerful as to be almost inedible as a stand-alone cheese in any other context, but it pairs well with even the strongest cocktails. In a bar context, where you have the luxury of quantity, you can keep a large wedge behind the bar and pry pieces from it to serve: gives the peeps something to watch.

[KennethT]

We just had a Mardi Gras party, and with the welcome cocktails (hurricanes (made with fresh fruit juices - not kool aid), and ramos gin fizz) we served puffed pork rinds with cane syrup. Salty and sweet.... yum... They're really easy to make (although takes advance prep)... full instructions are at the Cooking Issues blog from the FCI (http://cookingissues.wordpress.com/category/puffed-snack/) - but basically you take pork skins and boil in heavily salted water for an hour 15 minutes, cool, once cool, scrap any fat, then dehydrate overnight until they look like a shrinky dink... you can then puff in the microwave, but I like cooking in 375F peanut oil - they puff in about 5 seconds... drain and serve... The website also gives instructions on making puffed pasta snacks

[Katie Meadow]

Mmm. Pecorino reminds me that our default munchy at cocktail hour is often freshly made popcorn with finely grated pecorino mixed into it right away. I've used a variety of different pecorinos such as stagianata, antica, maturo. All good, with sea salt to taste if desired. I've never used the romano, but maybe that has enough salt all by itself. Pecorino Popcorn and a Bloody Mary is a meal in itself, what with the three important food groups: vitamins, protein and complex carbs/fibre.

[judiu]

Fricos! The best part of a grilled cheese is the cheese that gets grilled by accident; so make fricos in the oven on purpose.

[andiesenji]

Fricos! The best part of a grilled cheese is the cheese that gets grilled by accident; so make fricos in the oven on purpose.

Are those the Martha Stewart Fricos? I've made the various types: Sharp cheddar, Parmesan/Rosemary, Gruyere, and love the Asiago that I make with half semolina and half rye flour.

I don't follow her recipes exactly - I grate the cheeses till I have about two cups of each then add a heaping teaspoon or so of fresh herbs. I sprinkle on a heaping teaspoon of flour, toss and add a little more if I think it needs, it - test one or two on a medium hot griddle - not in oven - turn when the edges start to melt and as soon as the center settles and looks like it is going to melt, remove them to a tray lined with parchment.

If you want perfect circles, use muffin rings.

[Shel_B]

[...] I'm interested to know what salty snacks you can make yourself, either at home or at work. I'm part of a team thinking about classic-cocktail-friendly bar food, in particular, at a new restaurant, so anything that marries nicely with gin, rye, rum, and so on would be particularly appreciated.

What salty, crunchy snacks are your (or your customers') favorites?

Well, I don't drink, so I don't know how well the following recipe goes with the drinks you mentioned, but since it's a bar recipe, it should work well. I came across the recipe a week or so back, and made it this past weekend - delicious!

Union Square Cafe Bar Nuts

http://www.astray.com/recipes/?show=Bar%20nuts%20(union%20sq%20cafe)%20corrected

Shel

Edited February 23, 2010 by Shel_B (log)

[MelissaH]

Spiced roasted chickpeas.

[judiu]

Fricos! The best part of a grilled cheese is the cheese that gets grilled by accident; so make fricos in the oven on purpose.

Are those the Martha Stewart Fricos? I've made the various types: Sharp cheddar, Parmesan/Rosemary, Gruyere, and love the Asiago that I make with half semolina and half rye flour.

I don't follow her recipes exactly - I grate the cheeses till I have about two cups of each then add a heaping teaspoon or so of fresh herbs. I sprinkle on a heaping teaspoon of flour, toss and add a little more if I think it needs, it - test one or two on a medium hot griddle - not in oven - turn when the edges start to melt and as soon as the center settles and looks like it is going to melt, remove them to a tray lined with parchment.

If you want perfect circles, use muffin rings.

No, Andiesenji, they're strictly in my head. I adore the cheese that 'leaks' out of a grilled cheese sandwich and gets grilled itself, but I never thought about making fricos in a pan How wierd is that? I've only ever seen them made on a baking sheet with a silpat, but boy, do I love 'em!

[kayb]

I used to frequent a (now, sadly, closed) martini bar in Memphis that offered what ranks as my all-time favorite bar appetizer: Fried olives. They took a mix of different kinds of olives, minced them fine, mixed them with egg and I think bread crumbs, rolled them into olive-sized-and-shaped ovals, and deep-fried them. And served them in a martini glass lined with a couple of cocktail napkins, with picks to spear them.

Of course, it was Memphis, so they served them with the ubiquitous ranch dressing as a dipping sauce, along with marinara. I cared for no sauce at all, but if I did, I don't think it'd be either of those; maybe a Greek yogurt and cucumber raita, or something.

My other favorite appetizer that might lend itself well to bar snacks is asparagus spears wrapped in proscuitto and broiled until the proscuitto is crispy.

[judiu]

(snip)

My other favorite appetizer that might lend itself well to bar snacks is asparagus spears wrapped in proscuitto and broiled until the proscuitto is crispy.

Oh, yes, I'd forgotten those, but the idea also works well with fairly slender Italian bread sticks wrapped in good bacon and dusted with Parmesian cheese before baking until the bacon is crisp. They are beautiful, look a little like sturdy twigs.

[Chris Amirault]

Does anyone have a homemade Triscuit recipe?

[andiesenji]

Years ago I tried, with disastrous results, a "sort-of" Triscuit, made with shredded wheat cereal - not a good idea and it was very time consuming and labor intensive, involving soaking bite-size shredded wheat then flattening them before seasoning them letting them dry and then baking them.

Rolling them flat was an exercise in frustration.

However, I have made a couple of the cracker recipes from this article by Peter Reinhart.

The wheat crackers were very good, especially, as he mentions, if they are sort of scorched.

http://articles.latimes.com/2008/may/28/food/fo-cracker28

Edited February 28, 2010 by andiesenji (log)

[baroness]

Long ago, I toasted the bite-size shredded wheat biscuits in butter with good curry powder and probably some other ingredients I don't recall. There were no flavored/frosted varieties at that time (thank goodness!), only plain wheat. The result was rather 'Triscuit"-y.

[emilyr]

I'm eating my favorite salty, crunch snack right now, Firecracker Mix. It's a grocery store bulk mix with peanuts (both plain and spicy), wasabi peas, Cajun hot sticks (Corn sticks). sesame sticks, and roasted cashews. Yum!

[Ufimizm]

We just had a Mardi Gras party, and with the welcome cocktails (hurricanes (made with fresh fruit juices - not kool aid), and ramos gin fizz) we served puffed pork rinds with cane syrup. Salty and sweet.... yum... They're really easy to make (although takes advance prep)... full instructions are at the Cooking Issues blog from the FCI (http://cookingissues.wordpress.com/category/puffed-snack/) - but basically you take pork skins and boil in heavily salted water for an hour 15 minutes, cool, once cool, scrap any fat, then dehydrate overnight until they look like a shrinky dink... you can then puff in the microwave, but I like cooking in 375F peanut oil - they puff in about 5 seconds... drain and serve... The website also gives instructions on making puffed pasta snacks

I love the pork rind idea, but a much easier approach would be to buy an 80lb bag of them from here: My link There quick and easy to cook and you are only limited by your imagination for what type of seasoning you can add to the finished product.