Here are seven snack recipes that have that crunchie, crackling crispy texture that we all identify with the party atmosphere, whether that be snuggled up with family in front of a DVD or hosting a dinner party.
Microtato Chips are fat free potato crisps from Christiane in the USA (28 Cooks). She shares with us a secret microwave recipe to turn wafer-thin slices of potato into crispy snacks. Flavour with whatever spices you desire and lubricated with a little cooking spray, you too can make some nibbles that look as pretty as these. Photo courtesy of Christiane.
Butter Murukku are crunchy spidery snacks from Radhika in the USA (Radhi’s Kitchen). The recipe is surprisingly easy and consists of rice and gram flours and butter. The mixture is piped directly into hot oil. Radhika also explains that you should only mix the flours with the water just before frying or otherwise your final product will turn out a reddish colour. Photo courtesy of Radhika.
Sesame Asparagus are crispy treats from Santos in Guam (The Scent of Green Bananas). Green asparagus sticks are wrapped in prosciutto then dipped into egg wash, rolled in sesame seeds and then baked until toasted and crisp. Santos recommends serving these with Japanese mustard for dipping. Photo courtesy of Santos.
Polenta Chips from Haalo in Australia (Cook (almost) Anything At Least Once) gave me a big surprise. I’m not a polenta fan at all, but these crispy, fried goodies would be enough to turn anyone. Haalo lets the polenta firm up before dusting wedges in flour and deep frying to perfection. She suggests serving them with bubbly or beer as an appetiser, or even as a side to a main meal. Photo courtesy of Haalo.
Palakayalu are rice based savouries from Sailu in India (Sailu’s Food). Sailu would much prefer to create her own homemade savouries than buy them in the shop and she shows us her recipe for these dry rice crackers flavoured with vaamu (also known as ajwain, omamu or carom seeds – they are bitter, pungent and peppery and are believed to aid indigestion). Photo courtesy of Sailu.
Crispy Fish Balls are the work of Glutton Cat in the USA (Glutton Cat) who has devised these Turkish inspired snacks. Fish is blended with cornmeal, bread, garlic and parsley, then flavoured with cumin, pepper and oregano before being bound together with egg and saffron. They are deep fried to crunchy perfection and served hot to any gluttonous cat in waiting. Photo courtesy of Glutton Cat.
Thai Wontons bring back childhood memories of potlucks for Ed in the USA (Is it EDible?). These crunchy little appetisers are stuffed with garlic and flavoured with ginger, garlic, sesame, soy sauce and onion. Ed’s recipe provides two alternatives for cooking the wontons: in chicken broth to make a soup or deep frying them for the crispy effect. Photo courtesy of Ed.Add your own recipe!
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Lentil Potage
Lentils (Lens culinaris) are the seeds from within the pod of a bushy plant. Each pod contains two seeds.
Lentils are eaten mostly in the Middle East, Mediterranean and South Asia, where they can be made into soups or combined in rice dishes.
Usually when a treatment is complete you dress yourself then head to the counter to pay the bill. Not at Skin Therapeia! Instead I was lead into a plush lounge area where a plunger of tea and a small plate of snacks awaited me (in ultra funky tabelware too I might add!).
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Last weekend I made my weekly pilgrimage to my favourite provedore/green grocer to see what yummy treats they had in store for me this week.
The exterior shell of the fruit, known as the pericap, turns a deep, bold red when it is ripe. When first picked from the tree, the outer casing is soft and can be squeezed open but usually people buy the fruit a few days later and so the pericap has dried and hardened so probably needs to be opened with a knife.
Mangosteens have a wonderful creamy texture with a glorious sweet and refreshing flavour. They are similar to lychees, but the lychee seems much coarser compared to the elegant lemon-floral taste of the mangosteen. It is also reminiscent of fragrant peaches and white grapes, with its perfect balance of acidity and sweetness.
Unfortunately for Americans, fresh mangosteens cannot be imported into the US from most of these locations due to the fear of the Asian fruit fly hitching a ride with them. Even those grown in Hawaii cannot be transported to the mainland and many mangosteens found in the Chinatowns of US cities come illegally from Canada. The US can import mangosteens from 18 Caribbean countries but most of these countries don’t cultivate mangosteens commercially. Good news for the US however, since new crops in Puerto Rico have reach maturity and fresh mangosteens are slowly entering markets.
Other plants in the mangosteen family, such as St John’s Wort, have been used for medicinal purposes and scientists and researchers are studying mangosteens (both the fruit and the pericap) to develop products such as antimicrobial and antiparasitic treatments; dehydration aids; antiseptics and anti-inflammatories.
Chives belong to the same family as onions, leeks, and garlic (Alliaceae) and are the only species of Allium native to both the New and the Old World – which means they must be pretty old.
Due to sulphuric properties, chives have insect-repelling properties. The juice of the leaves can also be used for fighting fungal infections, mildew and scab. Although it is an insect repellent, its flowers are very attractive to bees and are used in gardens where many plants need pollination. 
Pistachio Berry Dacquoise
They also make chocolate sablés, Florentines, éclairs, brownies and mud cake.
I can’t decide which one I like best, but I’m pretty torn between the classic and delicious champagne and the rich, bittersweet choc-orange that laced with coconut. Although the strawberry delice is very dainty, sprinkled with crystallised lilacs.
