News From The World of... Snacks!

[Gurm]

So, many of you who are older than 20 may recall that there used to be a time when snacks weren't "X-Treme!", and weren't the color of day-glo traffic cones.

In this simpler time, a snack was introduced. This snack was "Doritos". They were mighty tasty.

All through my teen years, Doritos were a staple of snacking. Jay Leno told us to "crunch all you want, we'll make more"! Problem is, they didn't make more. They changed them.

You can't buy Doritos any more. Oh, you can get them - in "Nacho Cheezier", "XTreme Cheeze", "eXtra Zesty Ranch", etc. But not in the original flavors of Nacho Cheese and Cool Ranch.

UNTIL NOW.

I was in the store shopping off a list Julie made, which included Pita Chips and Hummus (her newest addiction). So I'm wandering the organic aisle when what do I see? "All Natural Doritos - 100% Organic".

Well, BAKED Doritos taste like cardboard, and every time I try a new kind of chip I'm disappointed. But I figured hey, what the heck. I risked it. And bought a bag.

I opened them when I got home. Crunched the first one and... MY GOD!

IT'S THE ORIGINAL RECIPE FOR DORITOS.

Yes, that's right.

Hie thee on down to yon local food mart, to the organic aisle... and buy all-natural Doritos. They taste JUST LIKE DORITOS USED TO TASTE 15 YEARS AGO!

[TransformX]

I was in the store shopping off a list Julie made, which included Pita Chips and Hummus (her newest addiction).

To all Middle Eastern murcers, WARNING: According to testimonies of Israelis travelling worldwide, the above mentioned Hummus is a horrid brew which has little to do with the Middle-Eastern (and REAL) thing.

[lecter]

I quite like the hummus and hazilim on offer here, and my Israeli friend also seems quite pleased with both They do come from a restaurant, though...

[Brian Ellis]

I make my own variety of hummus. Organic chick peas, soaked and lightly boiled so that they are still just firm under the teeth, some sesame seeds, all hand ground in a mortar, with just sufficient extra-virgin olive oil to make the paste and a pinch of salt. Ambrosia! Warning: it does not keep well. I make just sufficient for the day's requirements. Many times, when serving dips to guests, they have asked where I bought the delicious hummus, as they are used to the commercial stuff. Do the same with tahini, without the chick peas, just lots of sesame seeds.

[lecter]

Brian, you just seriously got me in the mood for hummus. Where I go they put mushrooms on the side, goes down mighty well...

[TransformX]

I quite like the hummus and hazilim on offer here, and my Israeli friend also seems quite pleased with both They do come from a restaurant, though...

With that name (hazilim) it's screaming Israeli friends all over

[lecter]

Huh? I have no idea what you just said...

[TransformX]

Hazilim is the hebrew (plural) name for egg-plants.

[lecter]

Oh, I was refering to the eggplant salad, actually (Baba Ganoush, right?)...I just remember it as "hazilim" on the menu. I'm probably being a little thick tonight, but I swear I still don't understand what u were trying to say, what's the connection between eggplants and screaming Israeli friends?

[TransformX]

Well, egg plants are called Hazilim in Hebrew, which means you know some Hebrew speaking people
Baba Ganoush is a name I've learned only a few years ago, it's a certain variant of the eggplant salad.

[lecter]

Ah, OK, it finally registered

[Dr Mordrid]

We get our hummus from a local middle eastern market. Beats the hell out of the stuff you get in chain stores

Dr. Mordrid

[Gurm]

CAN WE PLEASE GET BACK ON TOPIC?

DORITOS ARE AVAILABLE AGAIN! THIS IS GREAT!

Sheesh.

[Tjalfe]

I suppose I would be more excited if I actually remembered the taste from 15 years ago

[schmosef]

Chips in general don't taste good any more.

I hardly ever had chips as a kid. My dad thought that they were evil; they probably are.

When I did get a bag I used to savour each one. It would take me more than an hour to go through one of those little bags that they used to sell back then. Each chip was loaded with flavour and I would suck on them one by one. I promised myself that when I grew up and moved away I'd eat chips regularly.

Now, as an adult, I've tried chips and they suck. My favourite brand from when I was a kid, Hostess ("when you've got the munchies nothing else will do"), doesn't exist anymore. And the flavour sucks big time. All I can taste is acidity, not matter what flavour they are.

And I hate that gourmet kettle cooked crap too. If I'd wanted to cut the insides of my mouth I'd have eaten razor blades.

Snacking sucks these days.