Chips

What makes for a good chip?

The chip is a tough thing to decipher. There are so many different kinds: potato, corn, baked, fried etc.

To me a good chip must have some crunch. Not too much of a crunch, however, especially if you are snacking on them.

I feel a kettle chip is better suited for a side dish to a meal such as a sandwich, burger or hot dog. The texture, I believe, is not meant for snacking. It's just too much crunch.

I like a plain kettle chip with a hot dog or sandwich. However, I like sour cream and onion chips with burgers. Strange.

For snacking, I also enjoy sour cream and onion chips (the Old Dutch variety) and plain tortilla chips.

I don't care much for Doritos. I think tortilla chips and corn chips taste just fine the way they are. They don't need to be jazzed up. I also think tortilla chips are meant to be dipped in items like salsa and sour cream — you shouldn't do that with Doritos. I cannot stand guacamole or avocado in general. I never use that dip.

I like many different kinds of tortilla chips as well.

If I were pressed to tell you my favorite chip, I guess I would say Old Dutch Sour Cream and Onion. I don't care much for Lays chips, in any variety.

Another "chip" variety I can't stand are Cheetos. I don't think they taste very good and they are messy. The cheese gets all over your hands and it's just one big mess. I don't care for any puffed corn snack.

Leave a comment on what your favorite chip is?

Posted by: Matt Suoja on 3/10/2009 at 10:00 AM | Comments (10) | Permalink

The Taste of TV

I have seen numerous cooking shows over the years and I feel I've developed a strong palate for what makes a good show.

Most of the time I don't like watching shows with a person going through the ins and outs of how to prepare a dish. I prefer the shows where someone travels some place to find out about the cuisine of that area.

Here are my five favorite shows and why (they are in no particular order).

Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations," on the Travel Channel is a great show. He travels across the planet to explore the food and culture of each place he goes. He even ate warthog with the Bushmen in the Kalahari in Namibia. The guy is pretty funny too, which really helps the show out. His way with words really brings the show to the next level.

"Top Chef," on Bravo, features many chefs trying to make a name for themselves in the culinary business. It's a reality show where mostly young chefs compete against one another for the title of "Top Chef," $100,000 for a restaurant start-up and a few other treats. Watching the chefs battle it out creating new cuisine, stuff I've never seen before, keeps me watching from week to week. The personality clashes on the show are also intriguing.

Iron Chef Japan, the original, is also a fun watch on Fine Living. This version, with translators of course, was filmed from 1993 to 1999. It is a culinary battle between an Iron Chef, at times there were three or four to choose from — and the one who dares to step into the culinary ring. Many times exotic ingredients were used, to me anyway, and the chefs seemed very eccentric and skillful with knifes, sometimes making plates that looked like paintings. I like this show better than the American version. It just seems funner and more eccentric.

"Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" on Food Network is another great show. The one thing I really like about the show is chef Guy Fieri takes the audience on a ride across the country to places everday people eat. The food is always recognizable and affordable for even the leanest pocketbook. The food he tries also looks like food I could make at home.

"Good Eats," featuring Alton Brown, on the Food Network, is the only show on the list that features step-by-step cooking. His episodes focus on one dish or ingredient and goes through the "science" of the dish. He's funny too, which helps the show. His recipes are easy to understand and look delicious.

What's your favorite food show and where can we watch it?

Posted by: Matt Suoja on 2/26/2009 at 9:00 PM | Comments (2) | Permalink

Chocolate Dreams

Heidi Ash, owner of 185Chocolat, creates some mighty tasty chocolate.

I will not delve into why the company is so named that or some other details about Ash (Budgeteer reporter Matthew R. Perrine is doing a story on her next week), but I will discuss her chocolate.

It’s the best chocolate I’ve had ... since I can’t remember when.

She started out my tasting with a Chocolate Mint Shortbread. It was fantastic. There was salt in it (I know there’s salt in many chocolate recipes).

The salt acted as a more powerful flavor-friend than I have normally seen in chocolate products.

Needless to say, the salt balanced incredibly well with the chocolate and the mint. I’m a huge fan of the salt-sweet combo. When I was a kid I always sprinkled salt on my chocolate chip cookies — maybe I was a “baby foodie.”

The cookie was crunchy and tender at the same time. I felt it would melt in the palm of my hand if I waited a second longer before I engulfed it.

Her French Roast filled chocolate was very good as well. The uber creamy coffee ganache balanced very well with the chocolate. I felt like I was eating a cup of French roast coffee, in a coffee cup shell of chocolate.

Her Caramel Knowledge made me feel “stupid.” It was if for all these years I’ve been dumbed down by the hard chewy caramel found in most boxed chocolates you can get from local grocer’s shelf. The caramel inside explodes in your mouth. Once you bite into it, you’re surprised. It’s like a caramel water, but rich, very rich. It may be the best chocolate candy I’ve had.

I could put that caramel on a piece of fish and it would taste great — you know how I like sweet and salty.

Other chocolates that I tried were her Three Chocolates and Raspberry Silk.

The Three Chocolates has a layer of light chocolate and a layer of dark chocolate inside a chocolate shell. The intricacy of how this was done really tell’s me something about the maker — she’s a perfectionist. The center of this divine treat was creamy and rich.

The Raspberry Silk had the some of the same aspects to it, but with raspberry — delicious. It was creamy and rich and makes me want to eat my fruits and vegetables.

For more about 185Chocolat, visit 185Chocolat.com.

Leave a comment on what your favorite chocolate is.

Posted by: Matt Suoja on 2/18/2009 at 12:10 PM | Comments (1) | Permalink

The Crown Jewel

A co-worker recently came up to me and suggested it would be a good idea to do some kind of food page on a hot dog: the various types, how to prepare them, different condiments, etc.

Then it dawned on me. I've never written about my favorite hot dog in Duluth.

The "greatest," as I like to call it can be found at Bridgemans by the Miller Hill Mall.

They start out with the hot dog, then they cut little slits in it on the top, and cook it to perfection. Cheese and a strip of crispy bacon is then added. The bun is grilled on the outside too.

If I were stranded on dessert Island and could only take a few different meals with me, that is one I would bring.

It's to die for. I recommend getting it with fried onion. The onion is very soft and cooked until carmelized. I like to get a salad and fries with it as well. Their fries are always crisp and the bleu cheese dressing is fantastic. It has huge chunks of bleu cheese in it.

I actually have never had a bad meal at Bridgemans.

Whether it's a turtle sundae or their specialty hash browns (with cheese, onion and a few more treats) it ranks with me as one of the top local restaurants.

The prices are fair and it's family oriented.

As far as local restaurants are concerned, it is comparable to the Pickwick. The food may be simpler at Bridgemans, but it's incredible.

Leave a comment on what you think of Bridgemans.

Posted by: Matt Suoja on 2/11/2009 at 3:00 PM | Comments (5) | Permalink

Versatile food

With today's trying economic times, we all try to make the most out of what we have.

A person should also apply this equation to food.

What are some of the most versatile foods on the cheap?

One thing that really stands out to me are eggs. Add some flour, a little leavening and a liquid and you get pancakes or waffles.

If you want to eat eggs a'la jazzed up, try putting different "stuff" in them like canned jalapenos or add a little sour cream to the top of the fluffy mountain most call delicious.

Make an omelet, it's cheap and easy to do. Just add a little cheese and a vegetable or protein. If you screw it up and doesn't look so hot, it will probably still taste good — only you and I will know.

Quesadillas are another cheap option. By some tortillas and fill them with cheese, and a meat or protein (much like the omelet theory) and you will have a cheap, delicious snack or meal — depending on what you put in them.

Nachos could also be a cheap meal when following the same guidelines.

Jazz up some macaroni and cheese for another cheap delicious meal. Add some chicken or a spicy ketchup and I could live off that for days.

What should not be lost in all of this is flavor.

No matter what your financial circumstances are, flavor can be added using some herbs or spices. Usually those are not super expensive and they can last you a while.

Share what you eat on the cheap with a comment.

Posted by: Matt Suoja on 2/2/2009 at 12:50 PM | Comments (3) | Permalink