Caramel popcorn and spicy peanuts

I experienced my first Superbowl on Sunday just passed – San Fran vs Baltimore. We have been watching the HBO series The Wire, so I felt an affinity with the Baltimore team, and our buddies who came over were barracking for San Fran, which added to the excitement. Does something go a bit astray every year though? This year’s blackout seems to have had more attention than the game itself.

Anyway, it was a good excuse to cook some “Superbowl food” and have a couple of Sunday arvo drinks with friends. I took my opportunity to embrace some American style snacks so we had smoky yam fries and smashed potatoes with sour cream and sweet chilli; guacamole, chipotle salsa and corn chips and caramel popcorn with spicy peanuts.

Chia pudding – the new black

You know when you stumble across something that is new and interesting and then it comes up over and over again? Last week I saw a recipe for chia pudding online and I was intrigued, so I made it and now I’m seeing chia pudding everywhere I look! I just realised what a fashionable menu item it is right now. I’d be interested to hear if it is hitting menus in places other than Vancouver.