We reveal the snackalicious snacks craved by Giada, Ted Allen, Alex Guarnaschelli, Curtis Stone and more! These bite sized treats are perfect to satisfy any SNACK ATTACK.
We reveal the snackalicious snacks craved by Giada, Ted Allen, Alex Guarnaschelli, Curtis Stone and more! These bite sized treats are perfect to satisfy any SNACK ATTACK.
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Find episode transcript here: https://the-best-thing-i-ever-ate.simplecast.com/episodes/snack-attack-ft-giada-de-laurentiis-anne-burrell-and-ted-allen
[MUSIC PLAYING] GUY FIERI: People ask me all the time,
GIADA DE LAURENTIIS: Where do you like to eat?
TED ALLEN: What's your favorite food?
SPEAKER 1: What's the best thing you've ever eaten?
SPEAKER 2: That's why we're here now.
SPEAKER 3: Not only to tell you what we love to eat.
SPEAKER 4: But where you can go get it.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
TED ALLEN: Snack is a really happy word. Let's go get a snack. Doesn't that sound like fun?
ANNE BURRELL: Sometimes I just have a snack attack. I need something, and I need it right now. There's a good crunch stuff.
SPEAKER 5: They're so good. All you want to do is take the entire bowl and just go. You can't eat them fast enough.
SPEAKER 6: These tacos are the most snackable snack delicious snacks that you can snack on.
TED ALLEN: A snack is a little moment that punctuates your day in a delightful way. I'm here to talk about my favorite snack, which is a McClure's Pickle. It's hard not to like a pickle.
There are lots of pickles out there, but these pickles are special. I discovered McClure's Pickles at the Brooklyn flea. They have food, they have antiques, they have music, and they have pickles. There aren't that many pickles that feel like they were made in somebody's grandma's kitchen. McClure's Pickles taste like that.
SPEAKER 7: We're using our great-grandmother's recipe, which is, well, over 90 years old.
TED ALLEN: This company has just taken off because they make great gosh darn pickles. Bob and Joe McClure have been making pickles since they were kids.
SPEAKER 8: We're just, kind of, rolling with what our grandma taught us, so we're just kind of sticking with that.
TED ALLEN: And one day, Bob had a great idea. Why don't I start a pickle company? These pickles are handmade everyday by Bob McClure, Joe McClure, his mom and dad, and three other employees.
SPEAKER 8: It kind of just goes down the line. We'll throw the garlic in the bottom, place the dill in, the hot peppers if we're doing a spicy batch, packing the pickles in slowly, and the final step, will fill them with boiling vinegar, salt and water, and then we'll cap them, we'll rack them, and we'll let them cool.
TED ALLEN: You can taste the dill. You can taste the garlic. And then you get this great afterburn from the chilies. I mean, it's a really, really good pickle.
What really sets them apart though, is their crunch. You can actually hear it. Do what I mean? Here's a secret about pickles. When you finish a jar of pickles, don't pour out the brine, you put more cucumbers in there, and make more pickles, a little-known fact.
So when you're talking snack, [MUNCH] that's a pickle. Can I keep this?
SPEAKER 7: Yeah.
TED ALLEN: This is what we call in the business, a prop. But now, it's mine.
ANNE BURRELL: Sometimes, I just have a snack attack. Sometimes people don't admit it, but everyone really does all of a sudden like, I need something, and I need it right now. I discovered my love of nachos when I was in college, but I have rediscovered nachos in a way that blows all others out of the water. It's the half steak nacho at Craftsteak in New York City. They rock.
These nachos I find are super spectacular, and to me, the best nachos because everything that a nacho to be, but the ingredients are of superior quality.
SPEAKER 9: This is a perfect snack,. It's nachos. Who doesn't like nachos?
ANNE BURRELL: Nachos. All about chips that are fried to order.
SPEAKER 9: When you get them, they're crispy and fresh and they're still hot.
ANNE BURRELL: Beef and beans.
SPEAKER 9: Kind of just, get it all up in there.
ANNE BURRELL: Sauce, the cheese, isn't just cheese thrown on there, it's like cheese sauce.
SPEAKER 9: We use cheddar, American, and some fontina.
ANNE BURRELL: Good old American cheese. You know, it makes me say I'm proud to be an American. And instead of sour cream, we have creme fraiche.
SPEAKER 9: And then we do these jalapenos here in house. We pickle these ourselves, so they don't have the real crushing heat.
ANNE BURRELL: Then you have the perfect iceberg lettuce and tomatoes, you know? But all good stuff and attention to detail and thought and care and put into every step of these.
SPEAKER 13: OK. Nachos.
ANNE BURRELL: Nice. They're bad. They're good. They're so bad that they're good. They're so good that they're bad.
Cheese sauce, beans, it's hard to not hoover them when you're there. I really do become a hooverina. Hoover them, you know? Hoover like a vacuum cleaner.
Man, there's a good crunch stuff. Like, oh, nachos. I brought several people here, and we fight over the last bite. So that's why I'm a little happy to be here by myself, no sharing.
The half steak nacho at Craftsteak in New York City, they're every bit of what a nacho should be.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
CANDY NELSON: I bake cupcakes for a living, so I'm always looking for the perfect baked good, that perfect snack, and this is it. Snack foods really are just an essential part of my everyday life. And one of the ultimate treats I have found out there is the donut muffin from the Downtown Bakery & Creamery in Healdsburg, California.
They actually inspired me to create a flavor at sprinkles that is very similar to the donut muffin, it's called our cinnamon sugar cupcake. The cinnamon sugar cupcake is a huge hit. So thank you, donut muffin.
If you're lucky enough to be in Healdsburg, California, definitely stop by the Downtown Bakery and Creamery. They are baking everything on site, all day long, and you've got to try this donut muffin. It's the soul of a donut but in the form of a muffin.
SPEAKER 10: They are so simple to make.
CANDY NELSON: The donut muffin has the ingredients of both a donut and a muffin. We've got butter, sugar, flour, nutmeg,
SPEAKER 10: Just a pinch. Very important to have your spices be fresh.
CANDY NELSON: It's baked perfectly, it's light and fluffy. And then when it comes out of the oven and it's hot.
SPEAKER 10: We're now going to take muffins into the land of donuts.
CANDY NELSON: It's brushed with butter, and it is rolled in the most gorgeous combination of fragrant cinnamon and crunchy sugar to the point where it gets crusted all over it's like cinnamon toast, but better. Everyone loves a donut, but it's fried, you can't eat that all day long. But now, we have the perfect combination.
When you bite into it, you get this blend of textures and flavors. You have the crunch from the cinnamon sugar on the outside, really handmade and beautiful. And then you have this really light and fluffy nutmeg spiced muffin. And it is just the perfect snack-- breakfast, lunch, dinner, whenever. It's amazing.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
CURTIS STONE: I love snacking. That's why I'm a chef because I love to eat. And three meals a day isn't enough, you need some little things in between to keep you going. When I first came to America, I had no idea this thing even existed, fish tacos.
The best fish taco I ever had was in Maui, Hawaii. A little place called the Paia Fish Market. It is the best way to snack in the world.
So I went on vacation to Maui, I went for a surf, I met a bloke in the water, I was chatting to him and he said, if you go for something to eat, make sure you check out the Paia Fish Market. I walked in there, and I saw the fish taco on the menu. I thought, oh, yeah. That's the surfer's dream right there. Beautiful, quality fresh fish thrown straight onto the grill, a little bit of seasoning.
SPEAKER 11: Our fish is locally catch. It's brought to us every single morning.
CURTIS STONE: It's crisp, the fish is delicious citrusy, it's so good.
SPEAKER 11: The first thing would be to chop the fish, and then we'll turn into a grill, we put the bottom taco shell in water so when it gets into the griddle, it doesn't get to crunch. We add some cheese, turn around the fish, pour a mix of salt and pepper, and then on top, we're going to put a little bit of clarified butter.
CURTIS STONE: They make the salsa in-house.
SPEAKER 11: We put some fresh salsa, a little bit of lettuce, and some tomato. And we top it with a cilantro leaf. We serve them with a side of tartar sauce and slice of lemon.
CURTIS STONE: Hmm. Let me add that.
SPEAKER 11: It's freshest as it can get, its Maui style.
CURTIS STONE: The fish taco when it's done really simply the Hawaiian style, it's so, so good. I and my surfers mate don't kick my butt for giving away the secret because this is seriously one of Hawaii's special little sweet spot. I hope I haven't ruined it.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
ADAM GERTLER: Hey, Curtis, that sounds amazing. Fish tacos and Maui, you know, how can you do better if you're in Maui? But in Los Angeles, the Kogi tacos probably blow those fish tacos out of the water.
These tacos are the most snackable snack, delicious snacks that you can snack on. There is a taco truck revolution that is sweeping the nation, but it started with these guys, the Kogi Barbecue Truck in Los Angeles, California. The thing that I like most is the beef short rib tacos. Unbelievable. So you better climb on board the taco truck because it's leaving.
They're bringing Korean barbecue and tacos together. The new hybrid that they make is amazing. Simple idea of putting Korean barbecue on a taco. Genius.
And they're great. They've got some killer tacos. You get this rich, delicious meat.
SPEAKER 12: Yeah. All natural, grass fed short ribs, marinated with 21 ingredients as fresh fruit pears, kiwis, soy sauce, sesame oil. We double caramelized on meat. You have ham press corn tortillas.
ADAM GERTLER: Then, the kicker is this Asian slaw they put on top of it, and I got chili soy vinaigrette.
SPEAKER 12: So all of that for $2.
ADAM GERTLER: $2. The thing with these trucks is that they're trucks, and they move.
SPEAKER 12: We roll up, we spread all this love, then we're gone. And it's like we were never there.
ADAM GERTLER: So how do you know where the taco truck is? Well, via Twitter. They send out a message to your email or your phone, and it tells you their location. All right, so we got their lunch time location, and now, the hunt begins.
It's an adventure just trying to get sorry this way. You hunt them down, you're like, I found the Kogi Barbecue Truck. And now, I will celebrate with Taco. And they have developed a cult following. I'm a follower.
We smell that slaw kicking up right now. It looks like a taco. But then you bite into it and you're like, your brain does a little 360. I'm not tasting Mexican flavors, I'm tasting sesame and soy and garlic. And the beef, it's sweet and savory.
It's like a flavor bomb rolled into just a little bitty tortilla. There's nothing like these tacos. They're just a perfect snack food. They are amazing.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
ART SMITH: I love snacking, and one of my favorite of all things is pizza. But sometimes, you don't eat a whole big pizza, so let's eat a pizette. What is a pizette? It's just a little pizza.
When I have a snack attack, I head all over to Socca in Chicago, where Chef Roger Herring makes the most delicious pizette of that with shrimp, heirloom tomatoes, and basil. It's a little bit of delicious crunchiness, it's really fantastic. Rogers pizette's are indescribable.
It's the most wonderful, snackable, delicious, delectable food. What's important with any good pizza, the crust must be crispy the ingredients are just enough on them. Roger has got the formula down, where he makes it just perfect.
ROGER HERRING: The dough is nice and pliable, so it's going to give me a nice crispy crust.
ART SMITH: Rogers pizzette are oblong.
ROGER HERRING: We'll put a little bit of roasted garlic oil down.
ART SMITH: But I love most about it is he puts delicious local ingredients on top of it.
ROGER HERRING: Heirloom tomatoes here that I just picked up at the market yesterday. Taking some shrimp here, and poached them in just a little bit of olive oil, and then it gets topped with chili flakes. The little bit of fresh mozzarella, fontina, and Parmesan.
ART SMITH: The toppings have a lot of flavor. So he doesn't have to put so much on it. Hey, Roger. Where's the pizza?
ROGER HERRING: Oh, more minutes, Art.
ART SMITH: And then he uses just a simple deck oven. And it's no coal fired oven, it's no wood fire oven. Great pizza has nothing to do with the oven, it has to do with the person making the pizza.
ROGER HERRING: Pour a little bit of fresh tomato in it, a bit of fresh basil.
ART SMITH: Wow, look at this. Hear that crunch? Ooh, I love a crunch. You had the aroma of the basil. Oh.
You have the sweet and tartness of the tomatoes. I love the shrimp it's so sweet. I love his pizette so much, that he comes to my house and he makes it for me for parties.
That is living it up. Nothing beats Rogers pizette. And I want to tell you something, it's out of sight.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
ALEX GUARNASCHELLI: See, snack is innocent when you start out, right? But what happens when the snack is ridiculously delicious? Then you're in trouble.
When I think about my absolute favorite snack, it's definitely the lamb skewers at AOC restaurant in Los Angeles. This restaurant pulsates when I pull up to it on the street, lamb skewers, you must come in and have some lamb skewers. I got to have them.
These lamb skewers are something that you crave. You could be sitting at your desk with 10 minutes left, and these lamb skewers, which just come meandering through your head. They're juicy, they have all these layers of flavor.
Here's the thing about AOC, this is the kind of restaurant where you can say I'm just going for a little snack, that's all.
SPEAKER 13: We're a small plates restaurant.
ALEX GUARNASCHELLI: Everything's little bites of things. When people get in there, they get crazy because it is a snack carnival. And the number one snack for me is the lamb skewers.
Skewered pieces of sirloin that have been marinated in Rosemary and cracked black pepper, and they're seared. And then they're covered with a little bit of lamb sauce, which is made with a wonderful lamb stock, and it just lambs up those lamb skewers and make some lambier.
SPEAKER 13: That's one of those little secret elements in the dish that make it a little bit more luscious and delicious.
ALEX GUARNASCHELLI: And this wonderful salsa verde
SPEAKER 13: Sort of a traditional European condiment, which is a blend of mint, basil, anchovy, olive oil, lemon, capers.
SPEAKER 14: Pound your life away. This is the only way you can get sort of this rustic texture.
ALEX GUARNASCHELLI: And then this just perfect little bed of braised artichoke hearts that are just cooked in white wine and garlic. So simply, it's not a plate of food that's overloaded with spices, it just comes together in this incredible juicy way. When I take my first bite, all sound is blocked out, and you can taste all those aromatics on there with that juicy sauce and that wonderful lamb tastes. It's not too gamey, but has a lot of personality.
And then you have this kind of tangy but grassy herby salsa verde over it, it's like this extra bonus. My mouth is watering so much I can barely get through the description. It's delicious.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
GIADA DE LAURENTIIS: Hot bar nuts are good. Hot Union Square Cafe bar nuts are out of this world good. I think about going to the Union Square Cafe in New York City, sitting at that bar and getting those bar nuts.
Look at these. Who knew you could make plain old little old nuts tastes so, so good?
SPEAKER 15: Welcome to Union Square Cafe.
GIADA DE LAURENTIIS: Most bars have some kind of bar nuts, and nobody ever wants to touch them. These come out fresh out of the oven at 4.45 sharp. And that's when you want to have them. They got to be fresh out of the oven, what can I say. That's when they're the best.
SPEAKER 15: The Best thing about our bar nuts is they're free. They're complimentary with your drink. Only at the bar, only in the afternoon, and that's the only time we serve them.
GIADA DE LAURENTIIS: What I love is the fact that there are so many different kinds of nuts. They're not just a Bowl of peanuts. So you've got almonds, cashews, pecans, Brazil nuts, peanuts. I don't know what other kind of nut is in there.
SPEAKER 15: Walnuts
GIADA DE LAURENTIIS: So there's lots of different flavors and textures. Nuts on their own can be a little bit boring, but you roast them.
SPEAKER 15: Just want to get them hot. So while the nuts are heating in the oven, we combine our other ingredients.
GIADA DE LAURENTIIS: And it's a very simple recipe butter, brown sugar, fresh Rosemary.
SPEAKER 15: You notice the Rosemary is not chopped.
GIADA DE LAURENTIIS: Cayenne, pepper.
SPEAKER 15: Kosher salt.
GIADA DE LAURENTIIS: That's it.
SPEAKER 15: I'm going to take the nuts that have heated in the oven, put them in with this mixture, and the heat is going to melt the butter, and then we're just going to toss these.
GIADA DE LAURENTIIS: And it's that mixture that make these the ultimate bar nuts. The best bar nuts I've ever had. They're so good. It's that perfect balance of salty, spicy, you know, that kick a heat from the cayenne, herby, piney from the Rosemary, and sweet from the brown sugar.
They didn't just come out of the oven at Union Square Cafe. But, man, oh, man, they still got it. Crunchy little nuggets of goodness. And all that Rosemary, it perfumes the nuts. It's the perfect snack for sports game.
Glass of white wine, these bar nuts? I'm in heaven. It's funny how you eat something, and everything comes to life. Yes. Where's my wine? Yeah.