While I might trade someone else’s soul for a Reuben, I gave up mine long ago for a beer, so my trading days are over. Reubens are one of the many dishes that have made their way into dip form. This time of year, with “The Big Game” right around the corner, salty, cheesey, rich dishes are often the order of the day. A big crock pot full  of dip is the easiest way to bring your own thing to a party. Making a dip from a popular dish can be your ticket to a bowl of something super.

In addition to reuben dip, there are a number of other recipes that are easy conversions to bring along with you.

Chicken wing dip seems to be at every pot luck or party I go to nowadays. Wings were already a party food, particularly around a football game, so why would they need to get transformed for a party?  No mess. Thats what I’m talking about. Now I won’t pretend that chicken wing dip gives you that same crispy chicken skin awesomeness that you get with wings but it packs a ton of flavor and you can make it as hot or mild as you like. It also gives me an excuse to eat Chicken in a Biskit crackers.

If you have never opened a box of these things and gorged yourself, go get some, now. And yes they have some form of actual chicken in them.

Pizza dip is another one that has spun its way into my world. It reminds me of my days in a  pizza shop as a kid, putting a pile of Mozzarella onto a pan, topping it with whatever other ingredients I might want and baking until the cheese was brown and crispy on the edges. (Pardon me, I need to wipe up some drool)

I like mine with crackers (Ritz please) but it you want to fancy it up, feel free to slice up some baguettes and spread it on the bread. Though if you are going to go that far you might as well make pizza.

How about some Philly cheese steak dip?  All of your favorite flavors from a cheese steak ready for scooping, preferably with soft pretzels as a vehicle for shoveling it into your face.

Last but not least, another classic sandwich as a dip, BLT dip. Everyone has been soundly beaten over the head with how amazing bacon is. Needless to say, I’m a fan. Outside of eating it alongside eggs, a BLT is the dish from my childhood that cemented bacon as a staple in my cooking. Once you hit that perfect ratio of bacon, tomatoes, crispy lettuce and toasted bread it is tough to beat. It is a challenge to get that ratio right for a dip that is invariably far more cheesy than a sandwich would be. Try serving it with some melba toast or another cracker that will bring that flavor into the mix. Or skip the crackers and scoop it up with some bib lettuce.

So this Super Bowl weekend, or any weekend, try turning one of your favorite dishes into a dip and enjoy.

Now, I know everyone celebrates this revered day a little differently. Personally, my family burns an effigy of Jar Jar Binks on our lawn, throwing un-popped kernels into the fire and seeing whose pops first. The winner gets possession of the family salt lick for a year. After that, we use those special microwave bowls to make a giant mound of air-popped popcorn for each of us, salting it with special buffalo wing-flavored salt but no butter (I know the “no butter” part doesn’t make much sense, but then again, neither do most holiday traditions).

I’d ask you guys how you celebrate National Popcorn Day, but I know the answers would just be too varied for a poll. So instead…what’s your favorite way to eat popcorn? Do you have a favorite brand? Or do you revel in the hands-on nature of stove top popping? Maybe you prefer the guilt-free aspect of air popped popcorn. Vote on your favorite popcorn below, and explain in the comments!

One of the most famous brands in US history had a rough week last week. In case you haven’t heard, Twinkies, and parent company Hostess, declared bankruptcy last Wednesday – for the second time – and are inching closer to the abyss of extinction.

Yes, the golden sponge cake with a creamy vanilla filling could soon vanish from a convenience store shelf near you. Despite the Twinkie being everything I usually stand against when it comes to food – highly-processed, pure sugar, loaded with saturated fat – this is kind of an American tragedy.

I’m not sure how this tasty treat has fallen out of favor, but sales are down, and the company is in debt to the tune of $1.4 billion. And yes, that’s a big Twinkie.

I’m not sure how things got this bad. The Twinkie is everything that Americans love most about their snack food: cheap, sweet, and loaded with nostalgia.

For many, the Twinkie will be forever ingrained in our consciousness due to prominent placement on film and TV.

Remember Egon and Winston? Remember Sgt. Al Powell? How about Twinkie the Kid? Or even Archie Bunker (if I want to skew old)?

I am hopeful that someone will swoop in and save this cultural institution, because after the recent loss of Dublin Dr. Pepper, I am worried about where this country is going.

Would you miss the Twinkie? What is your fondest recollection of this slice of Americana?

H/t to the Paltry Sapien for the Twinkie shot. How about a tribute?

Personally, I’m a Cool Ranch guy. Really I just like ranch and anything with ranch flavoring. But Nacho Cheese is definitely the most popular flavor. It’s my mom’s favorite, and that’s all that matters (Hi Ma!). Over the last few years, I’ve seen a number of different flavors in grocery stores, but none of them sounded very appetizing. Late Night Cheeseburger? No thanks. Hot Wings/Blue Cheese? Meh. In fact I’ve never tried anything besides the two standards (unless you count the unseasoned kind). Until now!

Doritos recently re-released two flavors that I’m not old enough to remember: Salsa Rio and Sour Cream & Onion. When Eick suggested the Sour Cream and Onion variety as a product to review, my first thought was, “Cool, I like Sour Cream and Onion stuff.” My second thought was, “Hey wait, that probably tastes just like the Cool Ranch flavor…”. You know, what with ranch having sour cream and green onion in it. Of course, that would mean I’d like this flavor. So I went to the one place that always has new products: Wal-Mart. And there they were, in their retro packaging, next to another flavor  I had never heard of, Tapatio. So I grabbed a Family Size bag, and headed home to try them.

As I mentioned in last week’s review, the best place to test out a new kind of junk food is on the couch, watching TV. This week, the selection was my go-to murder mystery show, The First 48. It’s way better than procedurals like CSI, because it’s real. After one episode, two homicides, and zero commercials (thank you, DVR), I figured half a bag was enough to make a decision.

The verdict: Doritos Sour Cream & Onion taste a lot like Doritos Cool Ranch. They had a little less seasoning than Cool Ranch, but the flavor was much the same. The flavor doesn’t really pop, but it was adequate. In a blind taste test, I’m not sure I would have guessed Sour Cream & Onion. I don’t know what I would’ve said. Ranch, maybe. There was a hint of onion, definitely some garlic as well, and even a little tomato. A quick check of the ingredient list confirms the presence of all three, in powder form. I also saw that cheddar and romano cheeses are included, which I found interesting.

I can’t say with any confidence that I’ll buy Sour Cream & Onion Doritos again, because I still like Cool Ranch better – but only by a little, and maybe only because I’m more used to the flavor. That said, I do like this new (old?) variety. The package says “Limited Edition,” so that’s exciting, I guess. So if you like Doritos, or Sour Cream and Onion-flavored things, or you just want to try something new, go with Sour Cream and Onion Doritos. They’re kinda good!

Seacrest out.

(Did I just write that? Yes, yes I did.)

Frosted Toast Crunch is described as “frosted vanilla squares” with a “dash of cinnamon.” I headed to Wal-Mart to see if I could track this bad boy down. While strolling down the cereal aisle, I saw some interesting things. For example, since when are there 12 different flavors of Cheerios? Peanut butter? Dulce de Leche? Fruit?! Who knew? Also, Chocolate Frosted Flakes. That sounds like overkill. And diabetes. Anywho, I grabbed me a box of Frosted Toast Crunch and headed home for a taste test.

There’s only one way to try a new variety of junk food: on the couch, watching TV. On this particular night, I watched Modern Family as I dumped cereal in my mouth. Everyone needs to watch that show, it’s amazing. After a number of garbled guffaws, I had had enough. When you have to work to get your hand in the box, it’s time to stop eating. Seriously though, General Mills, bigger boxes. Adults eat this stuff too. So Frosted Toast Crunch passed the couch test. I was able to eat through an entire sitcom.

I wouldn’t say the flavor screams vanilla. If the box hadn’t said it, I wouldn’t have known that’s what they were going for. I would describe it as more of a…pure sugar flavor. The coating is definitely sprinkled on liberally, as with Cinnamon Toast Crunch. As for the alleged “dash of cinnamon,” it must have been a very small dash, because I got no cinnamon flavor. The overall flavor was pretty monotonous. It’s Cinnamon Toast Crunch, sans cinnamon. The cereal square itself has good toasted rice and wheat flavor, and packs a delightful crunch.

My next test was eating this cereal with milk. While reading the comics. It’s the purest form of cereal-eating. I don’t know about you, but I read the funnies from top to bottom, left to right. It’s called OCD. I also skip Doonesbury (maybe when I’m 50 I’ll find it funny), and Mutts (maybe when I’m 50, and my only friends are stray dogs and cats, I’ll find it funny.)

I enjoyed eating Frosted Toast Crunch with milk. It held up ok, retaining some of its crunchiness and most of its flavor. I’m not one to drink the milk at the end (blasphemous, I know), but if I had, I would imagine it basically tastes like really sugary milk. While we’re on this topic, is it just me, or does Cereal Milk make no sense? Why would you pay money for this? I literally just made some myself in 5 minutes. People will overpay for anything that looks cool.

Frosted Toast Crunch is about what you’d expect from a sugary cereal. It’s basically Cinnamon Toast Crunch without the delicious cinnamon flavor. It’s nothing to write home about, but it’s not bad either. If you’re looking for something new to snack on, and you like diabetes and licking your fingers, give it a whirl.

From Jimmy Carter to Mr. Peanut to a beloved comic strip, peanuts are a major part of American iconography. My dad’s favorite style of peanuts were unquestionably the classic pictured above, but today we want to know – what’s your favorite kind of peanut?

Do you pine after sacks of classic in-the-shell peanuts hanging out in sacks around Five Guys and littering the floor at Texas Roadhouse? Or do you prefer pre-shelled peanuts in a can? How about honey roasted? Vote for your favorite style of peanut below and let us know why in the comments!

Sadly, often the most exciting trek I make into the diverse world of food culminates in an idling car, moments away from receiving a greasy sack of preformed meat or if lucky, some type of fast food frozen treat named after a devastating weather event.

But we who are given lemons must rally to see these sour offerings through to their full potential. While I do get to dine out and enjoy “High Society” on occasion, I like most, must play minesweeper with what there is to offer in the mass consumer consumption market today.

Those who follow me on twitter know that I do so with a furious proficiency when it comes to Food. Ok, Ok, some have threatened restraining orders. But I just can’t seem to pass up an opportunity to tweet the light fantastic on just about anything edible. Food just seems to provide so much better fodder.

Jumping on the already over capacity, end of year review bandwagon, I’ve picked my top 10 tweets from 2011 for your enjoyment. Please forgive me for any spelling mistakes in these tweets. Sometimes it’s tough typing while juggling a Whopper, Onion Rings, drink  and an iPhone.

If I found an ear in my six inch Meatball on white does that mean my #Subway Sandwich Artist was Van Gogh?

— Andy Bowers (@evilpez4) April 10, 2011

Thought about an Arby’s Beef Dip the other day but they were closed. Instead I bought a corner store sub & dipped it in a puddle. Same diff.

— Andy Bowers (@evilpez4) April 30, 2011

Four Pizza Delivery drivers involved in a mulit-car rear ending accident down the street. They’re calling it the Dominos Effect.

— Andy Bowers (@evilpez4) May 29, 2011

MacGyver Captain Crunch. Cut sand paper into half inch squares. Sprinkle with equal amount shards of glass & sugar. Apply to roof of mouth.

— Andy Bowers (@evilpez4) February 24, 2011

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. When it gives you fruitcake? Regift. #Halifax

Cocoa Rice Krispie Treat rolled in crushed Nacho Cheese Doritos. This happened. #Halifax #noimnotstoned twitter.com/evilpez4/statu…

— Andy Bowers (@evilpez4) November 29, 2011

Not too long ago an aisle like this only existed in my dreams. Thank-you bacon.#Halifax twitter.com/evilpez4/statu…

— Andy Bowers (@evilpez4) November 25, 2011

Cocoa Rice Krispie Treat rolled in crushed Nacho Cheese Doritos. This happened. #Halifax #noimnotstoned twitter.com/evilpez4/statu…

— Andy Bowers (@evilpez4) November 29, 2011

Making a grilled cheese sandwich with 12 Grain & Oat bread is the same as making a hot fudge sundae out of cauliflower. #Halifax

— Andy Bowers (@evilpez4) November 22, 2011

As my Priest offered up a red velvet with buttercream as Communion I realized this cupcake trend is getting out of hand. #Halifax

— Andy Bowers (@evilpez4) October 23, 2011

So Burger King now serves Breakfast Poutine. Because that’s what my heart needs; a Snooze Button. #Halifax #thekingisdeadly

— Andy Bowers (@evilpez4) October 9, 2011

Had to tell the Jehovah Witness at my front door that I had already accepted Girl Guide Cookies into my life. #awkard

— Andy Bowers (@evilpez4) September 10, 2011

You’re probably not wondering what a Mac Snack Wrap is, because it’s pretty obvious, but in case you are, it’s a Big Mac inside of a tortilla. Well, part of a Big Mac. We all know (hopefully) that the Big Mac itself is

Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun.

The Mac Snack Wrap is basically that, except instead of two all beef patties, it’s one half of a patty, and instead of the famous three-part bun, it’s dumped in an unfortunate flour tortilla. How could a poor tortilla be subjected to such an awful fate? It never hurt anyone.

Anyway, last week McDonald’s was kind enough to send me a Big Mac t-shirt, and some cards for free Mac Snack Wraps. I’ll admit that I was really not looking forward to eating this thing, but if someone sends me free food, I am wont to eat it. Everything tastes better when it’s free. It’s a scientifically proven fact.* (*No it’s not.)

Now, personally, I’ve always liked the Big Mac. It’s not my favorite, but every once in a while I crave that sauce. Sometimes a simple McDouble with Mac Sauce will suffice, others I can’t do without the signature sandwich itself. The only thing I really like about it is the sauce, actually. The meat-to-everything-else ratio is quite low for my tastes, and I’m not a huge fan of their pickles, shredded lettuce, or tiny diced onions. Which is a good portion of the burger…you know, the more I talk about the Big Mac, I realize maybe I don’t like it as much as I thought. I’ve confused myself.

In my neck of the woods, the Big Mac costs $4.19, and the Mac Snack Wrap is $1.89. When you consider that the wrap has one quarter as much beef as the burger, it doesn’t seem like much of a value. That’s always been my problem with wraps in general. You’re never really getting value. I LOVE VALUE. Another thing I don’t get is that people actually think the wrap is healthier than the sandwich. But really it has less calories because it’s so much smaller. (The wrap has 330, compared to 510 in the Big Mac). Pay more to eat better, I guess. One positive that can come from the wrap is that it’s much easier to eat, which I think was the whole purpose of the trend in the first place. The Big Mac, for example can get pretty messy. Definitely not made for eating on the go. The wrap, however, has no mess whatseover. You really don’t even need a napkin. In our million miles-per-hour society, it seems like the perfect solution. Because who really has 5 minutes to eat a burger anymore?

So now that I’ve basically told you I was always going to hate this, I’ll tell you what I actually thought of the Mac Snack Wrap. It was horrible. As you can see in the picture, it looks like everything fell on the floor and was then scooped up and dumped into a tortilla.

It was reminiscent of a failure pile, but much less appetizing. It was cold, and the piece of meat tasted as though it had literally been sitting there all day. Like they cut the patties in half in the morning, and I was the first person to get one all day (I ordered around dinner time). It was dry, cold, and flavorless. As far as the other ingredients, they were just the same as usual. The problem is that the meat-to-other ingredients ratio is now even lower, because they put the same amount of special sauce, lettuce, pickles and onions as there are on the actual burger, but with half a patty. The other problem is that it’s TERRIBLE. Did I mention that? I don’t know why, but it just doesn’t have that same signature flavor of the Big Mac. This may be the worst thing I’ve ever eaten. A couple days later I considered going back and giving it one more shot; maybe this was an aberration. But I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. The experience with the first one was so bad that I cringed at the thought of it.

So McDonald’s, thank you for not making me pay $1.89 to be mentally scarred for the rest of my days, which, if I ate any more of these, would be very limited.

And with all of that said, you probably want to try one for yourself now! Leave a comment on this post to be eligible to win. McDonald’s will send two winners a Big Mac t-shirt (actually kind of cool), and a card for a free Mac Snack Wrap. Suggested topics:

• Thoughts on the Mac Snack Wrap, or wraps in general
• Other uses for the Mac Snack Wrap
• Haiku about the Mac Snack Wrap or other wraps
• Anything else related! Be creative

Here are my haikus:

Dearest McDonald’s,

Mac Snack Wrap is total shit

But I like your fries.

Kim Jong-Il is dead

Because of the Mac Snack Wrap.

‘Merica, f–k yeah!

They’re a little bit of sugar, spice and everything nice. But don’t be naughty – share the love with our limited edition flavor.

Right off the bat, I’m intrigued. But I have a question first: Since when does Wheat Thins have other flavors? Maybe I’ve been living under a rock, but I was unaware of any variations of this malty snack. So I checked out their website to find a multitude of flavors, including Ranch and Wisconsin Colby (which both sound delightful). Maybe I just don’t go down the cracker aisle enough.

So what’s the deal with Wheat Thins Sweet Cinnamon? Apparently, back in 2008, the folks at Nabisco rolled out a new Lightly Cinnamon flavor, which was discontinued the following year. This time, it’s a totally new flavor, and it’s limited edition, just in time for the holidays. From what I gather, you can most likely find them at your grocery store today.

My first impression of these sweet crackers was that they’re way too dry. Wheat Thins are already pretty dry, and adding cinnamon doesn’t help that. As far as flavor, at first it kind of tastes like a cinnamon graham cracker, and then fades into that wheat aftertaste. I was hoping for more of a Cinnamon Toast Crunch flavor. I just don’t think wheat and sweet can go together. These crackers aren’t bad, but they didn’t meet my raised expectations.

But I wasn’t done yet. I had to try them with something. But what? My favorite way to eat Wheat Thins is with cheese, but cheese and cinnamon…no thanks. I could try the weird dip recipe on the back of the box, which calls for ham, apples and cream cheese. I’ll pass. But apples, that could work. So I paired each cracker with a small piece of apple, and drizzled caramel on top.

It looked pretty awesome. I felt like a…Sweet Genius! I was thinking maybe it would taste sort of like apple pie, but it just didn’t work at all. I am no sweet genius, which is just as well, because that bald turtle-looking guy scares the shit out of me.

So Wheat Thins Sweet Cinnamon are not a bad idea in theory. I just don’t know how to eat them in a way that makes them good.

Every once and a while, the taste test division of So Good, Inc. receives a special request to try a new product before it hits the marketplace.  As a true tastemaker, we feel it is our duty to serve the public by offering a candid assessment (and eating free food).  And, as usual, we are providing an exclusive first sneak peek into this new product (except for here, here, here, here, here, here, and here).

The item: Wheat Thins: Smoky BBQ

As the resident BBQ expert, I took on this assignment.  Now, I must say up front that I have a natural affinity for the original Wheat Thins – they have a nice snap, a touch of salt, and go with most things without being overpowering.  What I usually am not so big a fan of, is taking the original recipe, and then blasting it with freeze dried ranch powder, or the ilk.  Yuck.  I was afraid the same thing would happen here.

Upon opening the bag, I noticed a strong, but not overwhelming smoke-ish odor.  Pulling out the first sample, I noticed that the familiar thin square did have an orange-ish coating. I was worried, but not for long.  The taste?  Actually, pretty good.  Not overly smoky, and a hint of sweetness given away by reading “honey” in the ingredient list – right between “onion powder” and “artificial color.” Also, the dusting of garlic and onion powder can be heavier on some crackers more than others, but overall, a pretty pleasing snack.  Not as good as the original, but good stuff.

One important note – probably not a good idea to eat when hungry, as you could probably go though most of a box.  This is usually why I don’t buy these demon treats, as they can be way too tempting.

Now it might be a while before these hits the shelves, as we usually review products way in advance.  It’s because we’re heavy hitters; what can I say?

Pic via The Impulsive Buy