Absurd Questions

Have you ever toasted a pretzel? Well, have you?
I know what you're probably thinking. "Toasted a PRETZEL? What an absurd question. Who in their right mind puts a pretzel in a toaster?!"
Luckily, a toaster is not always required for toasting. Sometimes, a 350º oven will suffice. And in this case, it does suffice. It does.
Toasted pretzels are simply one of my favorite things. They are warm, but not in a sense of heat. The flavor, itself, is warm. And delicious. Somehow malty, sweet. And, they're simple to make. The simpler, the better, in my honest opinion. Now, I do not speak of making your own pretzels, meticulously folding the little beasts into those shapes (who has time for THAT?! Not me...). I speak of this:

Toasted Pretzels
Makes approximately 4 servings

4 cups small pretzels
1/2 cup salted butter
4 teaspoons cajun seasoning
2 teaspoon garlic powder

In a bowl, melt the butter. Toss the pretzels with the melted butter until coated. Sprinkle over the cajun seasoning and garlic powder. Spread into a single layer on a sheet pan. Bake at 350º Farenheit for approximately 7 minutes, until the pretzels are slightly darker than they were before, and the aroma is starting to leech out of them and into the air which you now realize you wish always smelled this way.

Serve the beauties warm, or at room temperature. These are my favorite quick snack. I have to resist burning my mouth and fingers to smithereens by inhaling them while they're still blistering hot. They really are much better when real, old-fashioned anticipation has set in, and you can stand to keep them in your mouth long enough to, you know, chew.


In other news, I have been thinking about this blog (I hate that word, I hate that word, I hate that word) and the improvements that it needs. I was recently reading a book about food reading, and basically discovered that if I ever want to go anywhere with food writing, I should name my blog something that people can actually remember and then go on to type correctly. I also should actually edit my writing (something I don't do), and take pictures of food. Finally, I should begin a sequential project of sorts to keep from the cliche of "what I had for dinner last night", which, let's be honest, is the majority of what I've written about in the past. Anyway, that's all the excitement I have for today.
Make these pretzels, and be happy.