My husband is on a business trip this week, which means that for the next 5 days, its all about me me me! Gilmore Girls marathons! George Michael’s Greatest Hits at full blast! Stickers and ponies and My Space dot com! I can’t wait!

Actually, he doesn’t leave until tomorrow, and I miss him already.

But I can still eat pretty good while he’s gone. First on the agenda, a little batch of crunchy, salty goodness to munch on while I determine exactly how many different dishes would taste better with sliced avocado on top. So far, I am up to 37.

A method more than a recipe, roasting garbanzo beans develops their nutty flavor, transforming them into a crunchy, easy to flavor snack that reminds me a bit of cornnuts. Recipes are plentiful online, but there is a roasted chick pea controversy debating the merits of dry roasting versus coating the ceci beans in oil and spices before they hit the oven. Dry roasting fans claim its the only way to insure they maintain their crunch when sealed longer than a day in an airtight container. Mine don’t usually last that long. For this batch, I used my new smoked sea salts that I have been dying to try, but they’d also be delicious with a Moroccan spice blend, garlic salt or plain old sea salt.

Smoky Roasty Chick-Peas

1 can garbanzo beans
1 tablespoon olive oil
large pinch smoked sea salts

Drain a can of garbanzos, and rinse well. Shake them off, dry the beans as much as possible, and add to a dark-bottomed pan. Coast in olive oil, and place in a preheated 450F oven for 30 – 40 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally. Remove from oven, sprinkle with smoked salt, and allow to cool. Now munch.