The Hidden Lessons of the Snack Aisle
High-voltage flavor ideas, plus a savory-sweet recipe to test them
Hello!
Greetings from Berkeley!
On Thursday, I pulled off the freeway to charge my car and grab a big tub of kimchi from Ranch 99. A simple pit stop. But you know how these things go... I poked around the store for 30 minutes and had the best time.
One of my favorite spots? The junk food aisle. Not because I’m buying a bunch, but because I always get ideas there.. Wherever I travel, I make a point to visit local grocery stores—especially the snack section. It’s where a country’s flavor preferences get distilled into chip, cracker, and candy form.
A few memorable finds:
Thailand: seaweed, chili crab, ketchup
Australia: sweet chili, chicken, tomato, salt & vinegar
Korea: shrimp, honey butter, soy sauce + chile on repeat
India: spicy, sweet, punchy, and always doing the most—someone could write a dissertation on Indian snack food
I left the store with kimchi, some soft tofu, and a bag of salted egg chips—but also with a camera roll full of ingredient labels and ideas.
Here’s what stood out:
Wisconsin ginseng is a thing—can my Wisconsin farmer dad grow it??
The sweet-savory line is blurrier than in most Western cuisines.
Tofu dessert is literally just tofu and sugar. Mixed feelings.
Things don’t always translate well. A brand of chips named “Lonely God”???? Thankfully I have friends who I can reach out to for clarity.
Umami Inspiration
One chip flavor really caught my eye: Umami Salt.
Let’s peek at the ingredient list:
Yeast extract
MSG
Shiitake mushroom powder
Kombu extract
Scallop extract
Hydrolyzed soy protein
Disodium inosinate
Disodium guanylate
Okay. Let’s break that down.
MSG alone boosts savoriness—but pair it with disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate, and the umami effect multiplies. It’s flavor synergy: the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
I don’t use most of those additives—but I do use mushroom powder, kombu, and nutritional yeast. And here’s the fun part: those so-called additives exist in natural form, too.
Disodium inosinate is found in tomatoes, Parmesan, and yeast extract.
Disodium guanylate is found in mushrooms and fish.
So naturally, I started mentally riffing as I walked down the aisle.
What if I made a soup stock with:
Dried mushrooms
Sundried tomatoes
Kombu
Nutritional yeast
Parmesan rinds?
Would it be good? Would it be too umami? Maybe I’d need to go light on the nutritional yeast? There’s only one way to find out.
Or how about a sheet pan of roasted vegetables with a sundried tomato and parmesan vinaigrette? What would happen if I roasted the vegetables first with mushroom powder, salt and oil?
That’s the spirit I hope you bring into your kitchen this week.
Your turn: What could you make with this umami lineup?
You don’t even have to cook it—just play with the idea. Drop your thoughts in the comments or reply to this email. I’d love to hear them.
It’s exercises like this—low-pressure, high-curiosity—that make you a more creative cook.
High Voltage Veg (My Favorite Kind)
Last night I taught High Voltage Vegetables: Spring Edition—a class series that always sparks joy for me. Why?
Vegetables are the star
We’re working with peak California produce
And I get to flex my creative muscles
Here was the menu:
Primavera Minestrone with Dashi & Preserved Lemon
Herby Spring Caesar Salad
Asparagus with Tahini Dressing and Pine Nut Dukkah
Smashed New Potatoes with Shio Koji, Halloumi & Pea Greens
Sweet & Savory Green Garlic & Miso Shortbread
And Now, a Shortbread That Breaks the Rules
This recipe is the kind of thing I get excited about: playful, surprising, and more savory than sweet. I developed this recipe for High Voltage Spring Veg because I wanted to work a vegetable into something on the sweeter side but didn’t want to default to something ubiquitous like carrot cake.
You might remember it from an earlier email, where I shared a photo from cookbook recipe tester Kevyn Allard. She inspired me to start rolling the dough and cutting it with a cookie cutter—gorgeous.
Most shortbread = sweet or neutral.
This shortbread = salty, slightly pungent, and just sweet enough.
Want to riff on it? Here are a few ideas:
Swap the cheese. Try extra sharp cheddar or pecorino instead of Parmesan.
Crank the heat. Add cayenne or chile flakes.
Make it vegan. Use non-dairy butter (I like Miyoko’s) and skip the cheese.
More miso magic. Dust the edges with miso soup mix powder.
Crunch time. Fold in crushed rice crackers or minced nuts for texture.
Scroll to the end of the email for the free recipe!
What’s your twist?
Reply to this email or leave a comment. I’d love to know how you’d make it yours.And of course, if you just want to make it exactly as written? Totally fair. It’s pretty tasty. I think I did a good job if I do say so myself.
XO,
Marie
UPCOMING CLASSES
You can find the full list of upcoming classes HERE
Sourdough Summer Galettes: Sweet & Savory
Saturday, June 7th, 4-8pm
I love galettes. They are delicious, customizable and perfect for a unfussy but still refined dinner party. You’ll learn how to make a perfectly flaky dough and tried and true fillings that scream summer.
No sourdough starter? No problem! I’ll give you some of mine to take home.
Sweet & Savory Green Garlic & Miso Shortbread
INGREDIENTS
2 sticks (225g) unsalted butter, softened
½ c (60g) powdered sugar
~⅔ c (50g) finely grated Parmesan cheese + extra for dusting
2 Tbsp white or yellow miso
2-3 tsp minced green garlic
¼-½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 c (290g) all purpose flour
Coarse sugar for the tops (optional)
Flaky salt for garnish (optional)
Wild onion flowers for garnish (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Heat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
Add butter and sugar to a stand mixer and mix using the paddle attachment for 2-3 minutes until smooth. Add cheese, miso, green garlic and black pepper and mix for another minute, scraping the sides down as needed.
Add in flour and mix until just combined.
Transfer dough to a 8” cast iron pan and flatten evenly. Sprinkle sugar, flaky salt and flowers on top and press lightly to ensure adherence.
Place in the oven. Bake for 22-25 minutes until the top is lightly browned.
Yield: One 8” pan or 24-32 cookies, depending on how they are rolled and cut
NOTE:
If you don’t have green garlic, substitute chives or green onions.
