So you’ve got yourself a bottle of Krug. Congratulations, you have one of the finest bottles of Champagne on the planet. Oh, what’s that? You’re inviting me over to share it with you? (You’re taking a page out of my wish book. Is this a dream?) And all I have to do is bring something to eat? No problem. I’ll be right over.

Lobster? Nope. Caviar? Sorry. I’m coming with popcorn. Yes, popcorn. Seriously. Why? I’m glad you asked.

With a Champagne redolent of yeast and toasted bread, popcorn, with it’s complimentary aroma and flavor, makes a lovely companion. And all bubbles adore salty snacks. Just keep it simple: popcorn, butter, salt. That’s it. And a modicum of butter; no need to have the popcorn swimming in a soup of dairy. I even like (dare I admit it?) the pre-popped corn you buy in a bag at the grocery store. (It doesn’t get your hands greasy with butter. You are drinking Krug, after all. You don’t want to ask for a Wet Nap; it kills the mood.)

I also like the idea of taking a luxury good like Champagne and pairing it with something humble and free of pretension like popcorn (or even potato chips). And you don’t have to have a pricey Champagne; any decent Cava, Cremant, or sparkling wine in the $15-20 range will give you reasonably similar pleasures. (If you’d like some suggestions, ask away in the comments and I’ll give you my picks.)

Just resist the temptation to gild the lily here, folks: keep it simple. Ok, I know, Foodista-ists. You really want to gild the lily a bit. OK, how about melting the butter and swirling a little curry powder into it? Curry and a rich, complex, powerful Champagne like Krug are heavenly! Or maybe get out your microplane and grate fluffy pillows of Parmesan into that butter. But that’s as far as I’ll go.

I’m firing up some Jiffy Pop for you right now; have you chilled the Champagne?

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I wish I could say that I came up with the brilliant idea to bake chickpeas, but alas, I cannot. The truth is I was getting ready for work one morning and overheard Mark Bittman talking about this healthy snack on the Today Show. I don’t know why I never considered baking chickpeas!

On my way home that evening I stopped by the store and purchased two cans. I mixed the chickpeas with some olive oil and zatar spice and baked until crispy. The perfect quick and easy snack food! My next batch? A Mexican chili and lime version.

Here’s how to whip up this healthy snack:

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