St. Louis Homes & LifestylesNo Flash in the Pan
Pasts Crunchers snap up citywide sales
When Pasta Crunchers were offered at last year's Taste of Clayton, some 300 pounds sold
in a matter of hours. From a flash-fried experiment came Pasta Crunchers, one of the
latest locally produced nibbles to gobble up merchandising space at area grocery stores.
First made famous at Jimmy's Cafe on the Park, Pasta Crunchers are imported
fettuccine noodles, flash-fried in sizzling-hot peanut and vegetable oils, then seasoned with about
20 ingredients, baked and air-dried. Still available at no charge with all evening
meals at Jimmy's Cafe, the Crunchers are sold in 10-ounce packages at the Cafe and now at
many local food stores.
"Although the restaurant is my biggest gratification, there's something about
walking into a grocery store and seeing your product," confides Jimmy Kristo,
co-owner with Dennis Roussel of Jimmy's Cafe. Jimmy, Dennis and their chef, Kathy
Schmidt, are the three principals in Jimmy's Pasta Crunchers. Like most would-be marketing
sensations, theirs evolved. "Kathy used to deep-fry angel hair pasta as an edible
garnish,"
Jimmy recalls. But she, Jimmy and Dennis hungered for seasonings and also for bread
sticks, a onetime snacking staple at many area restaurants.
Kathy experimented. She flash-fried some dried, imported fettuccine, then sprinkled it
with a commercial seasoned salt. Too salty. She spent a year fine-tuning, finally blending
approximately 20 spices and condiments. (The result, Seasoned Salt, is the next product
Jimmy's Pasta Crunchers intends to market.)
Using Kathy's recipe, production manager Mike Crane now makes Pasta Crunchers, both for
the restaurant and public consumption, on-site at the Cafe. "We wanted something to
wake up your appetite, not deter you from eating dinner," says Jimmy.
To the contrary, Crunchers have proven so popular with his dinner patrons that
"people even eat them with their coffee," he says. "We keep a 'bottomless'
jar on each table." (314) 725-8585.
--Susan Fadem
 Enjoy these unique
snacks
made famous at Jimmy's Cafe on the ParkThe Perfect Party Gift
Will ship anywhere in the U. S.
Cost $5.50 for a 10oz. tube, plus shipping and handling
To order call
314-725-8585 |
