A Bite in the Night Trivia Quiz

Answer: Crudités

The French word meaning raw things tells you exactly what to expect - raw vegetables, served whole if they are small, or sliced into dipping-sized pieces. They are traditionally served with a vinaigrette sauce for dipping, but you can replace that with your own personal choice, possibly including them as a slightly healthier alternative to the chips usually offered for dipping.

There are lots of traditional vegetables used, including celery, carrots, capsicum (red and/or green), cucumber, zucchini, broccoli and baby asparagus.

But you can choose whatever takes your fancy, as long as it is fresh. Snow peas, anyone?

Answer: California dip

This classic dip from the '60s is also called French onion dip (especially in parts of the world where the fact that it was originally created in Los Angeles has lost any significance it may once have had). While pre-made dips can be purchased, you can produce your own very simply (literally mixing a pack of instant soup mix with a carton of sour cream) and have the option of varying proportions to suit your palate. Variants include using reduced cream or yoghurt instead of the sour cream, and the addition of cream cheese to produce a slightly thicker dip that is less likely to fall off your potato chip between bowl and mouth.

Answer: Nachos

This classic of Tex-Mex cuisine (that found in the region of the border between Texas and Mexico, a fusion of the two local cultures) has found world-wide popularity. It traditionally uses corn tortilla chips, but you can use broken taco shells, or keep the tortilla intact to hold the toppings.

While the main topping is usually cheese, which was the original one in 1943, additions often include salsa, guacamole, sour cream, jalapenos and olives. Some prefer to have only the cheese and jalapeños on top of the chips, with the other ingredients served as sides.

More elaborate versions (which make the nachos more of a meal than a snack) include serving them on a bed of ground (or shredded) beef or refried beans.

Answer: Bhuja

This is a generic term for a variety of snack mixes. They all feature traditional Indian spices, and multiple ingredients such as bite-sized rice crackers, crispy noodles, dried peas or other legumes and peanuts. While those are featured in most mixes, that is not necessarily the case, and other ingredients often include dried fruit and nuts. Read the package carefully if you want to be sure of what you will be getting!

Answer: Maple sugar candy

Actually, there are three species of maple used to produce maple syrup by boiling their sap - Acer saccharum (sweet maple), Acer nigrum (black maple) and Acer rubrum (red maple). If you then boil the syrup, more water is removed, and beating the thickened liquid as it cools produces a sweet creamy treat.

While the commercial product is available (even here in Australia), you can take on the challenge of making it yourself - all you need is a bottle of pure maple syrup, a large saucepan, a wooden spoon or spatula and some candy moulds. Oh yes, and good timing - if you don't get the crystallising liquid beaten into a creamy texture and poured into your moulds quickly enough, you end up with solid lumps.

Answer: Guacamole

This Mexican dish has a name that tells you what it is, coming from the Nahuatl word for the avocado, āhuacatl, and the word for sauce, molli. While avocado is, obviously, an essential ingredient, the additions can be highly flexible. Lime (to help prevent browning on exposure to the air) and salt are commonly used. Jalapeños and cilantro (aka coriander leaves) are frequent. Sour cream or yoghurt may be added to produce a thinner texture, and the addition of other vegetables can produce your own spin. I like to add diced tomatoes, my daughter prefers to include corn kernels, fresh off the cob.

While guacamole can be used as a topping for nachos and tacos, it can also be served as a dip on its own - corn chips make the ideal dipper.

Answer: Samosa

Variants on the samosa can be found in cuisines spreading across Asia and northern Africa. They are made from pastry wrapped around a filling. The type and amount of spice included in the mix varies, as does the nature of the filling - they may or may not include meat, but in India the filling usually includes a blend of mashed potato, minced onion, green peas and lentils.

Indian samosas are often served with a dipping sauce such as mint chutney (pureed mint blended with yoghurt and spices). The shape into which the pastry is folded varies regionally, and is sometimes used by the home cook to provide a visual indication of the filling in each type, when a range of samosas is on offer.

Answer: Hummus

This Mediterranean dip gets its name from the Arabic word for chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans), the main ingredient in the dish. All recipes I have seen include tahini, which is a paste made from sesame seeds. Lemon juice for a tang, garlic because garlic goes with everything, and olive oil to produce the right consistency are usual inclusions.

It can be prepared to be quite thick, and used as a spread, or it can be thinner, and served as a dip. Flatbread such as pita, either fresh or toasted, is the traditional accompaniment.

While you can buy pre-packed containers of hummus, it is simple to prepare yourself, especially if you use tinned chickpeas and don't have to go through the lengthy soaking and boiling stages involved in preparing them from the dried state.

The added benefit is that you can adjust the balance of ingredients to get it tasting exactly the way you want!

Answer: Pistachios

Pistacia vera trees originated in central Asia, possibly around Afghanistan, and there is archaeological evidence that their nuts have been eaten for nearly 10,000 years. Because the shell splits naturally, the nut is easy to extract, and roasted pistachios are often sold and served in the shell.

When I was growing up in the United States, the shells were always colored bright red - which made it very hard to sneak a handful from the bowl while no parent was watching, because the dye came off easily, leaving a tell-tale stain on fingers and lips. Apparently, the dye was used to conceal marking caused by hand picking; modern harvesting techniques have made this unnecessary, and they now come in a lovely beige color for most markets.

Answer: Candy truffles

Chocolate ganache is a thick mixture of chocolate and cream, which may be flavored with liqueur. A truffle is made by preparing the ganache, then forming it into balls which may be covered in a harder chocolate shell, or rolled in ground nuts, cocoa powder or coconut.

They get their name from their resemblance to the prized fungus - which is most marked when they have been rolled in powdered cocoa as their outer covering.