WARIO - Carrot Chips & Garlic Bean Dip

Complexity: ★★★☆☆

Wario's depiction in Smash is mainly based on his appearance in the WarioWare games, where Wario takes on the role of a game developer - hence the format of multiple small "microgames" in the WarioWare series. I wanted this recipe to be the type of food someone would snack on while gaming, so I decided to go for chips and dip! Junk food seems like an appropriate choice for the rotund Wario.

Instead of regular chips, I made carrot chips as a nod to Wario's first appearance in Super Mario Land 2. In this game, a new power-up - the Magic Carrot - is introduced, which transforms Mario into a bunny! In fact, Wario himself makes use of this power-up in a battle against Mario.

Bunny Mario and Bunny Wario!

These chips are served with a zesty three-layer bean dip. Beans are an appropriate addition when it comes to Wario for... certain reasons. Yeah, for some reason Wario uses his flatulence as an attack in the Super Smash Bros. series as well as Super Mario Strikers Charged.

Wario eating a whole head of garlic in Mario Tennis Aces.

I also made sure that garlic was front-and-centre in this dip. The connection between Wario and garlic goes back to the very beginning of Wario's own series, the Wario Land games! In the first game, a power-up called the "Garlic Pot" is essentially Wario's equivalent of Mario's Super Mushroom, increasing his size and giving him an extra hit. Also, garlic is a treasure Wario can collect in Wario Land 3.

Wario-Man. Notice the garlic on his pyjamas... (image credit: mariowiki.com)

Garlic also heals him in Wario World as well as Wario Land: Shake It! In Mario Superstar Baseball, Wario's special pitches and swings involved garlic. Garlic is a special item for Wario in the Mario Kart arcade games, and appears in a minigame in Wario: Master of Disguise. In WarioWare: Touched!, Wario eats "Nasty Garlic" to transform into his alter ego, Wario-Man! This also serves as his Final Smash throughout the Super Smash Bros. series. More recently, Wario's special shot in Mario Tennis Aces, the "Glorious Garlic Bomber," saw the man once again scarf down an entire head of garlic. You get the picture: Wario loves garlic. So, an entire roasted head of garlic is blended in this dip! In general, I felt that "pungent" foods - beans, garlic, cheese, spicy foods - represent Wario's crass nature.

Apologies for the lower quality of the photos today - by the time I had finished cooking it was pretty dark outside, and the lighting was not ideal for food photography.

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INGREDIENTS

Carrot Chips:

• 2 lb carrots

• 1 tsp sea salt

• 1 tsp paprika

• ½ tsp ground cinnamon

Garlic Bean Dip:

• 1 head of garlic

• 1 tsp olive oil

• 1 cup dry pinto beans

• 2 tbsp butter

• 2 tsp chili powder

• 1 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp paprika

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• ½ tsp dried oregano

• ¼ tsp onion powder

• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper

• ½ cup plain cream cheese

• ½ cup black beans

• 3-4 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped

• ½ small red onion, chopped

• 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped

• 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped

• 1 lime, halved

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 cup white beans

• ½ cup sour cream

• ½ tsp hot sauce

• 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

• 1-2 green onions, chopped

• Sliced pickled jalapenos (optional)

• Salt and pepper

PREPARATION

For carrot chips:

1. Peel carrots. Slice as thin as possible with a mandolin or vegetable peeler. Soak slices in a bowl of ice water for about 30 minutes.

2. Pat carrot slices dry. Heat 3 inches of oil in a large stock pot until it reaches 350°. Add carrot slices in batches and fry until crisp, about a few minutes.

3. Add fried carrot chips to a bowl lined with paper towels to drain excess oil. Toss with salt, paprika, and cinnamon.

4. Alternatively, you can dehydrate the slices if you own a dehydrator. Blanch and dry the thinly sliced carrots, toss with the seasoning mix, arrange on a tray, and cook at around 120° for at least 6 hours until completely crisp.

For refried bean layer:

1. Rinse the dry pinto beans in water. Add to a pot and cover with about 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil, and then low to a simmer, covered, for about an hour until soft.

2. Strain beans from water. Melt butter in a pan and cook beans. Add chili, cumin, paprika, oregano, garlic and onion powder, cayenne pepper, and a pinch of salt. Cook for a few minutes.

3. Using a potato masher, mash the beans in a pan while you are cooking them, until a rough puree is formed.

4. Remove from heat, cool, and mix with cream cheese in a medium bowl.

For black bean salsa layer:

1. Rinse and strain black beans to remove all the liquid from the can.

2. Combine black beans, tomato, red onion, jalapeno, cilantro, the juice of one half of the lime, and olive oil in a bowl, stir to combine.

For garlic white bean layer:

1. Rinse and strain white beans to remove all the liquid from the can. Add to a bowl and set aside.

2. Remove outermost layers of paper from the head of garlic, leaving a thin enough layer to hold the cloves together. Cut the top off to expose the cloves. Brush with a bit of olive oil, wrap in tinfoil, and cook in an oven preheated to 400° for about 20-30 minutes until softened.

3. Squeeze roasted garlic out of the paper into the bowl with the beans, mash together with a potato masher. Add the juice of the remaining lime half, the hot sauce, and sour cream, stir to combine.

Assembly:

1. In a 2-inch deep oven-proof baking dish, layer refried bean mixture, then black bean salsa, and then white bean garlic mixture. Sprinkle both cheese on top, cook in an oven preheated to 350° until cheese is melted and bubbly.

2. Top with chopped green onions and jalapenos if desired. Serve with carrot chips (or tortilla/corn chips).

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Elements of this recipe were created with the help of my generous patrons! If you'd like to help me create future recipes, consider supporting me on Patreon!