Smoky Roasted Chickpeas

A couple of years ago, I self diagnosed myself with misophonia. For those of you who are lucky enough to be unaware, Misophonia, literally means "hatred of sound"  It was proposed in 2000 as a condition in which negative emotions, thoughts, and physical reactions are triggered by specific sounds.

This is not something that I'm particularly proud of and trust me when I tell you that my life would be whole lot easier if I didn't have to deal with misophonia.  I really have no tolerance for any type of chewing noises, slurping, spoon clinking or swallowing sounds - just to name a few.  If you really want to see my misophonia kick in, sit next to me while eating a bowl of cereal.  Depending on how well I know you, my response will be anything from a severe stare to an overly critical evaluation of your eating habits to exiting the room with a dramatic door slam  until said cereal has been consumed out of earshot.  

I am sure that my family is rolling on the ground in laughter right now because they witness my irrational behavior as a result of sounds, on a regular basis.  Believe it or not, I've even been known to criticize them for breathing too loudly in especially quiet situations.  It's a good thing that my family can laugh at the ridiculousness of my misophonia because they have to deal with it A LOT.   

Before we sit down for a meal that contains something potentially crunchy (like lettuce) I play music on the speaker right behind my chair to try and drown out some of the noise.  My technique works for an average of 15 minutes, then I typically remove the food from the table in a hasty, abrupt fashion.  My kids have just come to expect my crazy reaction. 

The funniest thing about the whole situation is that I can annoy MYSELF by making the same noises that I accuse everyone else of making.  Some days, noises are more tolerable than other days.  There really is no rhyme or reason to what makes me more sensitive to noises on some days.  I just try and embrace it and eat all my favorite crunchy food on the days when I I feel like I'm not going to annoy myself quite as much when I eat the chips I've been craving. These Smoky Roasted Chickpeas are so good that I eat them even despite the fact that the extreme crunch annoys me. 

Smoky Roasted Chickpeas
15 ounce can chickpeas
1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
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Spread chickpeas on paper towels and pat dry.

Spread in a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. 

Drizzle with olive oil and bake 30 minutes at 400.

Remove from oven, sprinkle with paprika, salt and cayenne. 

Return to oven and bake another 15-20 minutes.  

You know that crunchy foods are exceptional if they outweigh the displeasing sounds that are an inevitable consequence.  These chick peas are delicious on salads, on tacos and just as an afternoon snack.  They really are amazing - even though they're crunchy.  

​Ciao

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