Amy and I grew up (me, allegedly) in northern Maryland, within 10 miles of the Pennsylvania border.

Pennsylvania is home to lots of localized, quirky anamolies, like say the Amish and the neighboring towns of Blue Ball, Intercourse and Paradise, but it's also the birth place of the original UTZ potato chip factory in nearby Hanover.

The most awesome of chips to emerge from the UTZ factory is without a doubt the kettle cooked, hand cut, barbecued variant. UTZ only releases these bad boys into the Mason Dixon Line area (Maryland/Pennsylvania border) and so  needless to say, we can't get them here on the Tropic of Cancer.

After much internal debate, it was decided that we would spend this years "Win a Nobel Peace Prize" funds allocated in the Team Dream Catcher cruising budget towards reverse engineering the super secret UTZ formula and thus bring the BBQ kettle chips to the snack food deprived people of the Bahamas.

After countless (maybe 4) hours and billions and billions (around 10) test runs, I am happy to report, we have succeeded in our mission. The Bahamian peoples our enjoying the fruits of my labor and that peace prize is as good as mine.

The recipe follows.

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/8 teaspoon ground mustard
• Dash cayenne pepper
• 1 large potato, peeled
• 4 cups ice water
• Oil for deep-fat frying

• In a small bowl, combine the first seven ingredients; set aside.
• Using a vegetable peeler skin potato.
• Cut potato into medium thin slices. Not too thin!
• Place in a large bowl; add ice water. Soak for 30 minutes.
• Drain potato; place on paper towels and pat dry.
• Heat 1 in. of oil to 375°.
• Fry potato slices in batches for 1-2 minutes or until golden brown, turning once.
• Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels.
• Immediately sprinkle with seasoning mixture.
• Store in an airtight container.