Category: Appetizer

The New Favorite Cracker

May 3, 2011

Let’s take a little quiz.  In each of the following scenarios, which would you choose?

Store-bought cracker or store-bought cookie?
Store-bought cracker or homemade cookie?
Homemade cracker or store-bought cookie?
Homemade cracker or homemade cookie?

It might surprise (shock? repulse?) you to know that I would choose the cracker.  Yes, if the store-bought cracker was nice and salty, like maybe a Triscuit, I would choose it over a homemade cookie.  What can I say – I’m a savory girl.

Knowing that, it probably won’t surprise you to hear that I have fallen head over heels in love with these crackers.  I have been a big fan of making my own crackers and until recently, I had my two favorites.  But move over kids, there is a new cracker in town.  I just served these to my Vegetarian Basics class last week.  One of my attendees – a good friend – suggested I call them (Crack)ers.  Has someone else copyrighted that name yet?  It’s perfect.

This is about as easy as it gets.  Soften butter, toast nuts, grate cheese, and you are basically there.  Having made them several times now, I can give you some tips.

1)  This is the time for good Cheddar cheese.  We always have some mild stuff in the cheese drawer for kids quesadillas and you probably do too.  Don’t use that cheese.  Buy something special and yummy.  It will make a difference.

2)  Chop the walnuts nice and fine.

3)  Double the recipe.  Form the dough into two logs, bake one off and wrap and freeze the other.  Tiny bit more work for double the crackers and the dough freezes beautifully.

4)  If you follow tip #3 and you use a Beater Blade for your standing mixer, switch to the metal blade.  This is a very stiff dough and when I quadrupled the recipe (what?  2 sticks and butter and 2 pounds of cheese – I’m not scared), I broke my beater blade.  You have been warned.

5)  As you are mixing in the flour, you might think to yourself, “This needs some liquid, like milk perhaps.”  It doesn’t.  (Made that mistake!)  Be patient and the dough will come together.

6)  Make sure the walnuts are distributed well throughout the dough, otherwise it can be a little tricky to get to the dough to roll out into a snake without falling apart.  Totally do-able, just a little annoying.

7)  Finally, prepare yourself for the smell coming out of your oven.  Ah-mazing!

Crackers Previously on Dana Treat: Parmesan Thyme Crackers, Rosemary Raisin Pecan Crisps
One Year Ago: Chocolate Truffles
 Two Years Ago: Classic Currant Scones, Rhubarb Struesel Tart, Bean Tostadas with Sofrito

Cheddar Crackers
Tartine

I’m not giving you a yield here because it totally depends on how small your dough logs are, how thin you slice your crackers, etc.  The original recipe said you can get fifty 1-inch round crackers, but honestly I don’t see how that is possible.

¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
¾ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 1/3 cups (8 ounces) grated sharp Cheddar cheese
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup walnuts, chopped fine

In a small mixing bowl, stir together the flour, salt, cayenne pepper, and black pepper.  Set aside.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cheese and butter and beat on medium speed until combined.  Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until incorporated.  Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.  Mix in the walnuts on low speed.  The dough should be fairly stiff with small chunks of cheese and walnut visible.

Transfer the dough to parchment paper, waxed paper, or plastic wrap and shape into a log about 1-inch in diameter.  (DT: I found it difficult to get the dough this small, so my crackers were bigger.  Darn.)  Wrap well and place in the refrigerator until hard, about 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 400ºF.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a non-stick liner.

Unwrap the log and cut crosswise into ¼-inch thick slices.  Arrange the crackers on the prepared pan, spacing them apart about 1 inch.

Bake the crackers until golden brown on the edges and lighter in the center, 7 to 10 minutes, depending on size and thickness.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.  The crackers will keep in an airtight container in cool dry place for up to 2 weeks.


Category: Appetizer,Baked Goods,My Favorites,Party Food
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Asparagus for a Party

May 1, 2011

Last weekend, we hosted a 30th birthday party for our babysitter Erika.  Babysitter is not really the right word.  To me, it implies someone doing their homework and watching TV while your kids sleep.  Nanny is not the right word either; she was with us too few hours and besides, “nanny” sounds condescending to me somehow.  Erika is a unique and special woman who has shared her love and her kind heart with our family for the past 4½ years.  What do you call that person?

As I told you here, we met Erika at the Boyer Clinic where Graham started on his speech therapy journey.  When Graham was diagnosed, I was five months pregnant with Spencer.  I could not imagine how I was going to bring a child to a twice weekly appointment with an infant in tow.  As with everything we moms do, I figured it out.  But it caused me a lot of stress.  I would often have to wake Spencer up so that we could get to the clinic on time.  I nursed him in the waiting room or in the classroom.  I put him in the Bjorn and did that crazy dance moms of infants do to try and lull him to sleep.  I suffered through those days and dreaded the evenings when colic turned Spencer into a demon who would not stop crying until he wore himself out around midnight.

Meeting Erika and learning that she needed some hours offered me hope.  I was able to let Spencer take his morning nap undisturbed.  I was able to focus on Graham who was now doing preschool at Boyer along with his speech therapy.  I was able to get some distance from my challenging infant which, if you have ever had an infant, you know is crucial to your sanity.  And because Erika is as amazing as she is, I was able to walk out of the house and not worry about that infant, trusting that he was in capable hands.  There is no price you can put on that security.

Time passed.  The boys grew.  Erika stayed.  She was getting a Master’s degree so her schedule was flexible and we moved her two mornings a week to one full day.  I love my children but I looked forward to Thursdays for two full years.  I could go to yoga and get my hair cut and go to the doctor and meet a friend for lunch if I wanted.  Erika sits for us at night as well and has taken the boys over weekends when we have gone away.  In all that time, all those years, all those days, all those nights, she has never called me with a problem.  Not once.  My boys are easy and she knows them well, but she is also extremely capable.  When we have been out of town and I call to check in, I feel like I am actually calling to make sure she is all right.  I know the boys are fine and having a blast.

So Erika turned 30 and she (sob!) got a job.  She is no longer here on Thursdays and just typing that makes me want to cry.  The main reason that I feel weird calling her a babysitter or a nanny is that she is truly family to us now.  She has been with us since Spencer was six months old and Graham was two.  She know my children better than anyone besides me and Randy.  She loves them and they love her.  We are lucky in that she will always be a part of our lives.  She will sit for us on weekend nights and when we leave town.  I like to tell her she will never be free of us!

To celebrate her 30th birthday, I thought it was only right to throw her a party.  Erika is a vegetarian and an enthusiastic eater of my food.  A night with 20 of her friends and lots of food and wine would be right up her alley.  In true Erika fashion, she thanked me 426 times before the party even started.  We all had a fun night.  Graham thought he had died and gone to pretty girl heaven with all the dresses and jewels and long hair and makeup.  It was wonderful to be able to celebrate her in a personal and relevant way.

Among many other things, I made these asparagus.  I do a lot of party food, but often the party is not at my house.  I have been eying this dish for a long time, but have not been able to make it because I knew it would not travel well.  In my book, asparagus is best simply steamed or roasted, but I was intrigued by the crunchy coating.  Truthfully, these were not as crunchy as I wanted them to be and they wilted more than I wanted them to, but they were pretty and still tasted good, especially that drizzle of sauce.  If I made them again, I would be sure to use very thick asparagus so that they are just cooked by the time the breading browns.

One Year Ago: Tagine with Carrots, Potatoes, and Olives
Two Years Ago: Sushi Rice Salad

Roasted Sesame and Panko Coated Asparagus with Soy-Ginger Drizzle
Adapted from Bon Appétit
Serves 4-6

Because I used thinner asparagus, I didn’t bother to peel them.  But as I said above, I would use thicker ones next time and peel them as the recipe suggests.  The measurements here are very fussy (1/4 tsp. sesame oil?) so I just did it all by taste.  I’m keeping their notes as a guideline.

¼ cup mayonnaise
4 teaspoons unseasoned rice vinegar, divided
3 teaspoons soy sauce, divided
1¼ teaspoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger, divided
1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
¼ cup sesame seeds
1 pound thick asparagus spears, trimmed, bottom 2/3 of each spear peeled
1 teaspoon golden brown sugar
½ teaspoon chili-garlic sauce

Preheat oven to 450°F. Oil large rimmed baking sheet. Whisk mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon grated ginger in pie dish. Mix panko and sesame seeds in another pie dish. Toss asparagus in mayonnaise mixture to coat, then roll in panko mixture. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 teaspoons sesame oil. Roast until browned, turning once, about 16 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk 1 teaspoon water, brown sugar, chili-garlic sauce, remaining 3 teaspoons vinegar, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, 1/4 teaspoon ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil in small bowl for sauce.

Transfer asparagus to platter; sprinkle with salt. Drizzle with sauce.


Category: Appetizer,Party Food,Side Dish
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Unusual but Delicious

April 14, 2011

Sometimes I find myself at a recipe crossroads.  I happen upon something that sounds really interesting, really different.  I pause and realize that it could either go very right or very wrong.  I saw Carrot Pancakes with Hummus and a Feta Salad and I was intrigued.  I thought it could be great.  And I was right.  So right that I made it twice in a week.

Here is a little window into my life.  I have this food blog.  I cook a lot.  We entertain a lot.  I make things for dinner parties that are totally blog worthy but I only photograph those dishes a very small percentage of the time.  When people are hungry and I’m trying to pull everything together, my camera is not the first thing on my mind.  I will have a fleeting thought, “Oh, I would love to write about this!” and then I notice an empty wine glass or a smudge the dishwasher left on a dinner plate or a pot of soup about to bubble over and before I know it, dinner is over and the camera stayed in its case.

This one, though.  This one I had to make again.  And not only so I could share it with you, although that is important to me.  I had to make it again because I wanted to eat it again.  To be fair, this was done easily because the recipe gives you a generous amount of hummus so I had some left over.  Usually I am a hummus purist.  I love hummus and I don’t like it gussied up with anything other than the basics.  Roasted carrots though?  Yes please.

There are many things I can tell you about this dish but I will try and keep it simple.  I served this as an appetizer for our dinner party last week and as more of a main course for dinner last night.  You can do either and just vary the size of the pancakes.  I got about 8 “pancake” size ones last night.  I would imagine you can make the pancakes early in the day and just reheat them in a low oven.  I threw together the feta salad last night based on what I had in my refrigerator.  Add any kind of sprouts, little bits of lettuce, herbs – it will all taste good.  I would say the must-haves are a really good feta and the almonds.

One Year Ago: Tabasco and Asparagus Quinoa
Two Years Ago: Southwestern Sweet Potato Gratin

Carrot Pancake with Hummus and a Feta Salad
Adapted from The Modern Vegetarian
Serves 4-6

Please do not be scared off by the long list of ingredients.  This is an easy recipe.  You can make the hummus days before and the dressing up to a week before. You can even mix together the pancake ingredients (except for the water) early in the day so they are almost all ready to go. You can use the leftover dressing for your salads during the week.

For the pancakes
1 1/3 cups grated carrots (about 2 medium)
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 jalapeño chile, seeded and finely chopped
2 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. fennel seeds
2 tsp. ground coriander
2 tbsp. chopped cilantro
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup chickpea flour
¼ cup semolina
2 tsp. salt
2/3-¾ cup water
Olive oil

For the hummus
3 large carrots, peeled
Olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp. tahini
1 tsp. ground cumin

For the salad
Few leaves of arugula
Few large pinches of different kinds of sprouts
2 tbsp. cilantro leaves, torn
12 mint leaves, torn
¼ cup chopped almonds
Pinch of ground cinnamon
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

For the dressing
2 tbsp. sherry vinegar
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
Pinch of sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tbsp. good olive oil

Make the hummus
Preheat the oven to 400ºF.  Cut the carrots into thin slices, drizzle with a bit of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Place on a baking sheet and roast for about 20 minutes or until softened.  While still hot, put them into a food processor with the remaining hummus ingredients and pulse to a smooth purée, adding a little olive oil or water if too thick.  Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary.  Set aside.

Make the pancakes
Mix all the ingredients together, except the olive oil, to form a thick batter.  Heat just a bit of oil in a large non-stick skillet and spoon in bits of batter, a couple of tablespoons or so.  I found it best to use a large soup spoon and used the back of it to smooth the pancakes into more or less a round shape.  Cook on one side until golden and then flip.  Remove to a rack and repeat with the rest of the batter.

Make the salad
Place all the dressing ingredients in a wide mouth jar, put on the lid, and shake vigorously.  (Alternatively, whisk the ingredients together in a bowl.)  Put all the salad ingredients together in a medium size bowl and drizzle in a bit of dressing.  Use a light hand and toss gently.

Place one or two pancakes on a plate.  Top with a dollop of hummus and a large pinch of the salad.


Category: Appetizer,Main Course
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Herbed and Spiced Goat Cheese Balls

January 9, 2011

I’m really late in saying this but Happy New Year!!  I’m curious – what did you all do?  We were lucky enough to have a night out this year.

I spent my 20’s feeling like New Year’s Eve was Very Important.  I had to be doing just the right thing, otherwise it was disappointing.  The problem is, I never figured out what just the right thing was so I was always disappointed.  I spent Y2K in an uncomfortable skirt, heels that were too high, at a very expensive party where they ran out of wine by 9:30, wondering why I didn’t lower my expectations a little.

Once I did, New Year’s became just another fun night out.  Or in.  Some of the best that I have spent have been with close friends in someone’s home.  Since having kids, going out has become a little trickier.  Our babysitters all have social lives and often they include big plans for the big night.  Occasionally, Randy’s parents come to town right after Christmas and we have built in babysitters.  Such was the case this year.

My friend Julie rallied a small group of us and we had a 9:30 reservation at a local favorite Cantinetta.  I like to eat late but 9:30 is pretty extreme for Americans.  We decided to have everyone come over to our house for a nibble and a glass of champagne.  Knowing a big dinner was on the horizon, I wanted to make something relatively small and light but substantial enough to hold us until dinner was served.  I also had a lot of cooking in my future and didn’t want to spend a whole lot of time on a nibble.

Because we entertain a lot and because I have catered several parties, I have a lot of appetizers in my back pocket.  But nothing seemed right.  In those cases, I turn to Martha Stewart and as usual, she had the perfect thing.  These little balls of goat cheese are about marble size and take no more than 10 minutes to prepare.  You can really roll them in anything.  I chose some things I had on hand – parsley, dill, pecans, black pepper, and took her advice for rolling them in paprika to get that stripe.

One Year Ago: Petites Pissladières
Two Years Ago: Poblano and Cheddar Stuffed Mushrooms

Herbed and Spiced Goat Cheese Balls
Adapted from Martha Stewart’s Hors d’Oeuvres Handbook
Makes about 3 dozen

1¼ pounds soft goat cheese
2 tbsp. finely chopped parsley
2 tbsp. finely chopped dill
2 tbsp. finely chopped pecans
1 tbsp. freshly cracked black pepper
2 tsp. paprika
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. red pepper flakes

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Form 1 tablespoon of the goat cheese into a small ball.  Transfer to the baking sheet.  Continue with the remaining cheese.  Refrigerate the balls for 10 minutes to set slightly.

In separate bowls, place the parsley, dill, pecans, and pepper.  Roll several balls in each of the coatings and set aside.  To make the paprika band, sprinkle the paprika in a straight thin line on a cutting board.  Straighten the edges of the paprika with a knife.  Roll some of the balls down the line to form the paprika strip.

Pour the olive oil onto a serving platter.  Sprinkle the oil with the red pepper flakes.  Arrange the goat cheese balls on the platter and serve with toothpicks.


Category: Appetizer,Cheese,Party Food,Quick and Easy
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Mini Macs

November 15, 2010

Let’s face it.  Macaroni and cheese makes most people happy.  It really doesn’t matter how old those people are.  It’s just a happy dish and it’s tasty.  Mac and cheese = tasty.  Small things also make people happy.  Mini cupcakes, muffins, petits fours.  People think they are cute.  Mini things = cute.  So what we have here is tasty and cute.  It could be worse.

If you want to have a guaranteed hit on your party menu, make these little guys.  The look on people’s faces as you pull them out of the oven (that combination of “that smells so good” “they are so cute!” and “mac and cheese!”) is priceless.  I would make these for every single event I do, but they really need oven time right before serving.  Sometimes I am catering a party where that is not an option, so they don’t appear on the menu.  I have made them a few hours in advance and then just reheated them right before party time.  It works but they really are best if you bake them off just as guests are arriving.

This recipe calls for good old American cheese slices presumably for their melt-ability.  This last time, I went for the more “natural” version – Horizon brand – and I have to tell you they were better with the cheap stuff.  Just like you want to bake with Jif rather than an all-natural brand of peanut butter, you want to make these with Kraft rather than the all-natural.

One Year Ago: Creamy Artichoke Dip
Two Years Ago: Bulghur and Green Lentil Salad with Chickpeas

Three-Cheese Mini Macs
Adapted from Food & Wine
Makes 48 Mini Macs

½ pound elbow macaroni
1½ tbsp. unsalted butter
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 tbsp. flour
¾ cup milk
4 ounces Cheddar cheese, shredded (1 packed cup)
4 ounces deli-sliced American cheese, chopped
1 large egg yolk
¼ tsp. smoked Spanish paprika

Preheat the oven to 425°F.  In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the macaroni until al dente, about 5 minutes.  Drain, shaking off the excess water.

Spray four 12-cup nonstick mini muffin tins with cooking spray.  Sprinkle with 2 tbsp. Parmesan.

In a large saucepan, melt the 1½ tablespoons of butter.  Whisk in the flour over moderate heat for 2 minutes.  Whisk in teh milk and cook, whisking, until boiling, about 5 minutes.  Add the Cheddar and American cheeses and whisk until melted.  Off the heat, whisk in the egg yolk and paprika.  Fold in the macaroni.

Spoon slightly rounded tablespoons of the macaroni into the prepared muffin cups, packing them gently.  Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan on top.

Bake the mini macs in the upper and middle thirds of the oven for about 10 minutes, until golden and sizzling.  Let cool for 5 minutes.  Using a small spoon, carefully loosen the mini macs, transfer to a platter and serve.


Category: Appetizer,Party Food
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