English Oat Crackers

Last week's three day girl's getaway trip to southwestern Michigan was a much needed reprieve from all of the deafening political noise dominating every form of media for the past several months. From waking up and walking along the shore of Lake Michigan, to driving in landscapes rich with the deepest, most vibrant autumnal colors, to looking for treasures in antique stores, to enjoying some amazing food, to have some time to take photos of an iconic lighthouse, to staying up in the wee hours to watch the Cubs clinch the World Series, these busy from morning to night days were actually more relaxing than exhausting. More than likely this was due in large part to the graciousness of the friend who opened up her home to us and served as travel guide extraordinaire. Although I don't know whether to love or hate her for introducing me to Salt of the Earth, a restaurant in Fennville, Michigan, serving some of the most amazing food I have ever eaten. Seriously, the food is so unbelievably incredible it is almost worth making a five hour round trip drive just to have a dinner there. Or maybe, worth spending the night to squeeze in stops at Virtue Cider and Crane's Pie Pantry after spending the day photographing the lake and woodland landscapes. I can hardly wait to go back.

One of the first recipes in Ina Garten's new cookbook, Cooking for Jeffrey, to catch my eye were the English Oat Crackers. They reminded me of my favorite so hard to find crackers I don't even think I remember who made them. Before leaving for Michigan, I made them to go with some cheese and wine I had packed for us. If there were ever a cracker to create a best ever cheese platter, it would be these English Oat Crackers. Crisp and deeply flavored they are a cross between a cracker and cookie. We have all known that Ina Garten is a genius. But now we are further indebted to her for helping us realize we should be giving as much to the crackers on our cheese platters as we have been giving to the cheese.

Having given all but one of these English Oat Crackers away (well I had to make sure they were good), I made them again when I returned home. I could say it was all in the spirit of making sure they were as good the second time around. But I would be lying. These crackers are as beautiful as they are addictive. One of the more lethal combinations in the food world.

One of Ina Garten's most enduring qualities is creating 'simple' recipes using easy to find ingredients (albeit sometimes on the expensive side) as well as ones always delivering in taste and presentation. These English Oat Crackers more than deliver and just happen to be on the relatively inexpensive ingredient side. The only ingredient variable is the butter (unsalted of course). Because there are very few ingredients in these crackers using a high quality unsalted butter is even more critical. However, there is no need to splurge on high end oatmeal. The Old-Fashioned Quaker Oats work perfectly.

There were a few changes I made to this recipe (I know, who am I to mess with perfection). But these changes were due more to not paying close attention to the recipe (I was multi-tasking the first time I made them). Instead of using a half-cup of lightly packed light brown sugar, my brown sugar was more on the semi-firm packed side. And instead of baking them at 375 degrees (F), I baked them at 350 degrees (F). More on what I think the difference in these two temperatures might be later on. 

For some reason I had difficulty pressing down the cracker dough balls down by simply flouring the bottom of a drinking glass (the dough kept sticking to the glass, resulting in an unbakeable mess). Putting a small piece of parchment paper between the dough and glass worked perfectly when carefully peeling the paper away from the flattened cracker. And it wasn't necessary to add any more flour to the cracker.

Baking time for these English Oat Crackers ranged from 22-24 minutes. For the crispiest cracker, your baking time will be closer to 24 minutes.. However, the thickness of your cracker will also influence how long these crackers remain in the oven. My crackers may not have been flattened as much as Ina's. Mine were a little thicker. Personally, I liked the substantialness of them. The higher oven temperature (375 degrees F) would also contribute to the cracker's crispness. If you bake them at the higher temperature, begin checking them at 20 minutes.

Once removed from the oven, the crackers should be allowed to cool on the cookie sheet for at least five minutes before being transferred to a cooling rack.

They can be served either warm or at room temperature. If making them earlier in the day or day before, make certain they have completely cooled before being put in a tightly sealed container or placed in a tightly tied cellophane bag.

So now let's talk about the cheese. While there are many cheese pairing options to go along with these crackers, the French Triple Cream Cow's Milk cheese Delice de Bourgogne would be amongst my favorites. The combination of flavors is head-spinning.

If you were going to serve only one appetizer at a cocktail party or dinner party, then serve English Oat Crackers paired with a great cheese and some fruit. It's really all you need. And this is coming from someone who is finds it difficult to stop at making just one.

With the holiday entertaining season quickly approaching, consider making these English Oat Crackers your must-serve cracker. Additionally, they make for a great hostess gift. Just be sure to make some for yourself as it may be difficult to let them go.

Recipe
English Oat Crackers (an ever so slight adaptation of Ina Garten's English Oat Cracker recipe from her newest cookbook 'Cooking for Jeffrey')
Makes approximately 22-24 three inch sized crackers.

Ingredients
3 cups (8 1/2 oz/240g) old-fashioned oats (recommend Quaker Old-Fashioned Oats)
1 cup (130g) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (100g) light brown sugar, semi-firmly packed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 sticks (8 oz/226g) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch dice (recommend Kerrygold's Unsalted Butter)
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup lukewarm water
Sea salt or Fleur de sel  (recommend Maldon Sea Salt)
Serve with fruit (sliced Honey Crisp apples and cheese)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Place oats, flour, brown sugar, and kosher salt into a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for approximately 15-25 seconds or until oats are coarsely ground.
3. Add butter and pulse 15-20 times until the butter is pea-sized.
4. Dissolve baking soda in lukewarm water. Stir to dissolve. Add to food processor. Pulse until mixture is even moistened and can be easily pressed into balls that will hold together (Note: If mixture is too wet, add a little more flour or if too dry, add a little more water.)
5. Using a 1 1/2" to 1 3/4" inch ice cream scoop, form balls. Evenly space on baking sheet.
6. Flour the bottom of a flat bottomed 3 inch drinking glass and flatten each cracker so it is somewhere between 1/8" and 1/4" thick (mine were closer to 1/4"). Note: If the ball of dough is sticking to the glass, cut a 4" square piece of parchment paper, place on dough ball, then press with glass. The parchment paper should release easily leaving you with a perfectly flattened cracker.)
7. Sprinkle with sea salt. 
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on the edges. Remove from oven. Allow crackers to cool on pan for 5 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack.
9. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store completely cooled cookies in a tightly sealed container or tightly tied cellophane bag for several days.

Notes: (1) Instead of lightly packing the brown sugar, I packed mine semi-firm. This may or may not have added to the moisture of cracker dough. As a result I added an additional tablespoon of flour. (2) The drinking glass method of flattening the crackers didn't work as it did not easily release from the cracker. However, placing a piece of parchment paper on top of the cracker ball and then pressing with the glass worked perfectly. (3) Use Old-Fashioned NOT quick cooking oats. (4) The original recipe recommends the crackers bake at 375 (F) degrees for 20-25 minutes. My baking temperature was 350 (F) degrees with a baking time of 22-24 minutes. (5) Highly recommend serving these crackers with the French Delice de Bourgogne, a triple creme cow's milk cheese.

Thanksgiving Round Up: The Sides

If there was ever a holiday dominated by traditions, Thanksgiving might be the one having this distinction. At least in my world. This is not to say that every Thanksgiving is the same. It isn't. Oh, there are elements of continuity from year to year (with one unforgettable exception), but it has become a tradition to be sightly non-traditional. Although there is one sacred part of the meal: the turkey, stuffing, and gravy. Mess with that part of the dinner and, well, I will not take responsibility for what could happen next or how far I will spiral downward. Yet changes to the appetizers, sides, desserts, or even the table setting would not even phase me at all. My Thanksgiving flexibility is clearly compartmentalized. 

This year will be a very different Thanksgiving. With the person who shall remain nameless not returning home from an out of the country work assignment until after this holiday, I am left with deciding how, where, and with whom I will honor and celebrate it. At the moment, my fiercely independent side is having an ongoing conversation with my traditional side, with both sides being egged on by a few other personality characters (aren't we all more or less multidimensional?). Fortunately I have some time before having to make a decision. But for those of you fortunate enough to have a Thanksgiving plan already in place, maybe this is your year to change it up a bit. Particularly the meal part of the day. To encourage you to add something new to your holiday table, I will be re-sharing some of my favorite 'perfect' for Thanksgiving dinner recipes over the course of the next few weeks. First up. Well, the sides, of course.

Each of the following seven sides have appeared on 'my' Thanksgiving table more than once. It would be safe to say there is at least one (Wendy's Mashed Potatoes) where everyone's day would be ruined if it wasn't served. And not just because it's 'tradition'. All but one of them can be made the day before and are easily transportable. Each vary in their levels of richness. None of them are what you might consider 'low calorie', although the Roasted Brussels Sprouts Gratin might object. There are no obscure, hard to find, or must go to the ends of earth to find ingredients in any of the recipes. However, I won't guarantee they will be available if you wait until the night before Thanksgiving to do your grocery shopping. All seven of them push the limits on what most would consider 'best ever', 'the most insanely delicious side ever', 'worth fighting over the last spoonful' and/or 'worthy of going on a last meal list'. A click on the link below each of the photos will take you immediately to the recipe. As Ina Garten might say 'How easy is that?'. But don't feel you have to wait for Thanksgiving to make any of them. These sides would make any Sunday dinner, dinner party, and/or Christmas/Hanukkah meal memorable. 

Spiced Cranberry and Dried Fruit Chutney

Wendy's Mashed Potatoes

Roasted Brussels Sprouts Gratin

Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Bread Pudding

Cheesy Hasselback Potato Gratin

Sweet Potato Casserole

Boursin Spinach Gratin

"Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving." (W.T. Purkiser) 

Sloppy Joe Sliders with Avocado Crema and Jalapeños

Early on many of us learned there are some unwritten, somewhat ambiguous, riddled with exceptions rules in life. Depending on where you grew up, where you live now, how attentive you were in your early adult life, or whether or not the mere thought of a rule sends you spiraling downward, the customs and etiquette around food and social gatherings is a bazillion shades of gray. Living in the Midwest for approximately 95% of my life, being brainwashed by Martha Stewart while in my still impressionable early twenties, and suffering from the vice known as 'perfection', has significantly influenced my food and social gathering set of maxims. In my world, all social gatherings must involve some kind of food, semi- or full out homemade, as well as beverages, preferably alcoholic in nature. Whether it's simply serving a big bowl of microwaved popcorn and ice cold bottled beer or a four-course dinner accompanied by some great bottles of wine, my so-called book of social gathering and food rules has undergone a myriad of nuanced changes over the years. However, one thing hasn't changed. Doctoring up a packaged mix or can of Manwich Sloppy Joes would be nothing short of committing a sacrilegious act along with reliving a bad childhood memory. Sloppy Joes must be made from scratch Well, sort of. Bottled ketchup, sweet chili sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce are amongst the list of ingredients one might put into the semi-homemade category.

\

For years my recipe for homemade Sloppy Joes came from a fellow co-worker. Amongst the gifts my childhood best friend gave me for my birthday this year was the Foster's Market Favorites, the 25th Anniversary Collection cookbook. One of Sara Foster's recipes immediately catching my attention was the Sloppy Joes Topped with Cheddar Cornbread, a kind of Sloppy Joe casserole. For a moment I considered making this casserole version. Then I came across a Cornbread Muffin recipe while looking through an old Cook's Illustrated magazine. Abruptly I switched gears and decided to make the Sloppy Joes sans the cornbread topping as well as try the new muffin recipe. Using Sara's Sloppy Joe recipe and being inspired by the use of Avocado Crema as an accompaniment, I hoped these Sloppy Joe Sliders with Avocado Crema and Jalapeños would be the new, next best, homemade Sloppy Joes in my life.

Before you scroll down to the list of ingredients listed in the recipe below, let me take a Johnny Carson mind-reading Karnack moment and tell you not to be dissuaded by what may seem like a long list. In order to achieve thicker than soup Sloppy Joes, ones having a spicy-sweet tang, each and every one of these ingredients is needed to build their deep, layered savory flavor.

The original recipe called for two (2) pounds of ground beef. With so many ground beef options, I decided to use a combination of Ground Round (85% lean) and Ground Chuck (80% lean). There is flavor in fat, but too much or too little fat results in either a too fatty or too dry taste to a Sloppy Joe. The Ground Round, Ground Chuck mixture worked better than well (See Notes below). Additionally I increased the amount of the beef to almost two and a half pounds (2.34 pounds to be exact) in order to achieve a meatier Sloppy Joe consistency.

To achieve the maximum flavor possible and an uber thick hearty texture, the Sloppy Joes were cooked over low heat for almost 45 minutes after all of the ingredients had been added.

One taste of these Sloppy Joes and your taste buds will be tantalized in ways you never imagined Sloppy Joes were capable of doing.

While it may seem like a slightly non-traditional combination, I beg you to fully embrace the concept of topping these Sloppy Joe Sliders with Avocado Crema and Jalapeños. The sweet-spicy tang of the meat mixture, the cool creamy taste of the crema, the crunch of the sliced (jarred) mild jalapeños, and richness of the bread will completely transform all perceptions one may have on these 'messy to eat' sandwiches. They might also have you wondering how this much awesomeness had been missing in your life.

This Avocado Crema recipe is easy to make. A cup of sour cream (or Mexican Crema), a whole ripe, diced avocado, juice from half of a small lime (about a teaspoon) and a pinch of kosher salt whirled together in the food processor until creamy takes less than a couple of minutes to come together. When assembling the sliders, top the meat mixture with a tablespoon of the crema and several jalapeño slices. Note: I used the mild-deli instead of the hot jalapeños, but if you like added heat, go for it!

As much as I had loved the Sloppy Joe recipe I had been using for years, these call into the over the moon category. Whatever preconceptions you have about Sloppy Joes, be prepared to have your mind-blown and food rules changed. These are the kind of rule changing, throwdown worthy Sloppy Joes one gladly put up against anyone claiming to have their 'best' sloppy joe version.

To round out a meal where the Sloppy Joe Sliders with Avocado Crema and Jalapeños are the main course, serve with Calico Coleslaw, ridged potato chips, domestic/imported bottled beer and/or margaritas. These sliders would be also be memorably great served as a hearty appetizer.

Recipe
Sloppy Joe Sliders with Avocado Crema and Jalapeños (slight adaptation to Sara Foster's Sloppy Joes Topped with Cheddar Cornbread recipe shared in her cookbook Foster's Market Favorites)

Ingredients
Sloppy Joes
1 Tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
1 large onion, diced
2 1/4 - 2 1/3 pounds of ground beef - equal parts Ground Round (85% Lean) and Ground Chuck (80% Lean)
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 jalapeño, cored, seeded, and diced
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup ketchup 
1 cup sweet chili sauce
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 to 1/2 cup water

Avocado Crema
1 cup sour cream or Mexican Crema
1 ripe avocado, diced
Freshly squeezed lime juice from half of a small lime, about a teaspoon
Pinch of kosher salt

Slider buns (store bought or homemade)
Jarred jalapeño slices (recommend mild/tame or deli style)

Directions
Sloppy Joes
1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced onions and cook until softened (approximately 5 minutes).
2. Add ground beef to the skillet, breaking it up as it cooks. Season with the chili powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the beef is cooked through (approximately 10 minutes). Drain off any fat from the skillet.
3. Stir in diced jalapeño and minced garlic. Continue cooking for an additional 2 minutes.
4. Add ketchup, chili sauce, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, hot sauce and red pepper flakes. Stir in 1/4 cup of water (if too thick add the remaining 1/4 cup). Reduce heat to low and cook for 40-45 minutes to allow flavors to fully develop. Note: Mixture should have a thick consistency.

Avocado Crema
1. In a food processor, combine sour cream, avocado, lime juice and salt. Process until smooth.
2. Store any remaining avocado crema covered in the refrigerator.

Assembly
1. Top the slider bun with the sloppy joe mixture, a Tablespoon of the avocado crema and several mild (jarred) jalapeño slices. Cover with top of bun.
2. Place a skewer in the center of the sloppy joe. Serve immediately

Notes: (1) Instead of using a combination of Ground Round and Ground Chuck, consider using all Ground Round. (2) Whichever ground beef combination you use, drain any fat before adding in the garlic and jalapeños. (3) Use softer slider rolls (I used Martin's Potato Rolls) so the sloppy joe sauce can soak into the bread yet still be hand held eatable. (4) A twelve ounce bottle of Bennett's Chili Sauce yields one measured cup of the chili sauce. (5) To ensure the sloppy joes are not too sloppy, start by adding only 1/4 cup of water into the mixture. If too thick, add the additional quarter cup (or more if necessary). (6) Can be made the day before and reheated. If necessary, add a little water to achieve a not too thick consistency.

Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs. Three Graces, Balanced Rock and Siamese Twins rock formations. (September 2016)

Cherry Tomato Jam for Cheese

With the arrival of September came the departure of the unwelcome oppressive humidity July and August brought this year. And in the last twenty four hours I have been transformed into one of those slightly annoying giddy school girls. Not because September is the official start of the Pumpkin Latte season or because it's my birthday month or because within the next couple of weeks the apple orchards will have an abundance of fruit to be harvested from its' trees or because the astronomical start to fall will soon arrive or because the cooler night air will remind me of what Wisconsin felt like during my childhood family vacations or because in a few short weeks I will be breathing in the Colorado mountain air and hiking on trails ablaze with the golden leaves of aspens set against an even deeper blue sky. Although each of those reasons on their own merit are enough to cause me to be heedlessly dizzy, their collective compounding effects have me feeling so deliriously punch-drunk I should probably not get behind the wheel of a car anytime soon. If there was ever a month I wish could be endlessly repeated, it would be September.

Besides champagne grapes, prune plums and apples, September is the month where farmer's markets and gardens are overflowing with all sorts of intensely flavorful vine ripened tomatoes. If there are any regrets during this month, it's that I didn't plant any tomatoes. There are a litany of reasons (or rather I should say excuses) why my kitchen will not reap the benefits of backyard home-grown tomatoes. Suffice to say tomato eating squirrels are one of my least favorite creatures on the planet and there seems to be a disproportionate number of them living in my neighborhood. Thankfully there are more than enough farms and gardens offering up their tomato bounties to those of us who need to overdose ourselves on those juicy, deeply flavorful summer tomatoes in order to get through the tomato famine months ahead. A tomato in September is not the same 'fruit' as the ones sold or served in January. They just aren't. At least for those of us who live in the midwest or northeast. And anyone who orders a Caprese Salad in a restaurant from late October to June, well I would seriously question whether their taste buds are in good working order.

The last time I made a Tomato Jam it was as the condiment for a Savory Bread Pudding. That one was made with heirloom tomatoes, a lemon, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and some water. While browsing through one of my cookbooks, I came across a recipe for a Cherry Tomato Jam for Cheese. This one being made with cherry (or grape) tomatoes, granulated sugar, lemon zest, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and finely chopped fresh rosemary. My culinary knowledge must be slipping as I had never thought to serve a Tomato Jam with cheese before. Clearly, as I have now discovered, I had been missing out.

If you have never made jam before, nothing is easier than making a Tomato Jam, especially this one. This particular Tomato Jam can be made with cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, or a combination of the both. You could even make it with baby heirloom tomatoes. 

The tomatoes are first roasted on a baking sheet in a preheated 350 degree (F) oven before they are cooked in heavy bottomed saucepan on the stove. While the inspiration recipe called for roasting them to remove their skins, I choose to keep the skins on to give a little more texture to the finished jam.

Initially the roasted tomatoes and granulated sugar are cooked in a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat (to allow the sugar to melt). Once the sugar melts the heat is increased to medium-high causing the mixture to come to a rapid boil. Stirring frequently, the tomato sugar mixture is boiled for 5 to 7 minutes or until it becomes thick and syrupy. My cooking time was closer to 7 minutes.

As soon as the tomato sugar mixture reaches the desired consistency it is removed from the heat. The lemon zest, fresh squeezed lemon juice and chopped rosemary are then stirred in. The original recipe called for 3 Tablespoons of lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon of finely chopped fresh rosemary, both of which I used. While the lemon flavor from the zest and juice is not 'too' much, I would recommend you begin by adding 2 Tablespoons and tasting before adding the third tablespoon. Once the jam began to cool slightly, I decided there wasn't enough of a rosemary presence so I added a tad more (thus my recommendation below to use a generous 1/2 teaspoon). You won't be sorry about being generous with the rosemary as it is the perfect counterbalance to the sweetness of the tomatoes and tartness of the lemon flavor.

I decided to use two mini (5.2 ounce capacity) Weck canning jars instead of putting all of the Tomato Jam into a single jar. This gave me the option of giving one away as a gift (although after tasting it, I am selfishly holding onto to both jars).

The slightly cooled jars are stored in the refrigerator. 

There are any number of cheeses you could serve the Tomato Jam with. Some of the options include a creamy goat cheese, a double creme gouda, a fresh Robiola, and/or an aged Pecorino. 

I am not exaggerating when I say your next cocktail party, the one where you put together a small cheese platter as an appetizer (or for dessert), needs to have this Tomato Jam. Yes, I know Fig Jam is really popular these days (and yes, it really is good), but this savory/sweet tomato jam will set your cheese platter apart from all of the others your friends and family have been noshing on for years. However, while having a stellar cheese tray has a number of merits, the experience of eating this jam with cheese will be nothing short of a 'in the best of ways a' life-changing, rock your world one'. 

If by chance you have a garden full of cherry or grape tomatoes, well you are luckier than the rest of us who either have to rely on tomato handouts from our friends or have to schlep over to a farm stand or farmer's market (because sometimes the ones at grocery stores aren't as flavorful) to buy them.

Recipe
Cherry Tomato Jam for Cheese (a slightly revised version of the Cherry Tomato Jam for Cheese recipe as shared in the cookbook: The Cheesemonger's Kitchen: Celebrating Cheese in 90 recipes).

Ingredients
2 cups (340 g) cherry or grape tomatoes (or a mix of the two), cut in half
3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
2 -3 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon
generous 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
Serving: Along with thin cheese crackers serve with a creamy goat cheese, a double creme gouda, a fresh Robiola, and/or an aged Pecorino.

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2. Place the cut tomatoes halves on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes to loosen the skins.
3. Remove tomatoes from oven and place in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Add sugar.
4. Over medium heat gently melt sugar, then bring to a boil and cook (boiling rapidly) for 5 to 7 minutes, or until thick and syrupy. Notes: Stir frequently. My cooking time was 7 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and add lemon zest, freshly squeezed lemon juice and chopped rosemary.
6. Transfer tomato jam to clean, sterilized jars. Seal well. When cool, place jam in the refrigerator.
7. The tomato jam can be kept refrigerated for up to 2 weeks, if it lasts that long!

English Garden Views at the Chicago Botanic Garden