Day 118.5 - Homemade Cheez-It Crackers (USA)

I'm quite certain that Andy Rooney (60 Minutes) has never done a satirical commentary on Cheez-It Baked Snacks, but if he did, this is how I imagine it would go:

"Have you ever wondered what's really in a Cheez-It? I mean, sure, the box says they're baked cheese snacks, and the quote on the back of the box under this giant wheel of bright orange cheddar says "wholly" cheese",  but what's really in them? And what do they mean by "wholly"?  

Then he'd continue for another 3 minutes, holding the box for the camera, maybe eating one or two crackers, talking all about truth in advertising, junk food, or the cost of food when he was a kid. He'd make you laugh, and he'd make you think. For the record, I think Andy Rooney is the man -- one of the few remaining old school newsmen of his time and a colleague of my wonderful grandfather, John Gude, with whom he worked in radio and television, long before Fox "news" infiltrated the airwaves.

Like the venerable Mr. Rooney, a recent trip down the cracker and cookie isle of my local grocery store got me to wondering what really is in a Cheez-It? After all, the familiar red, yellow and orange box has been a staple in our pantry forever and makes regular appearances in lunch boxes. What would a long car trip be without a box of Cheez-Its? And besides, the seagulls on the Martha's Vineyard ferry seem to dig them too. Uhhhh....well, upon closer inspection, it turns out that Cheez-It crackers have 21+ ingredients, including MSG. Now, I'm not above eating or feeding my kids store bought anything, but at $3.50 per box, surely I could do better?

So, here's the straight-up, additive, preservative, MSG and food coloring free version, using a grand total of  only 6 ingredients - 5 if you want to omit the cayenne for a milder flavor - which I don't think you ever should, but that's just me.

Homemade Cheez-It Crackers (Adapted from a recipe I found on the cool thethinchef blog)

2 cups all-purpose flour
8 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
14 ounces grated cheddar cheese
1-1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. cayenne powder
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder, for color
10 Tbsp. chilled ice water

In the work bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, butter, cheese, salt, cayenne and turmeric. Pulse until mixture becomes crumbly and gravely looking (about the size of peas).
One tablespoon at a time, add the water and continue pulsing until the dough comes together (you may not need to use all the water).

Divide the dough into two, and wrap in plastic wrap to form two disks.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

Place dough between two pieces of waxed paper - dough is sticky!
Roll to 1/8-inch thickness. This takes a little time, as the dough is thick, but try to get it as close to 1/8-thick as possible. Carefully flip dough in parchment over, and gently peel off the top layer. Using a pizza cutter (I used a fluted pie wheel), trim dough into rectangles, then cut into 2-inch squares. Carefully transfer squares onto baking sheets, using a spatula if needed. Using a toothpick, prick each square in the center (you can omit this step, but if you want them to look like the real deal...)

Bake for 22-25 minutes, until crackers are just slightly turning light brown, and are crisp. Quickly cool and taste for proper crispiness. If they aren't crisp enough, bake for another few minutes. The first batch I made were not quite crispy enough, so I'm inclined to opt for the slightly longer baking time.
Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
If crackers get soggy in storage, they can be re-crisped in a preheated 400F oven for 3-5 minutes.

Day 118 - Myanmar (Burma) Brown Rice with Sesame Stir Fried Vegetables and Spinach - Up Next, Nambia

So......after my Hostess Hoedown, I am atoning for my sugary sins by cooking a lovely vegetarian meal from Myanmar (formerly Burma). Anchored by brown rice, topped with a variety of unlikely (at least to me) stir fried vegetables and a side of stir fried spinach from Hopestill Farm, an organic farm in town that supplies me with a spectacular weekly cornucopia of leafy greens, this meal was satisfying and healthy. Forgive and bless me Green Goddess, I promise to change my pastry-lovin' ways...until the next time.

Located in southeast Asia, Myanmar (Burma) is bordered by the People's Republic of China, Laos, Thailand, Bangladesh, India and the Bay of Bengal with the Andaman Sea on the southern coast. The name Myanmar is promoted by the military which strictly governs the country. Although the name has not been approved by the legislature or the U.S., it is generally accepted by many countries and the U.N. Mainly Buddhist, the country was conquered by the British in the 19 century, finally gaining independence from the Indian Empire in 1948. Along with abundant natural resources, this beautiful country is notable for it's golden pagodas.

Myanmar Food Vendor
Original Photograph, Troy Whitaker

Owing to it's proximity to China, India and Thailand, Myanmar's food reflects these rich culinary traditions. Extensive use of fish sauce and fish paste, seafood (on the coast), meat, poultry, fresh water fish, salads (thoke), noodles, rice, potato, ginger and kaffir lime are just some of the staples and seasonings typical of Myanmar's cooking.

Hand-Milled Bowl by Andrew Cox

Brown Rice with Sesame Stir Fried Vegetables and Spinach

2 cups brown rice
1 tsp. sea salt
2 scallions, finely chopped
1 cup radishes, quartered
2 carrots, cut in sections, then strips
1/2 cucumber, peeled and cut into quarters
1 tsp. garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. Sesame tahini
Soy sauce
Lemon juice
Basil for garnish

Cook rice in 4 cups of water until tender.
While rice is cooking, prepare vegetables.
Heat oil in wok and stir fry the garlic for a about 30 seconds.
Add the prepared vegetables and stir-fry for 3 minutes.
Add the sesame seeds after 2 minutes.
When the rice is tender, stir in the sesame paste, and vegetables.
Sprinkle with a little soy sauce and lemon juice and serve hot with sesame tahini to taste.

Stir Fried Spinach and Garlic

1 pound fresh spinach, washed
1 Tbsp. garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp. Sesame seeds
2 Tbsp. oil

Heat oil in wok.
Add garlic and stir fry for 30 seconds.
Add spinach and saute until wilted (but not soggy).
Add sesame seeds and toss.
Serve with a little soy sauce (to taste)

Final Assessment: This was a wonderful, simple and satisfying dish. I've never stir-fried cucumbers or radishes, but they were excellent! The addition of tahini, lemon juice and basil added flavor and fragrance to the meal - a little dash of low sodium soy sauce, a pair of chop sticks, and we were all happy, happy, happy....and healthy!

Day 117.5 Down and Decadent - Homemade Devil Dogs

The story you're about to read is true. The names have been changed to protect the innocent. Except mine, since I'm way too old to worry about anyone finding out about my adolescent exploits...other than my kids, of course, because then I'd have zero good-mom credibility. Then again, they don't read this blog because they think I'm nuts. But, if they ever did, I'd just plead insanity, they'd totally buy it and I'd be off the hook.

Dori and I were 17 and best friends. As I was apt to do, I spent many weekends at her house because her mother was cool and her curfew standards were way more relaxed than my Mom's. Growing up as we did in Cambridge before the days of  GPS implants and cell phones, we had a lot of freedom to roam, and we did. Oh yes indeed, we surely did.

One Friday night, we made our way back to Dori's apartment at around 2 a.m., (late, even for us), when she realized she'd forgotten her key. Fumbling our way up the dark, rickety stairs to the 3rd floor porch of her tripple decker, we found an unlocked window, giggling and laughing hysterically the whole way up because, well, let's just say it was the 70's and herbal supplements and fake ID's were as common as polyester leisure suits. But, with a little effort,  we managed to squeeze in through the tiny pantry window, landing with ungraceful thuds on the floor. 

Now inside and starving, we spotted a full box of Devil Dogs right there on the pantry shelf -- Score:
2 a.m + Munchies + Devil Dogs = A perfect night.  We ripped that box open and dug into the best tasting Devil Dogs we'd ever had. In her haze haste,  Dori ate hers a little too fast and began choking on the dangerously dry devil cakes. Sadly, I was little help as I was rolling on the floor laughing while trying to shush her. Needless to say, all the commotion woke her mother, who calmly got Dori a glass of water, let us off with a sleepy reprimand and went back to bed.

To this day, Devil Dogs remind me of that night and how young, reckless and fearless we were - not to mention that we thought nothing of knocking off a whole box at one sitting.  It's amazing how little it takes to make me regress.

These Devil Dogs, then, pay homage to my formative years. Of course they're not exactly like the ones Dori and I scoffed down that night, but they are chocolaty and moist, and the decadent filling is so much better than the lardy commercial stuff that passes for frosting. Should the kid in you decide to go for it and make these...just quote Flip Wilson while reassuring yourself that, "the devil made me do it."

Melamine Bowl from Kamala Boutique

Devil Dogs (Adapted from cooks.com)

1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
4 cups flour
1 cup Dutch Process cocoa
3 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups milk

Preheat oven to 350F.
Grease a canoe pan.*
Cream butter and sugar, add eggs.
Combine dry ingredients and add to creamed butter mixture.
Fill canoe pan 1/2 full.
Bake for 12-14 minutes.
Let cool for 5 minutes in pan, then carefully remove to rack to cool completely.

*If you don't have a canoe pan, you can use an ungreased cookie sheet and drop batter by heaping teaspoon onto the sheet, baking for 7-8 minutes in a 450F oven. 

Filling


4 Tbsp. flour
1 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar

Heat flour and milk over a medium low flame, stirring constantly until mixture becomes a paste (about 5 minutes)
Remove from heat, add vanilla, then lay plastic wrap directly on mixture to prevent a film from forming, then let cool.
Cream together butter and sugar.
Add cooled milk and flour mixture to creamed butter and sugar, and mix on medium speed for 5 minutes until frosting becomes light and fluffy.

Cut Devil Dogs in half with a serrated knife and fill with frosting.

Day 117! Mozambique - Spiced Mozambique Prawns - Up Next, Myanmar

Tonight's meal from Mozambique called for grilled shrimp. No problem! The firepit I dug almost a year ago when I started this project had finally emerged from under a 4 ft. pile of snow, so what better way to welcome spring than to get my grill on. Excited to build my first pyre of the season,  I hit the store to pick up some charcoal, even getting a few "atta-girls" from other shoppers impressed with my optimism. But, alas,  by the time I got to the register, it was snowing - not just a few flurries, but a good 2-inches falling from the fickle heavens. Hence, sauted shrimp for this dish, rendering it not 100% true to the recipe, but as close as a Massachusetts girl can get to Africa on a snowy March day.

Located in southeastern Africa along the India Ocean, Mozambique borders Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Swaziland and South Africa. Mozambique was colonized by Portugal in 1505, but gained it's independence in 1975 to become The People's Republic of Mozambique. Following it's independence, the country was embroiled in a brutal civil war between 1977 and 1992. Rich in natural resources, Mozambique relies primarily on agriculture, mostly from subsistance operations. Food, beverages, chemical manufacturing as well as aluminum and petroleum production help sustain the country's economy.

Cuisine in Mozambique is heavily influenced by Portuguese traditions. Maize, millet, sorghum and cassava are all used in typical cooking. Lemons, oranges, limes, peppers, chilies, corn, tomatoes, pineapples along with the pepper sauce "piri piri" a hot pepper sauce make for diverse and interesting flavors.

Spiced Mozambique Prawns (Adapted from food.com)

Sauce
Shells from 2 pounds medium prawns (reserve prawns)
2 cups tomato juice
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk (I used "light")
1 tablespoon peanut butter
hot spice, to taste (see below)

Coconut Rice
2 cups long grain rice
1 cup coconut milk (I used "light")
3 cups water
2 plantains, sliced thin on a diagonal
salt and pepper to taste
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 lbs. prawns (shelled, reserved from above)
hot spice blend, to taste

Garnish
Chopped cilantro
Roasted peanuts

Hot Spice Blend
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 pinch cayenne (or to taste)
1 pinch sugar
1 pinch allspice

Prepare Hot Spice Blend: In a small bowl mix together the ingredients. Store extra in an airtight container.
Prepare Sauce: In a medium sauce pan, combine the prawn shells, tomato juice, coconut milk and peanut butter. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often. Season with some hot spice blend to taste. Bring the mixture back to a boil and then pass it through a sieve; discard the shells.

Prepare Rice: In a large 2-quart saucepan, bring the rice, coconut milk and water to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered for 25 minutes. Take an occasional peek to make sure the rice isn't sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Prepare Plantains: Season the plantains with salt and pepper. In a large skillet heat the oil over medium-high heat and saute the plantains on both sides until brown and soft, about 3-4 minutes.

Prepare the Prawns: Season the prawns with some hot spice blend and cook them on an oiled grill or grill pan until heated through, about 7-10 minutes.

To Serve: Mound the rice in the middle of a platter (or individual plates), and ladle the sauce around the rice. Arrange the shrimp around the rice, place a plantain between each shrimp and garnish with the peanuts and cilantro.

Final Assessment: Aside from not being able to grill the shrimp for this dish, it was very, very good. The combination of sweet coconut rice, spicy shrimp and tomato & peanut sauce was delicious. Garnished with cilantro and roasted peanuts we all enjoyed this lovely dish.