Crackers for McSweeney's

An afternoon off had me perusing my daughters bookshelf where I found another reason to love McSweeney's. Their quarterly review is a collection of stories presented in packaging as creative as the writing inside. Issue #16 is a beautiful cloth covered volume that opens into 4 pockets, one containing a volume of short stories. one is a slim novella (which is hilarious, by the way) the third is a story written on oversized playing cards which can be sorted any which way to make it a little different with each read. The fourth pocket contains a simple black comb engraved with the name Timothy. (Timothy McSweeney being the inspiration for the publishing house' name) I thought, as I looked through this 'book' That I had just met my soul mate in a publisher. These are obviously people who think outside the box! I was thinking outside the box this week, too. The cracker box, that is. Commercially made crackers always confound me. They are so expensive and then mostly disappointing once you do make the investment. So I decided to try my hand at some homemade cheesy crackers. I thought maybe I'd send some to McSweeney's to profess my undying love, but they were so good I ate them all. Too bad Timothy, maybe next time.

Cheesy Crackers outside the box:

In a food processor combine: 

8 tablespoons cold butter (1/4 #)

1 cup grated white cheddar cheese

1/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, also grated

pulse until combined. 

Add:

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt 

pulse again until combined. 

Pull dough from processor and wrap tightly

Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Roll out on a well floured board into a rectangle until very thin. 

To 1/16 inch or so. Prick the surface all over with a fork. (this is called 'docking')

brush over the surface with egg wash (one egg, a little water mix well), 

sprinkle with a little salt.

Cut into squares, I found my pizza cutter invaluable for this!

Then transfer to a baking sheet using a log metal spatula so you can pick up a whole row at a time.

Bake in a preheated oven 350 degrees for 10 minutes spin tray and bake 5-8 minutes more until golden.

Let cool completely before boxing them up...if there are any left, that is!

Crack chips

Early on in my restaurant career, when I was living in Driggs, Idaho for a short stint as a wanna be ski-bum, I worked as a line cook at a mexican restaurant called Machos. It was a funny place for an ethnic restaurant in the early 80's. Driggs being a tiny town of about 250 people back in 1983 populated with a curious mix of mormons and hippie telemark skiers, this little mexican place was down right exotic, though not run by actual mexicans. Which is sad, because the food was mostly the americanized version with which we are all too familiar. One thing I learned in my short time there, besides the fact that I don't want to come home smelling like a chimichanga, was how to make my own tortilla chips. I've been making these chips for years at home because they are so easy and sooo good. Then, not too long ago, my son and I spent a rainy evening watching a silly new show on the food network about celebrity chefs in Beverly Hills. At one of their parties they made 'Crack Chips' - simply, deep fried flour tortilla triangles sprinkled with salt. that's it, nothing else. So easy and so addicting, I had to share how to do it:

Carri's Crack Chips

Cut flour tortillas into triangles (I used whole wheat ones here)

heat about 4 cups straight up olive oil (no it will not smoke, I swear...and you can strain the oil and reuse over and over!) in a heavy bottom 3 quart saucepan fitted wth a candy thermometer to 360 degrees. Toss in a few of the triangles, using tongs to move them around in the oil. fry till golden, about 2 minutes, max.

transfer to paper towel lined cookie sheet and immediately sprinkle with salt.

That's it, really. except for eating them. And if your making them ahead for a party, be sure to hide them from the family or they will be gone before the guests arrive!