Homemade Cheez-Its

I'm the first to admit that I love me some junk food. The salty sweet combo is one of my faves and though I try to keep 'em to a minimum, when I do snack I want it to be the real deal. I love Cheez-Its but if you check out the ingredients there are some questionable fillers like petroleum that I'd rather keep out of my body.

I played with this recipe, originally for cheese straws, and made it my own. It's really simple, fast and is great for parties or as a road trip snack. I enjoy making the cheeze-its spicy and cheddar cheese gives them their familiar orange color. However, the recipe is versatile, so feel free to experiment. I have used bleu and parmesan cheese, as well as Italian seasoning.

Homemade Cheez-Its

1 1/2 cups cheese, (I used Cheddar and Gruyere) 

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and cut into 4 pieces

3/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon sriracha garlic sauce

1/2 teaspoon paprika 

1/2 teaspoon herbes de Provence 

1 tablespoon half & half

Preheat oven to 375. In a food processor combine all ingredients, except half & half and mix until combine. Pour in half & half and pulse for 10 seconds until a dough ball begins to form. On a floured surface roll out dough until about 1/8 inch thick and cut into roughly 1 inch squares with a pasta roller. Bake until barely golden, roughly 15 minutes. 

Chicken Liver Pâté

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Chicken Liver Pâté a true classic and you're either a fan of its buttery, decadent and fantastic flavor, or you've never dared to touch the stuff. As with all food, you have to try it at least once! I made this with my mentor awhile back but was shocked at how simple and easy it was to prepare. Its also a filling and a tasty snack in these cold winter months.

Chicken livers tend to be dirt cheap as they are usually considered a scrap, though I like to use a butcher whose quality I trust, and if you find one of the good ones,  may even simply just give them to you. This recipe is malleable and you can play with the flavors as you like. Changing the alcohol, using a sweet Italian wine or vermouth or changing the spice mixtures...Once you understand the way the liver behaves you can really make it your own. Enjoy this pâté simply with crackers or baguette or take your sandwich to the next level and substitute it for mayonnaise. Pâté is also one of those wonders you can make ahead and store in the fridge for a week or freeze for months. 

Chicken Liver Pâté

adopted from Jacques Pépin

1/2 pound chicken livers, trimmed

1 small onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon thyme leaves

1 teaspoon herbes de provence

1 teaspoon dijion mustard

1 bay leaf

salt to taste, roughly 1 teaspoon

1/2 cup water

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, quartered

2 teaspoons Cognac/Scotch

Fresh pepper to taste 

In a medium skillet, combine chicken livers, onions, garlic, spices and salt. Add water and simmer. Cover and cook on low heat for 3 minutes until livers are just pink in the middle. Remove from head and let stand for 5 minutes covered. Remove bay leaf and transfer mixture to a food processor and pulse till combine. With machine on add butter until combine and season with cognac, salt & pepper and process till smooth. Place in desired terrine or ramekin and cool in fridge until firm. You can also seal the pate with fat such as schmaltz or butter, or with a gelee. 

2013 Recipe Round Up

Happy New Year!

What an amazing year its been. I have travelled and tasted more food then I can remember! I have meet so many beautiful people and created a wealth of tasty recipes in 2013! 2014 is bringing in a world of change as I embark on an eight month national tour with the phenomenal folk duo, The Sun Flights. Our tour entitled Roam to Ramble is a union of music + food as we weave our way through our country collecting stories, recipes and friends. I hope you follow the journey. In the meantime, check out my favorite recipes of 2013!

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Salted Caramel

The first time I ever had salted caramel was a serious moment in my life. It was sweet, it was salty, it was perfect. Put it on top of some aged gouda and I'm yours. I've been perfecting my caramel recipes for sometime now playing around with many variations of the sticky stuff to a point of near obsession. Many recipes you will see require corn syrup or alternatively rice syrup, but I have always been disappointed with the results as i find them oily and greasy and lacking in flavor. I'm a real purist when it comes to caramel and my favorite versions are made with real butter. I'm talking the raw french stuff. I find the butter adds a real sumptuousness that can never be had in any of the recipes that require those nasty syrups. The biggest trick to caramel is to have all of your ingredients measured out before hand as caramel is a game of time. You have to keep a close eye on it and stir it frequently as it can easily burn and get away from you very quickly! These candies make great holiday presents and ship very well! Here are my two favorite caramel recipes:

Goat's Milk Honey Caramel

as adapted from Martha Stewart

1 cup goat milk butter

2 cups pure honey

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon Maldon sea salt, for sprinkling

Line a 9 inch pan with parchment. Melt butter in a medium sauce pan fitted with a candy thermometer, add honey, cream and sugar. cook until boiling. Boil for about 50 minutes until thermometer reads 250 degrees. Remove from head and add vanilla. Pour into pan and sprinkle with salt. Allow to cool overnight or until firm and cut into 1 inch squares and wrap in 3 inch parchment paper.

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Apple Cider Caramel

adapted from Smitten Kitchen

4 cups good apple cider

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons Maldon salt

1 stick good unsalted butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup heavy cream

In a medium sauce pan, reduce 4 cups of apple cider for 40 minutes until you have about 1/2 cup. Line a 9 in pan with parchment and prepare other ingredients. Once cider is reduced stir in butter, sugar and cream and bring to a boil, stirring rapidly until candy thermometer reads 252, around 5 minutes. Stir in salt and cinnamon and pour into prepared pan. Allow to cool overnight or until firm and cut into 1 inch squares and wrap in 3 inch parchment paper.