Romano Basil Flower Crackers

Happy Monday! and for me, Happy Inspection Day! ......okay, so it's a scary kinda day and I'm just trying to make it feel celebratory. I'm nervous about a professional person walking around my soon-to-be house and telling me everything that's wrong with it. It's good to know, but still less than exciting. Since we're paying him to find flaws, I am doubtful he'll throw in compliments for free. The house is only 86 years old. Psht. What could be wrong with it? Um, everything. The house itself seems incredibly stable and compared to some of the rat traps I toured it's amazing....but the real question is: when in the last 86 years was the electricity, plumbing, roofing, etc, brought up to date? Yesterday I heard that depending on the updates the house might not be able to run a blowdryer. If it can run a fridge can't it run a blowdryer? All these answers and more are coming in just a few hours.

My house related stress eating put me into a sugar coma. I did so much baking this weekend that by the time Saturday night rolled around, I wanted nothing to do with sugar anymore. I loved my parmesan rosemary crackers from last week, so I decided to try again. This time using romano and basil flower buds. Romano is a significantly stronger cheese. Translation: don't add salt. Don't get me wrong, my sugar coma had me one step away from buying a salt-lick, kicking back in my snuggy, and watching a tv show marathon, but for the rest of you who aren't drowning their sorrows in chocolate truffles, you'll most likely be very happy with me for adapting the recipe from my original and incredibly bold attempt.

If you have a basil plantation like me with my 17 basil plants, you have more basil buds than you know what to do with (or how to keep up with pinching). If you're an urban cook with no basil, you're most likely cursing the skies right now. Sorry, but you can't have it all. Oh, snap! I live in DC and have 17 basil plants....yes, you can have it all. Google urban gardening and get on that! DC even has a seed swap and a seedling swap! I'm going next year. I traded seedlings this year and it was fun. Very excited....hmmmm, I feel like I was saying something relevant to the recipe before this.....oh right! You can add basil buds in place of basil in any recipe, and they taste the same as regular basil. The ones I used for these crackers had been vacuum packed and frozen for food storage. Nifty right?

Okay, time to get ready for house inspections! Wish me luck!

Romano Basil Flower Crackers 

1 1/4 cups finely grated Romano cheese or Parmesan Romano blend
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon basil buds
1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons water

Combine all ingredients into a food processor. Pulse until it forms a coarse meal.

On a work surface, knead the dough until it is just combined. Form into a log about one inch in diameter. Chill the dough, wrapped in the wax paper, for 1 hour, or until it is firm enough to slice.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cut the dough into rather thin slices, arrange the slices 1 inch apart on wax paper. Cover with a second sheet of wax paper. Using a rolling pin, roll each piece until very thin.

Carefully move to parchment-lined baking sheets, and bake them in batches in the middle of the oven for 8 minutes, or until they are golden around the edges. Remove from heat and allow to cool long enough to be flipped over carefully.

Put the trays back in to the oven for another 5-7 minutes. Allow to cool slightly. Transfer the crackers carefully with a spatula to a rack, let them cool fully.

Rosemary Parmesan Crackers

I am now "under contract." Well, I will be in two days. One of the sellers is out of state, blah blah blah, mailed contracts, etc. So, this means that on Friday I was freaking out and sanitizing every inch of my body from houses that had no roofs, and Monday I am in the process of buying one. A much cuter one...with a roof....and proper flooring. Yep. Saw it Friday, made and offer Saturday, was accepted Sunday, and now Monday morning is hitting me and we're scheduling inspections ..............and yes, the type-A personality caused me to start packing last night. I already have a board on pinterest of color palettes. Yep. I move at break-neck speed and the second best thing is that my boss-man will be out of town for two weeks and that means I can go and do all the inspections without any hassle from him...mostly because he won't know. Also good, it will give me time to pack, clean, call utility companies, and the myriad of other things I need to do. For any of you who have bought a house, please feel free to comment some advice, because WOW am I going to need it.

Rosemary Parmesan Crackers

1 1/2 cups finely grated Parmesan
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1-2 teaspoons crushed rosemary
1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons water
a dash of kosher salt

Combine all ingredients into a food processor. Pulse until it forms a coarse meal.

On a work surface, knead the dough until it is just combined. Form into a log about one inch in diameter. Chill the dough, wrapped in the wax paper, for 1 hour, or until it is firm enough to slice.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cut the dough into rather thin slices, arrange the slices 1 inch apart on wax paper. Cover with a second sheet of wax paper. Using a rolling pin, roll each piece until very thin.

Carefully move to parchment lined baking sheets, and bake them in batches in the middle of the oven for 6 minutes, or until they are golden around the edges. Remove from heat and allow to cool long enough to be flipped over carefully.

Put the trays back in to the oven for another 3-4 minutes. Allow to cool slightly. Transfer the crackers carefully with a spatula to a rack, let them cool fully, and sprinkle them with additional rosemary.

Bacon Jam and Grits Crackers

Saturday morning I told myself: no.

No getting up. No accomplishments. No worrying about schedules. No thinking about to-do lists. No planning, no cooking, no writing, no cell phone, no photography, no email. No. No. No.

It was as wonderful as it sounds. Four hours of watching ridiculous sitcoms in bed, eating junk food in my pajamas, covers up to my neck, happy as can be, flirting with the line of becoming Liz Lemon. Luckily (and Liz would approve), I didn't say no to bacon. Who could? (okay, vegetarians, and jews, and arabs, and hindus. I stand in awe of your strength).

Bacon Jam came into my life unexpectedly via a Serious Eats Newsletter. I love it. I loved it before I tried it.  Imagine the one food that combines all the goodness of bacon, brown sugar, maple syrup, caramelized onions, coffee (or postum) and bourbon (Hi Mother, please remember our bourbon vs. vanilla lesson from when I made maple bacon bourbon ice cream, and add four hours of cooking out. Love you! and Hi to your church ladies too!).You love it already too! Admit it!

The grits crackers came via email as well. George, my new buddy, who is putting together the Salisbury 2011 BBQ Festival occasionally sends me emails, oh say... every three or four hours (Hi, George! No lessons on bourbon for you). He put in a request for grits crackers, and I was all too happy to oblige. Grits remind me of my grandpapa, so any excuse to bring them (and postum!) into my life is always welcome and comforting. Plus these grits crackers have bacon fat and cheddar jack cheese with a little bbq rub and buttermilk. Comfort food: success!

I hope you enjoy them as much as I did! It may not be possible, but you should really try!

Ritzy Grits Crackers

created for the Salisbury 2011 BBQ Festival

1 cup instant grits

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon bbq pork rub

2 1/2 tablespoons chilled bacon grease (or chilled butter)

1/2 cup freshly shredded cheddar jack cheese

2/3 cup low-fat (1.5%) buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 350°. In a bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients. Rub in the bacon grease until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in the cheddar jack and buttermilk. Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Wrap in plastic and let stand for 15 minutes.

Roll out half the dough 1/16 inch thick. Using a 2-inch round cutter, cut out rounds of dough and arrange them on a nonstick baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Bacon Jam

Adapted from Serious Eats Newsletter

1 1/2 pounds bacon, sliced

1 large onion, diced (about 2 cups)

3 medium cloves roasted garlic

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/4 cup maple syrup

6 tablespoons brewed coffee or postum

6 tablespoons bourbon

Line a baking sheet with foil. Arrange bacon slices on the foil and place the baking sheet on the center rack of a cold oven. Turn oven on to 400°F and allow to cook for 15-20 minutes, until bacon is golden brown.

Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Reserve one tablespoon of fat, pouring into a skillet, and adding onions, sugar and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are softened and translucent, about five minutes. Add vinegar, maple syrup, coffee or postum, and bourbon. Bring to a boil and cook for two minutes.

Transfer mixture and cooked bacon to a six-quart slow-cooker and cook on high, uncovered, until liquid has reduced and thickened slightly and bacon is a deep burnished brown, 3 1/2 to 4 hours.

Transfer mixture to food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Let cool, then transfer to airtight jars. Store in refrigerator for up to one month.