Happiness is...Gorgonzola Crackers

Every summer these crispy, flaky, cheesy, scrummy crackers make an appearance from my recipe vault.
I love making them because they are so easy!
It's actually quite shocking how few ingredients go into these delicious nibbles.

I like to make up tons of dough and keep it in the freezer, in rolled out sheets, so I can bake fresh crackers whenever I have guests coming over or have an unexpected BBQ/Party to go to or whenever a tasty snack is needed.

Wonderful with bubbly, wine or washed down with a cold beer, you can take them to most any function from picnic on the beach to sunset cocktail party.

Gorgonzola & Walnut Crackers
Adapted from Ina Garten 2008

1 stick (1/4 lb.)  Unsalted Butter, room temperature
8 oz. (1/2 lb.) Amish Gorgonzola Cheese*, crumbled
1 1/2 c. unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/2 t.-1 t. Kosher Salt, taste the dough for saltiness (sometimes I add even less)
1 1/2 t. freshly coarse ground Black Pepper (I use a mix of Pink, White, Green and Black peppercorns)
1/2 c.  Walnuts, finely chopped
1 T. Water
1 Egg, beaten with a touch of water for an egg-wash

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the Butter and crumbled Gorgonzola together funtil smooth. Reduce speed to Low; add the Flour, Kosher Salt, Black Pepper, and Walnuts; mix well, about 1 minute, dough will be crumbly. Add 1 tablespoon of Water and mix until combined. 

Turn the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap or a plastic produce bag, and form the dough into a 1 inch thick disc.  Wrap the disc in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 min. or up to several days.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Between two pieces of plastic wrap or parchment paper, roll the cracker dough out to a sheet about 3/8 of and inch thick.  Using a pie wheel or sharp knife, cut the dough into 1'x1' squares.  Using a bamboo skewer poke a divot in the center of each cracker, to prevent bubbles.  Transfer the squares to a sheet pan lined with parchment and brush the tops of each square with Egg-wash.

Bake for 14 minutes until very lightly browned. Rotate the pan once during baking.

Cool and serve at room temperature. Enjoy!**

*Don't be afraid to substitute any other crumbly blue cheese.  I've used Stilton, Roquefort, and all kinds of Blues, you just don't want one that is too creamy.  Try a new cheese every time you make a batch until you find your favorite.  Goat Cheese works wonderfully as well!

**They won't last long!

Happiness is...Dim Sum

Yes. The last time I posted it was cold, wet, windy, and gray...much like it is today.  When is summer ever gong to get here?

Since October I've left a job, found a great new one, spent a horrible winter in a house without heat, found a new apartment with a view of Puget Sound and the Olympics (and heat), moved myself in, car load by car load across the city whenever my work schedule allowed, and I am now unpacked and settled. 

I've had very little time to do much relaxing, much exploring, or much writing, but at least I found the time to eat Dim Sum...lots and lots of Dim Sum!

Dim sum is quite and experience.  The good places are always packed (though you usually don't have to wait long for a table) but the atmosphere is jovial and noisy with chattering patrons, clinking tea cups, and the squeaking wheels of dollies loaded with towers of tin rimmed bamboo steamers and shimmying ceramic plates.  I just love it!

It is best to go to Dim Sum with a group of people so you can point and pick a bit of everything that comes by on the cart.  Savor.  Sit back.  Sip some hot tea.  Talk.  Digest a little. Then point and pick a few more Cantonese delicacies as the trolly comes by one last time.  A very nice way to spend an early afternoon.

Soup Dumplings

Caution: The rich broth is near boiling hot!!!

It's like Chicken Noodle Soup in reverse.

Siu Mai

Steamed pork and shrimp wrapped in tofu skin

and topped with crab roe.

Cheong Fun

Broad Rice Noodles with Shrimp

smothered in Brown Sauce.

I can't get enough of the fluffy, slippery texture.

Chicken Feet

Fried, marinated in Black Bean Sauce, and

steamed to velvety, succulent perfection.

I always order the Chicken Feet first.  If the Chicken

Feet aren't excellent, then chances are the other

dishes won't be exceptional either.

A Dim Sum Restaurant's worth is in the Chicken Feet!!!

Fish Ball

Wrapped in Tofu Skin with Peas and steamed.

Pleasantly spongy and briney.

Honeycomb Tripe

The velvety lining sops up the fragrant gingery broth like a 

sponge.  I enjoy the tender, crisp, snap you get

with each bite.

Fried Tofu & Shrimp Ball

Stunning!  The tofu is like creamy egg custard.

Pan Fried Rice Noodles

Hong Kong Style

Fluffy, chewy, crispy all in one bite.

Served with Peanut Sauce and Hoisin.

Fried Stuffed Eggplant

Usually stuffed with shrimp, this dish is

soft, oily, and succulent.

One of my very favorites!

Pan Fried Shrimp and Scallion Balls

The rice wrapper is crispy and chewy, and I

love the whole shrimp inside.  

Plus you can't go wrong with toasted sesame.

Ginger Tripe

 Texture is just as important as taste with this dish.

The broth should be light and the tripe 

should be crisp tender.

Har Gau

Steamed starchy tapioca dumplings

stuffed with shrimp.

Soft and crisp, this is a Dim Sum standard.

Perfect Har Gau should have a wrapper that is soft yet

sturdy enough to be picked up with chopsticks.

It should have a generous amount of filling, 

but still be one bite.

Steamed Fish Ball 

with Egg Drop Broth

and Chinese Black Mushroom

Love this dish!  Savory, briny, slippery, 

spongy, earthy, sweet, and rich.

Steamed Tofu Skin Rolls

This one was stuffed with pork, ginger, 

and bamboo shoots.

 Lo Bo Gao

Pan Fried Turnip Cake

Another one of my favorites!

The Chinese version of Hashbrowns.

I'm going to have a Turnip Cake

Birthday Cake next year!

Fried Green Tea Dumplings

I call them "Turtle Faces".

These fried glutenous rice dumplings are

filled with black sesame paste.

Sweet, bitter, savory combo.