YumSugar

Taste Test: Brown Sugar Cinnamon Ritz Crackers

YumSugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:15:15 -0800

With holiday parties looming on the horizon, I've had killer apps and hors d'oeuvres in the back of my mind. Since no party is complete without a meat, cheese, and crackers platter, it's only appropriate that Nabisco has come out with a new variety of Ritz cracker, Brown Sugar Cinnamon, that's sure to be popular come Christmastime. Ritz crackers were an after-school pastime for me growing up, so I couldn't wait to try the new flavor. Did it live up to its highly-regarded name? Find out when you read more.

Fall Pantry Favorite: Cranberry Hazelnut Raincoast Crisps

YumSugar — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:00:41 -0700

At a recent happy hour hosted by a friend, I found myself conveniently placed near a certain charismatic snack: rustic crisps studded with slivers of dried cranberries and roasted hazelnuts. Despite my attempts to save my appetite for dinner, I couldn't pull myself away from the crackers, which were just as habit-forming when eaten alone as they were with a slather of good goat cheese.

After a little research, I learned that Lesley Stowe's Raincoast Crisps, as they're called, hail from Canada and come in a multitude of flavors, like Raisin Pecan, Fig and Olive, and Salty Date and Almond, and are sold at many Whole Foods stores. I tried several flavors, but the hazelnut, with its mild nuttiness, paired with the slightly chewy consistency of the cranberries, remains my hands-down favorite combination. I'm keeping some stocked to make a mark at impromptu gatherings this Fall.

Have you ever tried Lesley Stowe's Raincoast Crisps?

Do You Have to Eat Something Crunchy?

partysugar — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:15:54 -0700

The other day I had a couscous salad with roasted vegetables and feta cheese for lunch. While it was wonderfully satisfying in taste, in texture, it severely lacked crunch. That's why I had to enjoy some salty crackers on the side.

The same thing happens when I eat a sandwich: I have to pair it with a bag of potato chips to add an element of crunch.

How about you? Do you feel less satiated when a dish needs crunch?

What Do You Know About the Ritz Cracker?

partysugar — Mon, 11 May 2009 05:50:21 -0700

This year, America's favorite cracker, the buttery Ritz, is turning 75. It's hard to believe the cracker has been an entertaining staple and after school snack since 1934. To commemorate the anniversary, I've put together a quiz about Ritz. Learn more about the crispy cracker when you take it now!

Source

Take the quiz

Would You Rather Eat Wheat Thins or Triscuits?

partysugar — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 01:30:12 -0700

Source

Come Party With Me: Bedazzle Bonanza - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:15:12 -0700

When FabSugar and I came up with the idea to host a Bedazzling party, I knew the menu would have to include dishes that sparkle with flaky chunks of fleur de sel. Since the party is on a Sunday afternoon, the menu consists of three light, simple nibbles. While waiting their turn to use the Bedazzler, guests can enjoy salt-roasted shrimp with scampi dip. Crisp mushroom and blue cheese crackers glisten with tiny salt crystals. Fab requested a dish with roasted beets, with their rhinestone-like vibrant color, so I'll serve them on crostini with fresh burrata cheese. If these dishes sound enticing, wait till you look at the recipes! Do so and read more.

Salt-Roasted Shrimp With Scampi Dip
From Bon Appétit

Ingredients

1 4-pound box rock salt
16 uncooked unpeeled large shrimp
1/3 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, chilled, diced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley

Directions

Spread salt in 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Arrange shrimp in single layer atop salt.
Preheat oven to 500°F.
Boil wine, lemon juice, and garlic in saucepan over medium-high heat until liquid is reduced to 1 tablespoon, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
Add a few pieces of butter; whisk until creamy. Return pan to low heat. Add a few more pieces of butter; whisk until smooth (do not let mixture boil). Continue whisking in butter, a few pieces at a time. Stir in parsley; season with salt and pepper.
Let stand while shrimp cook.
Roast shrimp on salt until just opaque in center and shells are pink, 6 to 7 minutes.
Transfer sauce to bowl; nestle in salt.

Serves 8.

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Mushroom and Blue Cheese Crackers
From Martha Stewart Weddings

Ingredients

1/4 ounce dried wild mushrooms, about 1/2 cup
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup milk
coarse salt

Directions

Place mushrooms in a spice grinder, and grind until fine, about 15 seconds.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle, mix butter and blue cheese on medium until combined. Add flour, ground mushrooms, and pepper; mix just until combined and crumbly. Add milk, and mix just until dough comes together (the dough will be quite stiff).
Divide dough evenly into three disks. Wrap two disks in plastic wrap; set aside.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll out one disk to be 1/16 inch thick. Cut out crackers with a 31/2-inch round cutter. Transfer to a baking sheet; prick each with a fork three or four times. Sprinkle lightly with salt.
Repeat with remaining dough. Bake until golden brown, about 22 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Store crackers in an airtight container up to 1 week.

Makes 3 dozen.

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Beet-and-Burrata Crostini
From Food and Wine

Ingredients

1 pound medium beets, preferably Chioggia
1 baguette, cut crosswise into forty 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
Salt and freshly ground pepper
9 ounces burrata, cut into 40 pieces
Snipped chives, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°. Place the beets in a small roasting pan and add 1/4 inch of water. Cover the pan with foil and bake for about 1 hour, until the beets are tender. Let cool completely.
Increase the oven temperature to 400°. Arrange the baguette slices on 2 large cookie sheets and brush with extra-virgin olive oil. Bake for about 10 minutes, until the bread is crisp.
Peel the beets and halve them lengthwise, then cut cut them crosswise into 1/8-inch slices. Transfer the beets to a bowl. Add the 1 tablespoon of olive oil, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat.
Top each crostini with a piece of burrata and a beet slice. Garnish with the snipped chives and serve immediately.

Serves 12.

Make Ahead: The roasted beets can be refrigerated overnight. Slice and serve at room temperature.

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Definition: Lavash

partysugar — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 01:01:51 -0700

Lavash
A type of bread with Armenian origins. This soft, thin flatbread is made with flour, water, and salt. When fresh, lavash is soft like a tortilla. However, it dries quickly and becomes brittle and hard like a cracker. Sometimes it's topped with sesame or poppy seeds. When made traditionally, the bread is rolled flat and slapped against the hot walls of a tandoor oven.
Use lavash to make chicken Caesar salad wraps.

Source

Come Party With Me: My Half Birthday - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 08:28:31 -0800

Since I am hosting my half birthday happy hour at a bar that does not serve food, I plan on making some snacks for my friends to enjoy. However, before I thought about the menu, I spoke to the owner of Rye and asked if I could bring in the food. After receiving his permission, I decided to keep things simple and elegant. I won't have access to an oven so the appetizers will be cold or at room temperature. An assortment of half sandwiches - brie and pesto, ham and gouda, shrimp salad - will be served on mini brioche buns.

Other savory bites include roast beef grissini and gruyere thyme crackers. For the recipes to these scrumptious hors d'oeurves, read more.

Roast Beef Grissini
From Food and Wine magazine

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound thinly sliced rare roast beef, cut into twenty-four 6-by-1 1/2 -inch strips
Salt and freshly ground pepper
24 arugula leaves, stemmed
8 to 10 grissini (about 1/2 inch thick) or breadsticks, broken into 4-inch lengths
Remoulade Sauce, recipe below

In a small saucepan, cook the garlic in the oil over moderate heat until golden. Using a slotted spoon, discard the garlic slices; let the garlic oil cool completely.
Spread the roast beef strips on a work surface and lightly brush them with the garlic oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper and cover each beef strip with an arugula leaf slightly larger than the strip.
Roll 1 beef strip tightly around 1 end of each breadstick.
Arrange on a platter and serve with the remoulade sauce.

Makes 2 dozen.

Make ahead: the assembled grissini can be refrigerated for up to 1 hour.

Remoulade Sauce
From Food and Wine magazine

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 hard-cooked egg, finely chopped
2 tablespoons minced gherkins
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon drained finely chopped capers
1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon finely chopped dill
2 teaspoons finely chopped chives
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Freshly ground pepper

In a bowl, combine all of the ingredients and refrigerate until chilled or for up to 1 day.

Makes enough for 2 dozen grissini.

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Gruyere Thyme Crackers
From Martha Stewart

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme, plus extra sprigs for garnish
3 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup finely grated (2 1/2 ounces) Gruyere cheese
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk
1 large egg white, lightly beaten

Combine flour, salt, pepper, and thyme in the bowl of a food processor; pulse to combine.
Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add cheese; pulse until combined. With machine running, add the milk; process until dough comes together and is well combined.
Transfer dough to a work surface. Shape dough into a 2-inch-wide log. Wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Slice chilled log into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
Transfer slices to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Dip a sprig of thyme into egg white, and place in center of a cracker slice; repeat with remaining thyme and crackers.
Bake immediately, rotating sheet once, until crackers are golden brown and firm in the center, 25 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.
Crackers may be made a day ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.

Makes 20 crackers.

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Can You Identify These Snacks?

YumSugar — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 01:18:51 -0800

In addition to being national chocolate month and national canned food month, February is also national snack foods month. To test your knowledge on snacks, I've described several different ones, and you have to tell me what kind it is! Are you ready? Source and Source

Take the quiz

Yummy Link: Chocolate Ritz Cracker Sandwiches

YumSugar — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 06:13:31 -0800

I saw these simple chocolate Ritz cracker sandwiches and drooled just a little bit. The sweet/salt flavor sounds like a dangerous combo! - Joyful Abode via Tastespotting