Welcome to March! We are almost to spring. Greg and I had a nice little walk (minus the uphill Ice Capade show starring the two of us because Greg didn’t want to avoid the challenge…I hate ice) yesterday. The sun was out and the snow and slush were melting but there’s plenty left around town. This might be odd but I will not wear my winter coat outside any longer. My mind says ‘ding, it’s March, no outdoor winter apparel.’ There could be, which will probably happen, a snowstorm. It is Minnesota. I don’t care.
Top 9 on foodbuzz again (no bragging tone whatsoever-I’m amazed each time). I just wanted to share the gorgeous blood orange that I finally got my hands on this year. I have been awaiting their arrival for a few weeks with blood orange recipes in hand, just to be turned away with tears in my eyes…actually I am usually peeved. At one point, I thought about tossing the other variety of oranges into another pile, in the hopes that a stock person misplaced them but then, they appeared. But yay, top 9! Recipes for these gems are coming.
For anyone that might have been checking out thedabble last night, you may have had a glimpse and a hard time navigating, since Greg and I were working on the new design. I have only a few things to say about that: his work method and mine are great, no “half-assing,” but our processes are different and that part of us wanted to kill one another. We will get things in order but we might have bruises and hand marks around our necks but it’s coming. Our relationship is still intact and in the end, brought us closer together. Not saying that I am looking forward to the continuation of our collaboration this week…cooperation, it’s truly a work in progress.
Oh, and if you subscribers receive more than one email from me, it’s due to something that we are working on and I am sorry about all the extras. I am on it. Also, the emails will look a bit different for a short time so bear with me.
Things might have gone better if I had made more frico- Parmesan crisps that consist of 3 ingredients and are so simple and satisfying. The child in me wants to tell you that they taste similar to cheez-its but are even better, and the adult foodie in me wants to share that these would be great to top a salad, over soup, as a snack (they are pretty low in calories…just don’t eat 50 in one sitting) and I think your kids would enjoy making or help make these cheese crisps.
My first encounter with this snack was through Gourmet, a little over a year ago, and I can’t believe something this easy wasn’t in my culinary repertoire, next to toast. I made my frico a bit heavier than what I usually see (which looks more like lace) but either way, it’s delicious. A bonus to these is that it doesn’t have to be Parmesan, it could be Parmigiano-Reggiano or Asiago (or montasio and Piave cheeses, if you are in Italy-these are of course Italian snacks). If I were you and had all the ingredients, I would make these today. Until tomorrow, dear reader!
Parmesan Crisps-Frico
Makes 12 crisps
Ingredients:
1 cup coarsely grated Parmesan (or Parmigiano-Reggiano or Asiago)
1 tbsp all purpose flour
¼ tsp pepper
*A Silpat pad is recommended (a nonstick baking liner) but I used parchment paper
Preheat the oven to 375 and grate the cheese. Line a baking sheet with the liner or parchment paper. Stir the cheese, flour and pepper together in a bowl and arrange a tablespoon amount of the cheese 4 inches apart on the paper or liner. Make sure to keep the flour distributed evenly in the bowl. Flatten each mound with a spatula to form a 3-inch round or whatever size you’d like. Bake for about 10 minutes and cool for 2 minutes on the sheet then carefully transfer each crisp to a rack. Allow to cool completely. These can last up to 3 days in an airtight container at room temp but that wouldn’t be the case in my home (yum).