Philly-Style pretzels

Let's talk pretzels.

But first, I have a confession: I didn't want to post this recipe. I didn't want anyone to know where it came from, and for that matter, know how easy they actually are to make, but these were too much of a hit to not share. So, here it goes:

I got this recipe from Bobby Flay. From a Throwdown episode, no less.

This past December, I went to Philadelphia to celebrate Christmas with Adam's family. We had a lovely time, playing games, playing with the dogs (and having an unfortunate incident in which they found my Christmas candy, but that's another story for another time. Bottom line, they're none worse for the wear!) and keeping warm and dry from the blizzard going on outside. Before the snow hit though, I got my first taste of Philly pretzel.

It was the kind of pretzel that was chewy all throughout with a little bit of crunch (but only a little!). The Philly-style pretzel got rave reviews from friends (one even admitted that she would get a hot pretzel every morning before school when she lived there). I will go so far as to say that Philadelphia has the best pretzels I have ever eaten.

Fast forward to about a month later, when we were watching Throwdown one evening on the Food Network. We were trying to figure out what to serve for the upcoming superbowl party we were hosting, and it hit us like a ball in the face: we should make pretzels! I was a little wary: I hate making dough. Really, it's true. On the other hand, there was no way we'd get fresh pretzels from Philly that wouldn't taste stale by the time they arrived in Boston. So I thought of an idea that I wish I had thought of a long time ago.





I used my bread maker.





And made, quite possibly, the best pretzels this side of Philly.



It really wasn't that hard: combine the wet ingredients in the bottom of the pan, put the dry ingredients on top, make a well for the yeast, and start the machine. Voila! Dough!

I made these pretzels again this weekend for Adam's birthday dinner with friends. I made the dough, let it rise, formed the pretzels, and boiled and baked them. So. Good. I had Adam taste test one fresh from the oven, and then made him wait until people began arriving last night before he could have another. I had to do it myself. No lie, between the two of us we would have eaten the entire batch. And the next one I made. So to our friends, I say, that was a great exercise in self-restraint for the both of us.

I got to eat the last one today, and I'll be honest, I'm very sad they're gone. I guess that means I'll have to make more.

Soft Pretzels (recipe courtesy of Bobby Flay and the Food Network)

1 1/2 c. warm water
2 tbsp. light brown sugar
1 package active dry yeast (I've used the jarred yeast too, and it just doesn't work as well. Learn from my mistakes, use the packaged yeast. If you must, though, 2 1/4 tsp of yeast from a jar equals one package)
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2 1/2 tsp. salt
4 3/4 c. all-purpose flour

Combine the water, sugar, yeast, and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with the dough hook until combined. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Add the salt and flour and mix on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the side of the bowl, about 3 to 4 minutes. If the dough appears too wet, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Remove the dough from the bowl, place on a flat surface and knead into a ball with your hands.

**If you choose to go the bread-maker route, try this method: Combine the wet ingredients (water, butter) in the bottom of the bread machine pan. Then add the flour, sugar, and salt on top. DO NOT MIX TOGETHER. Make a small well in the flour, then put the yeast in. Set your bread machine maker to the dough setting. Then follow the rest of the directions below.

Oil a bowl with vegetable oil (I used olive oil), add the dough and turn to coat with the oil. Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour. If you need to, the dough can also rise in the fridge overnight.

When you are ready to make the dough, Bring 3 quarts of water (12 cups) to a boil in a pot over high heat and add 3/4 c. baking soda.

Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a flat surface. Divide the dough into 8-16 equal pieces, depending on how big you'd like your pretzels. I did it in 16 pieces, and made pretzels that were about the size of my fist. Roll each piece into a long rope: make the rope into a "U" shape and then cross your hands over each other to pick up the ends, then fold down to the bottom of the "U". Boil the pretzels in the water solution for 30 seconds, splashing the tops with the warmed water using a spoon. Remove with a large flat slotted spatula or spoon. Place pretzels on a baking sheet, press together to make them bake into each other, brush the tops with the egg wash and season liberally with the salt. Place into a preheated 425 degree oven and bake for 15-18 minutes until golden brown.

These are awesome all on their own, straight from the oven, or dipped in some cheese sauce or honey mustard. Yes, please, and thank you.

Cheese Whizzers

This one was interesting.

So back around Easter time (I know, I'm backtracking myself), I got a call from my dad. At family holidays we are all always assigned a dish-whether appetizer, side, or dessert. This year I was assigned a side dish (green bean casserole) and an appetizer (guacamole-see, I told you-that guac comes out for *everything*). Well, that was what I was assigned until I got a phone call from dad, about Tuesday prior to the big holiday. He started off by saying, "do you remember about the cheese whizzers?"



um, no.

"Your mother used to make these things called cheese whizzers, and they're really great. It's bread and cheese whiz, wrapped in bacon. You don't remember them?"



um, no.

"Well, I've been thinking about those a lot lately. I used to love those. Maybe you can look through the recipes you have of hers and maybe make those for Sunday too? I mean, no big deal if you can't, but I really liked those..."

That's code for "Please, I've had a craving for these things, bring them on Sunday and you'll get the status of 'favorite child'" (apologies to my sister).

So, that weekend, I made cheese whizzers. It was most interesting. It really was as my dad had said: Bread, cheese whiz, all wrapped in bacon, and then broiled in the oven. It tasted like a grilled cheese in bacon. Very tasty, and I can understand both a) why my dad likes it so much-I mean, come on! The thing has cheese and bacon! What's not to like? and b)why he doesn't have it anymore-the thing is made with cheese whiz! and bacon! I can feel my arteries clogging on the thought alone. On the other hand, having it once in a while won't kill you. It's a good appetizer, and pretty simple to throw together. Have some for your next barbecue, or for your next family gathering. Then make sure your dad remembers it and asks you to make it again 20 years later.



Cheese Whizzers (origins of recipe unknown, credit for directions and ingredients go to my dad)

One loaf of soft white sandwich bread
One jar of cheese whiz
One pound of thick center cut bacon

Take a slice of soft sandwich bread and roll it with a rolling pin until flattened. You should then be able to slice it into three long strips (lengthwise).
Spread a thin layer of cheese whiz on each strip, then roll each strip up.
Take a slice of bacon, and cut it in half. Wrap a half strip around each sandwich roll, and secure with a toothpick.

Repeat until all the bread and bacon have been used. It's entirely possible you'll have a good amount of cheese whiz left.

Broil the cheese whizzers until bacon is golden and cooked. Check early and often so that it doesn't burn. I have no time frame for this, as each oven is different, but make sure you continue to check!

Guacamole

Ah, Guacamole. The dip that signifies summer. I love guacamole, and for some reason this particular recipe is my favorite-my mouth is watering just thinking about it. I can't exactly recall what the reason was that I asked for it from my friend E so long ago, but I'm glad I did every time I remake the dish.





This recipe has proven to be a tried and true hit with family and friends alike. I brought this guacamole to a Christmas celebration one year after getting my annual Christmas avocado (among other things, my dad gets plantain chips and these gigantic avocados every year from a client of his, and hands them out to everyone in the family-I love that tradition) and am now requested to bring it to every.family.function. All the time. Then there was the time I made it over the fourth of July down in Dallas, got scoffed at by my friends there for bringing it, and by the middle of the party found the bowl nearly licked clean with comments about how the "Yankee" makes some good guac (all jokes, of course). This guacamole's even an award winner-when I worked at Tufts the teachers and staff had a "guac-off", so there were about 9 bowls of guacamole in the kitchen, and mine tied for first (I think it only tied because I was going against almost a pureed guacamole).



This is some good stuff.



I used to follow this with the recipe I wrote down-over the years I've ditched that method, and instead just glance at it before I begin, only to add more where I think I need it. It's one of the few recipes I'll do without a paper in front of me, and one of the few where I will continually experiment. Sometimes it's got too much lemon juice in it, so I'll add more salt. Too much garlic? Add a little more cilantro or lemon juice. Maybe one day I'll put in less onion than I'm normally used to, just because I don't feel like a lot of onion that day.

All I know is that it's really, really, really tasty and very fast. Start to finish I'd say it takes no more than ten minutes. I love this stuff-I'd eat it right out of the bowl with a spoon (wait, I would? Let's change that to I have.). And the best part is that it reminds me of sitting outside on a really hot summer day with friends, drinking beer or something else, just enjoying ourselves. Even if I am eating it with a full foot of snow on the ground outside.

Guacamole (origins unknown)

2 ripe avocados
juice from one lemon (maybe slightly less-depends on your taste)
1-2 cloves of garlic (I often use a spoonful of minced garlic)
1/4 c. cilantro, choped
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 onion, finely chopped
jalepeno pepper, finely chopped, ribs and seeds removed (optional-I never use it)

pit and scoop the avocado out of it's peel. combine the all of the ingredients in a bowl, and mash and combine until desired consistency (I like it on the chunkier side). Taste as you go, adding more of ingredients as you feel you want them (I often feel like I need more lemon juice and salt, but you might want more garlic. Whatever floats your boat).
I usually serve this with corn chips, not tortilla chips, but they're good with either. Or on top of a burger, or in a chicken sandwich. It is stupendous, if I do say so myself.