Fancy and Fried: Deep Fried Oreos

I wanted to avoid the typical ideas for an Obama inspired Dessert. When a friend suggested Deep Fried Oreos, I was intrigued. I'd never heard of this before but I soon found out its a dish commonly served between the elephant ears and the tilt-0-whirl. Chocolate and cream with a good dose of all American down home values. I just needed to reinterpret the idea to be fancy and posh enough to take over the White House. This is what we came up with:



Obama's Deep Fried Oreos:
Makes about 3 dozen

Double Chocolate Cookie Crips:

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp coarse salt
• 1/4 pound (4 oz) milk chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves

Cookie Filling:

• 1 8 oz. container of whipped cream cheese

Batter:

• 1 1/2 c. flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 Tbs baking powder
• 2 eggs beaten
• 3 Tbs melted butter
• 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 c. milk

Oil to deep fry in, about 1 quart

To start we need to make our cookies: Double Chocolate crisps, based on this Martha Stewart recipe, with a few minor changes.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Melt 1/2 your chocolate chips (2 oz) ounces of chocolate with the butter in a double boiler (a small heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water); let cool slightly. While chocolate is cooling, mix together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.

Put chocolate mixture, sugar, egg, thyme and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until combined. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture. Fold in chocolate chunks.



On cookie sheets lined with parchment paper, scoop 1/2 tsp dollops onto tray about 2" apart. Bake at 300 degrees for about 10 minutes. Watch the cookies and when cracks develop in the surface, they should be done. Let cool on a wire rack. The original recipe says the cookies should be soft, but for our needs, feel free to let them sit out a little longer when cooling before putting in an air tight container because we want them to be crispy! Because they don't need to be moist you can make your cookies up to a week ahead. I did!



Take two cookies of approx matching shape and size and spread filling of whipped cream cheese in the middle and sandwich together. Chill.



Mix your batter: Mix together the dry ingredients. Mix together the wet ingredients. Mix the wet and the dry. Whisk all the lumps out. I've used a general pancake batter recipe, but you want the batter to be a little more liquid to coat the cookie but not be overly thick, so add more milk if you need it.



Heat up your oil on a burner over medium heat. I like to use a wok because I have more control. Its not as deep but I have a wider surface to dip the cookies in. I usually keep the burner around "4" on my dial which is just a little below medium. The oil usually takes about 5-10 minutes to get up to heat. Test the oil with a drop of batter. A small piece should not brown right away but take a minute or so, but not too long.



When your oil is ready, dip your cookies in the batter and drop them in the oil. BE CAREFUL of hot oil! Be gentle when you drop the cookies in. The cookies seem to float, so you need to flip them in the oil so each side gets cooked.



I allow them to cook until they are just golden but not longer. When done, take out and sit in a bowl lined with paper towel to absorb excess grease.



To finish this dish in a accordance with my undertones of middle eastern flavor, I served the cookies with vanilla ice cream drizzled with a pomegranate syrup (just a simple syrup see recipe below) and garnished with fresh pomegranates and thyme.



Upon frying, the cookie and filling switches roles; the cookie melts and the filling cooks. When biting into this decadent but deliciously down home food, I felt immediately warmed, by all the new insulation the fat deposits from this dessert where providing my stomach and thighs.

Innaugural Hopes

The living room of the Forkable International Headquarters was filled with Hope on Sunday night. Hope for our nation, and the belief in one man to help usher in a new more prosperous day for all Americans. The evening also held the hopes of one small Chicagoan that the evening of food and fun she had planned for so long would be successful. There was hope a group comprised mostly of strangers would be comfortable and mingle with ease in her. Most importantly, she felt hope that she had made enough food for all the soon to arrive guests and that it was good food, not crap.



As I thought of my own hopes, I wondered about those of my guests, most of whom, thanks to the TimeOut Chicago publicity, I had never met before. Where they nervous about going to a stranger's house? Where they experiencing any of the last minute social anxiety I was having about meeting so many new people at once. I hoped they were as excited as I was.



I can only wish our countries hopes are answered as wonderfully as mine were Sunday night. Everyone had a great time and loved the food, so they say. I was very proud of the fare.


Photo by Alyssa Miserendino

The appetizer of curried Butternut squash served in a mug sided with a freshly baked bread stick was a hit.


Photo by Alyssa Miserendino

The warm taste of the toasted curry was a subtle but nice sensation to balance the sweet of the squash as well as warm the tummy on a cold winter night. The entre of personal lamb meatloaf medallions also fit a blustery winters eve with its hearty homey feel, made slightly exotic with the middle eastern spices.



The lamb meatloaf prepared with thyme, rosemary, sumac and and a medley of vegetables was served over a dollop of beer braised fennel and potato mash with toasted anise and black caraway seed. Delicious lemon gravy and a garnish of mint pistachio gremolata gave the hearty meal a fresh lightness and a touch of sweet.



The dessert was perhaps the biggest hit. The deep fried "oreos" made of a chocolate wafer sandwich filled with a cream cheese filling was served with vanilla ice cream and drizzled with pomegranate syrup, fresh pomegranates and thyme. The crispy cookies melted in the deep fry and were decadently cakey. The tart pomegranate offset the sweet of the cookie and ice cream and was beautifully finished by the aromatic subtlety of the thyme. At least that's what I was going for. Recipes to follow soon, I promise.



I had all the food ready to go and thanks to the efforts of my amazing kitchen comrades, Meg Gustafson (above left) and Shayna Swanson (right), the evening was very smooth. The courses came one after the other as one would hope. Thanks so much for all your help guys!

Stay tuned for more photos of actual guests (yes, there were people who filled up the empty dining room) and for recipes for all the treats. But right now, I've got to get ready to watch the Inauguration ceremony.

After 7 years, Obama Finally Gets His Check.

A few weeks ago, Chicagoans were a buzz with the announcement of a release date for the lost pilot of WTTW's hit restuarant review show, Check, Please!. Although the Windy City holds true love for this Public TV staple, their announcement might not have been as exciting or newsworthy if one of the guests wasn't then Illinios State Senator Barack Obama. Since then, a few clips have been aired on YouTube to whet your pallet. Reviewing the Hyde Park comfort food hotspot Dixie Kitchen and Bait Shop", our President elect shows his sage wisdom with the advice to "be cautious" with the Johnny Cakes "or you won't have room for the peach cobbler". A metaphor for more then just food; we'll find out in 6 days?



Don't forget, the Obama episode of Check, Please! Will air on Friday at 8 p.m. on WTTW channel 11. Don't get WTTW? I'm sure it won't take long for the whole episode to be posted on YouTube.

For more, check out an interview with the Check, Please! creator and executive producer, David Manilow on Chicago Public Radio's Eight Forty-Eight.

This Obama Looks Good Enough To Eat

I've been a bit hung over since Tuesday. We closed the bars on Tuesday night after leaving the rally, but who knew feeling so bad could feel so good. I've been so excited and optimistic, I've been oozing sap as you could read in my last post. But I am not going to apologize! No far from it. I am excited to be excited and I am happy to be feeling so darn proud of being an American. I've never felt this way before and its nice. I'm glad I'm not the only one. Everywhere I look, I see awesome posters and photos heralding a world of excitement. I would be no food blogger if I didn't include some food in there.



The photo above taken by Flickr user Shastio is a portrait of Obama made by Zilly Rosen of Zilly Cakes in Buffalo New York, made of 1240 cupcakes. Amazing! I love the attention to details like the background cupcakes being made of vanilla and the ones for the image being made of chocolate. It adds so much to the depth of field. Check out more Obama inspired bake goods.


Zilly Rosen preparing her cupcake portrait. Photo by Flickr user Shastio

Its nice being surrounded by so many who are unabashedly enthusiastic! Everywhere I look, I see other happy smiling faces. Nothing can hold us back, not even road rage! For example, On Wednesday morning, when I was riding my bike to work (still a bit drunken and an hour and a half late-oops!) when a car swooped past me honking the horn in a most unsafe manner. When I caught up to them at the next light, I leaned in the open window and said, "Hey come on, relax. Its a beautiful day, we're all winners!" And instead of yelling back, the couple both started smiling at me, and agreed that it was an awesome day. Thanks Barack!

We Are All Winners!

Barak Obama Rally Posted by Flickr user Spudart

Tuesday night, the worlds eye was focused here, in Chicago as our Senator was named President Elect. Excitement flowed through us all, as we found ourselves swept out our doors and down the street to gather and celebrate together. Strangers suddenly became friends as we hugged and laughed together. The feeling of unity, hope and optomism surged through the crowd until even the most jaded misanthropes were screaming along with the throngs of individuals from every race, religion and creed, "Yes, we can!"


Victory Party in Grant Park posted by The Huffington Post

I can't explain the feeling except to say, it was bigger then any of us. We took over the streets of Chicago and moved as one mass. People were happy, smiling and feeling good. For our generation, where we carry sarcasm and irony as a badge of honor, it was humbling to be filled with such feelings of pride in our country, our fellow Americans and in humanity in general. The name Barack Obama means more then just a break from the same old failed Reganomics we've had for too long, and it even means more then the epic crack its put in the race barrier which has long segregated a black man from the White House. While words cannot explain the pride and strength this will give to our African American communities, the real truth is, even if it lasts for only a few short days, Barak Obama has given the whole world a feeling of unity and solidarity as humans, not as black, white, Muslim or Christian, American or other. The whole world has come together to rejoice. Its even enough to make an entire bar of the most hip of hipsters, come together and sing God Bless America with no irony intended. I know, I've seen it, here in my own city.