The question of the day: do adults have friends? And by that I mean, why don't I have any friends? Here in Chicago, the ranks have emptied. They've fled to Colorado, New York and San Francisco-- the hazards of befriending other non-native Chicagoans-- nobody stays in this city long if they aren't born here.
I don't think I cared that much before Rooster started going to night classes twice a week. And this week, thanks to a big grant he has due, he's been gone all four nights. So here I am, in my jammies with the oven cranked to 350. Again.
There are probably large conclusions I should jump to in regards to my isolation. Like I'm unfriendly or unlikable, but I think I'm just lazy. The thought of going out and connecting with another non-Rooster human being exhausts me. Besides, I'm a gossip. What I love most about friendships is "analyzing" the behavior of our other friends. But that only works when you have a group to analyze.
Of course, one can always analyze these Mustard Gruyere Shortbread Crisps-- the big debate being, how can something so simple be so darn delicious?
Mustard Gruyere Shortbread Crisps
½ pound gruyere cheese
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons mustard with grains
1 cup flour
1. In a food processor, shred the cheese. Push the cheese out of the way, take out the shredding blade and put in the knife blade. Add the butter and mustard and process a few seconds. Mixture will be lumpy. Add flour and process until a dough forms.
2. Form dough into 2 one-inch diameter logs on a large piece of plastic wrap. Wrap the logs completely in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm.
3. When ready to cook, pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Slice the log into 1/4 inch-thick “crackers”. Place on cookie sheet (no greasing or parchment paper necessary) and bake 15 minutes. Cool on a rack. Yield 30 crackers.
