zing-a-ling … Crispy Chewy Ginger Cookies

Happy New Year! I’m moving a bit slowly into this one, taking my time, taking a while to get up to 2020 speed. A few weeks ago before my godsons went back to college, we cooked dinner together. Homemade wonton soup and a simple noodle stir fry dish. They’re young and learning how to cook and I coached one through the basics of a stir fry: screaming hot pan, everything cut to the same size, cooking in batches starting with the firmest vegetables. They did a great job and we enjoyed a delicious dinner made almost entire by them and their younger sister. I learned that having 3 young agile hands forming won tons, none of which were mine, is 100% the way to go.

post holiday clearance … Eggnog Panna Cotta

Every year, while home for Christmas at my mother’s, I buy a quart of eggnog. Every year, I forget to drink it. Every year, after I’ve returned home she calls me up and yells at me for not drinking said eggnog. I’m not too sure what happens but essentially, I forget. This year though, I made a pretty good dent in it. I didn’t finish the container but I did make a conscious effort to drink it, starting with a large glass Christmas Eve morning with a healthy shot of bourbon in it. Maybe that’s the secret: booze. I’ll keep that in mind.

Day 12 … Togarashi Olive Oil Crackers

This is it: Day 12 of The 12 Days of Crackers and the final in the olive oil cracker series. When I was coming up with ideas for flavoring all these crackers, I took stock of my spice selection. To put it bluntly, it is a vast assortment; the accumulations of multiple development projects, travel adventures and an irresistible urge to buy interesting things. Digging through a cabinet, I noticed I had 4 or 6 different bottles of Japanese seasonings, the majority in the togarashi family. I should probably use them.

Day 11 … Piment d’Esplette and Pecorino Olive Oil Crackers

Ten down, two left and the third of four in the olive oil group. Whew. Crackers, crackers and more crackers! Like the last post that featured za’atar, I’m bringing another unusual spice into the mix, one near and dear to my heart. Piment d’Esplette. As za’atar is the cornerstone of Levantine cuisine, piment d’esplette is the cornerstone of Basque cuisine. It is a variety of not too hot chile pepper that is cultivated in the northern territory of the French Basque, that magnificent southwest corner of France that is a little French, and entirely Basque.

Day 10 … Za’atar and Parmesan Olive Oil Crackers

Got the hang of an olive oil cracker? Good. Because now we’re getting interesting. This one has za’atar, that cornerstone seasoning of Levantine cooking. If you’ve cooked from any of Yotam Ottolenghi’s books, chances are good you’ve got a jar sitting on your spice shelf. (Probably some sumac too, right?) So let’s use it, shall we?

Day 9 … Everything Spice Olive Oil Crackers

Part Three … here we go. We’ve done four cheese crackers, we’ve done four savory shortbread crackers and now, for the final installment in the 12 Days of Crackers, we have the most crackery of the bunch: Olive Oil Crackers and the first one is a particular favorite … Everything Spice Olive Oil Crackers.

Day 8 … Herbes de Provence Savory Shortbread

Alright. We’re at the end of phase 2 of this series, the fourth savory shortbread recipe and eight of twelve down. Next up we’ll move onto rolled olive oil crackers but for today, we’re using one of my very favorite herb combinations: herbes de provence. It’s a blend of dried herbs considered typical of the Provence region of southeast France and typically includes savory, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, oregano and for some reason only in the United States, lavender. Personally, I like the lavender addition here as it’s such a slight, complimentary flavor and in no way tastes like potpourri or soap as can often happen. Add some salt and pepper and maybe a little lemon zest and you have the best lamb dry rub ever. But I digress.