I know I’ve harped on this before, but this time of year always drags on for me, food-wise. Grocery store produce sections look unbearably pathetic, and the farmers’ market (which I know I’m lucky to have this early) has barely anything better. Potatoes. Some limp kale. Once again I have to appease myself with potatoes until I can find something more interesting to spark some creativity in the kitchen again. And frankly, there are only so many ways to dress up a potato, even a yummy farmers’ market potato. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Snacks
Whole Wheat Cheddar Crackers
As I’m writing this, I’m sitting in a coffee shop, organizing photos, sipping a decaf coffee (hey’s it’s after 3 pm and I’m not as young as I used to be), and taking a break every once in a while to just sit and savor the calmness. Because my little guy is safe at home with daddy and I can write full sentences without interruption. Continue reading
Garlicky Hummus
Sorry it’s been a while. A few days ago, I finally pulled it together and wrote a post about this amazing hummus that I made, well, a long time ago, and just as I finished writing it, I clicked save, and WordPress went ahead and ate my post. I had flashbacks to late nights in college involving lots of coffee and last-minute papers. I suppose it’s been too long since those days, because I forgot the cardinal rule of writing anything longer than will fit on a post-it note: SAVE, SAVE, SAVE. So after crafting a nicely worded, polished post… I threw in the towel. Nothing’s more depressing than trying to re-do something you just finished.
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Filed under Gluten Free, Snacks
Bombay Cheese Dip
Usually when I do one of these posts, I think of a cute little story to tell you, or an amusing tale of how I came upon the recipe, blah, blah, blah. But, this dip needs so such story. Because I could fill pages and pages telling you about how, why, and in what sense this is one of the best, most unexpected things I’ve ever had. Apart from that, I’ve been promising you a recipe to use some of that homemade chutney from the other day, and now I’m delivering.
Ok, Ok, so quick background. This recipe came to me, as so many do, from my mom. Aren’t moms great? I mean, my mom is great for a lot of reasons, but one of the biggies is that she is fearless in the kitchen and is always willing to try recipes that a lot of people wouldn’t. This recipe, for example. I would never in a million years have given this a second look. Because, well… it looks weird. But my mom, kitchen wonder that she is, gave it a chance. And thank goodness she did. Because now I can share it with all of you, and we can all enjoy the amazingness that is this dip. Continue reading
Filed under Appetizers, Gluten Free, Snacks
Parmesan and Thyme Crackers
True Story: I make these crackers. Friends come over for drinks and apps. They see these crackers sitting on a plate on the corner and immediately exclaim, “Oh my gosh, are those Ina’s Parmesan and Thyme Crackers?!” Wow. I had no idea when I made these that their reputation preceded them. Of course, it might say more about the kind of crowd I run with more than anything else, but obviously, I hadn’t done my homework on these bad boys. They had just looked good while I was paging through the cookbook, and they looked easy and I had everything to make them, so I figured… Why not?
But now I suppose that these crackers are somewhat famous. So I guess they need no introduction. Which is good, because I’m at a loss for words today. I’m still thinking about that beer-braised pork. All I can tell you is that they are, indeed, very tasty. If you’re looking for a true cracker, something to spread paté on, or top with cheese, these might not be ideal. Their texture is closer to a shortbread cookie rather than a cracker. They’re really best, in my opinion, on their own, with a little cocktail or a glass of wine. So, without further ado, here is the recipe for Parmesan and Thyme Crackers. Continue reading
Filed under Appetizers, Baking, Snacks







