Crispy Crispy Parmesan Lavosh Crackers

This depends on whether you can find fresh lavosh. Or lavash. Or lahvash. Armenian Bread. Whatever.

Just don't buy the Ak-Mak crackers in the box - you have to find a source for the fresh-baked kind.

I wanted parmesan crisps for my party but didn't want to pay $3.99 for 8-10 of the parmesan baguette things at Whole Foods. I am, above all, cheap.

This was my solution. Lavosh runs about $1.19 for three or four huge pieces where I am. I made enough crackers for 15 people with most of one package.

Crispy Crispy Parmesan Lavosh Crackers
One package of fresh lavosh
One half-cup egg whites (I used the pasteurized kind in the carton)
1/2 lb freshly grated parmesan

Brush the lavosh with the egg whites, one sheet at a time. Sprinkle with grated parmesan. Put under broiler just until cheese is light brown and before the whole thing has caught on fire (things happen!)

When cool enough to handle, break into lovely random cracker sized pieces.

I also made some sprinkled with sesame seeds and poppy seeds with a little salt and pepper. They were good, but people were picking through the basket to find the cheese ones.

The crackers will be thin and exquisitely crispy.

Shrimp and Mango with lime and mint appetizer

Shrimp and Mango appetizer
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A shrimp is not a vegetable, I know. But after making about a zillion tiny empanadas filled with potatoes and chiles or vegetarian sausage, I felt I had to give my guests at the Great Journalist Gathering of 2005 at least a little something with animals in it lest they rebel and write bad things about me.

I made this up out of my head and they all pronounced it fantastic. Your mileage may vary. When journalists are faced with free food, they can get mighty enthusiastic.


Shrimp, Mango, lime and mint on endive leaves
1/2 pound cooked shrimp, finely chopped
1 ripe mango, diced fine
1/2 sweet red pepper, cut into tiny squares
Juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp mint, chopped fine

A dash or two of Green Jalapeno Tabasco or a bit of finely minced jalapeno pepper
Salt
Pepper
Belgian Endives - eight or so

Combine all ingredients but endives. Peel endive leaves off and use for little edible dishes. You can only use the outer leaves of the endives, because they get small and soft inside.

Then, if you are a veg, you will have lots of lovely endive insides left for you!

A true taste sensation - Dry Brown Curds Snack

I bought this at the Middle Eastern market. The people there are super nice and they have a zillion foods I have never heard of. This is one of them.

I know "Dry Brown Curds Snack" doesn't sound too appetizing to most people. But I am, as my BF says, the person most likely to order the weirdest item on the menu. If it is novel and doesn't contain meat, let me at it.

So this was right up my alley. It looks a bit like fruit leather and claims to be made of yogurt. So far, so good.



(Sour) it says on the label. They should issue some kind of stronger warning, I think, because this may well be the sourest item on the planet. Super sour gummy worms taste like cotton candy compared to this.

You can see from the photo the size of the sample I took. Unfortunately I tasted it while I was on the phone with the BF. I immediately began making weird noises and gasping, having lost the ability to speak.

Once the initial shock and pain of my salivary glands shriveling up passed, I was able to tell him what happened.

The stuff was so sticky and a piece stuck to my molar, but I was actually afraid to move it, lest the sour flavor blast start again.

This may have a use, but I am not sure. If Persians can actually eat this with joy and happiness, they are much better and stronger people than I.

Cafe de Olla

This is my latest obsession:

Cafe de Olla
2 cups water
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 tsp anise seeds or a dash of anise extract
1/4 cup piloncillo (Mexican brown sugar pressed into cones - you can grate it off) or brown sugar

Bring to a boil in a 2 quart saucepan.


Add 1/2 cup ground coffee and remove from heat. It will foam up in a dramatic fashion.

Steep 5 minutes.


Strain through a fine strainer and drink straight up or with hot milk. It is best from little rough clay cups, in Mexico, but it ain't so very bad in a mug in California, either.

Oh Canada!

Cookies in honor of Canada Day

To recognize our dear friends to the north, I made these Maple Shortbread cookies in the shape of a maple leaf and decorated them in a Canadian-flag theme.

This photo is kind of a funky cookie, but the rest of the photos were pretty bad. But you get the idea.

The cookie recipe is in 2 parts so it takes a while for the maple butter to cool enough to make dough out of.

Maple Butter
2/3 cup maple syrup
1 cup butter, softened

In a small saucepan, bring maple syrup to a boil and cook until it reduces by half, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Add the butter and stir until completely blended. Place in refrigerator until firm. Makes1 cup.

Shortbread - this is simple!
1 cup maple butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt.

Combine the ingredients in a food processor. Pulse using the steel knife just until well combined and form a ball. This should take less than 30 seconds.

Flatten into a disk shape. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until the dough is well chilled. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Position rack to centre of oven. Remove dough from fridge and roll to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut dough into desired shapes. Place cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake until slightly golden brown, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
Makes about three dozen two-inch cookies.

I used a Betty Crocker white icing recipe with slightly more butter than Betty calls for (she actually called for margarine, pretty funny considering the recipe is labeled "White Butter Frosting" - 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1/2 cup butter, 1 tsp. vanilla and 1 Tbsp milk, blended with an electric mixer til smooth.

Spread icing on cool cookies. Place a strip of paper over the middle of each cookie and sprinkle with red sugar.