Sourdough Crackers with Olive Oil & Herbs

You’ll never throw away sourdough starter again once you’ve tried these ultra thin and crispy olive oil crackers, seasoned with herbs de Provence and finished with flake sea salt.

These homemade sourdough crackers are the perfect snack all on their own, or, for an extra treat, spread with soft cheese and top with a dollop of homemade jam. They are surprisingly quick, easily prepared while you’re waiting for your bread to rise, though you can also refrigerate the cracker dough for up to 24 hours.

I’ve been making homemade sourdough bread, at least a loaf every other week, for almost a year now. My starter (aka Jane Dough) is a bit of a diva (she prefers King Arthur organic flour and tends to wilt in the heat/humidity of summer) but she’s brought me loads loaves of joy. There are few things as wonderful as homemade sourdough bread.

The one thing that has always bugged me about keeping a sourdough starter, however, is the sheer amount of waste. Every time you feed the darn thing you have to throw away 2/3 of it, and when you’re buying $10/bag organic flour, well, that’s a travesty.

So I set out to find a way to utilize some of that discarded starter.

There are lots of recipes out there, from waffles to pizza crust and beyond, that use sourdough discard. But it was sourdough crackers that grabbed my attention.

Sourdough crackers require only a few ingredients, the bulk being made up of discarded sourdough starter (the stuff you’d normally toss every time you feed it). That starter is mixed with a bit more flour (I used a combo of all-purpose, whole wheat, and a touch of rye), olive oil, salt and dried herbs. That’s it. It really couldn’t be more simple.

In terms of flavor, they taste a lot like a homemade wheat thin, if wheat thins were made with olive oil and seasoned with Herbs de Provence (fancy wheat thins).

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Best Healthy Dinner Recipes

Fruit & Vinegar Shrub Mocktails

Non alcoholic drinks don’t have to be boring, as is the case with these fruity vinegar-based mocktails. Play around with different fruits, vinegars, and flavorings to make your own unique concoction!

A shrub is a simple infusion of fruit, vinegar and sugar that, when topped with sparkling soda and other flavors, makes for a unique and interesting refreshment – no alcohol required (although it certainly wouldn’t suffer if you wanted to add some).

This recipe was created in partnership with Delallo®, our go-to brand for authentic Italian flavor, including pastas, sauces, and specialty imports.

I really love cocktails, or rather, I really love the idea of cocktails. I love the creativity of the flavors, the clever names, the impressive presentations. Unfortunately, my body doesn’t necessarily agree, reacting to the tiniest sip of alcohol as if it were an entire glass.

So most of the time I’m relegated to just a sip of whatever concoction Taylor is enjoying. And maybe a ginger beer if the bar happens to serve it.

Needless to say it makes me really excited when I find a restaurant that actually has a few non-alcoholic mocktails on their menu. Why more bars and restaurants don’t do this is beyond me. Give the DD some love!

One of my favorite faux-cocktail tricks is the shrub: a fruit and vinegar infusion that gives non-alcoholic beverages much of the same interest and ‘bite’ as their boozy counterparts. Shrubs are great bases for alcoholic cocktails too.

The basic equation for a homemade shrub is fruit + vinegar + sugar. Smash and let macerate for a few days, then strain and enjoy. The finished shrub will keep for months (although I have a feeling it will get used up much sooner). And unlike what you might think, it does not taste like you’re chugging vinegar. The sugar and fruit soften the vinegar’s bite, leaving a candy-like tartness that’s perfect for sipping.

The basic formula is incredibly versatile; you can really use any combination of fruit and vinegar that your heart desires. I used mostly red fruits and berries here, because they were so well matched to the flavor (and color) of Delallo’s Chianti Red Wine Vinegar, but other fruits like peaches, apricots, even pineapples would make lovely shrubs as well.

In addition to mixing up the fruit, you can also play with different vinegars as well. While I used mainly red wine vinegar, I also played with adding a splash of tart and fruity balsamic vinegar, which is absolutely spectacular when paired with strawberries, raspberries or cherries. I found using all balsamic was a little too intense, but a mix of balsamic and red wine was perfect.

Really, as long as the proportions of total fruit to vinegar stay somewhat the same, homemade shrubs are endlessly versatile. While a little sugar is needed, you can increase or decrease it as you like and depending on the natural sweetness of the fruit you are using.

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Easy Dinner Recipes for Busy Lives

Mushroom Pasta with Goat Cheese

Chocolate Pistachio Cream Thumbprints

If you love pistachio gelato, you’ll love these delightful little cookies, with a rich chocolate shortbread and a center of luxurious pistachio cream.

Thumbprints are one of my all time favorite cookie recipes, and this chocolate pistachio one is no exception; dare I say I love it even more than my go-to jam-filled thumbprints? Chocolate shortbread paired with a creamy pistachio filling takes this old favorite to a whole new level.

Rewind to last year in Venice when three gelati a day was not an unusual occurrence. But out of all the cups and cones and scoops, the one that stuck out the most was the Manet flavor from SuSo (called that, I assume because it is truly a work of art). With a rich and creamy hazelnut base and a ribbon of salted pistachio gianduja swirled throughout; it was, to put it simply, life changing.

On our last day we all agreed we needed one last scoop (ok, three scoops). As we were waiting in the tiny, unassuming shop, trying to decide which of the many other delicious flavors to round out our cones (because a scoop of Manet was a given), I noticed a small stack of jars on a shelf in the corner. Upon closer inspection I discovered that this was the stuff, the magic pistachio concoction used in the Manet gelato. I immediately grabbed a jar (I paid for it, promise) which I lovingly wrapped in my fluffiest sweatshirt and carted back home with me to the states.

…where it has since sat in the fridge, untouched, for nearly 9 months.

Please tell me I’m not the only one who ‘savors’ special delicacies like this? Hoarding them, not wanting to use them up, until, inevitably, they expire. Whether it be Swiss chocolate or Japanese KitKats or Portuguese sardines, I fully admit it: I’m a hoarder. Such a travesty, and I’m really working hard to fix this fatal flaw about myself, trying not to hoard the goodness I bring home from my travels, but rather enjoy it and not let it go to waste.

So I set about using this little jar of wonder. And when I say little, I do mean miniscule. Far too small to use in a batch of homemade gelato, for instance.

However the idea of a pistachio thumbprint, a chocolate pistachio thumbprint, fluttered through my mind, and once it had, I couldn’t unthink it. It engulfed my thoughts, sending me on a wild internet search for pistachio pastes and creams and butters from all corners of the globe.

I couldn’t rest until this cookie became a reality.

And, oh, what a wonderful reality it is.

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Artisan Dutch Oven Bread