Olive Oil Crackers with Sea Salt and Herbs – From a Legendary London Café

London is a fast-paced, vibrant metropolis with a myriad of fun things to do. My husband and I are thrilled to be able to visit this unique city several times a year to spend time with our daughter and her family.We love meandering along the lazy flowing Thames, walking the quaint, narrow streets full of row houses and small shops, experiencing the busy, bustling downtown and all along the way, checking out interesting boutiques, restaurants, lovely parks and a plethora of inspiring historic sites.

Before arriving in London this past fall, I’d read about an incredible deli/café called Ottolenghi. The first day of our visit, we decided check it out and pick up lunch. Entering the shop, we stood in awe and shock as we beheld the array of salads, quiches, breads and sweets artfully displayed before us.

After much deliberation, we chose a variety of fresh, vibrant looking salads and complimented them with a a crusty golden baguette. A few lovely, raspberry meringues made a fabulous sweet ending. It was the perfect autumn day and our picnic fare, enjoyed at nearby St. James Park, was beyond amazing! Each selection was unique and delicious and any eavesdropper would have laughed at all the oohs and aahs that emanated  from our little corner of the park.

You can imagine how delighted I was, later that week, when my daughter and son-in-law came home after a date night with a gift for me; a cookbook, from none other than……………… yes, Ottolenghi!

I’ve been reading this lovely book as if it were a novel these past months and have already tried out many of the yummy recipes. One of my favorites is the paper thin, shatteringly crisp, Olive Oil Crackers. I topped them with a variety of different herbs and spices; fresh thyme, Herbes de Provence and za’atar, and everyone loved them. They are uniquely delicious and would be fabulous as an appetizer with salsa or hummus, accompanying a salad and/or soup or just to nibble on for a delicious, light snack.

Although these crackers cost literally pennies to make, they are almost always considered “gourmet”, causing the price of a small prepackaged container to be astronomical. So I was delighted to discover that we can enjoy these delightful crackers for almost nothing! You can too, since the only tools you really need to prepare them are a rolling pin and an oven. Next time you have a craving for a crisp, salty, fabulous snack, give these Olive Oil Crackers with Sea Salt & Herbs a try – you won’t be disappointed!