Cookbooks: Crackers & Dips

This is a book that I’ve been meaning to tell you guys about since it came out last May. Called Crackers & Dips, it’s written Portland-based food writer Ivy Manning and is a fabulous resource for anyone with an itch to bake up their own crisps, flatbreads, and crunchy crackers.

Ivy is a friend of mine and we make a point of getting together to talk food writing shop and catch up whenever I’m back in Portland. I’ve had the opportunity to taste a variety of the crackers this book contains over the last few years and I can tell you with certainty that they universally fantastic (and are often just the thing to pair up with a dollop of jam).

This book is divided into six sections. You start with the classic cracker canon and then proceed onto recipes for crackers from around the world, whole grain and wheat-free crackers, crackers that are quick to make and bake, sweet crackers, and finally, a section featuring an array of dips and spreads. Ivy has truly left no cracker or dip stone unturned.

As someone who dearly loves the addition of rosemary to sweet things, these graham crackers are high on my list of things I plan to make from this book. I do believe they’d pair up nicely with a jar of pear and chocolate jam and they’d make a very nice addition to a gift bag of preserves and cheeses.

 

I’m also bookmarking this recipe for warm olive tapenade. I am ALWAYS looking for ways to use my stash of preserved lemon and this spread uses a full tablespoon, which is helpful in depleting that jar.

Bottom line? If you’re looking for interesting recipes for both gift giving and entertaining, this book should be on your shelf.

Related Posts: