There are few things in life more pleasurable than a great piece of writing.
Reading Dianne Jacob’s Will Write for Food for the second time, I can’t help but underline the incredibly useful phrases and quotes she has integrated in her food-writing manual.
One of the quotes I particularly gravitated towards was that by Elizabeth David, a British writer –
“Now there are signs of autumn on the leaves of some of the almond trees. They have turned a frail, transparent auburn, and this morning when I awoke I devoured two of the very first tangerines of the season. In the dawn their scent was piercing and their taste was sharp.”
Reading these few sensuous lines, I could practically smell the citrus aroma of tangerines, and could almost taste their plump sweet flesh, all because Elizabeth David used her words to transport me to the very scene she was describing.
Dianne then quotes Russ Parsons, editor of the Los Angeles Times’ food section, stating the following –
“The idea is not to be flashy but elegant. You want to use enough sensual language that you can get across your pleasure and your involvement with the topic, but don’t want to come across as overblown, which reads as cheap and unconvincing.Write it and keep going over it, taking out as much as you possibly can and leaving the essence.”
The secret of good writing – Leaving just the essence.
I think that’s how life should be as well.
Just like a good piece of writing, life has to be stripped of all the unnecessary fluff, leaving behind just the essentials. This will teach us to be selective, choosing and keeping only what is important.
So often we find our lives clogged with so many superfluous, flashy items and activities, we forget what our goals and beginnings are. Sometimes, we also lose sight of what we should be holding on to, and have been shaken with the waves of uncertainty, or what ever is trendy at the moment.
What we really need to do is a cleansing and re-prioritizing of our lives, setting aside time and effort for the most valuable goals, and cutting away whatever is just a temporary fad, whatever that does not add value to our lives.
And because the kitchen surrounds and envelopes so much of our lives, the same rule should also be applied when cooking.
Sometimes in cooking, less is more. A hint of a flavor which doesn’t overwhelm your senses is perhaps one of the best kept secrets in stirring up your appetite, keeping you desiring for more.
One ingredient which always does the trick, and has never failed, is garlic.
Oh glorious, heavenly garlic. The smell of garlic is mesmerizing. It transports me back to my Asian kitchen in Singapore, where the aroma of fresh garlic cooking in a wok wraps itself around the kitchen. It’s a smell that reminds me of home, of my childhood, and of all things full of flavor and life.
I’m an absolute fan of garlic. I love it fried, roasted, boiled, spread of bread or in dips and creams. In every possible imaginable way, I embrace garlic and the flavor it brings to food.
Precisely because garlic is so strong on its own, it has to be used in measured quantities, so its taste complements the food instead of overpowering the dish entirely – leaving just the essence.
I’m excited to share another way to bring garlic gently into your lives – garlic crackers!
In this case, dried garlic is embedded into a water cracker, so the taste of garlic is a very subtle hint, and is more of a background flavor than the main highlight.
These garlic crackers can be snacked on when you want something savory but not very heavy, or they can be eaten as a side dish with lunch or dinner (just like you would with bread).
And if they’re eaten fresh out of the oven, still slightly warm from the heat, they taste even better! (I strongly suggest that you eat them fresh – they taste best like that!)
Bon AppƩtit!
GARLIC CRACKERS (Makes 20)
Adapted from Little House by the Dunes’ water crackers recipe
Ingredients:
1) 2 1/2 cups of flour
2) 1 cup of warm water
3) 2 tablespoons of olive oil
4) 1 teaspoon of salt
5) 1 -2 teaspoons of chopped dry garlic (available in stores – add 2 teaspoons if you like the taste of garlic a lot)
Steps:
1) Pour flour, 1/2 cup warm water, olive oil, salt and dried garlic in a mixing bowl
2) Mix ingredients together until they are combined
3) Pour dough on a cool, flat surface and knead well, adding more warm water as needed to get a soft but non-sticky texture
4) Flatten the dough as much as possible with a rolling pin (the flatter the better!)
5) Use the rim of a cup or wine glass to cut dough into medium sized circles
6) Arrange cut-out circles on a greased baking tray
7) Bake at 200 deg cel for 15 to 20 minutes (or until crackers turn slightly golden brown)
8) Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving
Mix flour, 1/2 cup warm water, olive oil, salt and dried garlic in a mixing bowl:
Once ingredients are combined, pour dough on a cool, flat surface and knead well:
Flatten the dough as much as possible with a rolling pin:
Use the rim of a cup or wine glass to cut dough into medium sized circles:
Arrange cut-out circles on a greased baking tray:
Bake at 200 deg cel for 15 to 20 minutes (or until crackers turn slightly golden brown):
Garlic crackers – great as a side dish or appetizer!
A closer look at the garlic crackers:
Shafeeqa says
I LOVE food books and I will definitely try and get this one! One I really liked is Food of Love by Anthony Capella, a light, humorous read set in Italy. Very sensual and descriptive food writing!
rosewithoutthorns says
Hi Shafeeqa!
I will have to check out Food of Love now that you’ve mentioned it! Bear in mind that Will Write for Food is basically a manual to teach you how to write about food – it has captions & quotes from very good authors, but it’s not a story per se. It’s more of a guidebook – and probably the best food writing book available!
Happy weekend!
love,
felicia
Shafeeqa says
Hi Felicia, hope you had a great weekend š
I will definitely read it then, I struggle to convey my food experiences in writing, and one thing I learned from your post is that less is more (elegant not overwhelmed). Food of Love is a wonderful little story set in Rome, very entertaining and descriptive š
MarĆa says
AHHH!!!! despuĆ©s de nuestra larga charla acerca del ajo en el gimnasio esta tarde, maƱana mismo las cocino. Ā”Ā”Ā”Tienen una pinta bĆ”rbara!!!
rosewithoutthorns says
Suerte Maria!! ojala que salgan bien!!!
Min says
Hi, Felicia! I really must read that book asap! I’m having a really difficult time describing the flavors and setting a scene, so to speak, for the recipes I share. You’re right. It may be because I’m trying too hard. Leave just the essence..take out all the fluff…a great advice! I LOVE garlic and these crackers are right up my alley. Can’t wait to try making them soon!!
rosewithoutthorns says
Min!
Glad you found the advice useful. and if you do read Dianne’s book, u will find alot of other super practical advice for writing recipes/ describing food/ writing memoirs etc!!
š Have a great sunday dear!
Jess Gonzalez says
Love that book – so incredibly helpful and inspiring for writers like us. š And I love these crackers! Garlic and me go way back heehee
rosewithoutthorns says
Yes! garlic and I too! All the way till eternity!! haha! enjoy your weekend Jess!
gracelimsaifong says
This is a very healthy snack as garlic itself is a great herb that has healing and cleansing effect on the human bodies. I like it very much.
rosewithoutthorns says
glad u like it mummy! š btw, i made carrot cake the other day! will post up the recipe soon!
Irene says
For a moment there, I thought the entire cracker was make up of just garlic…hahaha. They could be a healthy replacement for my late night snack (which recently I started a habit of snacking at night again…horrible). It looks really fun to make too.
rosewithoutthorns says
Hello Irene!
If the entire cracker was made of garlic….ooh I think you might end up with a severe case of garlic breath, so severe it could last the entire year!)
It was fast and fun to make, made it in less than 40 minutes I think! š
Have a wonderful weekend shooting amazing pictures!! š
diannejacob says
Thanks so much, Felicia. It’s an honor that you’ve read my book twice. I hope you’lll write more about Singapore and your memories of growing up with food and family. It’s one of my favorite places to eat.
rosewithoutthorns says
Dianne!
What an honor to have you visit my blog!
Your book is so full of practical methods to improve everyday writing, even if it was focused on food. (To be honest, I think I might read it more than just twice of thrice because it’s just so useful – and my food blogger friends say the same!)
I’m glad you love eating in Singapore! I’m heading back for vacations in a few weeks and am definitely going to write about Singapore and our street food! (if i can find the time between gorging on 1 year’s worth of deeply-missed Singapore cuisine!)
š
empwriter says
Amazing – I bet these would terrific with some hummus! Bake on! Heather (Little House by the Dunes)
rosewithoutthorns says
Hi Heather!
Thanks for the inspiration to make these crackers! š
Mine didn’t turn out nearly as thin as yours did, but they were yummy still!
76sanfermo says
Hi, Felicia!
I’mgoing to make this. Right away.
Thank you!
By the way ,I’ve just published a post with the Puchero recipe,I wonder if there are more versions,other than mine…
š
rosewithoutthorns says
Hello Anna!
Just one note of caution – make sure the dough is rolled as THIN as possible. so the crackers come out really crispy. š
And i suggest that the crackers be eaten on the same day they are baked (right after baking)! They tend to get a bit hard if you leave them for a few days.
I love puchero!! with osobuco! I posted on osobuco recently too! the only thing is.. your posts are in Italian? No entiendo!!
76sanfermo says
Good advice,thanks so much!