Frico

I rarely put croutons in salad anymore, but sometimes I'd like something crunchy in there. Nuts can do this somewhat, but it's a different sort of crunch. I do, however, like cheese in my salad.

Frico is a way to have the best of both worlds. It's a homemade parmesan cracker that's easy to whip up in under 15 minutes. Be careful with them--they are very delicate.

Frico
Adapted from Parmesan Crisps, Gourmet Magazine

Makes 3 frico

1 oz. shredded parmigiano-reggiano
1 tsp. flour
Fresh-ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 F. Place a nonstick liner (like a Silpat) on a baking sheet. Combine cheese, flour and pepper and spoon onto sheet into three evenly spaced mounds. Use a spatula or the back of the spoon to flatten the mounds into rounds of about 4 inches in diameter. Bake until golden, about 10-12 minutes. Allow to cool for a couple minutes and then very carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely (be careful, they break really easily).