I must confess that I miss my kitchen. I've been in the hospital for over a month at this time, and although I am getting better, I have a long way to go. I'm going to have to build up strength, which will take a while, and I don't foresee a return home for a while yet. But the harder I work at things, without overdoing it, then I hope to go home to my own bed, kitties and kitchen, even though it might take a while to really get back in the swing of things.

On of the last things I made before going to the hospital were these little dinner-roll-size Mediterranean-inspired crusty loaves. Needless to say, they go well with a hot bowl of soup, but they are perfect on the side too as they are bursting with flavor because of the addition of fresh Kalamata olives, zesty sun-dried tomatoes and dried herbs. Slice and serve with some butter or just enjoy as is.

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Beets are usually thought of as a salad ingredient where their cool sweetness adds a refreshing touch to greens and vinaigrettes. But that same sweetness makes them an impressive if unusual component of treats and desserts — I've used them in the past to delicious and colorful effect in beetroot cake, beetroot chocolate brownies with coconut and beetroot muffins.

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I've made crackers in the past, and they are not too difficult to make at all. The secret is to roll the cracker dough as thin as possible so that they come out crispy. These colorful crackers are gently spiced with cumin seeds and saffron. Break them up to into pieces after they come out of the oven that are convenient for your purposes.

These crackers are a special treat to serve along with a bowl of soup and make an ideal addition to an appetizer platter with favorite spreads, dips and sauces and other little nibbles, such as cheese and olives. I made up a batch of homemade guacamole and I had plenty of crackers leftover too to enjoy for a couple of days afterwards.

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Chana and chole mean chickpeas, and a masala is a blend of spices in powder or paste form. Chole masala and chana masala then are the same kind of dish, but there are many different variations depending on the region of northern India and the choice of spices. One thing that all chole masalas have is a spicy and tangy sauce made almost always with onions and tomatoes. I've showcased several versions of chana masala on my blog, but I always enjoy playing around with different variations.

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