Last night while cleaning my place up a bit, I re-discovered a pennywhistle which I bought some time ago but never learned to play. Inspiration hit me and soon I was tooting out “What Shall We Do With A Drunken Sailor” and working on “The Trooper and the Maid”, thanks to some lovely online tutorials. I’m not quite ready to go busking with my friend gnarphlager, but it’s a fun way to irritate my neighbors gain some appreciation of the skills required to pipe both quickly and cleanly.

Apart from drunken sailors, I also found myself wondering what to do with a bunch of pita bread that was preparing to get stale. A local grocer sells large bags of bread for very cheap, but it can be a challenge to eat all of it before it goes bad. The quickest solution to this is to make pita chips, which are great for munching at parties, scooping up dips, or just snacking. They will last for at least a week or two if kept in an airtight container. The only ingredients required (other than the pita) are probably already in your pantry: olive oil and a homemade or store-bought spice mixture (I like zatar, but you can use whatever suits you).

Making your own pita crisps couldn’t be simpler, but there are two ways to go about it. The first way is to separate the two layers of bread with a small knife and brush olive oil on each layer. Sprinkle the spice mixture on top of this, then press the layers back together. Cut the round in half and the halves into small triangles before placing on a baking sheet. Another way is to not bother separating the layers and just brush the tops of the pitas with oil, sprinkle with spices, and cut into triangles. Don’t be afraid to be quite generous with the spices and oil, since some of the spice will fall off when the crisps cool. Also, if your spice mixture doesn’t include salt, be sure to add a liberal dash of that as well! Bake the triangles at about 400 F for 5 minutes or until lightly browned and firm to the touch. Until you find the precise time that works for you and your oven, be careful to keep an eye on the first batch, as they can go from crisp to burnt very quickly. Also, keep in mind that they will become more crisp as they cool, so if in doubt, take them out!