My grandma grew up in a rather bourgoise family, with all that entails. She had a private tutor for everything that was must-have skills for a young lady, from good manners to navigating her way in the kitchen with grace. She was a fabulous baker and she loved it! Growing up, I was fascinated by the entire alchimistic process: perched upon a kitchen stool, I was fiercely following her every move. She used to make the most grandiose cakes, cookies, biscuits, pies, crumbles, fruit dumplings that everyone in the family loved and enjoyed. Except me. I never had a sweet tooth, not even as a child. So in a grand gesture of love, once the cake was in the oven, she used to look at me and give me a playful smile. I knew I was saved, it meant it was time to make grissini! How can I describe these to you? She was gravitating more towards French cooking (so much in style when she was growing up) rather than classic Italian, so the consistency of the grissini was rather flaky, layered, buttery, a bit crispy, almost like a classic French dough with more weight and crunchiness. She always kept true to a simple topping: white, feta-like cheese and cumin seeds. Years later I realized it was, of course, Sanda’s classic recipe, with an unexpected twist. She made it look so simple, easy-peasy, that somehow, I always thought making grissini take 15 minutes on the clock. Lured in by this (fake) memory, I embarked on the adventure, but little did I know. Truth be told, I am not a great baker when it come to sweets, but this was different, right? In the end, all turned well and I feel that I, somehow, conquered this milestone, too. So roll up your sleeves, boys and girls, today we’re making grissini! Read More