December 5

Though I sleep with a good conscience- iron clad from being a risk averse nerd- my thoughts like to wake me at night. Often we confer over recipes- or the formulation thereof- as in what I will do with the excess of frozen compote from the autumn menu or how to a bake a cabbage tart that’s not too wet or pungent. But lately between the northern lights visiting North Georgia and yet another cycle of super moon I too often lie awake and stare at the city of trees outside the windows, absorbing the dreamscape from which I’ve roused.

Please allow me to be weird: last night in the waking liminal I felt gifted a runner’s baton- a sleight of hand through the veil of sleep- and in my minds eye I saw the batons we exchange one another daily- and over generations- to create the emotional grid work of humanity. It was the sort of dream that might result from a fever or a long night of drugs- or perhaps in my case from spending too much time alone in the woods. But the message rang clear: be responsible with what you hand to others.

I have spent a lot of time thinking about this over recent months. At the school we are inviting people into the woods, to create and cook and hopefully- best case scenario- deepen their connection with themselves and others. Nature makes us vulnerable to ourselves, and I feel a great responsibility to make sure our guests are adequately padded in a cushion of hospitality. I am hyper alert to the quality and earnestness of the offering.

And what is hospitality if not the comforting of the human experience? It is a concept far greater than the sum of its parts, which in this case includes what is ideally received as sincere food, drink, atmosphere and amenities. Hospitality is not so much a thing as a feeling. So as we enter the festive- and oh so busy- December holiday season I’ve been reminded by this fever dream to focus on how I am hospitable not only to our guests, but also to myself, my loved ones, and the strangers with whom I exchange emotional batons.

At my house we’ll have no Christmas tree this year. Opening the cooking school has felt akin to birthing a baby, exhaustion and joy included. And as everyone who has ever birthed a human- or an idea- knows, sacrifices must be made for the sake of survival and sanity. I have however clung to my favorite seasonal decor: 200 feet of fresh cedar garland draped over every possible indoor surface with the enthusiasm of a ten year old hitting the playground with a fresh supply of friendship bracelets. And that’s what I’m going for this season. It can’t just look bright and sparkly, it has to feel it.

Since we won’t be sourcing, bedazzling, and cleaning up the installation of a tree this year, it seems a Christmas miracle has been performed: free time in December. And since the rules of December appear to include no free time, a second miracle has been performed: we’re hosting a last minute holiday party the Saturday before Christmas. No tree and no expectations. There will however be a table decked with the festive trifecta that is two-bite ham sandwiches, baked brie, and a creamy dip as equally welcoming to snappy vegetables as salty chips. All served with bubbles in hand and a pat on the back for being earnestly hospitable to both myself and others this holiday season.

Sourdough Crackers with Herbs

We make these every week at the cooking school with foraged goldenrod leaves, and it has been a huge hit with our guests. You can guarantee these will be on our holiday snack buffet partnered with a wheel of baked brie that’s been topped with pear compote and fresh ground black pepper.

If you are the highly organized type and your sourdough discard is fully exhausted (flat, no bubbles) the dough can be made ahead and kept in the refrigerator for a couple days or the freezer for up to a month. The freshly baked crackers can also be frozen, but really how much freezer room does one actually have?

You can use completely exhausted and flat sourdough starter or a bubbly one that has been fed has recently as 24 hours. A fresher fed starter will make a flakier cracker. I like both styles.

You can use any dried herb in this recipe, but make sure it smells fresh and not like musty cardboard. Force the herbs through a fine mesh strainer or very clean spice grinder so the consistency of the herb doesn’t over power that of the cracker.

There is a video on our Instagram demonstrating easy techniques for this cracker, including perfecting your skills with a rolling pin. If you are not already following us we would really appreciate if you would like/follow/share @cookatstillhouse.

Lastly, if you don’t currently measure dry ingredients with a scale I encourage you to give this a try. I resisted it for years and years, but it really is easier, faster, and a better guarantor of consistency than using measuring cups. I offer both options here.

Ingredients:

Sourdough starter, 225g (1 cup)

Unsalted butter, 60g (4 tbsp)

Unbleached white flour, 115g (1 cup)

Dried, ground rosemary/thyme/oregano/etc, 1 tsp

Kosher salt, 1/2 tsp

Olive oil, at least 4 tbsp

Flaky salt (like Maldon brand), to taste

Equipment:

-rolling pin

-sheet pan, 2

-parchment paper

-pastry brush

-optional: pizza cutter

Method:

Melt butter and combine with sourdough, set aside.

In separate bowl whisk together flour, herbs and salt.

Using your hands add the wet mixture to the dry and knead until you have a fully combined smooth dough. This takes me less than five minutes. If the dough is too shaggy (pulls apart looking like broken mop strings) then add a few drops of water. Repeat until the dough is tacky and smooth, but not so wet that it sticks to your hands (if this happens add in a teaspoon of flour at a time until you get that smooth, tacky texture).

Separate dough evenly into two disks, wrap each in plastic, and place in the refrigerator for one hour until firm. The dough will be ready to roll to when you can make a shallow thumb indention in the surface.

Put the convection setting on your oven at 325F.

Make a work station on a clean countertop with flour for dusting, rolling pin, sheet pans, parchment, pizza cutter (or knife), oil, and crunchy salt. Lightly flour the countertop and rolling pin and begin rolling the dough into an approximately 8 x 12 inch rectangle that is 1/8 of an inch thick. (See Instagram video for detailed visuals.)

Once dough is at desired size and thickness, transfer to a parchment lined sheet pan by rolling the dough onto the pin and then unfurling over the sheet pan. Repeat with second disk.

Using a pizza cutter or knife create your desired cracker size. I’m a fan of the ‘harlequin’ pattern in where you make one set of cuts at an angle (think southeast to northwest) and the second set of cuts straight up and down (north to south).

Brush each dough round with olive oil and dock each cracker several times with a fork. Sprinkle with a crunchy salt.

Bake for 20-24 minutes, rotating half way; top to bottom and front to back.

When finished, transfer to cooling rack. Will keep fresh for 3-5 days in an airtight container. (Probably longer in a dry climate, but I wouldn’t know anything about that here in Georgia!)

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Announcement!

Our Winter-Spring 2026 class schedule is available on our website. If you have questions about or interest in booking a seat you can respond directly to this newsletter or message us through the contact page on our website.

Actually two announcements!

We have gift cards available for sharing our cooking and dining experience with your loved ones. A perfect gift for the cook in your life!