KTB Parmesan Crisp:
a Chip Off the Old Block
In some ways the Parmesn Crisp from Kitchen Table Bakers (KTB) is the perfect snack. It’s crunchy, salty, yummy, cheesy, and high protein. It looks and feels like a chip. But this is a chip off the old block . . .of cheese — Parmesan cheese. This is not a chip of fools. It’s essentially made entirely of cheese.
The flavor is sumptuously robust. Yet the chip is not structurally sound in the manner of Ruffles or Tostitos. So rule out tunneling (a la El Chapo) through some thick spread. The chip can break and you may have dip on your fingers. (There are worse fates.). But it makes the perfect canvas on which to pile, spread, and anoint. Or strew the chips in soup or pair them with wine. And you can eat it naked (you or the crisp or both).
The crisps came to life because New Yorker Barry Novick was on a high-protein, low carb diet and craved a salty snack. The Novick family came across the perfect recipe.
As Barry’s son Seth Novick explains, “My mom found a gourmet recipe to melt grated Parmesan cheese and let it harden, and since Parmesan cheese contains almost no carbs and has many other health benefits, it seemed to be the perfect snack.”
Barry Novick loved it. His family loved it. Friends and relatives who tried it loved it. Next step? Take it to the world — which they did in 2003. What began in the Novick kitchen is now oven-baked in small batches in a dedicated gluten-free facility.
In addition to the original Aged Parmesan wafer, this treat now comes in a variety of flavors: Sesame, Rosemary, Flax Seed, Garlic, Italian Herb, Jalapeno Everything, Chia Seed, Caraway Seed, Basil. (The various flavors are made with the appropriate herbs, spices and seeds.)
To learn more about KTB Parmesn Crisps and where it’s sold, click here.