Garlic knots

Quick and easy garlic knots | Photo by Brave New Food

When judging restaurants, some people [see: me] care a little too much about the bread. There’s nothing worse than a bucket of peanuts or worse — nothing — on the table where the following should be:  warm, yeasty goodness to fill up on before your entrée. There’s probably a reason corporate restaurants have begun to offer things like “soup, salad and breadsticks.” People dig bread.

This is a simple, no finicky yeast-required bread recipe. Okay, I’ll admit it. It’s cheating. This calls for canned biscuits as the dough. However, the end product, I hope you’ll find is pretty darn tasty (and quick). And need I remind you that this is a beginner’s guide to cooking Italian? ;)

• 3 tablespoons salted butter (melted)
• 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 section of pressed garlic (or 1 tsp. minced garlic)
• Dash pepper
• 1 (12 ounce) can refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

1. In a small bowl, combine butter, cheese, parsley, oregano, garlic and pepper; set aside.
2. Open biscuits. Roll each portion into a 6-in. rope; tie in a loose knot. Place on greased baking sheets.
3. Bake at 450 degrees F for 6-8 minutes or until golden brown; immediately brush with the Parmesan mixture. Serve warm or freeze for up to 2 months.

[Source: Slightly altered from Allrecipes.com]