Peppered Pita Crisps

Ingredients:
- 2 10-inch very thin pitas
- 1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns*
- 3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt (preferably sea salt)
- *available at Asian markets and some specialty foods shops.

Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Split each pita into 2 rounds.
- With a mortar and pestle or in an electric coffee/ spice grinder finely grind peppercorns.
- In a small saucepan melt butter with peppercorns and salt and brush rough sides of rounds with butter mixture.
- Cut rounds into long narrow triangles and arrange, rough sides up, in one layer on 2 large baking sheets.
- Bake pita triangles in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes total.
- Transfer crisps to racks to cool.
- Crisps may be made 1 day ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Makes about 24 to 32 crisps, depending on size of pitas.