Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1930-02-27
The Home Kitchen
The Elegant Cracker Touch.
BY Alice Lynn Barr
HACKERS can be added to al
most any course OF a luncheon

~ HACKERS a be added to al
most any course OF a luncheon
or dinner. and supply a diff
ferent and dainty touch to the meal.
So. a small shelf containing half a
dozen varieties OF crackers-or more.
II possible-is SUI to be a source OF
happy suggestion.
For the first course. crackers can
act as a superior substitute for the
ordinary canape. III it's TO be a
cheese canape. any OF the plain crisp
crackers. u~nsweetened of course, al
be spread with a paste made of
grated cheese, soft butter and salt
and pepper 10 taste. This Is placed
on a hot pan. and left in a hot oven
for a minute or two. until the cheese
melts. Then serve at onca-
Any cracker can be spread with
other mixtures - anchovy paste.
chopped egg. and so on. and crisped
hot in the oven instead Of covering a
round OF toast with the same mix.
ture.
More delicate Is the new type of
unsweetened, cry crisp cracker. II
Is shaped like q patty but much
gmaller-about 2 inches In diameter.
II Is crisp enough in itself to be
served without additional heating.
Any filling car be placed In the
center-but II Is most delightful II
spread with caviar. sprinkled with
lemon juice and a bit OF pepper.
Chopped chicken, veal or a bit of
any other soft spread can be used.
For soup. there are any number
Of u~nsweetened crackers that are
preferable 10 bread because OF their
pleasant, brittleness. The tiny round
oyster crackers"-or the large pilot
crackers which ara better IL first
heated In the oven. Less known Is
m exceedingly hard biscuit. known
as water cracker" II Is very thick,
| coarse Of texture. and Is split In half
Just before serving. then Drowned in
q hot oven. 1t may then be buttered,
or sprinkled with grated cheese.
This is a specially wholesome
cracker, but requires thorough mas
tiEation. when 1t develops a most
delicious flavor. In addition to ser
vide with soup. It Is also suitable
for the salad purse
III the dinner Is a light one, the
last course may well be the salad
with cheese and crackers, and des-
sertl omitted. In that case, an as
sortfnent OF cheeses-three or four
kindt-and perhaps half q dozen
varieties OF unsweetened crackers will
be a most delightful change from
the Customary menu. There are on
the 1tarket some domestic and also
somet imported assortments OF crack
ers p be served with cheese. and a
box Or a pound or two viii contain
a DOZEN different kinds. Very at.
tractiEe to serve indeed. Some are
plain tsoda crackers but OF very light
textu&e, others are flaky as fine
pastryv some are made OF other than
white flour - graham. corn. whole
wheatN The only trouble Is that
they're Ike good nuts - once you
start o. a cracker and cheese course
OF different kinds. it's very hard TO
stop.
II theAefore, crackers OF tempting
variety are served Mt u meal II is
well to OMIT the very starchy foods
rice, potaubes. macaroni.
Also. crackers must be kept care
fully. SoAygy crackers are hope
less, and khey must always be re.
heated 10 The right crispness once
they've Ncome soft and stale
Favored. jThere are cracker Jars
OF glass. hich have metal covers
ciamping R1wn 30 firmly that the Jar
IS virtualIE sealed. This is a better
way tnanH simply slipping a plain
gLass cov9r yer the top-a cover
wnlch may be nicked in little places,
aohltuns s,lir q the Jar, or worse
lseIMatAf IL off easily.