Now that Christmas is over, we move on to New Years. Cocktail parties abound. Most parties consist of lots of snacks, generally cracker-based appetizers, dips and drinks. According to the U.S. Cracker council more crackers are consumed during the holiday season than any other time of the year.

A cracker is a thin and crispy piece of baked bread. Crackers can be eaten by themselves, but they can also be eaten with things on them called toppings. Common toppings include cheese, peanut butter, and sliced meats.

Crackers are most often eaten as a snack, or crumbled into soup.

Both crackers and their predecessors were born in New England. In 1792, John Pearson of Newburyport, Mass., made a cracker-like bread product from just flour and water that he called “pilot bread.” An immediate hit with sailors because if its shelf life, it also became known as hardtack or sea biscuit.

But the real evolutionary moment in the life of the cracker came in 1801 when another Massachusetts baker, Josiah Bent, burned a batch of biscuits in his brick oven. The crackling noise that emanated from the singed biscuits inspired the name - crackers.

With a bit of Yankee ingenuity, Bent set out to convince the world of the product's snack food potential. By 1810, his Boston-area business was booming. Bent eventually sold his enterprise to the company we now know as Nabisco.

Times were tough for Americans during the Great Depression. Few people could afford luxuries or fancy foods, but everyone wanted a great cracker. In 1934, the National Biscuit Company tried recipe after recipe before they developed what they knew would be the finest, tastiest cracker on the market.

They named their luxurious, but affordable, cracker the Ritz Cracker It was named this because anything glamorous, classy, or fancy was called “ritzy.” It was popular everywhere, from the most modest home to the elegant Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, where it's still a regular feature on the menu.

Ritz crackers have a smooth crunch and unique taste that sets them apart.

They were even used as a base for a mock apple pie when apples were in short supply.

Today Ritz crackers come in a variety of forms, flavors and sizes. There are countless uses for these crackers.�They are great topped with peanut butter, jelly, and cream cheese, cold cuts, and tuna salad.�There are so many recipes that call for the cracker, I have included two.� Both will work great for your holiday parties.� Happy New Year and Enjoy!!

This column has been a collaborative effort between Auburn natives chef Max Hitchcock and his mother, Susan Silverman. They can be reached at Birdscapes@adelphia.net

Brie Amandine

1 wheel of Brie cheese (17 oz.)

3 Tbsp. Spicy Brown Mustard

2 Tbsp. margarine or butter

2 Tbsp. dry cooking sherry

1 Tbsp. apricot preserves

1/3 cup Sliced Almonds, toasted

RITZ Crackers or crackers of your choice

Preheat broiler. Place cheese on lightly greased rack of broiler pan. Broil 6 inches from heat source, 8 to 10 minutes or until cheese is softened.

Meanwhile, place mustard, margarine, sherry and preserves in small saucepan. Bring to boil on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 1 minute.

Place cheese on serving platter. Spoon mustard mixture evenly over cheese; sprinkle with almonds. Serve with the crackers.

Seafood Stuffed Mushrooms

1 (5-ounce) lobster tail

12 shrimp, fresh or frozen, thawed

1 small bunch crab claws

1 cup Ritz cracker crumbs

Hungarian pepper

Salt

Pepper

1 pound large mushrooms

Olive oil

10 cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 cup green pepper, chopped

4 green onions, chopped

1 egg

1 cup water

1/4 pound melted butter

1 cup Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Barbecue or boil all seafood: lobster 5 to 10 minutes, shrimp 3 to 5 minutes, crab 3 minutes.

Remove shells from the seafood and chop. Chop all seafood and set aside.

Mix together Ritz cracker crumbs, Hungarian pepper, salt and pepper and set aside.

Carefully remove the stems from the mushrooms, chop finely and set aside.

Add olive oil to a saute pan and add garlic. After 1 minute, add the chopped green pepper and onion. Continue to saute for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add chopped mushroom stems and saute until cooked. Saute over medium heat until the mixture is reduced. Add the seafood mixture and mix well.

Remove from the heat and stir in the Ritz crumb mixture. In a separate bowl blend the egg and water. Add the egg/water mixture to the pan and mix well.

Stuff each mushroom cap with a small portion of the seafood mixture.

Brush with melted butter and top with cheese. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

- Courtesy Sandie Bunge, Food Network