ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Wednesday, July 17, 1996               TAG: 9607170009
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 10   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JUDITH BLAKE SEATTLE TIMES 

IT'S A CRUMBY WORLD OUT THERE ...AND THAT'S DELICIOUS NEWS FOR FOOD

If your day has been crummy, why not make your food crumby?

Crumbs - bread crumbs, cracker crumbs, cookie crumbs - add a pleasing crunch and an easy difference to foods, as when sprinkled atop pasta dishes or cooked vegetables. They also carry seasonings, make classic coatings for fish and poultry and show up in desserts.

You've probably put crumbs to use, but have you checked out all you can do with them? Or the kinds you can make or buy? Turns out it's a pretty crumby world. Ready-made crumbs abound at the supermarket. Here are some:

Panko. This boxed Japanese-style crumbed breading is often used to coat deep-fried Asian foods such as tempura chicken. Look for it in the Asian section.

Bread crumbs. Finely crushed dried crumbs are available seasoned or unseasoned in cardboard ``cans'' in the baking section.

Cracker meal. Also in the baking section, these can be used instead of bread crumbs for coating chicken, fish, etc.

Cornflake crumbs. These, too, can serve as a coating.

Matzo meal. This is used in Jewish pancakes and other preparations.

Cornbread stuffing. It comes partially crushed, seasoned and ready to use as a coating as well as a stuffing.

Graham cracker crumbs. Often used to make cheesecake crusts or pie crusts, these can sometimes be found pre-crushed in the baking section. They're also available already pressed into crusts.

Gingersnap crumbs. These are sometimes found in the baking section, although availability seems to be erratic.

You can also can make your own crumbs.

A crusty French or Italian bread makes good fresh bread crumbs. Tear the bread into small pieces or chop to a fine crumb in a food processor, then season as you wish - perhaps sauteed in garlicky olive oil. Your lucky guests will know they're not being tossed just a crumb.

Crackers are easily converted to crumbs - as you know if you've snacked on them in bed.

To make cracker crumbs on purpose, process crackers in a food processor, or place the crackers in a heavy food-quality plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin.

When you make crumbs from sandwich cookies, such as Oreos, you get a two-fer: the filling along with the crumbs. It's simple to do: Just break up the cookies and process them in a food processor, using the metal blade.

So how do you use them? Consider Oreo Cheesecake. It has a layer of crumbled Oreos between layers of cream-cheese mixture.

When you refrigerate the finished cake, choose a hidden nook in the fridge or risk having this tempting concoction mysteriously vanish before serving time.

Such things have been known to happen.

But that's the way the cookie crumbles.

Recipes for:

CHICKEN BREAST WITH SPICY CHEESE CRUMBS

OREO CHEESECAKE

RAVIOLI IN ROASTED GARLIC BROTH

PEAR-AMARETTI CRUMBLE

HONEY-MUSTARD BROILED ROCKFISH

LENGTH: Medium:   75 lines
ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO:  Crumbs can be used to enhance the flavor, texture and 
          color of many foods. Here, ravioli in roasted garlic broth is 
          surrounded by (from top) ginger snaps, cheese crackers, amaretti, 
          garlic crumbs and Oreos. color.