Homemade Chips and Crackers

Mother-daughter chef team, Kirsten and Mandy Dixon, turn this staple of Indonesian and Malaysian cuisine into an addictive snack and appetizer served at their rural Alaskan adventure lodges, Within the Wild. Get the recipe for Alaskan Shrimp Chips

Bluefish gets the haute cuisine treatment at Puritan & Company in Cambridge, where chef-owner Will Gilson serves it as a smoky paté.

This recipe makes a party-size batch of chips, perfect as a snack (with or without a dip) or as a side dish—not only with sandwiches but also on the plate with roasted or grilled meats (or game). If there are chips left over, cover them loosely with aluminum foil and store in a cool, dry place. Get the recipe for Potato Chips »

Adapted from Anya Fernald’s Home Cooked, this recipe for delicate, whole wheat-flecked crackers makes enough to feed a party, or last all week in your pantry. “The key to [their] crispiness is to roll out the dough extremely thin,” the author writes. If the dough springs back at all while rolling, let it rest at room temperature for 5 minutes, then try again. Get the recipe for Olive Oil Crackers »

This crackerlike Swedish bread made with sesame and sunflower seeds is a crunchy platform for gravadlax or pickled herring.

Lidia Bastianich, who owns New York’s Felidia, grew up eating frico, the irresistible fried-cheese snack, in her hometown of Pula, Croatia (once part of Italy). Frico may be stuffed with a variety of fillings. When making this simple version, we added a little flour to help it hold its shape. See the recipe for Montasio Cheese Crisps »

Pecans lightly brushed with egg whites are baked into cheesy, buttery wafers with a touch of chile flakes. Get the recipe for Pecan Cheese Wafers »

This recipe for creamy and piquant salmon tartare comes from Jeremy Marshall, the owner of New York’s Aquagrill restaurant. The ingredients include a combination of capers, red onion, and dijon mustard, which give the dish an assertive kick. Get the recipe »

Serve these clever little appetizers instead of bread at lunchtime or for supper.

Barbecue chips’ smoky, tangy flavors are easy to create at home with a simple mixture that combines classic barbecue sauce spices such as chile powder, garlic powder, and onion powder, with the added kick of cayenne pepper.