IT'S A CRUMB-Y WORLD OUT THERE - AND THAT'S DELICIOUS NEWS FOR FOOD.

Byline: Judith Blake Seattle Times

If you think your day has been crummy so far, it's about to get crummier. But cheer up. This kind of crummy you'll like.

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 crummy 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. It also coats the fish in Honey-Mustard Broiled Rockfish in today's recipes. Look for it in the Asian section.

Pre-made bread crumbs. Finely crushed dried crumbs are available seasoned or unseasoned in cardboard ``cans,'' in several brands. They're in the baking section.

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

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

Matzo meal. This meal of ground matzos is used in Jewish pancakes and other dishes.

Corn-bread 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.

Making your own crumbs A crusty French or Italian bread makes good fresh bread crumbs. Tear the bread into small pieces or process to a fine crumb in a food processor, then season as desired - perhaps sauteed in garlicky olive oil, as in Ravioli in Roasted Garlic Broth. 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 plastic food bag and crush with a rolling pin. Cracker crumbs coat the chicken in Chicken Breast With Spicy Cheese Crumbs.

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 a 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.

CHICKEN BREAST WITH SPICY CHEESE CRUMBS

1 cup cheese OR spicy cheese crackers (see Note)

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin 

1/4 teaspoon paprika 

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed

1/4 cup egg substitute OR 1 whole egg, lightly beaten

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

1/8 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

3 tablespoons flour

4 skinless and boneless chicken breast halves

1 tablespoon olive oil OR canola oil 

Process crackers to a fine crumb in a food processor. Or place in a heavy plastic food bag, close and crush finely with a rolling pin. Combine crumbs with Parmesan, cumin, paprika and oregano. Spread on a plate.

Whisk together egg substitute, Tabasco, salt and pepper; pour onto a plate. Spread flour on a plate. Pat chicken with paper towels to absorb excess moisture.

Dredge chicken in flour, then in egg. Then press a thick layer of cracker crumbs onto all surfaces of chicken. Place on a plate and refrigerate 30 minutes for crumbs to adhere.

In a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Put chicken into skillet and cook about 1 minute on each side to firm crumb coating. Place chicken in a baking dish.

Bake in preheated 375-degree oven 25 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Makes 4 servings.

NOTE: Cheez-It Hot & Spicy Snack Crackers by Sunshine Biscuits, Inc. were used in this recipe.

NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING: 265 calories; 31 grams protein; 11 grams fat; 10 grams carbohydrate; 273 milligrams sodium; 75 milligrams cholesterol.

OREO CHEESECAKE CRUST:

25 Oreo chocolate sandwich cookies (about 2 1/2 cups crumbs)

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

FILLING:

4 packages (8 ounces EACH) cream cheese, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 tablespoons flour

4 large eggs, at room temperature

3 large egg yolks, at room temperature

1/3 cup whipping cream

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 3/4 cups coarsely chopped Oreo chocolate sandwich cookies (about 15 cookies)

2 cups dairy sour cream

Butter a 10-inch springform pan and set aside.

To prepare crust, break up cookies and place in a food processor fitted with a metal blade; process until crumbs form. Add butter and mix until blended. Or, mix cookie crumbs and butter together in a bowl. Pour into prepared pan and press evenly over bottom and two-thirds up sides. Refrigerate while preparing filling.

To prepare filling, beat cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Scrape down sides. Add 1 1/4 cups sugar, beating until mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally. Mix in flour. While beating continuously, add eggs and yolks; mix until smooth. Beat in whipping cream and 1 teaspoon vanilla until well blended.

Pour half of batter into prepared crust. Sprinkle with chopped cookies. Pour remaining batter over and smooth top with a spatula. Some of cookies may rise to top. Place pan on a baking sheet.

Bake in preheated 425-degree oven 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 300 degrees F and bake 50 minutes or until set.

Remove cake from oven and increase oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Stir together sour cream, remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla in a small bowl. Spread sour-cream mixture evenly over cake. Return to oven and bake 7 minutes or until sour cream begins to set.

Remove from oven and cool in a draft-free place to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight. Makes 16 servings.

NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING: 525 calories; 10 grams protein; 37 grams fat; 41 grams carbohydrate; 381 milligrams sodium; 179 milligrams cholesterol.

From ``The Dessert Lover's Cookbook'' by Marlene Sorosky.

RAVIOLI INROASTED GARLIC BROTH BROTH:

1 small whole head garlic

2 cups chicken OR vegetable broth

1/2 cup fresh herb leaves, such as basil, oregano OR sage

CRUMB TOPPING:

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium cloves garlic, split in halves

1/2 cup fresh Italian OR French bread crumbs

RAVIOLI:

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 small red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped

1 small yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped

1 pound ravioli cheese, chicken OR spinach

1/3 cup frozen peas

2 tablespoons minced herb (as used in broth)

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan OR Romano cheese

To prepare broth, cut about 1/2 inch from top of head of garlic; wrap in foil and.

Bake in preheated 350-degree oven 1 hour. Remove from oven and set aside.

Combine broth and herbs in a saucepan. Put over medium-low heat to steep 30 minutes. Strain. Squeeze garlic into a small bowl and whisk in a few tablespoons of broth. Stir back into broth.

To prepare crumb topping, pour 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil into a nonstick skillet, add split cloves garlic and place over medium-low heat. Slowly saute garlic until golden. Remove garlic from skillet and add bread crumbs, stirring well. Saute until golden. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add bell peppers and saute 5 minutes. Add roasted garlic broth and simmer 5 minutes.

Cook ravioli according to package directions. Drain and add to broth with peas; cook 3 minutes, stirring gently.

Serve in shallow soup bowls sprinkled with crumb topping, minced herbs and cheese. Makes 4 servings.

NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING: 401 calories; 21 grams protein; 14 grams fat; 52 grams carbohydrate; 1,210 milligrams sodium; 2 milligrams cholesterol.

PEAR-AMARETTI CRUMBLE 6 ripe Bosc pears

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3/4 cup fine amaretti cookie crumbs (about 12 double-wrapped cookies)

1 cup sliced almonds

4 tablespoons melted margarine OR butter

Cut pears into quarters (it is not necessary to peel pears first) and cut away cores. Cut into 1-inch cubes. In a large bowl, combine pears with brown sugar, flour, lemon juice, cinnamon and nutmeg. Spread into a 9x13-inch baking dish.

Combine cookie crumbs and almonds; sprinkle over pears. Drizzle on melted margarine.

Bake in preheated 350-degree oven 35 to 40 minutes or until pears are tender.

Cool 30 minutes before serving. Crumble can be served with vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING, IF USING MARGARINE FOR 8 SERVINGS: 342 calories; 5 grams protein; 15 grams fat; 52 grams carbohydrate; 135 milligrams sodium; 0 cholesterol.

HONEY-MUSTARD BROILED ROCKFISH

1 tablespoon light mayonnaise

1 tablespoon lime juice

2 teaspoons honey

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon dried dill weed

1 1/3 pounds rockfish fillets

1/8 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/3 cup Japanese panko bread crumbs OR fine dry bread crumbs

2 teaspoons margarine

Combine mayonnaise, lime juice, honey, mustard and dill. Spread over top of fish and place on a broiling pan.

Sprinkle fish lightly with salt and pepper. Pat bread crumbs on top of fish and dot with margarine.

In preheated broiler, broil about 5 inches from heat source 12 minutes per inch of thickness or until fish tests done.

Fish can be served with lime wedges. Makes 4 servings.

NOTE: Panko bread crumbs can be found in Asian food section of major supermarkets.

NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING: 234 calories; 34 grams protein; 6 grams fat; 9 grams carbohydrate.

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Photo

Photo: (Color) Crumbs can be used to enhance the flavor, te xture and color of many dishes. Ravioli in Roasted Garlic Broth is surrounded by, from top, ginger snaps, cheese crackers, amaretti, garlic crumbs and cookie crumbs. Make your own crumbs - or buy them ready-made at the market.

Barry Wong/Seattle Times