During those seemingly interminable minutes between beverage and entree, there is a battleground where only the quickest can win. It is the cracker basket - often the sole source of pre-meal sustenance at any two- to three-star family restaurant. Precursor to the bread or muffin basket found in today's finer establishments, the cracker basket may consist of a pedestrian cache of Saltines, a somewhat more eclectic mix of buttery Captain's Wafers, crispy melba thins, and "breadsticks" (the compact, splintery third cousin of the real McCoy), or a tantalizing melange of garlicky, cheesy, wheaty, rye-ish biscuits that almost certainly will spark contention between former friends who have waited too long for a table and who skipped lunch for this. In mere moments, the table will be covered with cellophane and crumbs - the carnage of starch-starved diners. The losers take the spoils - the remaining 15 packs of Saltines. As a consolation prize for the passive, I offer not only some crispy crackers but a small selection of toppings:
Download crackers.zip, and don't thank me if your mouth's full.
Now, go back and get some real food.