Monday, October 30, 2006

Ritz Crackers and Canned Laughter

My pal Rachel told me she's baking Woonsocket French-Canadian meat pies with a special ingredient; Ritz Crackers. This reminded me of how much I loved Ritz Crackers when I was a kid. I'd always take three at a time out of the waxy paper tube and shove them in my mouth all at once, chewing madly. Then I'd stick out my tongue while looking in the heavy glass mirrored light-switch plate, on the white tile wall of our kitchen. This was also the age when my sister and I would tune into I Love Lucy on the black and white television set that was often hidden but occasionally wheeled out of my parents bedroom closet. TV was considered a bad thing in our household so, wanting to be a good girl, I tried not to pay full attention to it. I would stare in another direction while my sister watched with rapt attention. But not wanting to be fully left out either, whenever I'd hear the audience laugh, I would force a laugh, chiming in with the canned laughter.

4 comments:

Rachel Nguyen said...

I was a big Ritz fan as a kid too.

We used to smear them with peanut butter, which my mom would leave out the night before so we could entertain ourselves in the morning and let the folks sleep in a bit longer. At some point I discovered that a Ritz smeared with butter was even more delicious.

In Woonsocket, there is a dessert cookie called a Maguerite. It is a Ritz cracker with maple frosting and a walnut on it. My friend Annette made them at my old church once.

Rachel Nguyen said...

I was a big Ritz fan as a kid too.

We used to smear them with peanut butter, which my mom would leave out the night before so we could entertain ourselves in the morning and let the folks sleep in a bit longer. At some point I discovered that a Ritz smeared with butter was even more delicious.

In Woonsocket, there is a dessert cookie called a Maguerite. It is a Ritz cracker with maple frosting and a walnut on it. My friend Annette made them at my old church once.

Anonymous said...

Emily - I want this Meat Pie Receipe. NOW!!!!

Anonymous said...

Please, please, if you know, tell me how to make that maple frosting that went on top of the Maguerite's. It is my first year without my mother and I want to make them for the kids in her honor...she only did them at Christmas time. I did a search and saw you talking about them here. I too am in Woonsocket...I didnt know these cookies were a Woonsocket thing but you are right...I remember my Mom call them Marguerite's. So many things I wish I had asked her before I could ask no more. If anyone can email me with the info, I would be delighted. Felinefreed@msn.com