Baked to order
On New Year's Day, exhausted -- dare we say hung over? -- hosts with guests who stayed the night could use a little help getting breakfast on the table. Thanks to the Robinhood Free Meetinghouse restaurant in Georgetown, Maine, frozen breakfast pastries don't have to involve Pillsbury. Workers at the meetinghouse, known for its ''72-layer" cream cheese biscuits, make them by hand, freeze them individually, and package them so conveniently ($6.50 for 6; $12 for 12) that you can easily bake one at a time or all dozen in a half-hour flat. The best part, though, is what emerges from the oven: fluffy and steaming biscuits, 2 1/2 inches tall, the perfect vehicle for a slather of butter and homemade preserves. We don't know if they really have 72 layers, but that's because they don't stay around long enough for us to count. Available at Whole Foods Markets; Crosby's Market, 15 Walnut Road, Hamilton, 978-468-3213, and 118 Washington St., Marblehead, 781-631-1741; and Butcher Boy Marketplace, 1077 Osgood St., North Andover, 978-688-1511; or go to www.robinhood-meetinghouse.com. -- JOE YONAN
A fine day for pate
If you're craving a dress-up dinner this New Year's Eve, invite good friends over and do it at home. New Year's menus are less tied to tradition than other holidays, so try something new. At Sel de la Terre, chef Geoff Gardner makes his own pates, terrines, sausages, and hams and puts together revolving selections for the restaurant's charcuterie plate ($8). For takeout, orders can be assembled for six or eight guests, and besides silky duck liver terrine and house-smoked ham, you might get mild boudin blanc, lamb prosciutto, or venison sausage, along with accompaniments such as toasted brioche, pomegranate honey, and cornichons. It's the perfect handmade start to a glamorous night in. It will make all your resolutions seem more sophisticated. Sel de la Terre, 255 State St., 617-720-1300. -- LEIGH BELANGER
They deserve an hors d'oeuvre
Starr Ridge Hors D'Oeuvre Crackers are hard, crunchy, rectangular, and ever so slightly cupped to accommodate a chunk of cheese or a little dip. In eight flavors, each one more inviting than the next, the crackers ($3.99 for a box of 24) come in simple white (they're anything but simple) and a range of tastes that include red onion, Parmesan, olive oil, garlic, black pepper, and Asiago cheese. Even the cheese-flavored rectangles can stand up to any cheese or spread you offer with them. They're made from all-natural ingredients, and manufacturer Allen & Cowley of Phoenix, Ariz., donates a percentage of all sales to a shelter for victims of domestic abuse. Available at Whole Foods Markets; Wild Oats; South End Formaggio, 268 Shawmut Ave., 617-350-6996; Savenor's, 160 Charles St., 617-723-6328; and Foodies Urban Market, 1421 Washington St., 617-266-9911. -- ANDREA PYENSON
