The Fourth of July is celebrated with parades, picnics and, of course, fireworks.

I happen to be married to a once-a-year pyrotechnic virtuoso, so every year our neighborhood gathers in our backyard and we have a display that rivals, oh, I don’t know, the Olympics’ closing ceremonies.

With him making things hot, hot, hot in the backyard, it’s my job to make it sizzle and pop in the kitchen. With that directive in mind, it’s time to pull out the jalapeño popper recipes.

Jalapeño poppers are sort of self-explanatory (and really easy to make) snacks. Simply put, you stuff a hollowed-out jalapeño pepper with whatever delicious filling you like, cook it and pop it in your mouth.

The simplest way to make a popper is to slice off the top of the jalapeño and remove the pepper’s seeds and membrane with a thin knife or a pepper corer. Be careful if you’re using your fingers. The oil from the pepper can really sting and burn if you get it in your eyes – so wash your hands after handling the raw peppers.

You can use sweet peppers instead of hot ones if your heat tolerance isn’t great. If you find the hot is too hot, don’t drink water; instead try drinking some milk.

BarBQ Poppers

1 cup soy sauce

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 can whole water chestnuts

1 dozen large jalapeño peppers, cored and seeded

8 ounce package cream cheese

1 pound sliced bacon

2 teaspoons packaged barbecue seasoning

Pour soy sauce in glass bowl and add the brown sugar; mix well. Add the water chestnuts to the soy mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Fill bottom half of jalapeño with the cream cheese. Stuff in 2 or 3 pieces of water chestnuts on top of the cream cheese. Finish filling jalapeño with cream cheese. Wrap a slice of bacon around the stuffed jalapeno and then sprinkle a little barbecue seasoning on top. Place it on a cookie sheet and repeat until the rest are stuffed. Preheat your grill and cook until the bacon is done, but watch for grease fires. Makes 12.

Crab Poppers

1 pound cooked crab, shredded (you can mix crab and cooked, chopped shrimp too)

2 tablespoons green pepper, finely chopped

2 tablespoons minced green onions

1/4 cup cracker crumbs

1 egg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon minced garlic, minced

1/4 cup milk

12 medium sized jalapeños cored and seeded, cut in half lengthwise

Coating:

2 cups cracker crumbs or matzo meal

1 cup milk

2 eggs

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

In a large mixing bowl, combine the crab, green pepper, onion, 1/4 cup cracker crumbs, egg, salt, pepper, garlic and milk. Stuff the pepper halves with the crab mixture and then press the stuffing around the pepper so it’s totally covered. Set the peppers aside.

Place the remaining cracker crumbs in a flat dish and set it aside. In a bowl combine the milk, eggs, salt and pepper. Dip the stuffed peppers in the egg mixture, and then roll them in the cracker crumbs. Place them in the freezer for at least an hour before deep frying. This freeze helps the coating stick better during cooking. Deep fry until golden brown and then drain them on paper towel. You can bake also bake this recipe. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place the poppers on a greased cookie sheet, with sides, and spray them with non-stick spray. This will give them a light coating of oil to help crisp them up. Makes 12.

Classic Baked Poppers

10 jalapeños, halved and seeded

6 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 tablespoon water

1/2 cup flour

1 cup plain bread crumbs (not panko)

Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet with non-stick spray. Bring a pot of water to boil and blanch the jalapeños for 2 to 5 minutes depending on your desired heat level. Let cool.

Mix together softened cream cheese, cumin, onion and garlic powder, salt and grated cheese. Fill halved jalapeños with about a tablespoon of filling.

Set up a dredging station of flour, eggs beaten with 1 tablespoon of water and plain bread crumbs seasoned with salt and pepper. Coat the jalapeños with flour, egg and then bread crumbs. Repeat dredging in egg and bread crumbs. Let air dry on the prepared baking rack for 10 minutes.

Spray the jalapenos lightly with non-stick spray and bake for about 20 minutes or until the filling is gooey and the crust is golden.