morton's crab cakes

Last Christmas, A and I went to Pittsburgh to visit his family. This was back before he was in grad school, and we were fortunate enough to have 2 incomes and could afford to take his parents and brother out for a nice dinner at one of our favorite (if somewhat generic) steakhouses, Morton's. The day after was Christmas Eve, the night of his family's big seafood feast. After eating the crab cakes at Morton's, I immediately wanted to try to recreate them for the family meal. I found the recipe online, and the result tasted almost exactly like the original - or maybe better, since I was so proud to have contributed to the tradition. This year, we didn't have Morton's, but we did make a double batch of their crab cakes.

Grocery list: 1 cup fresh white bread crumbs (approximately 6 slices white bread, crusts removed), 2 garlic cloves, 1 shallot, fresh parsley, ground white pepper, prepared horseradish, dijon mustard, mayonnaise, 1 pound jumbo lump crab meat, worcestershire sauce, 2 eggs, tabasco, butter.



Start by making the bread crumbs as the base. To a large bowl, add the fresh bread crumbs, then 1 T minced garlic, 1 tsp minced shallots, 1 tsp minced fresh parsley, a pinch of salt and 1/8 tsp ground white pepper.



Next, make the mustard mayonnaise (a little of which is used in the actual crab cakes; the rest is served on the side when the crab cake is cooked). Mix 1/2 cup mayo with 4 tsp dijon mustard, 1/4 tsp worcestershire, and 1/2 tsp prepared horseradish. Stir well to combine.



Rinse the crab meat in a colander, picking through carefully with your hands to make sure there are no little pieces of shell remaining. It's very important to use jumbo lump - it costs a few dollars extra per pound, but the consistency is much better (and there is little to no shell to worry with).



Assemble the crab cakes by mixing the bread crumb mixture with the crab meat, along with 2 T of the prepared mustard mayonnaise. Also stir in 1 T finely chopped fresh parsley, 1 extra tsp of dijon mustard, 2 beaten eggs, 1/2 tsp worcestershire and 1/4 tsp tabasco.



Combine with your hands gently, then shape into 6 mounds. Allow to rest on a cookie sheet in the fridge, uncovered, for 30 minutes. According to a Tyler Florence episode I once saw, this 30 minute rest allows the crab meat to dry out a bit, so it will bake instead of steam itself (which would make for chewier crab).



Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, then brush with melted butter. Add the crab cakes to the sheet, then bake for 5 minutes at 450 degrees. Flip the crab cakes, then cook for another 4 minutes. Serve with extra mustard mayonnaise on the side.

football sunday onion dip

A loves french onion dip: the gnarly, plastic-y "helluva good" brand french onion dip in a can. I can barely stand to look at the stuff, not to mention taste it. The label includes about 57 chemicals and "powdered" flavoring. Needless to say, I don't buy it unprompted. When I saw an article in December Food & Wine, where they suggest several different themes for parties and accompanying menus, I jumped on one that called for a homemade onion dip. It was simple enough, just caramelize some onions and mix with sour cream and cream cheese. I'd rather spend 10 minutes making this than ever buy the canned stuff again.

Grocery list (adapted from the original): 2 large onions, worcestershire sauce, 4oz softened cream cheese (half a block), 3/4 c sour cream, handful parsley, butter.



Start by thinly slicing the onions. Heat 2T butter in a dutch oven over medium heat, then add the onions.



Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are golden, about 20 minutes. Add a couple tablespoons water, and stir until the liquid cooks out. Remove from heat.



When the onions have cooled, move them to a cutting board and chop finely. Stir them into the sour cream and cream cheese.



Add about 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley, a couple dashes worcestershire, and season with salt and pepper. I also added a pinch of dried red pepper flakes for kick. Refrigerate until ready to serve - with lots of salty potato chips on the side.

football food: creamy spinach artichoke dip

A and I don't really have "date night" since he's in grad school, but we do have "date football" on Sunday afternoons. If both our teams (Panthers & Steelers) are on at the same time, we bring the second TV down from the bedroom and set both up side by side. We'll make dips, chicken wings, ribs, and get some new microbrew to try. It's quite a production. This spinach dip is the most often repeated football food around my house; and if you're serving it for guests, it gives you maximum impressiveness while requiring the least amount of effort. The base is the same, but you can play around with different cheeses, different amounts of pepper/garlic, etc.

Grocery list: 10-oz package frozen chopped spinach (thawed), 1 8-oz package cream or neufchatel cheese - softened to room temperature, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup mayo, 1.5 cups grated cheese (mozzarella, cheddar, even a little parmesan thrown in can't hurt), sriricha hot sauce, worcestershire, dijon mustard, 1 jalapeno or serrano, 1-2 garlic cloves, 1 small jar artichoke hearts, salt & pepper.



This isn't a very appetizing picture is it? Mix your softened cream cheese with the sour cream, mayo, and about 1 T worcestershire, 1-2 T sriricha hot sauce and 1 tsp dijon mustard. Stir until smooth, then fold in the grated cheese.



Drain and chop the artichokes, and mince your jalepeno or serrano pepper, and mince 1-2 cloves of garlic.



Squeeze as much liquid out of the defrosted spinach as possible, then stir it into the base. Pour into a baking dish (I use one that can go straight to the table), and bake for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees, until bubbling and starting to brown in spots. Serve with chips, pita crisps or crackers.

wild mushroom crostini

The same great article in Bon Appetit ("Molto Americano" - new Italian restaurant recipes) that featured the SPQR lamb cacciatore also had a recipe for the side dish I made that night: wild mushroom crostini, from Baltimore's Cinghiale restaurant. All that was involved was toasting some slices of bread, sauteing some wild mushrooms, and topping with a quick thyme vinaigrette and truffle oil. While these 2 recipes were from different restaurants, they complemented each other remarkably well.  As an added bonus, together they took less than 30 minutes total prep time - perfect for a weeknight.

Grocery list: butter, 12 oz wild mushrooms (shiitake, oyster, crimini, etc), fresh thyme, red wine vinegar, mayo, 1 shallot, olive oil, slices of rustic bread, truffle oil.



To make the topping, simple saute the sliced mushrooms in butter over medium-high heat with 1-2 T chopped fresh thyme, for about 8 minutes (until browned). Season with salt and pepper, and remove from heat.



This recipe made MUCH more thyme vinaigrette than I needed for the crostinis. However, it wasn't wasted - I used the leftovers as a spread for turkey sandwiches with avocado and arugula. (This was another great way to spice up a boring turkey sandwich.)



In a food processor, pulse 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, 3 T fresh thyme leaves, 2T mayo, and 1 small chopped shallot. Slowly pour in 1/3 -1/2 cup olive oil while the machine is running. Season with salt and pepper to taste.



Brush the bread slices with a little olive oil and bake at 400 degrees for 8 minutes (turning once), until slightly crisp.



Mound some of the mushrooms on each piece, drizzle with the vinaigrette, and top with just a bit of truffle oil. I think this would make a great appetizer (I'd use a sliced baguette instead), since it's so easy to make ahead and assemble at the last minute.

asparagus-ricotta tart with soppressata

I've seen a lot of food blogs touting all kinds of tarts and puff pastries, so I figured it's about time I featured one on AHB. In the April issue of Bon Appetit, there was a spring-y "asparagus-ricotta tart" that sneaks in little slices of soppressata, which spices up an otherwise fluffy tea party type of dish (yes, I really just called it that). It was delicious, but to feed my hungry bear, I'd have to make about 3 of them for one meal - and there's no way I can convince him that this is high-protein and low-carb enough. I think it would be best as an appetizer for cocktail hour, which I'll probably do in the future.

Grocery list: 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed (note, I used about half a package of phyllo dough, spreading olive oil between the sheets, and it was great), 1 egg, 1 pound asparagus, 1/2 cup whole-milk ricotta, 3 ounces hot soppressata (note, this is twice what the original called for), 3 ounces grated comte or gruyere cheese.



If you end up using phyllo dough like I did, you'll want to prep it by brushing olive oil between the sheets. I used about 8-10 layers of phyllo, or half the package. If you were using puff pastry, you'd have to roll it out, then use the beaten egg to brush around the edges to form a crust. Transfer whatever crust you use to a 13 x 10 rimmed baking sheet.



Next, steam asparagus for 3 minutes, then cool in an ice water bath and drain. Cut off the top 2 inches of the asparagus stalks and set aside to use as toppings for the tart.



Roughly chop the rest of the asparagus and place in a food processor to puree; add the ricotta, the rest of the beaten egg, 3 tsp olive oil, and salt and pepper.



Transfer this puree to a bowl, then stir in chopped soppressata and about half of the grated gruyere.



Spread the filling evenly on the bottom of the pastry / phyllo crust. Toss the asparagus tips with 1 tsp olive oil and more salt and pepper, then arrange on the top of the tart. Sprinkle with the remaining gruyere cheese.



Bake for 20-25 minutes at 400 degrees, until the filling is set. Can be served warm or room temperature.

guacamole

I'm obsessed with avocados in any form, so guacamole is one of my favorite foods. This is how I normally make it, although you can make this as basic as avocado, lime juice and salt and it would still be delicious.

Grocery list: per 1 avocado, you'll need 1/2 diced roma tomato, 1 T chopped cilantro, juice from 1/2 lime.



Slice the avocado lengthwise, then pop out the seed (if you use a knife and quickly hack the seed so the blade gets stuck in the core, then just twist the blade and it pops right out). Spoon out the avocado into a bowl, sprinkle generously with salt and add lime juice. Mash with a fork to whatever consistency you like, then stir in the tomatoes and cilantro.

a new cheese plate for teddi

You know how Whole Foods sometimes has those ridiculously delicious cheese platters set up for you to sample, and when you try them you always agree it's the best thing ever, but *most* of the time reason kicks in and you say to yourself "that's good, but you came in here for pork chops, not cheese, and there's no way I'm going to spend $15 on cheese and the necessary accoutrements"? Well, this one was so good I caved.

Teddi -- get out there and find these ingredients immediately, you will love this!


This is a simple goat cheese, any will work. The spread drizzled across the top of the cheese (which I broke up with a fork) is none other than CARAMEL SAUCE. WF has a brand "Dolci Di Latte", but I bet you could use anything. The crackers on the side are new, very crunchy and textured, called "lesley stowe's raincoast crisps", described as "seed crackers". But any hearty, crunchy cracker could work.