Mama's Crab Cakes

     A magical thing happen here in New England, more magical than the usual Autumn fair that sweeps the nation. I'm sure you've seen the piles of leaves, plump, orange pumpkins and their carved, rotting counterparts, and everything is pumpkin or apple flavored for the next few weeks until everything is peppermint flavored. Most importantly, the fall brings harvest and harvest means roadside farm stands full of freshly picked crops.
     But as I said, here in New England something special happens. The farm stands sell freshly snagged crab meat! Can you believe?!
So my Mama, being of infinite appetite and imagination picked up some of local crab meat and surprised me one night last week.
     You don't need a local supply of fresh crab meat, but most grocery stores carry it in the seafood section. Or you could go the extra hard route and go as far as catching, cooking, and smashing the crab meat out yourself. Either or.


You will need:

• 1 lb. crab meat
• 3-4 TBSP mayonnaise
• 3 TBSP lemon juice
• 1 egg (beaten)
• 1/2 red bell pepper (finely chopped)
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red or white onion
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1/8 TSP cayenne
• salt & pepper to taste
• Parsley or chives to taste (finely chopped)
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. I like them spicy so put a little extra cayenne than my Mama does.
Using your little hands, scoop up some crab meat and start making patties. This recipes yields about 6-8 patties depending on how big you make them.

Heat your oil to medium-high in a skillet. My Mama hates the greasy smoke from frying stuff so she got an electric skillet that puts out on the porch. On the floor. Like a kook.

Fry the crab for 8-10 minutes on each side. Watch out for falling crumbs and other bits. They'll start to burn in the oil and make it taste funny, so just try and scoop out as much debris as you can.

Isn't she cute, though? Look at her slippers.


 Get a nice creamy ginger salad dressing or just plain old tartar sauce with these little babies. My Mama prefers mayonnaise with capers, and hot chutney mixed in. I like lemon and ginger dressing!

Thanks Mama!

Love,

Liz

Mr. Twiggy wants to know where HIS crab cakes went as Shadow the dog slips by . . .

BBQ Meatloaf Done Right

I love meatloaf! A long time ago, my Mama gave me her recipe for BBQ Meatloaf. She actually took an original Martha Stewart recipe and made it much much better with her Mama powers.

As a testament to my love for the loaf of meat, I've revamped an old post of a classic favorite. I added a little bit of my own twist on the recipe. So, get 'cher tummies rumblin' because here we go!

You will need:

• 1 lb. ground sirloin
• 1 egg
• 1 1/4 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce
• 4 slices of white or wheat bread, diced
• 1 tsp. of Grey Poupon Mustard
• 1/2 medium onion diced
• 1 tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 tbsp. honey

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Place your bread bits in a medium sized mixing bowl, as seen above. Next add your ground sirloin, onions, egg, and brown sugar. If you want your meatloaf with a kick, add the red pepper flakes now or sprinkle some on after it's done.



Wash your hands because you're about to be wrist deep in raw meat. The best way to mix all the ingredients together is with your bare hands. I know it's gross, but grow up. Thoroughly mix 1 cup of BBQ sauce and Grey Poupon mustard into the meat with a spoon.

Take all the meat out of the mixing bowl and form it into a loaf shape on a greased baking pan. I don't like putting meatloaf in a loaf pan, you might as well be cooking your loaf in a bucket of grease. Moving on, in a small mixing bowl, combine the extra BBQ sauce and honey to make a tasty glaze. Pour the glaze  over the length of the meatloaf. Pop it in the oven for 50 minutes.

Yum! See? And all the grease leaked out. I suggest a side salad and some scalloped potatoes on the side of this meaty treat. Don't forget! The leftovers make fantastic sandwiches!

Love,

Liz