Moveable Feasts: Appetizer

Showing posts with label Appetizer. Show all posts

4.17.2016

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings' Okra with Hollandaise

This month, our book group read Cross Creek, by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. I'm sure you know her name as not only was there a movie made of this particular book, but she is most famous for her 1939 Pulitzer Prize winner, The Yearling, which I'm sure you've all read; it also was made into a movie.

I'd never been to this part of Florida so here's a map: (so you're not lost, notice Gainesville a bit north of it)

I added Micanopy to the map, as that's where we stayed (at the Herlong Inn, photo below), practically the only place in the area to spend the night. Cross Creek is about 10 or 15 minutes away. (Micanopy is a Florida town with an interesting history. That history includes Chief Micanopy who was the chief of the Seminole Nation during the 2nd Seminole War from 1835-1842.) They have some nice antique stores and one other gem of a shop, a small bakery, a general store where you can eat a snack during the day, but not much else.

We ate one meal at the famous Yearling restaurant, definitely a Florida cracker type restaurant featuring gator meat, frog legs, catfish, fried green tomatoes, etc. Great fun and we got to hear Willie "Big Toe" Green, who appears to be the entertainer here. He specializes in blues music on the guitar and harmonica, and is quite good. I took a short video with my iPhone, but found this on utube....much better.

When you visit Rawlings' Cross Creek homestead you can walk back in time and experience Florida farm life as it existed during the 1930s. Her cracker-style home and farm, where she lived for 25 years and wrote the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Yearling, has been restored and is preserved as it was when she lived there. In 2007, the house and farm yard were designated as a National Historic Landmark and is a Florida State Park.

She moved to Cross Creek in 1928. (Her first husband was not fond of the isolation and left her soon after. She did remarry....hotelier Norton Sanford Baskin, happily, although she died in her 50's.) She was a graduate of the University of Wisconsin, and had been living in New York. She immediately fell in love with the isolation of Cross Creek. She felt like she was home for the first time in her life. The Florida Crackers who lived in the area became not just her friends, but the subjects of her books. And also a 5 year long lawsuit....which you can read more about HERE if you're interested.

Some photos of the area; the house and living room are of the Rawlings homestead.

As we toured the home, there was a young woman in the kitchen cooking, on the original wood stove, a recipe from Marjorie's Cookbook, Cross Creek Cookery. (Marjorie was famous for her cooking.) The young woman informed us she did something different each day and today we were having okra and broccoli with hollandaise from the cookbook. The next day she was going to make jelly.
Below is a photo of the original kitchen, laid out with ingredients ready to make for us, and below that, a photo of the recipe in the cookbook, which was outside on the serving table. The hollandaise had a more distinct lemon flavor than mine, which is why I chose to make it for you.

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings' Okra with Hollandaise
From her cookbook, Cross Creek Cookery

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
juice of 1 lemon
2 egg yolks
dash salt

Method:
Divide butter into 3 pieces. Put one piece of butter along with the egg yolk and lemon juice in the top of a double boiler over boiling water. Whisk rapidly and constantly. As the butter melts, add another piece of butter. When it begins to thicken, add the third piece of butter and the salt. When thickened, remove from stove immediately and serve.

Cooking okra:

Have some boiling, salted water going on the stove. Choose fresh okra pods, wash, but do not cut the tops off. Drop into the water and boil exactly 7 minutes, no longer. Drain quickly and serve with hollandaise.
Cooks notes: Choose okra all the same size so they cook evenly. And I dumped them in ice water after the 7 minutes to stop the cooking.

And here we are on the porch of the Herlong Mansion: (only 8 of us were able to go, we have 14 in our group)

1.21.2016

Scallops and Leeks in Filo Cups

The little frozen filo cups are a terrific and easy way to make a speedy dessert (I made Cathy's Lazy Baklava a while back with another package, also fruit tarts and a lemon mousse.), or an appetizer.
This time I went for savory and used leeks and scallops, but the fillings and toppings you can use are endless. Difficult to write down directions with something you whip up like this, but this will give you the general idea. I'm sure most of you have already made some fabulous appetizers with these. If you have any winners, share them!

Scallops and Leeks in Filo Cups

Ingredients:
Bay scallops, enough for two to each filo cup
Frozen individual filo cups
1-2 leeks
1/4 cup heavy cream
dash freshly grated nutmeg
Butter
grated fresh Parmesan
Lime
Chives for presentation

Method:
Thaw the filo cups and preheat oven to 350.
Clean and thinly slice the leeks, white and light green only. Melt some butter and add the leeks, with some salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat until golden, soft and cooked through. Add some heavy cream and some Parmesan cheese.
(You'll have to do this by eye as everyone will be making different amounts. I used 1 leek, 10 filo cups, 2 tablespoons cream, 2 tablespoons Parmesan and a grating of fresh nutmeg.)
Set aside, but keep warm.
Put the filo cups in the oven to crisp them up and get them a bit more golden. Not more than 6 or 7 minutes, follow directions on the box.
In another pan, melt butter with a dash of olive oil and when very hot, add the bay scallops with some salt and pepper. Sear quickly, squeeze some lime juice over them and remove from heat.
Fill the crisp filo cups with the leeks, top with two scallops and garnish with chives. Serve immediately.

11.06.2015

Café Johnsonia's Herbed Gruyere Thumbprints

As far as I'm concerned, these are the find of the season. Totally awesome and your guests will gobble them down in no time at all. Doubt you could ever make too many! But the best part? You make them anytime up to six weeks in advance, freeze them, and pop them in the oven at the last minute so your guests will have hot, crunchy, cheesy little bites of heaven.

Café Johnsonia's Herbed Gruyere Thumbprints
From Cafe Johnsonia

Ingredients:
½ cup unsalted butter, cut into large pieces
½ tsp. coarse salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
½ tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 cup finely shredded Gruyere cheese
¼ cup chopped fresh herbs—thyme, rosemary, sage, parsley
36 ½” cubes Gruyere (8 oz.)

Method:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Get everything ready to go. Prepare your cookie sheets (you'll need two) and a silpat works best. Chop your herbs and grate your cheese.

Bring butter and salt and 1 cup water to a boil in large saucepan. Add flour. Stir vigorously until incorporated. Cook about 2 minutes or until mixture pulls away from sides and a thin film forms on bottom of pan. Remove from heat, let cool 2 minutes.
Place dough in a large bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, beating with a wooden spoon to incorporate each egg before adding the next, about 2 minutes. This takes some elbow grease, but it eventually comes together. Stir in pepper, herbs, and finely shredded cheese.

This is what I did: I sifted a very light coating of flour on the silpat. Then took one of my round cookie cutters (I used the 2 inch one...your choice) and marked rounds on the baking mat. So I then had a nice pattern to follow when piping. I piped 1 ½” wide rosettes 1” apart. After all the dough has been piped onto the baking mat, make a deep indentation in center with dampened thumb. (Use a small bowl of cold water to wet your thumb) Bake until crisp and golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool. Cut your gruyere into small cubes.
Press a cheese cube into each indentation.
Place on a clean baking sheet. Freeze uncovered until firm, about 1 hour. Transfer to an airtight container. Freeze up to 6 weeks.

When ready to serve, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place thumbprints on parchment lined baking sheets. Bake until heated through and cheese is melted—10 to 14 minutes.

Here's a nice kicker: if you're not 100% on board with making pâte à choux or using a pastry bag, go HERE for step by step photos and instructions.

2.15.2015

Prune Cookbook: Sesame Biscuits

Have you ever been to Prune in NYC's East Village? Gabrielle Hamilton is the chef/owner. I had read her book Blood, Bones and Butter quite a while back and truly enjoyed the story of her career...and her blunt honesty in telling it. It's a fun read.
Prune is a smallish restaurant and Hamilton's food is a surprising mixture of innovation and simplicity. Put it on your restaurant list if you're going to visit NYC.

My daughter is a big fan, knows Gabrielle, eats there often and received a signed Prune cookbook for Christmas. I read it through, took some bad photos with my phone and decided to make a couple recipes for the blog.

But first, I want to show you what the cookbook looks like, as it's quite unique and unexpected. The pages have punch holes in them looking as though they've been photographed directly from Gabrielle's personal loose leaf binder..they're splattered with food stains and handwritten notes are scattered throughout, with amounts for doubling and tripling the recipes in bold yellow strips. Take a look:

And look at this simple sandwich recipe...Bacon and Marmalade on Pumpernickel. To quote Ina: how easy is that?

You'll find Gabrielle's book is filled with unusual offerings, some so simple you wonder why it was even included in the book (like the above recipe) and others so off the wall you'd never attempt them. But there are a lot of gems in there too. Altogether, an eccentric cookbook, much like the author herself.

I chose the Sesame Biscuits as I'd never seen a recipe quite like it. When I mixed the flour into the red wine mixture, it looked more like a mud pack for your face than dough. I nearly dumped it right then (how could this turn out well?) but persevered. And another puzzle: the amount of sugar in the recipe...is this an appetizer? A cookie?

After baking, I found they did taste slightly sweet, but interestingly, all those toasted sesame seeds are the predominate flavor. The cinnamon and wine are only slightly noticeable and I thought they were quite good. However, I think I would serve them with wine rather than tea. Especially since Gabrielle introduced this recipe alongside a milk punch recipe.

Sesame Biscuits
From Prune by Gabrielle Hamilton

Ingredients:
3/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 cup dry red wine
3 cups flour
1 cup sesame seed, toasted

Method:
Set oven to 350.
In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and olive oil until dissolved and creamy.
Add the baking powder, baking soda, pinch of salt, cinnamon and red wine. Whisk until thoroughly combined.
Stir in the flour and beat vigorously until the dough comes together, then knead by hand a moment to a smooth consistency.
Scoop 1 inch balls of dough and roll into perfect spheres between the palms of your hands, then press each cookie between thumb and forefinger to make a thick puck shape.
Dip in toasted sesame seeds to fully coat and lay on a parchment-lined sheet pan. If you have difficulty getting the sesame seeds to stick, mist them super gently with the water before tossing in the sesame seeds.

Bake for 20 minutes.

1.29.2015

Super Bowl Eats II: Buffalo Chicken Bites

Just about everyone loves Buffalo wings dipped in a blue cheese dressing. And here they are in delectable bite size! They'll be a popular snack and everything is all wrapped up in a neat little package for eating, blue cheese included. No dipping sauce required.

Notes: I know the photo looks fine (and yes, they tasted fabulous), but cut your slices wider than I did. These tend to come apart when baking. You could also use ready made pizza dough to cut down on time.

Buffalo Chicken Bites
From What's Cookin, Chicago

Ingredients:
1 cup finely diced cooked chicken breast
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
2 tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup hot sauce (Frank's brand is what I used)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 1/4 teaspoons rapid rise dry yeast
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup warm milk

2 1/2 cups of flour

Method:
To make the buffalo chicken mixture, in a small bowl, combine the chicken, blue cheese, cheddar cheese, melted butter and hot sauce; set aside.

In a 1 cup measuring cup, heat the milk and then add the 2 tablespoons brown sugar; stir into warm milk until dissolved; place in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add 2 1/2 cups flour and yeast to the stand mixer and mix on low speed until a soft dough forms, adding up to 1/2 cup additional flour, if necessary. Allow the dough to knead in the stand mixer for 5-7 minutes. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead a few times to form a smooth ball. Place dough into a clean bowl that's been lightly oiled. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled and bubbles appear on surface, about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in the middle of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and cut into 4 equal pieces. Lightly dust your hands with flour, then gently roll and stretch 1 piece of dough to form a 12-inch-long rope. Flatten dough and arrange so a long side is nearest you, then roll out to a roughly 12- by 4-inch rectangle with a lightly floured rolling pin. Gently press one fourth of buffalo chicken mixture into lower third of rectangle, leaving a 1/2-inch border along bottom edge. Stretch bottom edge of dough up over filling and press tightly to seal, then roll up as tightly as possible to form a rope. Cut rope into 12 pieces and transfer to a sheet pan. Make 3 more ropes with remaining dough, filling and cut into pieces, transferring to sheet pans. Let rest at room temperature, uncovered, 30 minutes (dough will rise slightly).

Bake buffalo chicken bites in the preheated oven for 5-7 minutes or until the tops are lightly browned. Remove from oven (some cheese may have melted out.) and brush tops with melted butter before serving.

1.13.2015

Super Bowl Eats: Cheeseburger Egg Rolls

Ready for some football snacks? Or......in this particular case, let's call this a leftovers meal: I had some egg roll wrappers in the freezer along with some hamburger. It all added up to these yummy egg rolls; you can make these healthier by baking them, I included instructions. I don't eat cheeseburgers on a regular basis, but all I needed was an excuse. Football was it. Have at it!

Cheeseburger Egg Rolls
Adapted from Tasty Treats by Tina

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ red onion, chopped
¾ lb ground beef
Kosher salt and pepper
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
Small dish of water
10 to 15 egg roll wrappers
Nonstick cooking spray
½ ounce sesame seeds

Method:
Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Saute the onions until tender, about 3 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high, and add the ground beef and cook until well browned. Drain most of the fat out of the skillet and transfer the ground beef and onions to a medium-sized mixing bowl. After cooling a little, add the Worcestershire sauce and the Cheddar cheese.

If you'd like to bake these:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place a wire baking rack inside a sheet pan.

To prepare the egg rolls:
Place an egg roll wrapper on a clean work surface. Brush the edges with a little bit of water.
Place 1/3 of a cup of the cheeseburger filling in the center of the wrapper and shape into a rectangle diagonally on the wrapper. Bring the points at the short ends of the rectangle in toward the center. Bring the far point on the long end of the rectangle in toward the center, and roll the wrapper to close it. Spray the top of the egg roll with nonstick spray and coat the top in sesame seeds. Place finished rolls onto a sheet pan with a wire rack arranged above sheet pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until egg rolls start to brown.

If you're going to fry them (which is what I did):

Pour canola oil into a heavy medium pot to a depth of 2-inches and heat over medium heat until temperature registers 350° F . Fry spring rolls in 2 batches, turning over halfway through, until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Serve whole, or cut in half on a bias, with ketchup or Russian dressing.

11.24.2014

Pear, Blue Cheese, and Walnut Rugelach

It's a day for giving thanks for our many blessings.
I wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving filled with friends and family around the table.

"What we're really talking about is a wonderful day set aside on the fourth Thursday of November when no one diets. I mean, why else would they call it Thanksgiving?" -- Erma Bombeck

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Pears are absolutely delicious right now, so I decided my Thanksgiving post would be a recipe you could use anytime for the coming holidays. Perfect with a glass of wine, these are some of my favorite flavors: pears, blue cheese and walnuts.

Pear, Blue Cheese, and Walnut Rugelach
From Baking Moment

Ingredients:
For the Pear Filling:
4 bartlett pears
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
pinch of kosher salt

For the Dough:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 ounces blue cheese, slightly softened
2 tablespoons honey
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon kosher salt

And:
egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon heavy cream, milk, or water)
1 cup walnut pieces, finely chopped

Method:
To Make the Filling:
Peel and core the pears. Shred with a box grater or food processor. Heat a small skillet on medium high heat with the butter. Add the pears, brown sugar, and salt and cook until slightly softened. Drain off any excess liquid and refrigerate until chilled.

To Make the Dough:
Cream the butter, cheeses, and honey in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Add the flour and salt and mix until combined.
Divide the dough into 4 equal balls and refrigerate for one hour. Roll each ball to a thickness of 1/8 inch, and top with an even layer of pear filling. Cut into quarters, and then cut each quarter into thirds. Starting at the widest end of each triangle, roll gently towards the point and then shape into a crescent.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes minimum.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Brush the rugelach with egg wash and top with chopped walnuts. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until golden brown.

Can be served warm or at room temperature.

11.13.2014

Winter Squash and Goat Cheese Pockets

These are lovely savory little hand pies....perfect for appetizers and great for football-watching snacks. So many different ways to put them together, too. You can make the crust from scratch, or use packaged. You can make them small (one mouthful) or bigger...two bites. You can make them with any kind of squash: butternut, acorn, pumpkin, and you can even use canned pumpkin if you're in a pinch. (I used acorn squash) I like goat cheese, so did use that, which married nicely with the squash, but I suppose you could use any cheese you like. Super recipe for fall!

Winter Squash and Goat Cheese Pockets
Adapted from Give Me Flour

Ingredients:
For the dough:
2 cups flour
1 and 1/3 stick of unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
black pepper
1 egg, beaten
3 tablespoons heavy cream

For the filling:
1 1/2 cups squash puree
1/2 small onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
salt and pepper

4 ounces goat cheese

Method:
For the dough:
Note: I made the dough in my food processor, pretty much followed how I usually make crust, but used this recipe.
Place flour, salt and butter in a big bowl. Work with your fingertips or with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse meal. You want to keep some visible pieces of butter
Beat together egg and 3 tbsp of cream. Pour the mixture into the dry ingredients.
Using your fingertips, mix them smoothly by making circular movements. Don’t knead the dough. The dough should get together quickly and if it doesn’t happen, add one more tbsp of cream.
Don’t worry about spots, visible pieces of butter and stripes of cream; they are a good sign. Press to form a ball, cover with plastic film and keep on the fridge for at least 15 minutes.

For the filling:
If using canned pumpkin puree:
Sauté chopped onions and garlic in olive oil. Add all ingredients, mix well and let it cool completely before using.

If you are using fresh squash:
Cut squash in quarters, scoop seeds out and cut each quarter in half. In a big bowl, mix the slices with other ingredients. Arrange everything in a baking sheet and bake it for 30 min. or until tender and the skin comes out easily. Puree pulp and let it cool completely before using.
Preheat oven to 350F°. Cut the cheese in approximately 24 pieces. (I didn't make that many)

Place dough in a floured surface and roll it out into a 1/8 inch thin layer. Using a 4 inch round cookie cutter cut the dough into circles. Place the squash filling in the center of the circle, place a piece of cheese on top. Dip your finger in some water and spread it around the outer edge of the circle and then fold the dough over into a semicircle. Press the edges and arrange in a baking sheet. It makes approximately 24 pies.
Note: I must have used a slightly bigger cutter as I didn't get nearly that many.
Brush with egg wash, sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake for 30 minutes or until golden in color.

9.14.2014

Mushroom Bruschetta

Everyone loves to see a plate of bruschetta passed around and there are so many delicious mixtures you can pile on top of those crusty pieces. Blogger friend Susan from Savoring Time in the Kitchen recently posted a tomato and gouda bruschetta and they looked bright, summery and delicious.
As for me....give me mushrooms! Can't help it, I love 'em. I didn't find any morels this time, dried or otherwise, (darn it) but used shiitakes and some other wild mushrooms available at the market. The recipe calls for dried herbs, but I always use fresh.
As I recall, this recipe was originally from some Food Network show, but I've been making it so long I can't remember whose.

Mushroom Bruschetta

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons onion, minced
2 cups mixed mushrooms, chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 tablespoon fresh
1 teaspoon dried basil or 1 tablespoon fresh
Some shaves of Parmesan
Salt
Pepper
Balsamic or red wine vinegar

1 baguette

Method:

In skillet heat olive oil. Cook onion until golden, add the garlic for the last minute or so. Add mushrooms, thyme, basil, salt and pepper. Add a splash of vinegar. Cook until mushrooms begin to wilt. Top baguette slices with mushrooms and then finish off with some shaved Parmesan and serve.

Toasting bruschetta:
Preheat oven to 425. Slice a baguette at an angle. Brush one side lightly with olive oil and bake for 10 minutes or until toasted.

7.31.2014

Ina First Fridays: Gougeres

This month, we're concentrating on appetizers. I make Ina's gougeres all the time, couldn't be simpler and everyone loves them. This photo is an old one, taken in a hurry before everyone grabbed them off the plate LOL. Don't they look light, puffy and cheesy?
You can shape the little gougeres and freeze them for up to 2 months before you bake them. There's no need to defrost the frozen puffs, just bake them a couple of minutes more. How easy is that?

Gougeres
From Barefoot in Paris, 2004

Ingredients:

1 cup milk

1/4-pound (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pinch nutmeg

1 cup all-purpose flour

4 extra-large eggs

1/2 cup grated Gruyere, plus extra for sprinkling

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water, for egg wash

Method:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a saucepan, heat the milk, butter, salt, pepper, and nutmeg over medium heat, until scalded. Add the flour all at once and beat it vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together. Cook, stirring constantly, over low heat for 2 minutes. The flour will begin to coat the bottom of the pan. Dump the hot mixture into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Immediately add the eggs, Gruyere, and Parmesan and pulse until the eggs are incorporated and the dough is smooth and thick.

Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a large plain round tip. Pipe in mounds 1 1/4 inches wide and 3/4-inch high onto the baking sheets. With a wet finger, lightly press down the swirl at the top of each puff. (You can also use 2 spoons to scoop out the mixture and shape the puffs with damp fingers.) Brush the top of each puff lightly with egg wash and sprinkle with a pinch of Gruyere. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown outside but still soft inside.

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Ina Fridays participants:

Alyce @ More Time at the Table
Anna @ Cheese with Noodles
Barbara @ Moveable Feasts
Bhavna @ Just a Girl From AAmchi Mumbai..
Chaya @ Bizzy Bakes
Linda, @ Tumbleweed Contessa
Mary @ The Egg Farm
Minnie @ The Lady 8 Home
Mireya @ My Healthy Eating Habits
Patti @ Comfy Cuisine
Peggy@ Pantry Revisited
Rocky Mountain Woman @ Rocky Mountain Woman
Veronica@ My Catholic Kitchen
Linda @ There and Back Again

6.22.2014

Mini Crab Cakes

These little gems are awesome. Leave it to Cathy at Noble Pig. She comes up with some of the best appetizers. For holidays, for game day, for company, everyone will love to see a platter of these coming their way. Love the little Parmesan/Panko cups....they hold together surprisingly well.

Mini Crab Cakes
From Cathy at Noble Pig, adapted from Bon Appetit

Makes 24

Ingredients:
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup Parmesan cheese, divided
1 large egg
1/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
4 teaspoons plus 4 Tablespoons chopped fresh chives, divided
1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
Large pinch cayenne pepper
6 ounces fresh lump crabmeat, picked over, patted dry, coarsely shredded
1-1/2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter , melted
Fresh chives cut into pieces

Method:
With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese in a medium bowl until smooth. Add 1/4 cup Parmesan and egg; beat to blend. Beat in sour cream, citrus zest, 4 teaspoons chopped chives, coarse salt and cayenne pepper. Fold in crabmeat. (This can be made one day ahead. Cover and chill.)

Spray mini muffin pan with nonstick spray. Toss 1-1/2 cups panko, 3/4 cup Parmesan and 4 tablespoons chopped chives in a bowl. Drizzle melted butter over, tossing with a fork until evenly moistened. Press 1 rounded tablespoon panko mixture into bottom of each muffin cup (makes a well with your thumb), forming crust. Spoon 1 generous Tablespoon crab mixture into each cup. Sprinkle more panko mixture over each.

Bake crab cakes in a 350 degree oven until golden on top and set, about 20 minutes. Cool in pan at least 5 minutes. They will firm up. Gently lift each crab cake out of the pan with a fork onto a serving platter.
(Can be made 2 hours ahead. Arrange on baking sheet, let stand at room temperature. Rewarm in a 350 degree oven for 5-6 minutes.)

Arrange crab cakes on a serving platter; sprinkle with chives.

5.02.2014

Pimento Cheese Toasts

So...you thought this was a southern recipe, right? Not so. According to author and food historian Robert Moss, pimento cheese actually began with Northern cheese manufacturers who wanted to spread the word about their new popular product, cream cheese. (Which is amusing because there isn't any cream cheese in MY recipe, although some people do add it along with the cheddar.) Georgia does lay claim to pimentos, however, as it became the leading grower and producer of pimentos in the nation in the early 1900s. No matter, really, as pimento cheese is now identified as a Southern food...with varying recipes.
This is the one I've always used and while some people like Velveeta cheese, onions or olives or jalapeno peppers, along with various seasonings like Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, or garlic, I keep it simple...two kinds of cheese, mayo and a kick of cayenne, with a switcheroo on the pimento: roasted red pepper. I used to make it often when I had Derby Day parties.

Now, I always go to the Delray Beach Club on Derby Day. The women go all out in the hat department, the place is decorated to the nines, there are betting booths and tons of large screen TV's all over the dining room so the run for the roses can be seen from every corner. Because there are floor to ceiling windows overlooking the ocean here, they even lower the hurricane shutters to darken the room just for the race. I always get a chill when everyone stands up and sings My Old Kentucky Home. We have a great time and I wouldn't miss it for worlds.

But if you're the one hosting a Derby party this year (or have been asked to bring an appetizer to someone else's home), consider making these Pimento Cheese Toasts. With a twist....no pimento! This recipe uses roasted red pepper and when broiled, these cheese toasts turn into sheer heaven, perfect for a party.

Pimento Cheese Toasts

Ingredients

10 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, coarsely grated (4 cups) Use half orange cheddar and half white cheddar for best results.

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup finely diced bottled roasted red pepper (rinse and pat dry first)

1 baguette

Method:

Preheat broiler.

Stir together all ingredients, except baguette, plus 1/8 teaspoon pepper and salt to taste.

Slice baguette crosswise 1/3 inch thick and spread bread thickly with cheese mixture. Broil 5 to 6 inches from heat until cheese is bubbling and browned, about 2 minutes.

Cheese spread can be made 3 days ahead and chilled, covered.