The Great Crab Cake Test and Crab Snobbery at Its Best

I love cooking, and love crab cakes. I also have a ridiculously high standard when it comes to defining what a true "crab cake" is. I went to, lived, and ate too many amazing crab cakes in the Maryland region to not have converted to being a crab cake snob. Crab cakes contain the best jumbo lump crab and the smallest amount of filler (mayo, a little seasoning or a few breadcrumbs) just to hold it together. It's all about the crab.  But since I only had one container of jumbo crab in my fridge the other day, I decided to do a test.  I tried Barefoot Contessa's (my favorite Food Network personality ever..the woman is FANTASTIC) crab cake recipe which, gasp, is mostly vegetables and filler rather than crab. I needed something that would stretch the crab and make a meal for myself and my very large, hungry boyfriend. While I felt like I was somehow cheating on the entire Baltimore/Chesapeake Bay region, but I did it anyway...

This is how it went...

Chopped a ton of veggies for the cakes

I chopped a ton of veggies for the filling. It included several colors of peppers, celery and red onion. 

This was the seasoning for the filling. It included Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, capers and good ol' Old Bay. I also used Panko breadcrumbs (Japanese breadcrumbs that are lighter and crunchier than regular breadcrumbs) to replace the white bread you are supposed to use for the filling. 

I sauteed the veggies with the seasoning until they were slightly soft, but still crunchy. 

Then I added the veggies to this gorgeous Jumbo Lump crab, a little low-fat mayo and the breadcrumbs. I made them into slightly small patties and cooked them in a bit of olive oil. 

Here is the recipe if anyone is interested! ---->Crab Cakes And here is the final product along with an arugula salad I put together with a light, fresh lemon vinaigrette (lemon juice, dijon mustard, salt, pepper and olive oil)

The result? I liked them. The veggies were crunchy and the seasoning made for a lot of flavor throughout the cake. I have rarely found a Barefoot Contessa recipe that doesn't work. I think these would be especially yummy if you made them super small and served them as an appetizer for a dinner party.  I don't really consider these true blue "crab cakes",  but I think it's a good option for people trying to stretch expensive crab, people that like a lot of filling with their crab, or even people that would leave the crab out and make a yummy veggie patty. They were very tasty.  Just not a true crab cake : )

Make anything yummy recently? 

Keeping Lips Kissable...

I am loving my Korres lip butters right now. Even though we are out of the depths of winter here, it is still cold and my lips are chapped! These soften, moisturize, impart the faintest hint of pretty color and sheen, and taste delicious. I find exfoliating with a lip scrub from Lush (or just a toothbrush) and then putting this on makes my lips lovely and smooth. I have a bunch, but Guava (the white) and Jasmine (the pink) are my favorites.

My Current Love's

February is now gone (good riddance!) and with March comes a ramping up of spring shopping, wacky weather and new love's (at least of the material kind).

Peacock Earring Stand -from Urban to hold some of my stud earrings. I am a sucker for anything blue, and this has been so helpful putting them on display instead of jumbled in a box.

Nude Manicures-These are two polishes that I picked up in Sephora. I am loving a nude manicure right now, finding the right nude is a problem though! These are pretty good thusfar, but my search continues...

Pop's of Color for Spring-Or the hope of spring at least! This necklace is from GlamourRogue's store on Etsy. Very sweet, easy-to-wear and super affordable! The picture doesn't do it justice, and with a black or other winter clothing, it looks so pretty! Store Here

Navy and White-I think the combination looks so fresh and new for spring, even if there isn't anything new about it. This jacket is a find from H&M and it's adorably nautical and cheery!

Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter-a new product for me from Lush. Works like a charm on rough spots like my cuticles and makes those nude nails look great!

White Jewelry-I know I just wrote about my new bracelet, but white enamel and white jewelry in general looks fresh to me right now. Great for brightening current hopes for warm weather as well as the warm months to come!

Happy March everyone!