Crab Cakes with Spicy Aioli

I really like crab meat, but my adoration is no match for my mother's. No joke. She's a pretty generous person, but try and steal a bite of crab from her plate and risk losing a finger. My dad, a lover of food (good and bad), says that he lives to eat, whereas Mom eats to live. That's a very true statement--with the exception of crab legs. You could rework the phrase to read, "Dad lives to eat, and Mom lives to eat crab legs."

My dad has a certain number of stories that he tells quite often, but they never get old--at least not to me. There are stories from his youth when he thought he was invincible, stories from his crazy teenage years, stories about people he's met along the way, and funny memories that he shares with us on occasion. One of the stories I have heard over and over again is how he discovered that Mom loved crab legs.

During a trip to Williamsburg, VA for a convention for fire fighters (Dad was a volunteer) they, along with another couple, went to a seafood restaurant that had an all-you-can-eat seafood feast. Dad could definitely get his money's worth at this type of event, but Mom...she eats like a mouse. I guess Dad thought he'd eat enough for the two of them...until Mom found the steamed crab legs, and that was all she wrote.

Trip after trip, mom returned to the table with piles of crab legs, and she slowly devoured them...not leaving a piece of meat attached to the tiniest shell. They had been married for well-over a decade at this point, and Dad had never seen Mom eat so much and for such a long period of time. Mom still swears that she could have eaten more that night, but she stopped herself because everyone had stopped eating much earlier. They were all marveling at how much she had eaten.

To this day, if we go to a restaurant and crab is on the menu, Mom orders it. She's still trying to find a crab cake that rivals Sweetwater Tavern's (basically, lumps of crab meat on a plate). Some of the best crab cakes I recall are Uncle Jim's. Mom's extended family is from Maryland, and Uncle Jim always brings fresh crab meat when he comes to town and makes softball-size crab balls.

Steak Marinade and Red Wine Reduction

Unacceptable. I have been horrible about writing, and I would promise you that I will post X number of times a week...but let's be honest, that's a promise I know I can't keep forever. BUT have no fear, I am still alive and well and fully intend to post recipes...no matter how frequently...or infrequently. By infrequently, I mean weekly (hopefully).

I went to my parents' house last weekend, and per usual, my family decides we need to have a feast. My presence alone is enough to call everyone from the block to a gathering for which I will cook everything. I have no qualms with that, because I'm just as happy in the kitchen as I am mingling with everyone. Fortunately, everyone always seems to mingle in my kitchen, so I have the best f both worlds. I was happy to have a crowd to cook for, because when cooking for one, I rarely make time- and labor- intensive things without a reason or a crowd.

The men in attendance requested steak. I figured this was the perfect time to try the red wine reduction I've had on my "To Cook" list along with about 35 other dishes--I need more time! Dad went to the local meat place (mmm) for ribeye and New York Strip, and I grabbed the other fixings. We had baked potatoes (with all of the fixings, including herb butter), rolls (enter more herb butter), roasted asparagus, and an extensive salad bar to accompany the steaks.

DISCLAIMER: I will advise against cooking this unless you have time. It was a gloomy afternoon without much to do, so spending it in the kitchen was no problem. Had it been 80 and beautiful, I probably wouldn't have been as thrilled by standing over a gas stove watching wine evaporate for the sheer fact that I could hear spring calling my name. There was nothing springy about this afternoon other than the April shower. It was well worth the time and effort, so if you have time or a special occasion, don't write this recipe off!

We had twelve steaks to marinate, so I had to 2.5 this recipe! We went through a lot of red wine this night, both in the recipes and in our glasses.

Quick Quiche: Sun-dried Tomato and Spinach

I know I really need to pick up the slack for the few people that actually read this. Rest assured, I have not forgotten about my cooking endeavors...I just also have a job...that pays...a little bit, at least. This is also the very end of the busiest season of my job, so I've been a little preoccupied. Also, I have not been inspired when I've ventured to the grocery recently...I cannot wait until I can pilfer my family members' gardens. Just wait for the recipes that will bombard you in the coming months. Although, I will have to find time to post between days on the lake and cooking.  Last year that's about all I did during the summer, so I'll have to squeeze in time to write about what I make from the things I steal from their gardens.

I am sure you've all tried my cornbread recipe, and as you may recall, I was pining for a cast-iron skillet--preferably one that had already been seasoned. My grandfather caught wind of this and scrounged up several cast-iron skillets from one of his storage units. Both of my grandfathers have enough stuff to fill three more households, so it's always fun foraging to see what they have. My mother had three well-loved cast-iron skillets in tow the next time I saw her. There was your traditional, 10-inch skillet, another 10-inch with exceptionally deep sides (think fried chicken), and the super-cute one I used for this recipe.

I decided to try a) a crust-less, b) cheese-less, and c) bacon-less (!!!)  recipe, and this cute pan was perfect for the crust-less part. You could also make this recipe with crust, with crescent rolls as the crust in muffin tins, as muffin-size crust-less quiches, or as a full-size crust-less quiche. As you can see, the varieties are many. You may also add any fillings you prefer--sausage, bacon, cheese, broccoli, peppers, onions, mushrooms, etc.

I chose to use sun-dried tomatoes, because I once had a sun-dried tomato quiche at a B&B in Charlottesville, and I have been drooling over the thought of it since. I also had a jar of sun-dried tomatoes on had from an earlier recipe. I will admit that my quiche was not nearly as good as the one I am remembering, but it was still really, really good! I blame the fact that I used 2% milk in stead of heavy cream...but I reserve heavy cream for special occasions...or any dessert you can put whipped cream atop.

It was still fluffy and flavorful. I have a secret for fluffy eggs...sour cream. I forget where I learned it, but sour cream is 10-times better than adding cream or milk--whether you are scrambling eggs or making a quiche. Give this quiche a try with your favorite ingredients. Make ahead and serve as a quick dinner alongside a lightly dressed salad, or serve for brunch with bacon or sausage.

I promise to post more often, as my life seems to be calming down--although I have a feeling that's just wishful thinking. Don't give up on me just yet!

Spinach, Bacon, and Sun-dried Tomato Ravioli with Creamy Tomato Sauce

Super-simple shrimp recipe to come...

I am stuck. I am in hell, and it has frozen over! I had to come to Cleveland for a very quick--36 hour--work trip. I was looking forward to seeing a new city and having time to explore a little, since I only had a few appointments. Well, the combination of lake-effect snow and a low pressure unit from Michigan (thank you, Michigan) has dumped eight inches on the city of Cleveland thus far, and it's not finished yet. To make matters even more comical, I packed tights, ballet flats, and a light-weight trench coat.

I am crossing every finger and toe I have that I can get out tomorrow morning. If not, I will go stir crazy. I am used to being busy; even if I don't have something I have/need to do, I will create some way to occupy myself. Last year, I reorganized and 'spring' cleaned during the first snow. I'll cook. I'll work out. I'll read or find something to do, some way to be productive. Well, here I am...just sitting...waiting...hoping that divine intervention will occur and the snow will vanish. Leaving me with the freedom to go and do and explore...and not sit. I can't even cook, because I'm not at home.

I have already answered my work emails, an personal emails, and stopped shopping online. I decided there has to be a less expensive way to unproductively spend my time. So I figured I would share another recipe with you. This one is a fresh, but comforting, and extremely versatile pasta dish. There is so much you can do within the basic framework of this recipe, so take your favorite ingredients and make some ravioli out of them. The possibilities are endless.

One day, I will make homemade pasta. That will be right after I invest in the pasta-making attachment for my mixer, but until then, I am going to make these semi-homemade ravioli. The wonton wrappers work so well, that I am in no hurry to make my own. Plus, you want to taste the filling more than you want to taste the noodle in this case. In other dishes, where you're serving noodles and sauce (no filling) the quality of the pasta is much more important. This is great as an entree or side.

Cripsy Potatoes, Venison with Herb Butter, and Clean Green Beans

Now I don't eat beef for many reasons, but I love venison...especially the tenderloin...I'll eat that until the cows come home (I crack myself up sometimes). My dad is a hunter and always has been. I am an only child, so obviously, as a girl, I always have more in common with my mom--cooking, crafts (when I was younger...I since have realized I have no artistic ability), shopping (neither of us are shop-aholics, but a mother always understands a shoe/bag fetish). I wanted  Dad to feel like there was something we could do together that Mom wouldn't enjoy, and I remember buying camouflage sweats and fleece  and hoping that Dad would take me hunting. That was in vain, as I have still never been hunting, and that's perfectly fine with me, as long as I reap the benefits of his hobby. There are plenty of other bonding activities Dad and I can do together--like cooking, and eating, and cooking, and eating, and skiing.

This deer season, things were looking pretty grim, because Dad hadn't gotten a deer yet--thank goodness we weren't relying solely on Dad for dinner! Eventually, he came home with the goods, and that is what we brought out of the freezer on this very night. This was one of those last-minute, what-do-we-have-on-hand dinners.