Eat Together, Make Life Delicious...

Warmed peach biscuits are sublime and this recipe is perfect because it is also easy to prepare—you basically toss everything together and bake. To add a bit more variety to this dish, you could add other fruits, such as chopped strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, mango...I like to serve this with maple syrup instead of butter, because really, the biscuits already have enough. Next time you need to prepare a dessert, consider this recipe with homemade whipped cream, see below. The biscuits and whipped cream can be prepared in advance and the biscuits baked moments before serving so they're fresh. This is a favorite with my kids; perfect for stuffing in lunches or a quick snack.

Peach Biscuits
Makes 8 servings

1¾ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons vegetable shortening, such as Crisco
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, roughly chopped in ¼-inch pieces
1 cup heavy cream
1 heaping cup finely chopped canned peaches, drained of liquid
¼ cup warmed maple syrup, or as needed

Heat the oven to 375 degrees with the rack placed in the center.

Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar until it is well combined. Add the Crisco and butter and lightly toss without overworking the flour. Add in the cream and peaches and mix until the batter comes together. Do not overwork the batter or the biscuits will become tough.

With a round 3-inch cookie cutter, or a cup, cut out approximately 8 cakes and place them on a silpat-lined sheet pan. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden. Serve immediately with warmed maple syrup for dipping.

Homemade whipped cream
8 ounces heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon sugar

Pour the heavy whipping cream in a kitchen mixer fitted with the whip. Slowly turn on the mixer up to medium high speed and whip the cream until it resembles whipped cream. This will take a few minutes. I suggest using a splatter guard if you have one. Turn off the mixer and fold in the sugar with a spatula. It's ready to serve.

Labels: Easy Desserts, peach biscuits, Whipped Cream

This recipe is the perfect answer to leftover holiday turkey. It can be made in stages to reduce the sense of continuous prep time or simply buy pre-made pie crusts to help speed things up. Or only prepare a bottom crust and instead cover the pot pie with shredded cheese (as seen in the picture). Potpies can also be assembled and frozen for a later date. The potpie recipe can be converted to work with any meat or seafood, such as duck, pheasant, ham, chicken, shrimp, crabmeat, scallops, or lobster.

Turkey Potpie
Makes 8 Servings

For the crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
6 tablespoon butter, unsalted
¼ teaspoon salt

For the filling:
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 medium white onion, peeled and roughly chopped into ¼-inch pieces
4 celery stalks, peeled, deveined and roughly chopped into ¼-inch pieces
¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1½ cups good chicken broth
4 lb. turkey, roasted, meat removed from the bones and carcass and chopped into ¼-inch pieces

In a medium metal bowl, combine the flour, butter, and salt. With clean hands, slowly begin to mash and smear the butter, mixing it with the flour until the butter is completely incorporated. The flour will begin be pale yellow. Add three tablespoon of ice water and again incorporate the mixture. If more water is needed, add in a few cold drops at a time. If you overdo it and have to add flour to compensate, the dough will become tough. Once the dough is formed, cover it with plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with an oven rack placed in the center of the oven.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot and sauté the carrots, onion, and celery over medium-high heat until tender, about 7 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the parsley, salt, pepper, chicken broth and turkey. Cover the pot loosely and cook the filling for about 15 minutes or until a nice soupy mixture forms. Remove the filling from the heat and let it cool slightly.

To finish the crust, remove the dough from the refrigerator and cut it in half. On a floured surface, roll out half of the dough with a well floured rolling pin to about 1/8-inch thick, about 12 inches across. Move that off to the side and roll out the second half of the dough in the same manner. Gently place your hands under one of the rolled out doughs and transfer it to a 8 to 10-inch pie pan.

Scoop out the filling and spoon it into the pie shell, coating it evenly. Cover the pie with the second rolled out crust and cut away the extra crust that extends beyond the pie pan. Set the extra dough aside. Begin pinching the seams together with your fingers, sealing the doughs together. Tuck the pinched together crust into the pie pan to reinforce the edge and decoratively pinch the edges with your fingers and a knuckle to make a fancy indentation.

Bake the pot pie in the oven for 25 minutes on the center rack. The crust should begin turning golden brown. Carefully and loosely cover the pie with aluminum foil to avoid the crust getting too brown and bake for an additional 20 minutes or until the crust is thoroughly cooked.

Remove the pot pie from the oven, and let it cool slightly before serving.

Labels: holiday meals, leftover turkey, pot pie

Making homemade yogurt requires overnight patience, but the results are well worth it. I prepare this recipe every few weeks to keep my frig stocked. Everyone eats it here...the kids like it with a vanilla based and then sprinkled with blueberries, strawberries, and sprinkles. And pound for pound, homemade yogurt is far cheaper than what's available at the store, especially if you use powdered milk - just double up the powder to water ratio, and the homemade taste is beyond reproach. It's just so delicious and creamy...

Before making homemade yogurt, it is important to remember a few basic rules: always clean all the utensils and bowls thoroughly as germs can interfere with the yogurt’s natural bacteria growth and when finding a safe place to heat your yogurt, make sure it never gets too hot, or above 120 F. High temperatures can kill the live yogurt cultures resulting in very watery yogurt. To make great homemade yogurt, it takes a little practice and patience. However, it’s worth all the effort for the money it saves, the taste it produces, and the healing qualities it processes.

Homemade Yogurt
1 gallon 2% milk
1 cup plain or vanilla yogurt (IMPORTANT: must contain a live culture, check the ingredients to be sure)

In a saucepan over medium heat bring the milk to an ‘almost boil’ and then transfer it to a non-reactive bowl, such as ceramic and let it cool to about 110 to 120F. Gently stir in the plain yogurt.

Set the bowl in a warm place (about 90 F air temperature), such as next to the heater or by the stove and surround it with kitchen towels, so to make a nest. Drape one towel over the bowl or cover it in plastic wrap with holes to release the moisture. Let the milk sit out over night or about 8 hours. The yogurt will start to thicken during the night and should be left completely alone until it does. The yogurt is not done until it is thick.

If you wake up the next morning and you don’t think it worked, turn your oven on 200 F. and place the yogurt above it (not actually in the oven). Usually if the yogurt is still very runny after setting it out, the issue is probably that the yogurt wasn’t warm enough and simply needs more time to set. Refrigerate it for up to one week.

Places to warm your yogurt
The oven can be an ideal place to warm your yogurt, I use two options:
1) The pilot–Place the yogurt in the oven overnight with simply the pilot light on to keep it warm. 2) Preheating—heat the oven to 200 F. and then turn it off. Place the yogurt inside the oven once it reaches about 120 F.

Labels: fruit topping, healthy, homemade yogurt

I like to make cupcakes for the holidays verses a big jumbo cake. That's not to say I don't make cakes or pies, I do, but I prefer the cupcakes myself for dessert. Why? Well, it's a known quantity and as I stuff myself with turkey and cranberry dressing it is reassuring.

This recipe is based on my grandmother's pound cake, but made healthy. It makes about 14 to 16 regular cupcakes and about 30 mini cupcakes. I like the minis, but they are a little more labor intensive because it is just more poring and hovering over the stove.

Here I give you two topping options: fruity topping or orange icing. For the fruit topping just pick a fruit of your choice.

Holiday Cupcakes
Makes 14 to 16 normal sized cupcakes

4 ounces unsalted butter
4 ounces cream cheese
3 cups sugar
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
1 cup whole or skim milk
½ teaspoon salt
olive oil cooking spray

Place three oven racks equally apart in the oven and preheat to 350F.

In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip the butter, cream cheese, and sugar on high speed until it turns a pale yellow. Reduce the speed to medium and carefully add in the eggs one at a time. Beat until the mixture is well combined. Reduce the speed to low and add in the oil and vanilla. Add ½ cup of the flour into the butter mixture. Interspersing it with ¼ cup of the milk. When all the flour and milk has been added, increase the speed to medium and beat until everything is well combined. Reduce the speed and beat until the batter is smooth. Lastly sprinkle in the salt.

Spray a cupcake pan with the olive oil cooking spray. Carefully pour in the batter and gently tap it on the counter so the batter settles. The cupcakes should be not more than two-thirds full.

Place the cupackes in the oven to bake for 25 minutes, rotating half way. The cupcakes are done when a toothpick or cake tester is placed in the center and comes out clean.

Pick a Topping and Prepare:

For the Orange Icing:
½ cup confectionary sugar
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 tablespoon orange juice

Combine the sugar, orange zest, and juice in a small bowl and mix until well combined and smooth. Drizzle the icing over a cooled cupcakes and serve.

For the Fruity Topping:
2 cups of your favorite fresh fruit washed and pat dry
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 tablespoons refined sugar

In a standing blender, add the fruit and pulse until smooth. If the fruit-usually berries-have lots of seeds, use a sieve to strain the mixture. Also, you can skip this step if you like your fruit chunky. Simply dice them instead. Add the fruit mixture into a sauce pot and pour the sugar and maple syrup and cook over medium heat. Gently stir until the sugar dissolves and the sauce thickens slightly, or about 5 minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat. Drizzle the fruit sauce over the cupcakes at the time of service and not a minute before!

Labels: cupcakes, easy holiday desserts, fruit topping

Croquettes can be created from your favorite ingredients and once you learn the technique, it’s easy. I like to use a food processor to mix my croquettes; it saves a lot of hand chopping time. In this recipe, I use shrimp, but you could also try: scallops, tuna, cod, salmon, rockfish, cooked lobster meat or even my favorite Maryland crabmeat! And, with the holidays just about here, croquettes work with ground chicken and turkey meat too! And if you want to go one step further, you can stuff them with a tiny bit of mozzarella cheese. Simply form the croquette, push the cheese into the middle and close up the opening.

Croquettes can be assembled ahead of time and frozen. If you are baking from a frozen state simply add another minute or two until they are cooked through. (another reason to consider these)

I suggest making a dipping sauce on the side. If you like hummus, that's a great place to start, but the sky is the limit here and so be playful in the kitchen. Other great options are a mixture of equal parts tartar sauce and cocktail sauce to create my favorite: sunset sauce.

Shrimp Croquettes
Makes 6 servings, 2 croquettes per serving

For the fried croquettes:
¾ pound fresh raw shrimp, shelled and deveined and roughly chopped
½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1½ cups cooked white rice
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup of your favorite finely chopped fresh herbs (I suggest: cilantro, flat leaf parsley, curly parsley chives, chervil)
2 eggs, whisked
2 cups olive oil

For the coating:
1½ cup breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro (or your favorite herb)

For the sauce:
¾ cup store-bought Hummus
1 tablespoon chili sauce

In a food processor combine the shrimp, cheese, cheese, rice, garlic, salt, cilantro, and eggs and pulse until a paste is formed. Scoop out the shrimp mixture and make 12 equal balls, or about 1 heaping tablespoon each.

In a small shallow bowl pour in the breadcrumbs and cilantro and mix.

Pour the olive oil in a medium sauce pan and heat it to 350F.

Meanwhile, dip the croquettes into the breadcrumbs (roll it around until it is well coated) and place them on a clean plate.

Fry the croquettes in batches in the olive oil for about 2 minutes or until they turn golden brown. The croquettes should be completely submerged. Also, make sure to carefully move them around in the oil so they fry evenly. When they are done, remove the croquettes from the oil and place them on a paper-towel lined plate to drain.

While the croquettes are frying prepare the Hummus dipping sauce by combing the hummus and the chili sauce and mixing until blended.

Serve the croquettes warm with the dipping sauce. If you really like it spicy, just adjust the sauce to taste.

Labels: Croquettes, Easy Recipes, holiday meals

I love everything mini. It allows me to try a variety of flavors in one meal without feeling overstuffed. And my kids think these minis are "so cute" helping serve this dish with much "lick-the-plate-clean" success.

Several years ago I wrote a cookbook called Burgers, and this recipe was one of the most popular—it is reminiscent of a classic burger, smallish, but bursting forth with big personality. The burger patty is made with beef, chicken, turkey, buffalo, salmon, and shrimp and the bun is toasted in a waffled iron to make the bread waffled. Great condiments further enhance this dish such as homemade ketchups, mayo spreads, bread and butter pickles to name a few (at some point, I'll be posted about those, so for now, just use what you've got in the pantry.)

Mini Burgers with Waffled White Bread
Makes 4 Servings

3 pieces sliced white bread, crusts removed
9 ounces ground beef, or ground meat or seafood of your choice
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons chopped parsley, plus 12 sprigs, for garnish
2 tablespoons olive oil
12 thin slices Cheddar cheese, about 2 inches square

Preheat an electric nonstick waffle iron to medium. Place a slice of trimmed bread in the center of the hot iron and press down hard to toast and perforate the bread for 1 minute, or until the waffle design has browned itself onto the bread. When toasted, cut each slice into square pieces about 1 inch by 1 inch. You should have enough bread for 12 mini-burgers.

In a medium bowl, combine the beef, salt, and chopped parsley, and mix well with your hands. Remove a heaping tablespoon of the mixture—a little less than 1 ounce—and roll it into a ball. Flatten it slightly into a patty no thicker than 1 inch. Repeat until you have made 12 mini-burgers.

Warm a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Slick the skillet with the olive oil. (Alternatively, if you’re using a grill, cook the mini-burgers on a sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil perforated several times with a fork to allow the juices to drip away.) Cook the beef burgers (see below for other meats and doneness), no longer than 1 minute per side for medium-rare, topping with the optional cheese as soon as you flip. Serve each burger between 2 slices of waffled bread, with a sprig of parsley on top.

Cooking Times:
Beef: 1 minute per side for medium-rare
Chicken and Turkey: 2 minutes per side, or until opaque inside
Buffalo: 1 minute per side for medium-rare
Salmon and Shrimp: 1½ minutes per side, or until just opaque inside

Labels: american classics, mini burgers, waffled bread

Pigs-in-a-biscuits are fluffy homemade biscuits comprised of endless layers topped with a cute little cocktail link wrapped in cheese. These heavenly biscuits can be prepped in advanced, frozen, and then cooked at the time of service. Just add another 15 minutes in the oven. For grown ups or really anyone looking for a bit more biscuit sophistication, add a handful of your favorite freshly chopped herbs and a sprinkle of shredded Parmesan cheese into the biscuit mix.

For the Biscuits:
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling out
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
6 ounces cold unsalted butter,
cut into 1/8-inch pieces, plus 1 tablespoon, softened
2/3 cup half-and-half, plus 1 teaspoon if the dough is too dry

For the Topping:
8 cocktail links
2 slices American cheese, cut into 2-inch squares
1 tablespoon butter, softened

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt, and mix until well-combined. Add the butter pieces and mash with a fork until the mixture takes on a pale yellow hue. Pour in the half-and-half and mix with the fork until dough starts to form. If the dough seems too sticky, add a small amount of flour at a time until the dough is just pliable. On a floured surface, roll the dough out to about ¼-inch thick and fold it in half as many times as possible to create layers. Usually you can fold it 4 times before it becomes too difficult. Place the rolling pin on top of the folded dough and roll it out until the dough is about 2-inches thick. Using a round 2-inch cookie cutter carefully cut out 8 biscuits. While the biscuits are still in the dough, make a small incision at the top of each of the biscuit about the length of the cocktail link. Carefully stuff the cheese into the incision. Lay the cocktail link over the cheese and gently pushing both into the biscuit.

With a metal spatula, transfer the biscuits on a Silpat or parchment-lined sheet pan. If there is any dough left, make more biscuits. Once all the biscuits are on the sheet pan, bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove the biscuits from the oven, brush them lightly with the tablespoon of softened butter, and serve while still warm.

Labels: Biscuits, Breakfast, Cocktail Links, Comfort Food, pigs in a blanket

When you prepare things at home, somehow it tastes better. And this is the only way I can convince my kids to even try blue cheese dressing-I suppose it's a little pungent to them, but isn't that also what makes it delicious? I think so.

Dressings—especially blue cheese dressing—can be used on anything, from salads to sandwiches. This dressing is meant to develop any dish a little further and should be used on anything that would improve from a dollop with a nice creamy punch.

Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing
Makes about 2 cups

1 cup buttermilk
½ cup mayonnaise
1/8 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ cup blue cheese, crumbled or chopped into ¼-inch cubes
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pinch kosher salt

In a medium metal bowl, combine the buttermilk, mayonnaise, yogurt, lemon juice, blue cheese, thyme, pepper, and a pinch of salt. Whisk together until well combined and smooth. Use immediately and refrigerate leftover dressing for up to one week in a well-sealed container. Or freeze it for up to 6 months.

Labels: blue cheese dressing, Comfort Food, salad

For those looking for something light to eat this garden salad is delightful. I love making my own homemade croutons, so if you have the time, I suggest you give it a try.

Garden salads are best when they are assembled at the last minute. This keeps the lettuce from becoming too wet and wilted from the vinaigrette. To enhance this salad even further, try different herbs, such as thyme, rosemary and cilantro. In this recipe, I also instruct you to make a lot more garden vinaigrette than you’ll surely use. Just save the leftover in the frig for the next two weeks and drizzle it on everything!

Garden Salad with Parmesan Crispy Croutons
Makes 4 Servings

For the parmesan crispy croutons:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 bagel, thinly sliced-lengthwise using a mandoline
Optional: favorite fresh chopped herbs

For the Garden vinaigrette:
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped

For the Salad:
4 generous handfuls of mixed baby greens, pre-washed
2 large carrots, peeled and julienned (cut into fat toothpicks)
3 radishes, washed, stem ends removed and thinly sliced
2 medium dead ripe tomatoes, washed, cored, and quartered

Prepare the croutons. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the olive oil, pepper, salt, and parmesan cheese in a small glass bowl. Place four sliced bagels on a Silpat-lined or non-stick sheet pan and brush them generously with the olive oil mixture. Sprinkle them with the optional fresh herbs. Bake until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the bagel slices from the oven and let them cool.

Meanwhile prepare the vinaigrette. In a large metal bowl, combine the olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and parsley. Whisk together until well combined and the vinaigrette emulsifies. Set it aside to steep.

Prepare the salad. In the large bowl, toss in the mixed baby greens, carrots, radishes, and tomatoes. When the croutons are done cooking, evenly divide up the salad among four plates and dress it with the vinaigrette. Place the croutons on top and serve immediately.

Labels: garden salad, healthy, parmesan Crispy Croutons

My sister loves mashed potatoes. Growing up, she requested mashed potatoes morning, noon, and night. As it turns out, my oldest daughter is also a fan, but only at dinner time, and served like ice cream scoops. Ok. That's easy enough.

Mashed potatoes can be a tricky dish to pull off, mostly because if you work the potatoes too long they can get a little glutinous. Mash the potatoes just enough to bring them together. Mash potatoes are very versatile and never have to be served the same way. Mix in roasted garlic, herbs, shredded cheese and even purred veggies, such as sweet potatoes and roasted cabbage. Anything goes; the trick is to simple combine flavors that compliment each other.

Mashed Potatoes
Makes about 6 cups

3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
¾ cups whole milk (or heavy cream for extra flavor)
1 stick unsalted butter (8 tablespoons)
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover them with water. Place the pot over high heat. When the water boils, reduce the flame to a simmer and cook the potatoes for about 15 minutes or until they are tender.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the milk, butter, and salt over medium-low heat and let the butter melt.

When the potatoes are tender, drain them thoroughly, and return the potatoes to the pot. Pour in the warm milk and butter and mash the potatoes with a potato masher until smooth. Taste the potatoes and add extra salt if required. Add a few grounds of fresh pepper and serve immediately.

Labels: Comfort Food, Mashed Potatoes

Sliced Mac and Cheese is the perfect fix when you need a dish that everyone will eat along with a fun, unique presentation. Serve this dish cold or at room temperature, cut up like pizza slices or into manageable bite-size cubes. Include individual bowls of warmed cheese sauce for dipping. And if the kids run from parsley, just sprinkle it on the grown up cubes...


Sliced Macaroni and Cheese with Warm Cheese Sauce
Makes 4 Servings

For the Macaroni and Cheese:
Kosher salt, plus ½ teaspoon for the cheese sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1½ cups uncooked elbow macaroni
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup shredded Muenster cheese (or American Cheese)
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 pinch freshly ground black pepper (or not, if the kids are going to inspect it)
1/3 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves, optional

For the Cheese Sauce:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese

In a large pot, bring 4 cups of salted water to a boil. Add the tablespoon of olive oil, stir in the macaroni, and cook until al dente, about 7 minutes, or following the manufacturer’s instructions. Drain well and return to the pot.

Meanwhile, place a medium saucepan over medium heat and melt the butter. Add the shredded Muenster and ¾ cup of the Cheddar by the handful and stir until melted. Add the ½ teaspoon salt, pepper, and milk. Lower the heat and stir until creamy.

Sprinkle the flour into the pan and stir the sauce until the cheese starts to stick together. Remove from the heat and gently fold into the macaroni. The pasta should become well coated. Spoon the mixture into an ungreased casserole dish and scatter the remaining ¼ cup shredded Cheddar on top.

To broil: preheat the broiler with the rack placed 6 to 7 inches from the heat source. Broil the Mac and Cheese until the top turns golden brown, about 3 minutes.

To bake: preheat the oven to 350 F. with the rack set in the center of the oven. Bake the macaroni, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

To serve as cubes: allow the Mac and Cheese to cool enough until it stiffens. Carefully cut out wedge or cube shapes. Sprinkle with the optional chopped parsley and the side of warmed cheese sauce for dipping.

To serve hot right out of the oven: simply do your best to spoon out the Mac and Cheese into a bowl and drizzle it with the cheese sauce.

A great way to spice this up for grown ups...
Use Brie Cheese instead of Muenster Cheese
Brew a separate cheese sauce and add a pinch of ground curry or your favorite spices
Chop of bits of red bell pepper and onions, saute them and then sprinkle them on the Mac and Cheese

Labels: Comfort Food, Mac and Cheese

With the Holidays around the corner, it's always good to have a few recipes that take literary no time at all. Crab Balls are super easy, especially if you are starting with frozen 2-ounce crab cakes...however if you want to make the crab cakes from scratch, I've got a super easy recipe too, which I put below. Don't forget to leave a few crab balls plain without the topping, as shown in the picture.

I grew up down at the shore on the Chesapeake Bay and some of my best memories there are about crab balls, or in my family pronounced something like creb bowls...

My grandmother Edna made crab balls all the time when I was a kid. She'd fry hers in butter instead of baking them, which works, but does add a few calories. If you go that route, fry the balls until golden brown and then pop them in the oven on a sheet pan with the toppings for about 5 to 7 minutes. Bake them just enough for the toppings to melt on to the balls...

And as my grandmother once said, “creb bowls they are the best part of the crab!”

Edna's Crab Balls
6 to 8 Servings

For the Crab Balls:
1 large egg, beaten
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pinch cayenne (if you like it spicy, an extra pinch, but be careful!)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Optional: 1 teaspoon seafood seasoning
1 pound lump crab meat, picked over for shells and cartilage
Your Favorite Toppings, such as tartar sauce, marinara sauce, pesto, mayo, herb butter

Preheat the oven to 350F.

In a medium bowl, combine the egg, mayonnaise, breadcrumbs, salt, cayenne, lemon juice, thyme, parsley, and optional seafood seasoning. Mix well. Gently fold in the crabmeat. Avoid over-blending. Form the mixture into 1-inch balls and place them on a sheet pan. Cover them with your favorite toppings.

Bake the crab balls for 15 minutes until golden brown. Serve on a decorative platter.

Important Note: to save even more time, prepare the crab balls in advance and cook them from a frozen state. They may require another 5 minutes in the oven to make sure they are piping hot!

Labels: Crab Balls, Easy Recipes, Holidays

When it comes to Ice Box Cake-homemade whipped cream and cookies assembled to resemble a cake-quantities are whatever you want them to be. The rule of thumb is, the thinner the cookies, the less whipped cream you'll need. But, with all rules in the kitchen, they are there to be broken, so feel free to do whatever you like. I like to prepare my ice box cake in a spring cake pan so I can remove the ring and serve it on the base otherwise just build the cake on a regular plate. Make sure whatever you place the cake on/in fits in the freezer before getting started. It's quite difficult to undo after the fact...

And when I write build, yes, I really do mean that one cookie at a time.

Ice Box Cake

8 ounces heavy whipping cream
20 of your favorite thin cookies
handful of fresh strawberries

Pour the heavy whipping cream in a kitchen mixer fitted with the whip. Slowly turn on the mixer up to medium high speed and whip the cream until it resembles whipped cream. This will take a few minutes. I suggest using a splatter guard if you have one.

Now it's time to assemble the cake.

Hold one cookie in your hand and icing the face of it with the whipped cream. Place another cookie on top of it so the whipped cream is sandwich between the two. Continue icing all the cookies until they are creamed together. As the cake grows you will have to lay it in the spring cake pan.

Once all the cookies are creamed together begin icing the outter layer until it is completely covered. There will most likely be whipped cream left over, which should be placed in the refrigerator for another time.

Place the spring pan into the freezer and let it set for 20 to 30 minutes. It doesn't take long.

Meanwhile rinse and hull the strawberries. Cut them into thin slices and set them aside.

The the ice box cake has set, cut thin slices and serve with strawberries on top. I suggest cutting against the cookies so you get a nice presentation.



Rebecca makes Ice Box Cake with her kids and nieces that live in New England. Ice Box Cake is an easy dessert that takes no time at all to prepare. And that's good because with all those kids...the faster, the better!

Labels: Cookies, Easy Desserts, Ice Box Cake, Whipped Cream