Sands: Just got back from my Daughters. Had a great time. I see you have a few good recipes. Italian, Seniors and a friend in Annapolis. I'll tell you what we did first. Hell with the CrabCakes. Sat. Nite We went to the newer Casino in Chester , Pa. lost some money, Had a good time ????? Sunday : Went to the Franklin Institute, all afternoon. Saw 3 shows and walked thru the Exhibits. One show was in the Fels Planetarium, Planets and Stars. Another was The Worlds Deepest and Largest Caves and Caverns. This included the Grand Canyon, South America and the North Pole, Ice cavrens. They went down thru small holes and dropped to 300 feet. You got to be kidding !!!!!!!!!!!!!! Amazing Photography The last was a documentary on Bugs and Insects. Filmed in 3D. Had you brushing bugs off your clothes. Oh! OK Sands , I'll put in the recipe for you. XXXXX Don't forget " Marilyn's Crabcakes " - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - LOUÂS - Baked Salmon or Crab Cakes Chopped small , 1/3 cup each of : Onion, Celery , Red Bell Pepper and Micro wave for 2 minutes. With 2 tbsp of water Let it cool . In a Bowl , put 1 - 14 ¾ oz. can of Pink Salmon or Crab Meat and break up larger pieces. ( You can substitute Imitation Crab meat ) Sprinkle with : Black pepper and add: ½ teasp. of Garlic Powder , Onion Powder and ¼ level teasp.of Old Bay Seasoning. 2 level teasp. of Parsley flakes 2 Tablespoons of Parmesan Cheese ½ teaspoon of Mustard 3 heaping tablespoons of Mayonnaise Fold and Blend this together with the Onions, Celery and Peppers add: 1 cup of Italian Bread Crumbs. Beat 1 egg and add 1 teaspoon of Baking Powder, beat well. Add this to the Salmon mix and blend with a fork ( Just enough to mix it through.) If the mix is too wet add a little more Bread Crumbs Make 6 Balls ( work easy ) and flatten slightly to 4 inches round and ¾ inches thick. You can leave them with a rounded top. I baked them on a cookie tin , lined with Aluminum Foil, that was sprayed with Pam. Bake 20 to 25 minutes at 320 Degrees. Then brush with melted butter and Broil on Low for 5 minutes or until a Golden Tan. Serve Hot or freeze separated w Plastic wrap , in a Zip Lock or container. Bon Appetite, LOU Joe : Send me an email. These are flattened . They look better rounded. This recipe was used for the " School of Fishes "

Asparagus! Have I got an asparagus recipe for you. I made this for DD when she was recovering from a broken jaw and needed soft foods. It was delish and a dish that I will make for company! It is even good the next day. I regret that the recipe looks long and complicated. It is not complicated at all. Asparagus Souffle from Simply Recipes INGREDIENTS 1 lb asparagus spears, bottom ends trimmed and discarded, thick spears peeled, spears cut into 1-inch pieces Salt 1/4 cup chopped shallots 1 clove garlic, chopped 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped, or 1/2 teaspoon dried 4 Tbsp unsalted butter 1/2 cup finely ground dry bread crumbs 3 Tbsp cake flour (can substitute all purpose flour) 1 1/4 cup whole milk 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg Pinch dry ground mustard Pinch ground cumin Pinch ground ginger Freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese (can substitute Parmesan, but frankly I prefer the Gruyere) 3 egg yolks, lightly beaten 5 egg whites 6 8-ounce ramekins METHOD 1 Blanch asparagus for 2 minutes in boiling salted water (1 teaspoon of salt for every quart of water). Drain. Rinse in cold water to stop cooking. Set aside to let cool. 2 Melt 1 Tbsp butter in saucepan on medium heat. Add shallots, garlic, and thyme. Cook gently until soft, do not let brown. About 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat. 3 Puree asparagus and shallot mixture in a blender. Measure out 1 1/4 cup of puree. 4 Butter 6 8-ounce ramekins. Coat well with the bread crumbs, reserving any leftover bread crumbs. 5 Make a thick bechamel sauce. Over medium-low heat, melt 3 Tbsp butter in a medium sized saucepan. Add the cake flour and whisk to completely incorporate the flour into the butter, continue to stir for a couple of minutes. Do not let brown. Very slowly, add the milk to the mixture, little by little, whisking constantly. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon of salt, the nutmeg, cumin, mustard, ginger, and some fresh ground black pepper. Lower the heat to low and let cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the mixture from sticking to the pan. 6 After 15 minutes, remove the bechamel from the heat and stir in the cheese. Transfer the bechamel and the asparagus mixture to a large mixing bowl (if you have a mixing bowl with a pour lip on the side, use it, it will make it easier to pour out later). Taste the mixture and adjust the seasonings. The souffle base should be well-seasoned. Stir in the egg yolks until well combined. At this point you can make ahead the souffle mixture. Refrigerate to store for up to two days. Return to room temperature before proceeding. 7 Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 8 Prepare to make a water bath (a bain marie). Have ready a 9x12 baking dish with at least 2 inch sides. Put on a kettle of water to boil. 9 Add a pinch of salt to the egg whites and using a mixer, beat the egg whites to firm but soft, almost stiff, peaks. (Make sure there are no traces of egg yolk or shell in your egg whites before starting.) Do not over-beat. Over-beating results in stiff peaks that are dry, somewhat reminiscent of styrofoam. Use a rubber spatula to first fold in one quarter of the beaten egg whites into the asparagus mixture, then the remaining three-quarters. Use a light touch to keep from deflating the egg whites. 10 Fill ramekins with the mixture up to a quarter-inch from the top. If you want, sprinkle leftover bread crumbs on top. Place the ramekins in the bain marie baking dish. Place baking dish on the middle rack in the oven. Pour boiling water into the baking dish around the ramekins until the water comes up halfway the sides of the ramekins. 11 Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degreesF, reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and bake for about 15 minutes more, until puffed up and golden brown. Don't open the oven door until the souffle is just about done, or it may fall. You can serve the souffles immediately or you can serve them later. To proceed for serving them later, let the souffles sit in the bain marie for 15 minutes. Then use run a sharp knife around the edges and invert the individual souffles to a buttered baking sheet. Cool to room temperature, wrap in plastic and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Return to room temperature before re-baking. Heat oven to 400 degrees F, bake the souffles on a buttered baking sheet, not in ramekins, for 7-8 minutes, and serve. Yield: Makes 6 individual souffles.

Here's the recipe I usually use, from a friend in Annapolis. It's pretty similar to some of the other recipes posted and is pretty light on the Old Bay. I'd like to try Marilyn's salmon cakes and just happen to have some fresh salmon right now, so maybe tomorrow will be the day. Delicious Crab Cakes 1 lb. crab meat (picked through) 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon mustard (regular) 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay 2 tablespoons mayonnaise 2 eggs (slightly beaten) 1 teaspoon parsley 2 pieces white bread - no crusts (I pulse it in the food processor, but a blender would probably work, too) Mix all this together - toss in crab meat last and donÂt overmix. Gently form into individual patties and refrigerate for 1/2 hour prior to frying. Fry in approximately 1/4 inch oil (I use half butter and half oil) about 4 minutes each side (or until nicely browned).

Here are a couple that I like: Crab Gyoza Dumplings: 1/3 cup finely chopped shiitake mushroom caps 1/3 cup minced celery 3 tablespoons finely chopped green onions 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger 1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil 1/4 teaspoon salt 12 ounces lump crabmeat* 1 large egg, lightly beaten 18 gyoza skins 1 teaspoon cornstarch Grape seed oil, for sauteing Dipping sauce: 1 tsp sugar 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce 2 tablespoons rice vinegar 1 tablespoon water 1 teaspoon sambal oelek (ground fresh chili paste) or Thai chili paste To prepare dumplings, combine the first 7 ingredients in a medium bowl, or process in a small food processor on pulse. Add crabmeat and egg, tossing to combine. Working with 1 gyoza skin at a time (cover remaining skins to prevent drying), spoon about 1 tablespoon filling into center of each skin. Rub the inside edge of the skin and fold in half, being careful to squeeze out air. Place dumplings on a baking sheet sprinkled with cornstarch; cover loosely with a damp towel to prevent drying. Heat a small amount of oil in a large, deep skillet, and saute the gyoza for about three minutes. Then add about 1 tablespoon of water and cover with a domed lid and cook using low heat for about 8 minutes more. To prepare sauce, combine sugar and remaining ingredients, stirring with a whisk until sugar dissolves. Serve sauce with dumplings. Yield: 9 servings (serving size: 2 dumplings and about 1 teaspoon sauce) *Can substitute 5 oz. chopped scallops for part of the crab meat. --------------------------- Deviled Crab Ingredients: 16 oz. Crabmeat (Snow crab is fine) 1 tsp Lobster or Crab soup base 3 tbsp butter 2 tbsp olive oil 1/2 large onion, finely diced (approx. 1/4 cup) 3-4 stalks of celery (including leaves) diced 8-10 fresh Serrano peppers, all seeds removed, and minced 1/3 -1/2 cup flour 1 tbsp minced fresh lemon thyme (or regular thyme) 1 tsp minced fresh Thai basil (optional) 1 tsp fish soup base--crab or lobster preferred--dissolved in 1/2 cup water or clam juice 2 tbsp Dijon mustard (or spicy brown mustard) juice of two lemons, about 1/4 - 1/3 cup 2 dashes of cayenne 1/8 tsp black or white pepper 1 egg, slightly beaten 2/3 cup fresh bread crumbs, the size of small peas 1-2 tbsp butter, for the crumbs Directions: Have all the ingredients ready-mince the onion and celery and set aside together; mince the herbs and peppers separately and set aside. If you are using crab in its shell, remove all the meat first and then put it in a small bowl. Add the optional crab or lobster soup base, if desired. If you can get lobster base, this will improve the flavor the most, but crab or clam base is fine. Adjust the quantity depending on the saltiness of the base. In a medium or large saucepan, melt 3 tbsp butter and add 2 tbsp olive oil. Add the onion and celery and saute for about 3 minutes, or until the onion is all broken up and separated. Add the Serrano peppers and cook another 2-3 minutes. Then add the flour and continue to cook to make a light roux, stirring constantly. Add the herbs and stir to combine. Add the water with soup base (or clam juice), and stir to make a paste and remove from heat. Add the mustard, lemon juice, cayenne, and pepper, and allow to cool slightly. Pour a small amount of the paste into the beaten egg and combine before adding the egg to the paste. Add the crabmeat and stir to combine. Lightly grease a 9"x6"x2" baking dish (or individual ramekins) with olive oil, and add the mixture, leaving about 1/2" space from the top of the pan. Press the breadcrumbs into the top and dot with butter (or drizzle the butter melted) evenly over the top. Broil for 5-7 minutes not too close to the heat or bake at 425� for 6-8 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs are crispy. Serves four as a main course or six as an appetizer. ----------- Both of these I make mainly as appetizers, but they can also be a main dish. I like crab stuffed sole, but I also make a crab sauce that I serve over fish: Crab Sauce for Fish Ingredients: 2-1/2 tbsp Butter 1 tbsp Olive Oil 1/4 cup minced Onion 1/4 cup minced Red Bell Pepper 1 Jalapeno, minced 1/4 tsp Thyme 1/4 tsp Dried Basil 1/4 tsp White Pepper 1/4 pound Crab Meat 1 tbsp Lobster (or Crab) soup base 3/4 cup Potato Water 3 tbsp Potato Starch 1/4 cup Lemon Juice (or white wine) Instructions: Melt the butter in a saucepan with the olive oil. Add the onion, red bell pepper, and jalapeno and saute until the onion is translucent. Add the thyme, basil, and white pepper, and saute a two minutes more. Add the crab meat and cook for another minute or so, to heat the crab. Combine the soup base with the potato water (or plain hot water) and add to the saucepan. Heat just to simmer. Mix the potato starch with the lemon juice (or wine) and add to sauce pan. Heat just until mixture has thickened. Serve over grilled fish, such as Opah, Swordfish, Marlin, or other mild flavored fish. Can also be used with Sole or Flounder. Note: if you do not have seafood soup base, you can add the appropriate amount of salt - generally about 1/3 as much salt as soup base. Lars