New England Clam Chowder with Bacon

It’s February and, baby, it’s cold outside. The whole country pretty much experienced the chilling cold front that swept across the nation last week. It even snowed in Arizona! Not enough to count, of course – there was a snowflake here and there – but you’d never know the difference from the way the traffic backed up that day. Seriously, Arizona has some of the worst drivers EVER. But I’m getting off topic… Where were we? Oh, yeah. It’s cold. And what do I want when it’s cold? Soup, chowder, bisque, broth, stew, bouillabaisse – whatever variety you choose, there are few things in this world that are more comforting on a chilly afternoon than a warming bowl of soup.

I never really ate clam chowder before meeting Jon, but it always interested me. It seemed fancy and sophisticated, I guess. Sadly though, I’ve always been slightly finicky when it comes to seafood – something I’m working on. Jon has helped to expand my boundaries tremendously, however, and clams are something that I quite enjoy now.

Wasabi Mustard Seared Tuna on Crispy Rice

It's almost summer time, and the heat is nearly upon us.  I understand that not all of you live in the Phoenix area, so perhaps you can't relate quite yet (we've already hit temperatures of over 100º F), but it will be here soon enough for the rest of you- this I know.  The warmer months always bring about cravings that have been hibernating throughout the winter, unknowingly triggered by that first crank of the AC.  I don't think it's uncommon to frequently yearn for a double scoop of strawberry ice cream, a refreshing cocktail or ceviche during the summer time, just like it's not uncommon to indulge in soups, stews and roasts when it's cooler outside.

So when I was challenged by Stonewall Kitchen (an innovative retailer of incredibly yummy sauces/jams/chutneys/mixes/marinades... you get the idea) to create a recipe inspired by one of their mustards, I pretty much knew that I wanted to create something that could be enjoyed when it was inhumanely hot outside.

Mini Crab Cakes

I know that it seems my commitment to this blog has been lacking as of late, but moving half way across the country is hard work, not to mention time consuming! Trust me, I would much rather have been baking and blogging than packing and driving 1,500 miles in a cramped car. But the good news is that I'm back and ready to hit the ground running! I've got more time and resources at my disposal, including a much bigger kitchen and people to actually help me eat all the food I plan on cooking. My mom and dad will be serving as my taste testing guinea pigs for the upcoming months. (Yes, I have moved back in with my parents. Not my proudest moment, but what's a broke, unemployed person to do?)

I've officially been back in Texas for a week now (my, how I've missed this weather!) and close to being completely settled in. But I could no longer focus on unloading box after box (after box, after box...) because I was itching to get back in the kitchen! My mom had a couple friends over this week, so it was the perfect excuse to dig out my culinary gadgets from the dark abyss of moving boxes. It was also a good opportunity to start testing some appetizers I have in mind to make for one of my very best, and oldest friend's wedding shower I will be hosting come spring time. I pretty much planned out the entire menu within an hour of hearing about her engagement- I love a good reason to throw a party. But this party in particular has me more excited than usual because it's a wedding shower, meaning lots of fun and frilly finger foods and centerpieces.

However, the dilemma I face is this: I want the food to be impressive while remaining simplistic in the overall preparation. I want everything to be lovely and delicious, but I also want to enjoy myself at the party rather than fretting over the food. I already had crab cakes in mind when planning the shower's menu, so when I ran across this recipe for miniature crab cakes that are baked in batches, well, it seemed like the perfect solution to my simple yet impressive dilemma. And I have to say, I was extremely pleased with the results. The mini cakes were surprisingly crisp and crunchy on the outside, and had some nice citrus notes (a result from the combination of both orange and lemon peel). I actually think they were every bit as good as the full fat versions that are often fried in butter or oil, except these are sooo much easier to make! With (only) 6 months left to plan the wedding shower, this recipe has most definitely won a permanent place on the menu!

Mini Crab Cakes

Adapted from Bon Appetit

Ingredients:
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 large egg
1/4 cup sour cream
3/4 teaspoon grated orange peel
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
4 teaspoons plus 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, divided
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Large pinch of cayenne pepper
8 ounces fresh lump crabmeat (picked over for pieces of shell) patted dry and shredded
1 1/2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pans
Fresh chives, cuts into pieces for garnish

Directions:
1. Using 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 peels, 4 teaspoons chopped chives, salt, and cayenne pepper. Fold in crabmeat.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter 2 mini muffin pans. Toss Panko, 3/4 cup Parmesan, and 3 tablespoons chopped chives in a small bowl. Drizzle melted butter over Panko mixture, tossing with fork until evenly moistened. Press a spoonful of Panko mixture into the bottom and up the sides of each muffin cup, forming crust. Spoon a rounded tablespoon of crab mixture into each cup. Sprinkle about a 1/2 tablespoon of Panko mixture over each (some may be left over).

3. Bake crab cakes until golden on top and set, about 25-30 minutes. Cool in pans for 5 minutes. Run knife around each cake and gently lift out of pan. Arrange crab cakes on a serving platter and sprinkle with chive pieces. Serve with Remoulade Sauce (recipe follows).

Makes 24 mini crab cakes

Note: Crab mixture can be made 1 day ahead then covered and chilled. Crab cakes can be baked 2 hours prior to serving, then rewarmed on a baking sheet at 350 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes.

Remoulade Sauce

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups light mayo
4 green onions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons creole mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 large garlic clove, pressed
1 1/2 teaspoons horseradish
1 teaspoon paprika

Directions:
1. Stir together all the ingredients until well blended. Cover and chill for at least one hour.

Wasabi and Panko Crusted Chilean Sea Bass

As I've embarked on this new endeavor of mine, I've learned that recipes are similar to life itself; they don't always turn out as you've planned. Even with careful preparation, the outcome can always be unexpected. This recipe for wasabi and Panko crusted Chilean sea bass was something I thought up while snacking on wasabi peas late one night. I felt pretty confident that the pungent tang of the wasabi would be a nice compliment to a delicate, flaky fish. My second thought was to offset the wasabi's piquant flavor with a sweet accompaniment. I wanted this dish to be centered around Asian flavors and maintain a healthy profile so I concocted a low-fat yogurt sauce made with honey, ginger, lemon, and soy sauce. I was pretty certain that the sweet and tangy flavor components of this dish would blend harmoniously. 

Last May, on a whim, I decided to create a couple recipes to submit to Cooking Light with the ultimate hopes of winning the $20,000 prize (a pipe dream, sure, but hey, someone has to win!). Well, I learned pretty quickly that recipe development was quite a time consuming process, much to do with the trial and error procedure that is often necessary. So I guess it shouldn't have been such a surprise when my Chilean sea bass didn't turn out as I had hoped my first time around. Interestingly enough, the zing from the wasabi, the central flavor this dish was based upon, completely disappeared after being introduced to the heat of the stove. The fish was almost flavorless, an unexpected result that I found odd. So after a sufficient amount of research (and by that I mean googling), I found out that most of the taste in wasabi is really located in the vapors (the ones that sting the nostrils much like wasabi's close relatives horseradish and hot mustard) which can easily evaporate, causing loss of flavor- a decent explanation for the outcome of my sea bass. 

I guess the point I'm trying to make is this: there is a learning curve involved with recipe development or even just cooking in itself. I still feel like my wasabi and Panko crusted sea bass is a winning dish, or at least that it has the potential to be- it just needs a few tweaks here and there. I debated on whether or not to blog about this particular culinary travail with all of you, however, I think it's important to share both the triumphs and tribulations I encounter here in my kitchen. I have some ideas in mind on how I can improve on this dish. I'm going to mark this recipe as a work in progress and I'll follow up with a second edition here in the near future. Stay tuned!