Sparks in the Kitchen

Grandma Sparks's Maryland Crab Cakes My grandmother, who lived her entire life just outside Baltimore, was a great cook, and these crab cakes were mainly responsible for burnishing her culinary reputation. You will be forgiven, dear reader, for thinking that the Sparks clan is obsessed with mayonnaise. And you may be rightso many of my family's culinary treasures use this humble but essential ingredient. We're a little particular about it toounless you are willing to make your own, only Hellman's (not Hellman's Lightthe real thing) will do. These crab cakes also depend on finding the freshest lump crabmeat. Ingredients: 1 pound fresh lump crabmeat, picked over gently for any stray shells or cartilage 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon Colman's dry mustard 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 egg, beaten 1 tablespoon mayonnaise 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 2 slices fresh bread, crusts removed, diced into very small cubes Butter, for sauteing Serves 6 (makes about 8-12 small cakes) Carefully mix all of the crab cake ingredients together in a large bowl. Don't break up the crabmeat; big cunks are so much more satisfying to eat. When your crab cake batter is thoroughly mixed, let it rest for several hours in the refrigeratorthis allows the bread cubes to soak up the moisture from the crab so they won't fall apart in the pan. Shape your cakes into any size you wishlarge ones for lunch, or tiny ones for hors d'oeuvres.When you're ready to serve them, heat a nonstick or heavy-bottomed skillet, add a generous amount of butter, and saute the cakes over medium heat until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Weighing your options: We serve our crab cakes with just a squeeze of lemon, but for a more assertive and modern accompaniment, you can pair them with Smoked Chile and Caper Remoulade (pg. 271); it will give them a nice kick. Goat Cheese Quesadillas with Smoked Salmon and Kumquat Relish I have hijacked this essentially Mexican dish to allow for multicultural flavor combinations. It is so easy and satisfying to sandwich any number of good cheeses between two crispy sheets of tortilla. (Tortillas, by the way, keep very well in the freezer). The quesadilla is a great vehicle for using up bits of cheese in your fridge as well as cooked leftovers like shrimp, chicken, beans, mushroomswherever your imagination takes you. Add a salsa and you have an impressive first course, or a light lunch. This quesadilla is a fun and tasty one, and I have listed several others for you to try below as well. But I encourage you to create your own, enlisting the kids to help you. Ingredients: Eight 6-inch flour tortillas 12 ounces creamy goat cheese 1/2 small red onion, minced Salt and freshly ground pepper For the kumquat relish: 1 dozen kumquats, sliced into rings with seeds removed 1/4 fresh green chile, minced 1 small bunch cilantro leaves, minced 4 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 tablespoons butter 1/2 pound smoked salmon, cut into 24 small pieces 2 ounces salmon roe or caviar or per your preference and budget Serves 6 Trim the tortillas, going around the edge of an inverted bowl (it should just fit inside the outer edge of the tortillas) with a sharp knire; this makes a neater presentation. Spread 4 of the tortillas out on a work surface, and divide the goat cheese among them. Scatter the minced red onion over the cheese, season lightly with salt and pepper, and press the remaining 4 tortillas firmly over each bottom tortilla. Wrap the quesadillas with wax paper between them. They can be stored iSparks, Katy is the author of 'Sparks in the Kitchen ' with ISBN 9781400043552 and ISBN 1400043557.