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Could I Please Have This For Every Meal, For The Rest Of The Year?

Before we get started, I have to say that I’ve never been to Louisiana. It’s one of those places I’ve always dreamed of going, but for one reason or another it hasn’t happened yet. I have plenty of friends, though, who’ve been there more than once – and they all tell me the food is amazing. I bet it really is! And I always try to find recipes that would take me there (without even leaving my kitchen).

Hopefully some day soon I’ll be able to visit Louisiana and enjoy those wonderful meals! Until then, this is one of my favorite recipes that I believe has a very authentic flavor. The key thing is to use good quality seafood!

Some people tell me a good gumbo should be so spicy that your lips are on fire – others say that you’re not supposed to make gumbo too hot and spicy. I’m not sure if there’s a right or wrong but I prefer mine with a little bit of kick! With this recipe, that’s totally up to you.

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Quick Tip: You can find file powder in the seasoning section of most well-stocked grocery stores.

“Crab” A Cake And Join The Party

For some funny reason I still don’t understand, I was a teenager the first time I ever tasted a crab cake.

I honestly don’t know why – maybe it was because my family is from Europe and I grew up eating all these traditional European recipes. Crab cakes were never on the menu and somehow I had missed them at all the parties, too. But ever since I had my first taste, they became a staple in our dinner rotation! When I got married and we moved into our own house, I made sure I was bringing this recipe with me.

This is a no-hassle, no-odd stuff, no-kidding recipe. What you see is what you get and that means lots of flavor from crab instead of common fillers that people tend to add to crab cake recipes. So, no potatoes in this one – just incredibly yummy aromas!

However, I definitely like to serve these with potatoes! It doesn’t really matter what kind; smashed, baked or just French fries. I often go for smashed potatoes because the flavors seem to complement each other so well.

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Quick Tip: Chill the cakes for an hour before frying!

My husband loves just about anything. I am serious, he tries and likes everything. Every time we travel, we find a great restaurant in the area and then eat a classic dish from the area. My husband is not shy when it comes to trying new dishes. He usually tries to stick with meals that are unlike the kinds anyone can make in our hometown, no matter how weird.

One that he loved when we went to Rhode Island was a cheesy crab dip. No, not that weird, but definitely not common in our town. It is expensive and hard to make. Or so I thought. I searched for a recipe and came out with nothing. There was no recipe that was good enough for this cheesy crab dip he so craved! I casually was talking to my father in law about this and since I know he likes to cook, I asked him if he knew any recipe like this because I was falling short. He actually did have a recipe! It was a cheesy dip just like the crab one and had chunks of real crab in it. I made it for my husband on his birthday as a surprise and he loved it even more than the original one!

Photo and recipe courtesy of Will Cook For Smiles

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Quick Tip: Serve this with any type of bread or in a hollowed out bread bowl.

Of course when you think of cranberry, you think of Ocean Spray, and this recipe comes straight from their HQ. This petite snack packs a punch. With only 5 simple ingredients, this quick to whip, appetizer is perfect for last minute guests. It is recommended to use real crab meat in this dish, but any kind will do.

A friend of mine arranged a big birthday party last month and I offered to bring appetizers, to help her out with all the work. But as I was going through my recipe archives, none of the appetizer recipes seemed to be perfect for the occasion. So I had to do some searching to find a perfect one! As soon as I came across this crab cake recipe I knew this was it. I made a double batch of these and a double batch of another appetizer recipe (I’ll have to remember to share that one with you also), and there was plenty even for a larger crowd. These crab cakes got rave reviews and I was asked for the recipe so many times!

Recipe and photo courtesy of Ocean Spray.

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Quick tip: Use light cream cheese, if preferred.