Different Ways to Make Crab Cakes
It is still possible to find excellent crab meat in the markets, so we have selected a crab cake recipe which we feel is well worth trying. The recipe is a modified version of one served at Le Bec-Fin Restaurant in Philadelphia. The original recipe does not include bread crumbs, but we found that it is much easier to handle the crab and shrimp mousse mixture with the addition of the crumbs. The avocado "butter" is another variation on the original recipe and one that we like very much. We have started this meal with a light carrot soup which can be made ahead and reheated. We have found that a dry riesling (we used a 1992 vintage from Ponzi Vineyards) is an excellent accompaniment for the meal.
Although it will be a few months before local asparagus is available again, the stores are beginning to stock beautiful, thin asparagus. The pasta recipe, a combination of asparagus, butter and lemon is a quick, colorful side dish for the crab. Numerous cooks make a case for buying larger asparagus and peeling them, but we prefer the smaller stalks (about 1/2 inch in diameter). When buying asparagus, look for stalks that have smooth skin and tight-budded tops. Discard any stalks that are withered or brown and are not at least two-thirds green. If they are not to be used right away, asparagus keeps well when refrigerated upright in a container holding an inch or two of water.
The dessert included with this meal is a moist apple cake that can be frozen for up to six months and thawed at serving time.
