I found a Rachael Ray recipe for crab cakes. Rachael does not like mayo so I was confident it would be ommited and I was correct! I like that she uses red wine vinegar though . (in addition to her text book EVOO) Someone above did not like the fact I recommended avocados as a subsitute and that I happened to write a blog article about that. Oh well, can't seem to please everyone. But this recipe is directly from Rachael's Ray site and it sounds really tasty. (and looks to be mayo free!) Ingredients 1 starchy potato, peeled and thinly sliced 2 cloves garlic Coarse salt Handful fresh flat leaf parsley Couple sprigs fresh thyme, leaves finely chopped 1/2 lemon, zested and juiced 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 2 tubs fresh lump crabmeat (6 ounces) , available at fresh seafood counter 7 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), divided 2 roasted red peppers 1 small shallot, chopped 2 teaspoons sugar 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar Black pepper 1 small head escarole, chopped 1 small head radicchio, chopped 1 endive, chopped Preparation Cook potatoes in boiling water 6-7 minutes until tender, drain, scatter across a large flat surface to cool and dry, 5 minutes. Smash the garlic with salt to make a paste and add to potatoes along with thyme, parsley, lemon zest and crushed red pepper flakes. Feel through the crab as you add it to the potatoes to check for shells. Mix together to combine and form into 4 (4-5-inch) super sized, killer crab cakes. Heat 3 tablespoons EVOO in a non stick skillet over medium to medium- high heat. Add the cakes and cook 5 minutes on each side or until deep golden brown. Combine the roasted red peppers, shallot, sugar, the juice of 1/2 lemon and the red wine vinegar in a food processor. Stream in the remaining 1/4 cup EVOO and form a dressing. Stop the processor and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Combine the greens in a salad bowl and dress them. Adjust salt and pepper, to your taste.

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.

you might try playing around with the sauce from this recipe Gingered Shrimp Cakes 1 lb. large shrimp, cooked 4 scallions, sliced, green parts included 1 Tbsp freshly grated ginger Grated lemon zest from 1 lemon 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley 1/2 C fresh corn, cooked, cut off cob 1 lg egg 3 Tbsp mayonnaise 1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce 1/2 tsp salt Pinch of ground black pepper 1 1/2 C fresh bread crumbs or panko (divided) 2 Tbsp olive oil (or more, for frying) 1 Tbsp butter (with the oil, for frying) Coarsely chop shrimp in bowl. Add scallions, ginger, lemon zest, parsley and corn. Combine mayonnaise, egg, hot sauce, salt and pepper and fold into shrimp mixture. Add 1 Cup breadcrumbs and gently mix. Form into 4 patties and gently dredge in remaining 1/2 C breadcrumbs, adding more if necessary. Put on a plate, cover with plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 min and up to 4 hours. Heat oil and butter in large skillet over med-high heat. Saute cakes until cooked through and golden brown on both sides, adding more oil to skillet as needed, about 8 minutes. Chile Garlic Sauce To make Chile-garlic cream sauce, combine 2 Tbsp chile-garlic sauce ( from Asia aisle at supermarket) and juice of 1/2 lime with 1/2 cup sour cream or cream fraiche. Spoon about 3 Tbsp of sauce on each plate and place shrimp cake on it, serve immediately. Makes four servings. Variation: Substitute lump crab meat for the shrimp. Nancy

Yum mimipadv. I'm a crab cake snob. A family tradition having grown up on the EasternShore. (snobby about lobster rolls, oyster stew, fish chowders, and cod cakes as well) Clearly i'm not along reading the posts above. Like mentioned it is a fine line to get fresh. When home visiting family i go to HarborHouse. Once-twice a year is not nearly enough so i have purchased at Costco but not for a few years i think. Our fish monger has fresh at a high cost but sometimes it is worth it for a splurge. From what i remember Costco is pasteurized and i'm ok with that. (not sure what they stock these days but Phillip's is not USA crab). I so rarely have them out. I need multi great reviews to order such a thing as i make my own. And make them for family when home. I get about 12-14 out of a lb container as i like them small for better butter crisp and with less filler they are easier to handle in the pan....two per person or one as an app with a main course to follow. I don't use egg as my fresh eggs have way too rich yolk but will use the whites. (same with cod cakes...i don't want to taste the egg yolk) With a pasteurized container, (still needs refrigeration), i lightly pick through then very quickly rinse, not soak, just a bit of cold fresh water...just a 1/2 cup or so, then hit with a bit of fresh lemon squeeze....set in the fridge in a colander to drain while prepping the rest. The 'dressing'. At least 4-6 hours ahead to meld. We all have our own favorite recipes but agree that less is best. I would make them at home...much more affordable and you can have them more often!