Subject: Crab Tassies
From: Unicorn (unicorn@indenial.com)
Date: Mon Jan 27 2003 - 04:58:04 EST
__________________________________________________
FOOD FUNNY
__________________________________________________
Thanks to reader Sarah Bach for this sage gastronomic advice:
After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started
roaring. He kept it up until a hunter came along and shot him. The
moral: When you're full of bull, keep your mouth shut.
__________________________________________________
TODAY'S RECIPE
__________________________________________________
This week I begin a series of weekly themes that will eventually cover
all 50 states and the District of Columbia. At the rate of about one
per month, it should take me... oh, say a couple of years to get to
them all. Since I happen to be writing this from a hotel room in
Washington, D.C, I thought this would be a good place to start.
I am sure that I'll repeat this during the coming days, but Washington
D.C. doesn't really have a traditional cuisine it can call its own.
It is surrounded by the states of Virginia and Maryland, with Delaware
and New Jersey just a stone's throw away, and benefits from all the
bounty of those fertile provinces. As the capital of the nation, it
also attracts people from every corner of the country and the world,
acting as a national smorgasbord for the food traditions of virtually
every culture on Earth. Here is the lineup for "America Cooks -
Washington, D.C.":
Monday's Starter
Crab Tassies
Tuesday's Soup or Salad
Delmarva Clam Chowder
Wednesday's Side Dish
Carrot Souffle
Thursday's Entree
Pork Tenderloin with Stilton and Port
Friday's Dessert
Chocolate Chip Pizza
The crab meat of the Chesapeake Bay area is used to good advantage in
these savory, rich tartlets.
Crab Tassies
For the pastry:
1/2 cup (125 ml) butter at room temperature
3 oz (80 g) cream cheese at room temperature
1 cup (250 ml) all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp (1 ml) salt
For the filling:
1 lb (225 g) crab meat, picked over
1 scallion (spring onion), green and white part,
finely chopped
1/2 cup (125 ml) mayonnaise
1 Tbs (15 ml) lemon juice
1/2 cup (125 ml) grated Swiss cheese
1/4 cup (60 ml) finely chopped celery
1/2 tsp (2 ml) Worcestershire sauce
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Hot sauce to taste (optional)
Cream the butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Stir in the
flour and salt. Roll into 24 balls and chill for 1 hour. Press into
small muffin tins, about 1 1/2 to 2 inches (4 - 5 cm) in diameter.
Combine the ingredients for the filling, stirring gently to mix well.
Spoon into the unbaked pastry shells and bake in a preheated 350F
(180C) oven until the crust is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Serve
warm or at room temperature. Serves 6 to 8.
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b28 : Sat Feb 01 2003 - 00:00:01 EST