Asian Style Crab Cakes

By Lori Powell

For the New Year I am striving to eat less meat and increase my portion of vegetables and other lean proteins, such as fish.

So when I was developing a recipe with crab meat for Prevention magazine (I am the Food Director), and I had 8 ounces left over, I thought crab cakes would be a delicious way to use the remainder.

I used what I had on hand in my pantry to create the following Asian Style Crab Cakes with watercress and pickled beets…such as panko, eggs, scallions, fresh lime, watercress, mayo, pickled ginger and beets, and a touch of seasoned rice wine vinegar.

I never order crab cakes out since they are usually made with a lot of filler, such as breadcrumbs, and never enough crabmeat. I want to see the chunks of crabmeat in my cake and so they are one of those dishes that I love to make at home. Plus they are super easy and cook quickly.

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Clams are Great for One or Two Bites

By Lori Powell

I have a fantastic fishmonger in my town that has the freshest littleneck clams that are truly littleneck (less than 2 inches in diameter and 10 to13 clams per pound) and not middleneck (3 to 4 inches in diameter and about 7 to 9 clams per pound). Yes there is such as thing.

Since the clams are super fresh, they’ll keep in the fridge for up to three days after purchasing. Also they cook up super-quick for a healthy weeknight dinner and you can buy a small quantity of clams. It’s definitely a win-win for cooks needing One or Two Bites.

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Fun with Grapefruit

By Lori Powell

Grapefruit or Pomelo?

Well, the real difference is in the size of the fruit and the taste. The pomelo is the largest of the citrus fruits. It comes from Asia and is milder and sweeter than the grapefruit. It also has a much thicker rind than the grapefruit with a pale yellow flesh as opposed to a Ruby Red grapefruit that has a bright pink interior.

Pomelos are great for segmenting and eating just as it is but I do prefer the sprightly acidic flavor of grapefruit, especially the Ruby Red variety that is not only pretty to look at, but I believe is slightly sweeter than the regular kind. Ruby Red or regular grapefruit works well in both sweet and savory dishes.

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One or Two Bites (but not today)

By Lori Powell

The biggest food holiday is almost here. Ten family members will be arriving at my house in Pennsylvania next Wednesday so I am in countdown mode.

Don’t get me wrong. I am super- excited but the love of it is in the planning and details. Not only will they be here for the big feast day but they will also be lodging at my house for several days.

I feel like Robert Irvine in Dinner: Impossible times four days. Do I even have enough bath towels for 11 people (counting myself of course)?

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Tools that Deliver

By Lori Powell

There is nothing more satisfying than a kitchen tool that delivers...both in design and function. We are inundated by all sorts of must-have gadgets for our kitchen.

My personal requirements are that a tool must have several functions: be sturdy, be easy to clean and easy to store. Most of all, the tool must live up to its advertised promise of making my cooking tasks easier and quicker in order for me to be sold.

I have many food styling tools that I adore but only a handful of kitchen tools. Below are just a few of them:

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