Crab Cakes & Remoulade Sauce
(Makes 8 patties)*

2 T mayonnaise
2 T fresh parsley (chopped)
1/4 C scallion (fine dice)
1 tsp. coarse-grained mustard
Dash Tabasco sauce
1 T Old Bay seasoning
2 egg whites (beaten)
1 C fresh white bread crumbs (divided)
1 lb. lump crab meat (see sidebar)
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Remoulade Sauce:  
1 C mayonnaise
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. Tabasco sauce (or less)
1/4 C scallions (minced)
1/4 C celery (minced)
1/4 fresh parsley (minced)
1 tsp. lemon juice
salt & pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients except breadcrumbs and crab meat.  Mix thoroughly. Gently fold in 3/4 C of the breadcrumbs and all the crab. Form into 8 patties (2 ½”). *  Roll patties in remaining breadcrumbs. In a non-stick skillet, sauté patties (in batches) with a little oil, 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter in a warm oven (200) till ready to serve. Serve with a piquant Remoulade Sauce on the side.

Remoulade Sauce:
Mix ingredients together and serve in a small bowl to accompany crab cakes. 

* For an appetizer make 16 bite-sized balls.  Serve with tooth picks).

Tips & Glossary: Southern

Basic southern cuisine differs from its Cajun, Creole, and Southwestern cousins in its lack of hot spices. As a result, it's rich but mild—the ultimate in comfort food!

Most of the seasonings and spices you're probably familiar with and already have in your cupboard. You might want to check for freshness.

• Crabmeat:  meat from the body, legs or claws of numerous varieties of crab.  Most prized is jumbo lump from the hind leg.  But for crab cakes and casseroles, use regular lump, as well as finback from the body.  Claw meat is brown and stronger flavored, though also good for crab recipes.  Buy it fresh if you can. 

• Greens:  typically collard leaves (in the cabbage family), but also kale, turnip and mustard leaves.  A staple in Southern cooking, they're usually served with black-eyed peas, accompanied by cornbread.

• Grits:  another staple of Southern cooking: coarsely ground corn, cooked as porridge. Once cooked, grits are served plain, baked in a casserole, fried or deep-fried as a fritter. (Think polenta.)

• Yams:  a type of sweet potato with an elongated shape and deep orange flesh.  A true yam is grown in Africa and Asia is actually quite different from what Americans call yams.