Orioles vs. White Sox

Tom and I went to the Baltimore Orioles/Chicago White Sox game tonight. Back in October, we got tickets for a game that was rained out, and we weren't able to attend the rain date, due to work, so we got our rain ticket for tonight. I must say, it was really weird. The last time I was at an Orioles game to just watch the game must have been fifteen years ago, any time since then has been with the band, and we had a role to play, be it playing "The Star-Spangled Banner" before the game started, "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" for the 7th inning stretch or just playing outside the stadium while fans arrived for the game. I couldn't get used to just sitting there and watching the game!
After the game (which was a win for the O's), we walked down Eutaw Street, the area between right field and the B&O Warehouse, to see the plaques where home run balls have landed, or even hit the warehouse!

Spring Fling Luncheon

Today, we held our "Spring Fling" Luncheon at work. Last night, I made three items, and they were well received.

The most popular was the shrimp salad, there wasn't any left over at the end of the hour, but I got compliments on the other two items as well.

Shrimp Salad

The last cold sandwich salad that I decided to make for tomorrow's "Spring Fling" luncheon at Huber was a recipe for Shrimp Salad by Ina Garten.

Shrimp Salad

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 lemon cut into quarters
• 4 pounds large shrimp in the shell (16 to 20 shrimp per pound)
• 2 cups good mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons white wine or white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 6 tablespoons minced fresh dill
• 1 cup minced red onion (1 onion)
• 3 cups minced celery (6 stalks)

Directions

1. Bring 5 quarts of water, 3 tablespoons salt, and the lemon to a boil in a large saucepan. Add half the shrimp and reduce the heat to medium. Cook uncovered for only 3 minutes or until the shrimp are barely cooked through. Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl of cold water. Bring the water back to a boil and repeat with the remaining shrimp. Let cool; then peel, and devein the shrimp.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, wine or vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and dill. Combine with the peeled shrimp. Add the red onion and celery and check the seasonings. Serve or cover and refrigerate for a few hours.

Egg Salad with Homemade Tarragon Mayonnaise

For tomorrow's "Spring Fling" luncheon at Huber, one of the cold sandwich salad recipes that I wanted to try out was egg salad, and I based what I made off of this recipe by Emeril Lagasse.

Egg and Lobster Salad with Homemade Tarragon Mayonnaise

Ingredients

• 6 large eggs
• Homemade Tarragon Mayonnaise, recipe follows
• 1/4 cup minced shallots
• 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
• Pinch cayenne
• 1 (1-pound) lobster, cooked until tender, tail meat chopped, claw meat left whole
• 2 cups mescaline greens, washed and spun dry
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 firm, ripe Hass avocado, peeled and seed removed, rubbed with fresh lemon juice to prevent discoloration
• 8 pencil-thin asparagus spears, blanched and shocked in ice water bath, patted dry
• Sevruga caviar, tobiko, golden whitefish or salmon roe, for garnish
• Chopped fresh tarragon leaves, for garnish

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, place the eggs and cover with water by 1-inch. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook the eggs at a bare boil for exactly 10 minutes.
2. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Place the eggs in an ice bath to cool. When chilled, peel the eggs, cut in half lengthwise, and chop into 1/2-inch pieces. Place in a medium bowl and add 1/4 cup of the mayonnaise, the shallots, garlic, and cayenne and mash with a fork to blend. Add the chopped lobster tail meat and additional mayonnaise 1 tablespoon at a time to reach desired consistency. Adjust the seasoning, to taste. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. (Salad can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)
3. In a bowl, toss the mesclun with the olive oil and salt and pepper, to taste. Arrange across the bottom of on a large plate or platter.
4. With a thin, sharp knife, cut each avocado half lengthwise almost all the way but not completely through to the other end. Place each half seed side down on the lettuce and gently spread out into a fantail shape. Place the lobster-egg salad in the center of the two avocados and the asparagus spears around the sides of the plate. Top the avocados with caviar, garnish with the tarragon, and serve.

Homemade Tarragon Mayonnaise:

• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Pinch freshly ground white pepper

1. In a food processor or blender, blend the egg and lemon juice for 10 seconds. With the processor running, slowly pour in the oil through the feed tube and process until emulsified. (Should the mixture become too thick, with the machine running, add water 2 teaspoons at a time.) Add the tarragon, salt, and pepper and pulse to blend. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using. (The mayonnaise will keep tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.)

Yield: about 1 1/4 cups

I made the Homemade Tarragon Mayonnaise first, moved on to the Egg Salad part, then stopped when lobster came into play.

Pete's Sister's Crab Salad

Tomorrow, at Huber, we're having a "Spring Fling" luncheon. After some serious thought, I thought I'd bring a variety of cold sandwich salads (i.e. tuna, chicken, egg) and cocktail bread. The first one I decided to make was something I had tried many years ago at a friend's post-Christmas party, got the recipe, but never made - Pete's Sister's Crab Salad.

Pete’s Sister’s Crab Salad

1. 1 lb. Lump or Backfin Crabmeat
2. Add a mixture of diced onion, celery and green pepper (I just add it to add color and look healthy so I don’t measure any of the ingredients).
3. Add about 3 TBSP of Mayonnaise (or more until it is a consistency that you like)
4. Mix together all of the above (use a fork so that you can separate the pieces)
5. Add a few shakes of OLD BAY Seafood Seasoning (I use the low sodium one)

When adding seasoning, taste your crab mixture immediately after adding the Old Bay. If it tastes like it could use a dash more , STOP. The seasoning will be absorbed by the meat and it will be fine. Serve the salad with extra Old Bay so that others can season to taste. Unfortunately, once you’ve added too much, it can’t be removed.