Culinary Corner: Spicy crab cakes will bring some zing to your next party

Here's a mildly spicy crab cake recipe that will make your party more than special.

You can use jumbo lump crabmeat or regular crabmeat, as long as it's fresh.

Frozen crabmeat won't work quite as well.

Do not drain the crabmeat because the juices add to the flavor.

Spicy Crab Cakes

(serves four)

1/3cup plus a teaspoon mayonnaise

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2teaspoon Dijon mustard

hot pepper sauce

1/2teaspoon bottled horseradish

1 large egg, beaten

1/2cup finely crushed saltines

12 ounces fresh crabmeat

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Mix together the mayonnaise, the mustards, a generous dash of hot sauce, horseradish and egg in a large bowl.

Gently stir in the saltines and crabmeat.

The crabcakes can be formed now, but they are easier to shape if you refrigerate the mixture for an hour.

Divide the mixture into 4 to 6 large crabcakes and place on a lightly oiled or nonstick baking sheet.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve immediately with your choice of more hot sauce, cocktail sauce or tartar sauce.

• • •

Here's a very rich and pleasing appetizer that will be great at your halftime buffet.

You might be able to find some Japanese shrimp crackers in an Asian market, or you can use a variety of crackers sprinkled with some Old Bay seasoning for dipping. With this dish, you'll really be putting on the Ritz!

You can assemble this ahead of time and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Just add 5 minutes to the baking time.

Just like the other recipe, you can substitute another grade of crabmeat for the jumbo lump.

Hot Jumbo Lump Crabmeat Dip

(serves four to six)

8 ounces whipped cream cheese with chives

2 tablespoons heavy cream

3 tablespoons minced Bermuda or sweet onion

2 teaspoons bottled horseradish

1/2to one teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

3 tablespoons sharp Cheddar cheese

1 pound fresh lump crabmeat, undrained, picked over for shells and cartilage.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, blend the cream cheese and cream until smooth. Mix in the onion, horseradish, Cheddar cheese and Old Bay. Stir in the crabmeat and its juices.

Place in a medium ovenproof dish, such as a 9-inch pie plate, and bake in the preheated oven until bubbly, about 10 to 12 minutes. Serve immediately with crackers for dipping.

• • •

If someone is asking, “Where's the beef?” here's one for them. These individual meat loaves can be ready at halftime.

Barbecued Beef Loaves

(makes six servings)

1/2cup ketchup

1/3cup cider vinegar

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon beef-flavored bouillon granules

1 1/2pounds lean ground beef

1 cup fine, dry bread crumbs

2 tablespoons finely chopped onion

1/2teaspoon salt

1/4teaspoon pepper

1 cup evaporated milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar and bouillon granules in a saucepan.

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the bouillon granules dissolve. Then set the sauce aside.

Combine the lean ground beef, breadcrumbs, onion, salt, pepper and milk, stirring until the mixture is thoroughly blended.

Shape the mixture into six loaves. Place the loaves in a lightly greased 11-inch-by-7-inch-by-1-inch baking dish. Spoon the barbecue sauce over top.

Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, remove and let set for four to 5 minutes then serve with roasted potatoes, cole slaw or other vegetables and additional sauce.

As always, enjoy!

David Kelly is a freelance columnist for Trib Total Media. He has been sharing cooking tips and recipes in Culinary Corner for 22 years.