Bread Crumbs

PREPARE SOME Maryland seafood, serve it with locally grown vegetables and toast the meal with a glass of wine from one of the state's several vineyards, and what do you have? You've got "Maryland's in Season" a month-long promotion touting state-grown seafood, produce and wine.The promotion is being sponsored by The Restaurant Association of Maryland, the Association of Maryland Wineries and the Maryland Department of Agriculture."By the end of the program, diners will realize how much of the food they order comes from right here in Maryland" said Marcia Harris, executive vice president for the restaurant association.

  Annapolitans are loyal, and the city has an impressive list of long-running restaurants. Once a place clicks, it tends to stay. That's not too surprising for a political town. Call it the incumbency effect. In 1986, Jean-Louis Evennou opened the original Cafe Normandie on Main Street in Annapolis. Five years later, he and his wife, Suzanne, moved the restaurant five doors down, where it's been ever since, serving a reasonably priced menu of French cafe classics like escargots, bouef bourguignonne, bouillabaisse and roast duck.

Save the money you spend on store-bought bread crumbs by making your own at home. Leftover hunks of bread made without preservatives tend to harden after a day or two, so they make good candidates for pulverizing into bread crumbs in a blender or food processor. Softer supermarket sandwich loaves will require drying in a 225-degree oven for about 10 minutes before slices become hard enough to pulse into dry crumbs. Store bread crumbs in an airtight container or food storage bag for up to two weeks at room temperature or 2 months in the freezer.

Edna Jonkoniec from Clinton, Maine, was looking for a recipe for making meatloaf that was rolled jelly-roll style. She said the roll also contained potatoes, cheese and other ingredients. She lost the recipe in a move some years ago and wanted to be able to make it again for her family. Carol Owen from Havre de Grace sent in a recipe she had that sounded very much like what Jonkoniec was in search of. It is fairly easy to make as long as you allow time for the loaf to chill before attempting to slice it. When I tested it, I used store-bought mashed potatoes, which was a big time-saver.

I have a problem with crab cakes. I have been using the recipe on the back of the Old Bay Seasoning container, and the cakes always fall apart. I've tried more/less eggs, more/less bread, more/less crab, etc. Crab cakes present all sorts of frying problems because of their moist constitution and irregular surface. I am ever mindful of the sage advice of my cooking idol, Marcella Hazan: "Wet things won't brown." To that, I add: "Wet things won't allow the formation of a sturdy enough crust to keep the thing from falling apart."

Q. I want to try a couple of recipes that call for Japanese bread crumbs, but have had a hard time finding this product. Do they have another name? Where can I buy them? Can I substitute something else for them? A. This trendy Japanese item is also known as panko bread crumbs. They have become very in over the past 10 years and, as with all things that become popular, they have become overused. I knew that line had been crossed when I saw "Panko-Crusted Southern Fried Chicken" on a menu.

I thought I had tried every variation on the quintessential American crab cake, but a few days ago while dining in Northampton, Mass., I sampled yet another version. This particular crab cake was like no other I had tried. The outside was crisp and golden, while the texture inside was as light as a feather. But the taste was the most alluring feature. There was a perfect spiciness to complement the sweetness of the shellfish, and a delectable sauce, piquant yet not overpowering, made a fine accompaniment.

Canned salmon, a staple in many cupboards, takes on a new air of sophistication with the simple addition of fresh grated ginger, aromatic cilantro and savory green onions. The salmon mixture is formed into small patties and lightly sauteed to a golden brown and then presented on a bed of mixed salad greens in a sweet and tangy orange-ginger vinaigrette. This recipe is from the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute.Pacific Rim Salmon1 can (15 1/2 ounces) salmon1 cup dry bread crumbs1/2 cup sliced green onions2 tablespoons chopped cilantro1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger3 egg whitesAdditional dry bread crumbs, for coatingVegetable oil, for frying6 to 8 cups mixed salad greensOrange-ginger vinaigrette, recipe follows.

My Crab Cakes Ingredients: 1 lb. crabmeat 2 tsp. melted butter 4 tbs. mayonnaise 1 tsp. mustard 1 beaten egg 1/2 tsp. Old Bay Sprinkle and add some bread crumbs, or 1 slice of bread, torn into small pieces. Instructions: Form all into large hamburger-size pieces and place on a plate in refrigerator for a few hours. Spray a tinfoil-covered cookie sheet and place in oven at 350 degrees until light brown on both sides. --Pat Keefe, Pasadena Crab Cakes Ingredients: 1 lb. lump crabmeat 2 eggs 1 tbs. Worcestershire sauce 1 sprinkle Tabasco sauce 1/2 tsp. Old Bay 1 tsp. Horseradish 1 tbs. honey mustard 4 slices bread, no crust 1/4 cup mayonnaise Instructions: Mix all ingredients except crabmeat.

On Easter morning, my husband and I will rise early and hide a few dozen pale-hued eggs in our backyard. A couple of hours later, our two grandchildren will arrive. Like last April, when we held our first egg hunt for the children, we'll stand on the sidelines and watch the delight as the little ones discover the hidden eggs tucked under rocks, stashed in flower beds and not-so-well-hidden in the bushes. This scene, of course, will be repeated in countless yards around the country. Easter-egg searches and church services are on many families' schedules for Easter Sunday, and for those of us hosting lunch, there won't be much free time for cooking.

Tuna Noodle Casserole is a comforting family classic. This made-over version from a new EatingWell cookbook shaves calories and fat and speeds preparation. As a one-pot meal, it also fit our budget for a family of four, with some left over for another night. shopping list Egg noodles: $1.36 Olive oil: 17 cents Onion: 50 cents Mushrooms: $2.29 Wine: $1.28 Flour: 8 cents Milk: 52 cents Tuna: $2 Peas: 64 cents Cheese: $1.74 Bread crumbs: 40 cents From the pantry: salt, pepper TOTAL: $10.98* Note: Prices are calculated based on the amounts used in the recipe.

I find myself paging through my mother's recipes when I'm stumped for an economical meal these days. This meatloaf, with its sweet-spicy glaze, evokes pleasant memories, and the price is right, especially when ground beef is on sale. (When it is, buy ahead and freeze the meat.) Leftovers make great sandwiches on pieces of toasted whole-wheat bread. shopping list Wine: $1.25 Ground beef : $5.88 Bread crumbs: 50 cents Onion: 50 cents Eggs: 33 cents Ketchup: 61 cents Brown sugar: 36 cents Vinegar: 27 cents Dry mustard: 25 cents From the pantry: salt, pepper TOTAL:$ 9.95* *Note: Prices are calculated based on the amounts used in the recipe.

Gratins have a bit of seasonal affective disorder. They turn up in fall and winter but disappear when the sun comes back out in springtime. That is surprising considering how well everything at peak of green right now goes with cheese and sauce, and how easily a quick pass through the oven makes them all rich and bubbly together. Asparagus, artichokes, green garlic, dandelions, even not-so-green new potatoes can be transformed by the gratin treatment. The super-fresh aspect makes gratins especially tantalizing once you start to feel a little bored by the vegetables that tasted so new just weeks ago. A steamed artichoke is always a thing of satisfying beauty, but if you pare it to its heart, combine it with many more and bake them with green garlic and cheese, you get a whole new taste sensation.

Herb-crusted lamb steaks served on a bed of creamy spinach is a perfect dish for any weeknight. Tender, juicy lamb steaks are cut through the leg to make a piece of meat 3/4 -inch to 1-inch thick with a slice of bone in the center. If you don't see it in the meat case, ask the butcher to cut it for you. Lamb goes best with Spanish rioja. Florentine Lamb Serves 2 3 medium garlic cloves, crushed 2 teaspoons chopped dried rosemary 2 tablespoons plain bread crumbs salt and freshly ground pepper olive-oil spray 2 (6- to 7-ounce)

A recent lunch with my former Italian instructor led to talk of good food and her memory of a favorite dish made by her mother. The dish sounded like a great candidate for a quick weeknight dinner, so I immediately asked for the recipe. Susan Pezzino said her Sicilian mother used to make this pasta dish using beefsteak tomatoes. The tomato is partially cored, stuffed, then baked. It then forms the sauce for pasta. She would serve it in individual baking dishes doused with olive oil and sprinkled with bread crumbs before baking.

The Flexitarian Table By Peter Berley with Zoe Singer Vegetables By the Culinary Institute of America Lebhar-Friedman Books / 2007 / $40 Vegetables, the latest cookbook offering from the Culinary Institute of America, is a beautifully illustrated compendium of recipes chock-full of vegetables. It is not strictly vegetarian, but it celebrates vegetables and legumes. Besides basic information (what is bok choy) and advice (how to trim an artichoke bottom), it includes delightful dishes such as fennel-and-potato chowder and hazelnut romesco sauce (to accompany grilled vegetables)

Many of us can't understand the fascination with mint jelly on lamb. It is always too green, too wiggly, too fake.But even a cynic won't deny that the flavors of mint and lamb are as compatible as Bogie and Bacall. You've just got to find the right formula. Instead of mint jelly, think mint sauce. I worked with some adaptations of the classic Italian mint sauce -- a combination of fresh mint and parsley, bread crumbs, vinegar and olive oil -- and came up with a flavorful, sauce that can be as complementary to chicken or fish as it is to lamb.

1 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless salmon1 1/4 cups fine fresh bread crumbsSalt and freshly ground pepper to taste1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg1/4 teaspoon ground cumin1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce1/3 cup milk1/3 cup sour cream1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander1 tablespoon corn or vegetable oil4 tablespoons butter1 tablespoon lemon juiceChop the salmon coarsely with a very heavy sharp knife or with a food processorPlace salmon in a mixing bowl and add 1/2...

The Best of Gourmet Sixty-Five Years, Sixty-Five Favorite Recipes Good Food for Good Times By Jamie Gwen with Lana Sills Powerline Publishing / 2007 / $24.95 This homespun book from Los Angeles-based chef Jamie Gwen, who has appeared on the Home Shopping Network and written two other cookbooks, is organized around celebration menus - sort of. Some of them, like the Birthday Bash Brunch - with gazpacho, ginger pancakes, the "Very Best Dutch Baby,"...

I have a problem with crab cakes. I have been using the recipe on the back of the Old Bay Seasoning container, and the cakes always fall apart. I've tried more/less eggs, more/less bread, more/less crab, etc. Crab cakes present all sorts of frying problems because of their moist constitution and irregular surface. I am ever mindful of the sage advice of my cooking idol, Marcella Hazan: "Wet things won't brown." To that, I add: "Wet things won't allow the formation of a sturdy enough crust to keep the thing from falling apart."