Worcestershire Sauce

The Preakness may be Baltimore's best horse race, but for a lot of people it's also Baltimore's best excuse to party. To some that means beer and chips in the Pimlico infield. To others, though, it's Crab Louis on Belgian endive and red pepper bisque en croute at the Paolo Gucci Triple Crown Ball.We can't all attend the Maryland Jockey Club's celebration at the National Aquarium or partake of an extravagant luncheon buffet at one of the corporate tents on the big day. But the organizers and caterers involved with the high end of the Preakness festivities are willing to share their menus and some of their recipes with us. Feel free to borrow from them for your own Preakness party.

Around the house* When washing dishes, work from the least soiled item to the most heavily soiled. Glassware should be hand-washed first, then silverware, dishes and serving pieces. Pots and pans should be cleaned last.* Clean copper items in a hurry: Rub a bit of ketchup or Worcestershire sauce on the surface; the acids will remove tarnish.In the garden* Remove faded flowers every few days to encourage plants to produce more flowers.

Ann Paszkiewicz of Fallston was looking for a recipe for a rice-cheese bake that she said was probably at least 35 years old. Mary Rollins of Martinsburg, W.Va., sent in this recipe from an old cookbook called Recipes Out of This World by the Women of St. Agnes Catholic Church in Charleston, W.Va. Recipe request Patti Kress of Osprey, Fla., said that while visiting Baltimore some years ago she had a wonderful Asiago cheese spread that she purchased at the cheese store in the Cross Street Market in South Baltimore.

Comfort food makes us all feel good, but it's usually not so good for our health. But there are ways to tinker with classic recipes to make them a little healthier. This week's recipe, from Bethenny Frankel of the Skinny Girl franchise , does just that. It's her more nutritious version of turkey meatloaf. She describes it as: The comfort of meatloaf without the calories. Hope you like it. If you have a healthy recipe you'd like to share send to andrea.walker@baltsun.com and I'll post it on this blog.

In the Fast & Fresh column in Wednesday's A La Carte section, it was unclear which dish the carrots, raisins, mayonnaise and lemon juice were for. They are the ingredients ** for a carrot-raisin salad to accompany the tuna casserole.The Sun regrets the error.That old standby, tuna noodle casserole, is one of those comfy convenient dishes that's remained a family classic. The original version could use some calorie trimming, however, so we've come up with a delicious new variation that's so simple, even the kids can help.

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.

Sidney Amber, who celebrated his 109th birthday in January by reciting poetry on the "Tonight Show with Jay Leno," died Friday in San Francisco. A well-known centenarian there, he was a rarity among survivors of the 1906 earthquake -- he was an adult when the temblor struck. An amateur boxer, restaurateur and sign painter, he once said the secret to longevity was a triple dose of Worcestershire sauce before dinner.Sam Bailey, 80, a civil rights activist who worked with Medgar Evers to trigger a movement for black equality in Mississippi, died Saturday.

Garlic, Cheese and Pimento Bread 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese1/2 cup ricotta cheese2 medium cloves garlic, peeled and forced through a press2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs, crushed1/4 teaspoon salt1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepperL 1 (7-ounce) can whole pimentos, drained and coarsely chopped1 (11-inch) loaf French bread, cut in half lengthwiseCombine the mozzarella and ricotta cheeses, the garlic, parsley, Italian herbs, salt, pepper and pimentos.

ADD SOME PIZAZZ to your diet with this low-calorie recipe. The delicious coating is a tasty combination of crunchy sesame seeds mixed with sour cream. The skinless, boneless chicken breast is then topped with a sweet yet tangy apricot sauce.The recipe calls for a reduced-calorie apricot spread. Read the label to be certain you are buying a spread with no more than 16 calories per two teaspoons.The recipe is from "Weight Watchers Quick and Easy Menu Cookbook."Sesame and Apricot Chicken1/2 cup plain dried bread crumbs1 tablespoon sesame seeds2 tablespoons sour cream1 teaspoon lemon juice1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce1 garlic clove, minced, dividedSalt and pepper to taste2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts2 teaspoons vegetable oil3 tablespoons reduced-calorie apricot spread (16 calories per 2 teaspoons)

When does a Caesar salad stop being a Caesar salad and become something else altogether? Does it happen when you add a grilled chicken breast or a few slices of sirloin? When you add grilled salmon? Or a crab cake? Is it still a Caesar salad if you use Key lime juice instead of lemon juice? Grilled romaine instead of whole romaine leaves? If you use buttermilk, wasabi paste, avocado, tortilla chips, smoked cheddar or chili powder, is it still a Caesar salad? Salad creator Caesar Cardini would say, "No!"