Among the two decades-worth of articles, illustrations, and photography that have populated What’s Up? Media’s magazines, one of the all-time reader favorite columns has been “The Taste.” It’s a restaurant/recipe column that offers a chef or restaurant owner’s industry perspective (oftentimes both) and an exclusive recipe, which gives readers the opportunity to have a taste of their favorite restaurant dishes at home. And though the column wasn’t always referred to by its current moniker, there are 20 years of history behind it; and we took a deep dive into past issues to bring forth a few of our favorite recipes shared over the years, beginning with the debut recipe, Shrimp and Crab Pasta, which appeared in the July 1998 issue. Bon Appetit!
Shrimp and Crab Pasta
From Chef Michael Roberts of Harris Crab House
Serves 2–3 people, depending on how greedy you might be.
Ingredients
- 6 oz. fettucine, cooked to package directions
- 8 oz. peeled and deveined shrimp (40/50 count)
- 4 oz. crab meat (Maryland backfin)
- 2 oz. butter, melted
- 2 oz. white wine
- 4 oz. (1/2 cup) cream (heavy whipping cream or half-and-half)
- 3 oz. grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp. chopped fresh parsley
- 3/4 tsp. black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. garlic, chopped or minced
Directions
As pasta is draining, sauté shrimp in butter until done (5–10 minutes, being careful not to burn the butter). Shrimp are done when they turn white and appear firm. Pour off butter from the pan and discard; add parsley, black pepper, and garlic to the pan, then deglaze with white wine. Next, add cream stirring well. Add fettucine, stir or toss, and let cream reduce by half. Then add crab meat and Parmesan cheese, and stir or toss again. Let the pan re-heat and serve. To garnish, sprinkle on more Parmesan cheese and parsley.
Veal Moutarde
From Chef Russell Brown, formerly of Northwoods Restaurant
Serves 4 entrees
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs. veal scallopini, pounded thin
- 1/2 lb. sweet butter, melted
- 1/2 cup flour
- Salt and pepper
- 2 Tbsp. chopped shallots
- 1 bag of spinach, stemmed and washed
- 12 oz. sliced fresh mushrooms
- 1 can artichoke hearts, quartered
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 bunch scallions, washed and sliced
Directions
Heat large sauté pan on medium heat. Dredge the veal in flour, shaking off excess. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put 3 Tbsp. of butter in sauté pan and add veal in one layer. Cook about two minutes on each side and remove to a warm place. In the same pan, add 4 Tbsp. butter and 1 Tbsp. shallots. Cook for 30 seconds and add mushrooms; sauté for one minute. Add artichokes, Dijon, and wine and ing to a boil. Add heavy cream and salt and pepper, ing back to a boil, and reduce heat to a simmer. In another sauté pan, heat remaining butter, add shallots and spinach, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until wilted. Place on dinner plates. Put veal back into sauce, add scallions, and combine. Remove veal and portion onto spinach, top with sauce, and serve immediately. (Chicken may be substituted for the veal.)
Maryland Cream of Crab Soup
From Carrol's Creek Café
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. butter
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 whole cloves
- 1 large bay leaf
- 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp. (or more) cayenne pepper
- 1/2 lb. fresh crab meat, picked over
- 1 8 oz. bottle clam juice
- 1/4 cup dry sherry, preferably imported
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives or green onions
- Addition dry sherry (optional)
Directions
Melt butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, cloves, and bay leaf and sauté until onion is translucent, about three minutes. Sprinkle with flour and stir one minute. Gradually whisk in the milk and cream. Add nutmeg and cayenne pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Strain soup into a bowl, pressing on solids to release liquid. Return liquid to same saucepan. Add crab meat, clam juice, and sherry; simmer until thickened, about 15 minutes (do not boil). Season with additional cayenne pepper, if desired. (Can be made one day ahead. Chill, re-warm over low heat.) Ladle soup into bowls, garnish with chives. Pass additional sherry, if desired
Middleton Tavern Crab Cakes
From Chef Jimmy Gross of Middleton Tavern
Makes 4 crab cakes
Ingredients
- 1 lb. lump crab meat
- 1/4 cup crushed crackers
- 1 egg
- 3 Tbsp. mayonnaise
- 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp. Old Bay seafood seasoning
- 1 tsp. dry mustard
- 1/2 tsp. parsley flakes
Directions
Mix the egg, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, dry mustard, and seafood seasoning together in a bowl. Set aside. In a separate bowl, mix the crackers, lump crab meat, and parsley. Add the wet mixture to the crab mixture, folding the ingredients together gently to protect the lump crab meat. Use a large scoop to create crab cake balls. Broil or fry in hot oil until golden own.
South County Bouillabaisse
From Main & Market (formerly The Main Ingredient)
4 servings
Ingredients
- 2 cups diced white onion
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 cup diced fennel (white root only)
- 1 Tbsp. chopped garlic
- 1 tsp. dry basil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 large can diced tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cups white wine
- Pinch saffron
- Zest from 1/2 orange
- 1/2 cup Pernod (anise-flavored liqueur)
- 1 qt. seafood stock (crab, fish, lobster or a combination)
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lb. seafood of choice (scallops, rockfish, shrimp, or a combination)
Directions
In large pot, season onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and fennel with salt and pepper, and sauté in olive oil until soft, about 10–15 minutes. Deglaze with white wine, and add pinch of saffron. Reduce wine by half. Meanwhile, roughly puree 1/2 the can of tomatoes. In separate sauté pan, heat and burn alcohol off the Pernod (be careful), reducing by about half, add to vegetables. Add tomatoes, orange zest, and a pinch of salt to vegetables and cook 5–8 minutes. Add stock and cook another 15 minutes until desired consistency is reached. The bouillabaisse should be slightly soupy, and the vegetables soft. This is only the base for the dish, and can be done a day or two ahead of time.
Complete the dish by sautéing any mixture of seafood you like (shrimp, scallops, and rockfish, for example). Cook the seafood about half-way, then deglaze the pan with a bit of white wine, add the bouillabaisse and some jumbo lump crab meat, and simmer for several minutes to finish cooking the seafood. Finish the dish with a pinch of basil chiffonade, and serve with warm, crusty ead and butter.
Oven-Fried Eggplant Parmesan
From Emily Chandler of Piazza Italian Market
Serves 4–6
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. Italian Eggplant, sliced lengthwise, 1/2 inch thick
- 3 cups of flour, well-seasoned with salt and pepper
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 4 cups Piazza's Tomato Basil Sauce or any basic marinara
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella
- Canola or peanut oil
- 2–3 baking sheets
Directions
Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Whisk the milk into the eggs and set into a shallow pan, about 8x8. Put the flour into another shallow 8x8 pan. Using a pastry ush or a spray bottle, lightly coat a baking sheet with the oil. You can oil cut sheets of parchment paper to make clean up a little easier, if you have some handy.
Dunk a slice of eggplant into the egg wash and lift it out again using a fork, letting the egg drip back into the pan. Drop the eggplant slice into the flour mixture and turn to coat well. Using another fork, move the eggplant slice to the oiled baking sheet. Repeat until the baking sheet has one full layer of eggplant slices. Spray or ush the eggplant slices with more oil, just enough to get them to own in the oven. Bake each sheet of eggplant for about 20 to 30 minutes in the oven until it’s golden- own and creamy inside. Repeat the above steps until all the eggplant is baked.
Coat the bottom of a 9x13 ceramic or glass baking dish with about 1/4 inch of tomato sauce. Begin layering eggplant in the dish so that it overlaps. After about two layers of eggplant, drizzle about 1/2 cup of tomato sauce evenly over the eggplant. Sprinkle the sauce with a light layer of mozzarella. Finish layering the eggplant in the baking dish and top with the remaining tomato sauce and mozzarella. At this point, the eggplant can be held in the refrigerator for a couple of days before baking. When you’re ready to finish the eggplant Parmesan, place the baking dish in a 350 degree oven for approximately 50 minutes, or until it’s bubbling through and the mozzarella has melted.
