Crab Dip

Many people have asked for this recipe over the years. It's a breeze to make, freezes well, and it always the first thing gone at holiday parties. The secret to this dish is the "blue crab" crabmeat, you want to source the finest possible. In the summer months I look for fresh crabmeat from Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, or Louisiana, but in winter months domestic pasteurized crabmeat is wonderful (this is a refrigerated canned product, not something you would find on a grocery store shelf). If you cannot source locally you can purchase online at Chesapeake Bay Crab Cakes & More.

1lb jumbo lump crab blue crabmeat
8 oz cream cheese softened
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/8 cup sour cream
¼ cup grated cheddar cheese
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tsp horseradish
Juice of ½ lemon
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
½ tsp Worcestershire sauce

Mix all ingredients except crab meat in a small bowl or food processor until well combined. Put crabmeat in a larger bowl and gently dry off. Gently fold wet mixture into crabmeat folding until just combined. Do not overmix as the crabmeat will break apart. The consistency should be fairly thick but spreadable. If needed, add a bit more mayonnaise.

Put in small baking dish and bake at 375F until bubbly and slightly brown on top, about 30-35 minutes.

Variations: Decrease crabmeat to 3/4 pound and substitute 1/2 can chopped artichoke hearts or artichoke bottoms, or substitute 1 very large Vidalia onion for some of crabmeat and all of the chopped onion.

Not interested in making dip? You can try our Artichoke Gruyere Dip from Mackenzie Limited. It's the next best thing to making your own.

The Perfect Brownie

Our delicious chocolate brownies from Impromptu Gourmet

When it comes to food, everyone has an opinion. And there's no more polarizing food than the almighty Brownie. There are too many opinions to mention them all, but they include full size or bite size, nuts or no nuts, frosted or not frosted, flavored or purist, and the most hotly debated: cakey versus fudgey. So the Perfect Brownie really has to satisfy all different perspectives, while at the same time not sacrificing the integrity of what it truly is. In this quest over the past 12 years I've tasted brownies from more than 100 different sources.

I had begun to think it impossible to find a brownie that would appeal everyone, in other words "The Perfect Brownie". That is until now...

Here it is, coming from a new kid on the gourmet food scene, Whimsy & Spice. I tried the Espresso with Dulce de Leche brownie yesterday and within one bit decided that this is the best brownie I've ever tasted. It really met each polarizing quality in the middle, the perfect mix of cakey and fudgey, not too big and not too small, with a delicate balance of flavors that did not overpower the important basic chocolate taste.

The best part is that all this comes at a reasonable price, $8.00 for 4 brownies. Other notables were the seasonal Pumpkin Ginger Sandwich Cookie, as well as the biscotti. I don't think you can't go wrong with anything from this company, and their adorable Gift Boxes make an ideal gift at just $22.00.

Thanksgiving Treat for Kids

Let's face it, Thanksgiving isn't very much fun for kids when it comes to the meal. My children are excited to see family and friends, but it's hard to get them excited about eating turkey and pumpkin pie.

That's until I brought these cookies home. Having tried dozens of iced sugar cookies from around the country over the years, I know first hand that it's hard to find a company that combines beauty with good taste (trust me, some were actually inedible). When I tasted these I knew instantly that A Dozen Eggs in Vermont had accomplished something few others had.

The Gobble Gobble tin is $28.00 for a mix of 12 cookies, a bargain for hand-made works of art. Or, try putting a 4" Turkey Cookie Favor ($18.00 for 6) next to each place, and I guarantee they'll be running for the table!

Homage to Truffles

Truffles hold a special place in my heart. They are one of the great culinary treasures, known to date back to ancient Roman and Greek times. They are also one of the first classic gourmet foods I discovered, and I’ve always treasured any opportunity to savor them.

There are many types of truffles, but the most prized are the black (Périgord) truffles, found in France, and the northern Italian white truffle. The black truffle has an earthy flavor, while the white truffle has a more pungent, peppery flavor. Both are expensive, typically selling for $300-$3,000 a pound. But you won’t go wrong with either one.There are many typical products where truffles are found: truffle oil and truffle paste are two common uses. But there are many more interesting products.

I think of these often even though some I tried many years ago:

Black Truffle Pizza - Imported from Italy, this ultra-thin crust pizza is made with just the right amount of black truffles and whole milk mozzarella. Make sure to order more than 1 as shipping can be pricey, but at $ 13.00 each these are a bargain and get top honors for creativity. I was also impressed with the Porcini/Fontina pizza.

Truffle "Truffles" - These have to be one of the biggest surprises of my entire food tasting career. Were it not for my insatiable hunger on the train home from New York one day, I may have never discovered these chocolate gems dotted with Italian black truffles. Made by the old-world Urbani Truffle Company, they are the ideal gift for the "foodie that has everything".

White Truffle Cream - White truffles, italian cheese, and cream are combined to create an intoxicating condiment. The hard work is done for you, simply to mix into pasta, risotto, or potatoes (or spread on toasted bread) for an unforgettable meal. Several companies offer a product similiar to this, but DiBruno's Truffle Cream is the best value.

In the spirit of Italian dining, Buon appetito!

Welcome to The Inside Dish!

Eating for a living is hard work! You may find that hard to believe, but it’s true. There are some days that I open newly arrived samples with a sense of dread—am I really in the mood to test garlic peanut butter today? I’ve had stuffed quail for breakfast and French toast for dinner, all in the name of finding the best of the best. And while you would think that more expensive foods would be of higher quality, that’s not always the case. In my test kitchen, we have our share of surprises, laughter, disappointment, and utter shock on some of the foods that we encounter.

My main focus is Mackenzie Limited, a gourmet-food catalog that seeks out “the world’s finest foods.” Over the past 12 years, we’ve tested thousands of different products (13,000 or so by the last count), selecting only a dozen or so for each new issue of the catalog. For a multitude of reasons, many interesting, unique, high-quality product just don’t make the cut. And while I’ve always been extremely proud of the foods we select, it’s the ones we don’t that I always want to talk about. Now I can.

So what can you expect? Anything related to good food. One day I may discuss the best bagels in New York (H&H, and soon I'll tell you how to order them online!), while the next day I talk about Thanksgiving or other entertaining ideas. I’ll do some features on budget gourmet finds. There will be recipes. And links to great sites where you can buy gifts or treat yourself to amazing mail order finds that I guarantee you'd never find on your own. You'll even read about my favorite picks from Trader Joe’s, some of which come from the very same suppliers that supply the fancy catalogs (and at 1/3 the price).

So welcome to my blog. And bon appétit!