Could you possibly get the recipe for crab cakes from Dada’s in Delray Beach? We recently had dinner at Dada’s and they had the most delicious crab cakes.
– Delores Tachner, Delray Beach
Chef Bruce Feingold, a longtime friend of mine from the chef world, was happy to give me the recipe from Dada’s kitchen (52 Swinton Ave.,
; 561-330-3232). Problem is, he makes it in batches to serve 100. They serve a lot of crab cakes! Feingold and I worked together to scale the recipe to where it’s enough for four large main plates, or it would make eight smaller cakes. Because it calls for jumbo lump crab, take care when mixing this up not to break up the beautiful, costly crab meat. The mix of plain (not salted!) crackers and panko crumbs give it a great texture that doesn’t become mushy. It’s just enough binding to hold things together. He also includes a Sherry Mustard recipe for serving with the cakes, but serves it with several sauces for your choosing at the restaurant. For variety at home, mix mustard with mango chutney or raspberry jam for a sweet sauce or just serve plain old cocktail sauce for those traditionalists in the group.
My husband and I eat at Umberto’s in Pompano Beach once a month and love their Pasta Fagioli. We were hoping they would be willing to share their recipe.
– Laura Atttardi, Coral Springs
I’m sorry, but the chef at Umberto’s (2780 E. Atlantic Blvd., Pompano Beach; 954-784-7110) would not release their formula for this classic Italian bean and pasta soup. We went straight to the godmother of Italian cooking, Marcella Hazan, for the recipe instead.
Can you help me out with a marinade that would help tenderize my flank steak? I want something with flavor and want to avoid a shoe-leather effect.
– Marie Speed, Delray Beach
This is a kitchen-science question, and for that, we always refer to Shirley Corriher, author of the excellent resource cookbook, “Cookwise: The Secrets of Cooking Revealed” (William Morrow, 1997). To paraphrase her lengthy explanation: Strong acids are mistakenly thought of as great tenderizers: those such as vinegar, citrus juices or pineapple juice. These, however, don’t really tenderize meats, and can actually make them mushy instead.
A better choice is what hunters and ranchers around the world have known for some time: Dairy foods tenderize best. That’s milk, buttermilk (for chicken or lamb), or yogurt (for lamb, pork or beef). So we’ve found you a yogurt-based marinade that is terrific on a flank steak. Another tip: Cook your lean flank steak quickly over high heat – on a grill or in a grill pan – and don’t overcook it. Keep it medium rare or under, and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing thinly against the grain of the meat on a board to contain its juices.
