Crab Cakes

These crab cakes have the delightful flavor of some shaved prosciutto, a dry-cured Italian ham. The saltiness of the ham pairs nicely with the richness of the crab. By pan frying them in grapeseed oil you get the true flavor, without the added taste of olive or canola oil. I also like using panko breadcrumbs versus traditional breadcrumbs. They give the crabmeat a crispier texture and bite while the sherry gives a nice tang to the blending of both proteins. To enhance the flavor, I would whip up a favorite dip or spread such as a chipotle or roasted red pepper mayo.

This crab cake recipe was passed down from my great-grandmother to my grandmother, then to my mother and then to me. I can still remember my great-grandmother picking through the crabmeat removing shells and mixing this recipe together by hand. Her secret was using fresh jumbo lump crabmeat and Miracle Whip, and pan frying in an iron skillet using fresh Crisco vegetable shortening. I never knew the family recipe until my mother, who is a wonderful cook and excellent teacher, handed me the famous recipe card in order to write down the ingredients and cooking procedures.

Two Maryland restaurant institutions are teaming up to make crab cakes faster food. A three-ounce Phillips crab cake sandwich from Baltimore-based Phillips Foods Inc. is being sold for a limited time at most Roy Rogers restaurants in Maryland and Virginia. Company officials and an industry expert say the deal bolsters Frederick, Md.-based Roy Rogers' claim of being better than conventional fast food. It also helps Phillips test concepts for the quick-service, casual seafood restaurants it has begun opening in the Washington and Baltimore area.

The Maryland Foods Pavilion will feature foods harvested fresh from Maryland farms and the Chesapeake Bay during the Friday, Aug. 22 through Monday, Sept. 1 run of the Maryland State Fair. Maryland commodity groups will join together to provide their industries' favorites including crab cakes, catfish filet sandwiches, sweet corn-on-the-cob, smoked ham, pork barbecue, charcoal grilled beef sandwiches, lamb wraps, turkey legs, roasted barbecue chicken, fresh fruit salad, peach yogurt sundaes, and more.

A “food fight” in Franklin County, Pa., on Tuesday did not get very messy, but it did provide promotional opportunities to a pair of restaurants. EJ's Grill and the Orchards Restaurant, both of Chambersburg, participated in the event hosted by the Franklin County Visitors Bureau. The two restaurants competed to determine which serves the best crab cake. Results will be announced Thursday at www.youtube.com/FranklinCountyVisit. Visitors Bureau Director Janet Pollard said the five judges' opinions are not the most important ones.

There will be activities for all ages at the 31st annual Smithsburg Steam Engine & Craft Show on Saturday, Sept. 24, and Sunday, Sept. 25, at the Smithsburg Volunteer Fire Co. fire hall grounds. There will be a parade of farm equipment and more than 100 arts, crafts and flea market vendors, plus a large display of antique steam traction engines, gas tractors and gas engines. A kiddie tractor pedal pull will be at 2 p.m. Sunday. Food includes "Leopard" stew, country ham sandwiches, pork barbecue, pork tenderloin, crab cakes, steamers, hot dogs, fresh-cut french fries, bean soup and apple pies.

New business Q&A Name of business: Black Eyed Susan Restaurant & Catering Owner: John Walla Address: 17102 Virginia Ave., Williamsport Opening date: Jan. 31 Products and services: Pasta, steaks, seafood (crab cakes, wild salmon, mussels, scallops), sandwiches, beer and wine. Food and service at a reasonable price. Market area: Tri-State area How did you get into your business, or what motivated you to start it? "I wanted a restaurant that reflects what I want when I go out to eat. " Previous business experience: 22 years of culinary experience.

By SAVORY SAM The Savory Sam clan wanted to eat somewhere nice to celebrate the last night with the oldest daughter before she headed off to college. We opted to visit the 1912 Hoover House, recommended as the nicest restaurant in Waynesboro, Pa. We were not disappointed. The evening was outstanding. The food was good to excellent, service was pleasant, and the setting was intimate. Our evening was a delight, and the final bill -- lower than predicted -- left us happy. The menu of the 1912 Hoover House tells the story behind the name.

The Savory Sam clan wanted to eat somewhere nice to celebrate the last night with the oldest daughter before she headed off to college. We opted to visit the 1912 Hoover House, recommended as the nicest restaurant in Waynesboro, Pa. We were not disappointed. The evening was outstanding. The food was good to excellent, service was pleasant, and the setting was intimate. Our evening was a delight, and the final bill - lower than predicted - left us happy. The menu of the 1912 Hoover House tells the story behind the name.

Patriot Point Theatre in Gettysburg, Pa., has launched a murder-mystery series. The first production is a Civil War-themed comedy called "Grant Us Some Leeway. " And it's dinner theater. Pulse writers Sarah Ofosu and Sarah Johnston reviewed the dinner and show. Sarah Ofosu: After an hour's drive from Hagerstown, we finally arrived in Gettysburg, Pa. The cornfields and battlefields we passed on the way into town set the mood for the evening's production, "Grant Us Some Leeway," a Civil War-themed, interactive, mystery dinner.

A “food fight” in Franklin County, Pa., on Tuesday did not get very messy, but it did provide promotional opportunities to a pair of restaurants. EJ's Grill and the Orchards Restaurant, both of Chambersburg, participated in the event hosted by the Franklin County Visitors Bureau. The two restaurants competed to determine which serves the best crab cake. Results will be announced Thursday at www.youtube.com/FranklinCountyVisit. Visitors Bureau Director Janet Pollard said the five judges' opinions are not the most important ones.

By Anne Chovey Special to The Herald-Mail Tony's Pizza & Italian Restaurant is off the bend in the road on Pennsylvania Avenue, not far from the Hagerstown Regional Airport. My friend, Pap Ricka, and I decided to eat there one recent evening. The sign outside advertised that a pasta dinner buffet was available Monday through Thursday -- a dangerous choice for folks who love Italian food as much as Pap and I do . We entered Tony's through a small entryway into the dining room.

These crab cakes have the delightful flavor of some shaved prosciutto, a dry-cured Italian ham. The saltiness of the ham pairs nicely with the richness of the crab. By pan frying them in grapeseed oil you get the true flavor, without the added taste of olive or canola oil. I also like using panko breadcrumbs versus traditional breadcrumbs. They give the crabmeat a crispier texture and bite while the sherry gives a nice tang to the blending of both proteins. To enhance the flavor, I would whip up a favorite dip or spread such as a chipotle or roasted red pepper mayo.

Just like The Landing's use of a lighthouse its logo, the flashing green open sign is a welcome sign to those who enter. Formerly Richardson's Restaurant, The Landing continues the tradition of serving Hagerstown locals and travelers passing through on Dual Highway. Located in a long one-story brick building with lots of windows, the new owners have opened and lightened up the space while keeping approximately the same floor plan. Outside there is ample parking. Inside there are about six to eight sections that flow into each other.

This crab cake recipe was passed down from my great-grandmother to my grandmother, then to my mother and then to me. I can still remember my great-grandmother picking through the crabmeat removing shells and mixing this recipe together by hand. Her secret was using fresh jumbo lump crabmeat and Miracle Whip, and pan frying in an iron skillet using fresh Crisco vegetable shortening. I never knew the family recipe until my mother, who is a wonderful cook and excellent teacher, handed me the famous recipe card in order to write down the ingredients and cooking procedures.

GREENCASTLE, PA. -- Crammed with 80 vendors and hundreds of shoppers, downtown Greencastle traded construction for commodities Friday during its 42nd annual Sidewalk Days. The Greencastle-Antrim Chamber of Commerce kicked off the two-day event with early bird hours at its open-air street sale. As early as 8:30 a.m. shoppers were browsing deals and tasting the fare. "There is something for everyone," said Jim Statler of Chambersburg, Pa. Baltimore and Carlisle streets were "busy, busy, busy" with shoppers hoping to find something special after they savored one of the many food options, said Bonnie Wetzel of Greencastle.

The Maryland Foods Pavilion will feature foods harvested fresh from Maryland farms and the Chesapeake Bay during the Friday, Aug. 22 through Monday, Sept. 1 run of the Maryland State Fair. Maryland commodity groups will join together to provide their industries' favorites including crab cakes, catfish filet sandwiches, sweet corn-on-the-cob, smoked ham, pork barbecue, charcoal grilled beef sandwiches, lamb wraps, turkey legs, roasted barbecue chicken, fresh fruit salad, peach yogurt sundaes, and more.

MONT ALTO, Pa. - A ribbon stretched across the new fairgrounds buildings will be ceremoniously cut on the first day of the Mont Alto Fire Department Carnival. The Friday ceremony will kick off the 33rd annual carnival, which continues through June 21 and raises money for the fire department. Charlie Baker hopes to clean up on the last night, lock the doors of the new buildings and go home to relax. That's in contrast to the massive, equipment-heavy efforts that cleared out the Quincy Township, Pa., area the department used to rent every year.

New business Q&A Name of business: Black Eyed Susan Restaurant & Catering Owner: John Walla Address: 17102 Virginia Ave., Williamsport Opening date: Jan. 31 Products and services: Pasta, steaks, seafood (crab cakes, wild salmon, mussels, scallops), sandwiches, beer and wine. Food and service at a reasonable price. Market area: Tri-State area How did you get into your business, or what motivated you to start it? "I wanted a restaurant that reflects what I want when I go out to eat. " Previous business experience: 22 years of culinary experience.

HAGERSTOWN - In a gymnasium filled with purple and silver balloons, surrounded by trays of crab dip, beef roulade and pastries, Ron Myers found himself thinking about saltines. Myers, a volunteer with REACH Caregivers, said he and his wife sometimes bring in cases of crackers when they volunteer at the REACH Day Resource Center. Usually, they're gone in five minutes. "There are so many people who haven't had any food all day," Myers said. And it's not through any fault of their own, he said.