Preakness Party

I know nothing about horse-racing other than the fact that I love watching the Triple Crown. For 90 second intervals, three times a year, I am the biggest horse-fan around! This year I was on a bus during the Kentucky Derby, so I decided to have a Preakness party to make up for it. So, I had entirely Baltimore and Preakness themed menu!  Last year, Tim and I had a Preakness party of our own which was some what disastrous. The crab cakes were ungodly salty and the drinks were so strong we both fell asleep immediately after the race. This year was much more successful. There were lots of sundresses, a few hats, and plenty of crab to go around...

Black Eyed Susans 
The Black Eyed Susan is the official drink of the Preakness. There are many many recipes for this drink floating around online. Last year I made one that tasted dangerously like orange juice and not at all like bourbon. This year, I could not remember what that recipe was (perhaps it was for the best... didn't need another 6 pm nap time) so I found a new one. This year I picked one that used all fresh juices and no simple syrups or sour mixes. The drink was weaker than last year, but actually tasted stronger. I liked the drink, but many of my guests were very sensitive to the bourbon flavor and shied away.

• OJ
• Bourbon
• Vodka
• Pineapple
• Lime Juice

Hot Crab Dip

half-devoured deliciousness

Who doesn't love a creamy, cheesy dip? Especially when it is loaded with crab and packs a spicy punch!  I actually made two dips in one: one for my vegetarian friends, and the other for me (I mean.... for everyone else).

• 1 8 oz package cream cheese at room temp
• 1 8 oz package fat free cream cheese (so sneaky) at room temp
• 1 can jumbo crab meat-- I got this out of the canned tuna aisle. I am sure that fresh crab meat would be even tastier, but this was much friendlier on the budget (only $3 or so a can) and tasted just great.
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)
• 2 TBSP mayo (mine is kraft olive oil)
• Old Bay seasoning (I used probably 2 TBSP, but it's definitely "to taste")
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar (reserve 2 TBSP to sprinkle on top)
• tobasco sauce

nom nom nom

Basically, I combined all ingredients except crab in a mixing bowl and mixed it up until the seasonings were evenly dispersed throughout the cream cheese. Then, I scooped out half the mixture and put it in a mini pie pan (for the veggie version). Then, I dumped in the crab and re-mixed it all up and put that into another mini pie pan. I topped both dishes with cheddar cheese (and put some extra scallions on the veggie one so I knew which was which), and popped in a 375 oven for about 12 minutes.

This dip was a-MA-zing. It was great on celery, on crackers, and even straight off a spoon.... don't worry I waited for the guests to leave before I did that. I will definitely be making this again (because otherwise I think Tim would leave me), and I might try to "health it up" even more by using all fat free cream cheese, or maybe some neufachtel cheese.

Crab Cakes
My crab cakes were somewhat disastrous again. This time, the salt level was right, but they just completely crumbled on the griddle. I managed to salvage enough for people to enjoy, but I "forgot" to take a picture. Whoops. 

"Crab" Boil
Nothing seems more authentically Baltimore than a crab boil. But, half my guests were vegetarians, and I am cheap so instead I just boiled veggies in crab seasonings and doused it all with butter. I'm pretty sure nobody noticed the crab was missing.

• five ears sweet corn, cut in half (clearly this corn was not from Iowa... and it was just okay)
• 2 pounds B-sized red potateos
• 11/2 large white onions, sliced into wedges
• Garlic (I think I used fresh cloves AND garlic powder)
• a TON of Old Bay Seasoning (3 TBSP?)
• fresh thyme and sage from my garden
• butta (okay, I actually used Smart Balance and olive oil mixed together)
• S&P

Boil all ingredients. Done.
Okay, not really. First, I coated the onions and taters  in seasonings and put in the bottom of a kettle and cooked for 5 ish minutes. THEN, I covered them with water and brought to a boil (and I likely added more seasoning to the water). I boiled for 20-30 minutes and then added the corn just about 5 minutes before serving. To serve, I put in a large bowl and I poured a mixture of melted butter, oil, salt, pepper, and fresh thyme over the whole thing and garnished with thyme sprigs from my garden. Simple but YUM.


Lady Baltimore Cake

A Lady Baltimore Cake is just white cake with white frosting, and a filling of frosting mixed with dried fruits (golden raisins and cherries for me) and pecans. I cheated and used box cake mix and canned frosting. I added lemon zest to the cake mix and the filling to freshen it up a bit, and I covered the top in pecans to hide my pour frosting job. And, I can't lie, it was pretty tasty.



My friend Jillian totally outdid me with a Smith Island Cake-- it was 8 layers of chocolately, sugary, peanut buttery goodness. I wish I had a photo-- the only one I took was blurry because I was reaching forward to eat the whole thing whilst taking the picture.

In order for the guests to place bets, I made little cutouts of the jockey jerseys with horse information. After a few Black Eyed Susans, people got pretty in to it! After Shackleford upset Animal Kingdom, the winnings were split three ways between my friends Aaron, and Matt, and ME!

Party = success!