Maryland Crab Cakes with Quick Tartar Sauce

I'm no longer up to date on recipe blogging etiquette -- this recipe is from Jenn Segal, and I hope it's all right to reproduce it rather than just a link (she's got great pictures, too). I made these for our New Years Day dinner last night. They were entirely worth the price of the lump crab meat, with a bonus of being easy to make. I followed her suggestion and served them with steamed green beans and fresh corn bread. Could hardly imagine a better start to the year.

Ingredients

Crab Cakes:

2 large eggs
2-1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann's or Duke's
1-1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup finely diced celery, from one stalk
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1 pound lump crab meat (see note below)
1/2 cup panko
Vegetable oil, for cooking

Tartar Sauce: 

1 cup mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann's or Duke's
1-1/2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon minced red onion
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice, to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean-up.
2. Combine the eggs, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire, Old Bay, salt, celery, and parsley in a large bowl and mix well. Add the crab meat (be sure to check the meat for any hard and sharp cartilage) and panko; using a rubber spatula, gently fold the mixture together until just combined, being careful not to shred the crab meat. 
3. Shape into 6 crab cakes (each about ½ cup) and place on the prepared baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. This helps them set.
4. Preheat a large nonstick pan to medium heat and coat with canola oil. When the oil is hot, place the crab cakes in the pan and cook until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Be careful as oil may splatter. Serve immediately with tartar sauce or a squeeze of lemon.
5. Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

New Years Eve 2016

We had a very quiet conclusion to 2016, just the five of us and my in-laws, who came down from Maine for a combined Christmas-birthday-New Years Eve. In between opening presents and eating, quiet reigned. Toys were played with, books were read, and naps were taken.

I kept the menu simple, at least in theory -- having forgotten what a pain white sauce can be to make, I muffed it the first time and had to start over.

• Prosciutto and Gruyere Pinwheels. These are mandatory for holidays at this point. So easy and so good. 
• Seafood Macaroni and Cheese. I indulged my weakness for crab here, which was fantastic albeit pricey. 
• Salad of Winter Greens, Walnuts, Roasted Beets, and Goat Cheese. Whew. Really tasty and easy to throw together while the macaroni bakes.
• For wine I put myself in the hands of the liquor store employee who intercepted me at the door - I know my limits. She directed me with supreme confidence to Falanghina, which I have never heard of before. What little I know about wine does not extend to Italian varieties. We had a bottle from Terredora Dipaolo, and one from San Salvatore, and they went very well with the meal.

Most of us made it to midnight and watched the ball drop via internet stream.