Eating our way through the zodiac ~CANCER~
I was caught in the ‘meatgrinder’ and was bamboozled by the July eclipses.
As the Sun moved into Cancer, I was saying goodbye to some of my families and friends in the community. I was starting my relocation from Toronto to Montreal and everything seemed to be falling into place perfectly. But by the time of the first eclipse I found myself in a bit of a nightmare, where the putrefying toxins rot and the ugliness of deception, disregard and delusion fester. This dark side of the eclipse took me on a road where laws and bureaucracy are not safeguarded in a corrupted system. But where ever there is dark, the light is nearby and simultaneously I was surrounded by the kindness of strangers, the welcome support of family and the love of amazing friends.
I haven’t quite bounced back from the ordeal of the past few weeks, but I have digested the part I have played in this drama. My impulsive and somewhat naïve Aries nature seems to be drawn to the dark and seedy worlds that exist within the adventure of something new. Maybe this powerful eclipse making such a statement was the message I needed to change how I move forward in my new home and hometown. It did stop me in my tracks and saved me from moving into to what could have been an intolerable situation.
My Cancer meal was the last gathering in my home before I started to break it down for moving. I went for the obvious dish – crab cakes! My local fish monger did not have crab in stock, so I substituted lobster. Earlier this year, Chris Brennan had a humorous episode on his podcast where he referenced the number of times that the lobster had been used to depict Cancer, instead of the crab. I had come across Salvador Dali’s zodiac series many years ago, and he had made this same faux pas! This made me laugh as I prepared the dish. I took this recipe off of Epicurious and just substituted the crab for lobster.
MINI CRAB (OR LOBSTER) CAKES
Makes 24
INGREDIENTS
• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon finely grated orange peel
• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
• 4 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• Large pinch of cayenne pepper
• 6 ounces fresh lump crabmeat, picked over, patted dry, coarsely shredded
• 1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)*
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pans
• 1 plus more for pans
• Fresh chives, cut into pieces
2 mini muffin pans
PREPARATION
1. Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese in medium bowl until smooth. Add 1/4 cup Parmesan and egg; beat to blend. Beat in sour cream, citrus peels, 4 teaspoons chopped chives, coarse salt, and cayenne pepper. Fold in crabmeat. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter 2 mini muffin pans. Toss panko, 1/2 cup Parmesan, and 2 tablespoons chopped chives in small bowl. Drizzle 1/4 cup melted butter over, tossing with fork until evenly moistened. Press 1 rounded tablespoon panko mixture into bottom of each muffin cup, forming crust. Spoon 1 generous tablespoon crab mixture into each cup. Sprinkle rounded teaspoon of panko mixture over each (some may be left over).
3. Bake crab cakes until golden on top and set, about 30 minutes. Cool in pans 5 minutes. Run knife around each cake and gently lift out of pan. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Arrange on baking sheet; let stand at room temperature. Rewarm in 350°F oven 6 to 8 minutes.
4. Arrange crab cakes on serving platter; sprinkle with chives.
Written by Jane Sloan, Nutritionist (RNCP)
