What’s Cooking? Wrap It Up!
Everyone loves a gift, and it’s just as much fun hunting down the perfect present as it is to receive it. Just the other day, our friend Carla emailed us that “I am so looking forward to a visual overload at the fair the end of May. I am in need of a wedding gift for August and there is NO place like Paradise in which to search for something special.” We agree, but since her next opportunity to come to a Paradise City show will be in October, after the wedding, we sent her to the Marketplace.
A great “gift match” is so satisfying. It can be something you know they need – or an amazing find they don’t even know is their heart’s desire until they receive it. This curated selection of gifts covers a wide range of occasions, from weddings and graduations to birthdays, baby showers, and even just a “thank you for being my friend” token.
Is there a new baby in the family? Barbara Goldstein’s truly adorable Dancing Foxes Dress and Baby Bunny Romper are, as she says, “clothes for kids to live in”. Your graduating nephew may be signing his yearbook on Instagram, but he’ll be totally impressed when he receives a handcrafted ballpoint pen by Francis St Germain. A maple cribbage board by Stephen Strout, inlaid with mahogany, zebrawood or wenge, comes with its own set of cards and would be great for Father’s Day.
That friend who has been bringing you groceries or flowers from her garden would love a delicate velvet scarf by Sherit Levin or the colorful, modernist jewelry of Rebecca Lockhart. And Maya Machin says, “If you are a bride or groom, consider including my pottery in your gift registry. I’ll help you choose the pieces and glazes and your friends and family will be able to order the pots online using a customized web page that I design for your registry.”
Most of the artists in this particular collection have lots of affordable options, and we’re sure you’ll find amazing gifts without going further. But if you have a very special recipient in mind, someone who would love a golden pendant, a stunning blown glass bowl or a landscape painting of a place they love, please feel free to use “Wrap It Up!” as a jumping-off point to browse the entire Marketplace! Each image below links to an artist’s site. Some links take you directly to their online store while others show work that can be ordered via phone and email. Just like at our shows, you are buying directly from the artist!
What else is cooking at Paradise City? We’re feeling crabby, but in the best way. You’ll love this week’s recipe for Maryland Crabcakes.
Featured Artists
This Week’s Recipe
We’ve spent a lot of quality time dining at Maryland’s signature crab houses, happily hammering away at platters of spicy blue crabs with a wooden mallet. It’s hard (and really messy) to serve those crabs at home in New England. These crabcakes bring home the flavor (just add a little more of the Old Bay or some tabasco if you crave them spicier) and leave the mess back in Maryland. They can also be made into bite-size cakes as appetizers.
Maryland Crabcakes
1 lb. jumbo lump crabmeat
2 egg yolks
2 tbsp. mayonnaise
Juice of ½ lemon
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
¼ tsp. dry mustard powder
1 tbsp Old Bay seasoning
¾ cup panko crumbs (¼ c. for crab, ½ c. for coating)
Optional chopped parsley
Vegetable oil for pan frying
Tartar Sauce:
½ cup mayonnaise (or half mayo and half plain Greek yogurt)
1 ½ tbsp. sweet relish
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. capers (optional)
Or make Tartar into Remoulade Sauce! Just add ½ tsp. paprika, 1 tsp. hot sauce, 1 tsp. creole seasoning and a bit of garlic, and your Maryland crabcakes have traveled to Louisiana.
- Mix the crabcake ingredients together very lightly, keeping the crabmeat lumps fairly intact. Add a small handful of chopped parsley if desired. Refrigerate for at least half an hour.
- Heat a frying pan with enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan.
- Form the crabcake mixture into four equal patties. Dredge them on both sides in the reserved panko crumbs.
- Fry on medium heat until golden brown on both sides, turning them carefully and adding a little more oil to the pan if necessary.
- Serve with lemon wedges and tartar sauce on the side.
