Please forgive the repeated mentions of my new man. We're in that glorious, ding-dong phase where I seem to talk about him every 2 seconds. That being said . . . my man makes some mean crab cakes. Huge chunks of crab with delicious Old Bay Seasoning. We took it one step further and made Crab Cake Benedicts, with poached eggs and Hollandaise sauce on top. Serve with heirloom tomatoes and avocado slices. Hello Brunch!!! Crab Cakes 1 lb. lump crab meat 2 eggs slightly beaten 2 tbls. mayo 1 tsp. yellow mustard 4-5 ritz crackers crumbled 1 tsp worchestire sauce 1 tsp parsley Old Bay seasoning Mix all ingredients in a bowl and then gently add crab. Refrigerate for at least a half hour. Shape into cakes and place on foil covered broiler rack. Broil until golden brown (7-9 minutes), flip and brown other side. Poached Eggs Recipe adapted from “Mastering the Art of French Cooking: The 40th Anniversary Edition” by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck (Knopf, 2001) White vinegar 4 large eggs Salt

Fill a medium saucepan or deep skillet with 5 cm (2 inches) of water. Add 15 ml (1 tbsp) of vinegar per litre of water. Bring to a very gentle simmer over medium heat.

While water heats, fill a large bowl with cold water.

When water in pan is just simmering, break one of the eggs into the water, holding it as close to the water as possible. Immediately and gently, use a wooden spoon to push white over yolk for 2 to 3 seconds.

Maintaining water at the barest simmer, repeat with remaining eggs. After 4 minutes, one at a time use a slotted spoon to remove eggs. The whites should be set and the yolks still soft to the touch.

Place eggs in bowl of cold water to rinse vinegar and stop cooking. The eggs can be kept for several hours in cold water, or drained and refrigerated.

When ready to serve, use a knife to trim off any trailing bits of white. Fill a large bowl with hot water and add 7 ml (1 1/2 tsp) of salt per litre. Place eggs in hot water for about 30 seconds or until heated through.

Use a slotted spoon to remove eggs from hot water, rolling egg back and forth a bit to drain.

Makes 4 servings.

Hollandaise Sauce Recipe by Tyler Florence 4 egg yolks 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (1 stick) Pinch cayenne Pinch salt

Vigorously whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice together in a stainless steel bowl and until the mixture is thickened and doubled in volume. Place the bowl over a saucepan containing barely simmering water (or use a double boiler,) the water should not touch the bottom of the bowl. Continue to whisk rapidly. Be careful not to let the eggs get too hot or they will scramble. Slowly drizzle in the melted butter and continue to whisk until the sauce is thickened and doubled in volume. Remove from heat, whisk in cayenne and salt. Cover and place in a warm spot until ready to use for the eggs benedict. If the sauce gets too thick, whisk in a few drops of warm water before serving.