Most who know me, know that I love to cook. I'm no world-class chef, but I am a pretty good cook. My skills come mostly from watching and participating with my dad as well as watching various cooking shows with my dad. My mom instilled cooking skills in me as well, but not nearly as much as my dad.

I love to try new things, and I hope you guys do too. If you're feeling particularly adventurous and want to have something you may not have had before, give this a whirl. If you like seafood, you'll love it. Bear in mind that I usually spice my food so hot that it would kill anyone north of Arkansas, so adjust to your own liking.

Anyway, here's my recipes for crab cakes with a crawfish butter cream sauce. Bon apetit!

Crab cakes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup of finely diced onions (I used vidalia, but yellow onions are ok)
1/4 cup of finely diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup of finely diced yellow bell pepper
1 tablespoon of finely diced garlic
1 pound of crabmeat, picked to remove shells and cartiledge
1/4 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley leaves
3 tablespoons Zatarain's creole mustard
4 tablespoons of lemon juice
2 eggs
3 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs (any kind will do, I used plain)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon water
Salt, pepper and spice to taste

Heat the olive oil (2 tbsp) in a saute pan on medium heat. Add the onions and peppers - saute for about 5 minutes. Season with a little salt and pepper, then add in the garlic. Saute for about 2 minutes more. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool. In a mixing bowl, combine the crabmeat, green onions, creole mustard, 2 tbsp lemon juice and parsley. Combine thoroughly. Try to break up some of the larger lumps of crabmeat while mixing. Set the mixture aside.

In a food processor (I used an immersion blender), combine 1 egg and the remaining 2 tbsp lemon juice until the egg is completely beaten (about 1 minute). Add 1 cup of the vegetable oil to the mixture and mix for another few minutes until the mixture thickens a little bit. Season with salt and pepper and mix just a bit more to combine it all.

Fold the sauteed vegetables and garlic into the crabmeat mixture. Fold in1/2 cup of the mayonaise mixture (just made in the food processor) and 3/4 cup of the bread crumbs. Mix it thoroughly, making sure the mixture sticks together and forms nicely. In a shallow bowl, mix the flour (1/4 cup) with a little pepper. In a second shallow bowl, whisk together 1 egg and 1 tbsp of water. In a third shallow bowl, pour the remaining bread crumbs (3/4 cup).

Portion the crabmeat mixture into balls (I used enough to fill my palms when cupped together) and flatten into a patty. Dredge the crab cake through the flour, then the egg wash (letting the excess drip off) and then cover completely with bread crumbs. Fry in a saute pan with the remaining vegetable oil (2 1/2 cups) on medium heat. Fry for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side. After they are cooked, place them in a paper-lined plate to soak up excess oil.

Crawfish butter cream sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb crawfish tails
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp onion powder
Salt and pepper to taste

In a sauce pot, heat the olive oil. Add the crawfish tails and saute for about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and green onions and saute for another minute. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir in the heavy cream and boil for about a minute or two. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 5-6 minutes. Stir in the butter, making sure it is completely melted and combined into the mixture. Add in the onion powder and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over crab cakes.

There are some exceptions to the hot rule. I live in Cheeseland, USA (Wisconsin) and I have a preference for REAL Thai food. The good 'n' spicy stuff. Unfortunately, I can't cook crab or crawfish, since someone in my household is allergic to it. Got any non-seafood, non-lamb recipes I can try?

In return, here's an interesting one. The kung pao sauce can probably be replaced by another spicy sauce, but I can't guarantee it.

Spicy/sour chicken with vegetables Serves 3-4

Ingredients:
About one pound chicken filet
2 Tbsp oil
4 carrots, peeled/chopped
3 sticks celery, chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped
8 ounces kung pao sauce
orange juice

Method:
Cook the chicken with and separate it into chunks. I did this with a spatula in the pan, you may have your own methods. Next, add the vegetables, mix and cook over medium-low heat. When the vegetables are done, add the kung pao. When that is spread and heated, add a splash of the orange juice (Enough to cover the meat and vegetables, but not so that it sits in the pan) and mix. Remove from heat and serve by itself or with rice.

I don't have any excellent recipes, but I can make a mean tunafish sandwich mix. I really don't like sharing that recipe though, it has to be experienced firsthand...

I can also cook a mean frozen pizza! Not reheat, cook!