Leap Year

I know its sad to model your life after a movie.  I also know its even more pathetic if that movie is a mediocre romcom.  Unfortunately - sometimes I can't help myself.
A month or so ago fate (otherwise known as an incorrect movie schedule for New Moon in the Seattle Times) led me to watch, after some subtle manipulation of my friends, Leap Year.  It was a sterotypical romantic comedy with more than spectacular shots of the Irish countryside.  Lovely.

I'm embarassed to admit its the scenes of a cocktail party in Amy Adams (I can't rememeber her character's name) new NY penthouse that stuck with me after the movie ended, and not the breathtaking cliffs of Ireland.  Perfectly coiffed beautiful people mingled in their cocktail attire, ate appetizers, and made small talk.  I thought to myself, "Who has parties like that," and then I thought to myself, "I want to have a party like that!"

Hence - the Valentine's Day Eve-Eve cocktail party I threw on Friday.  The attendee's dusted off their cocktail attire, styled their hair, and came over for a night of revelry. 

Maybe we weren't as perfect as the beautiful people in Leap Year, but I know without a doubt we were way cooler than those fakers....maybe.

If you want to have your own fancy shindig - you may want to consider making mini crab cakes on endive leaves.  The recipe isn't perfect (I have no idea why they didn't separate the ingrediants for the crab cakes out from the sauce) but the product was a HIT.

1 lemon

8 oz crab meat

6 tbsp finely chopped fennel (divided)

1/4 cup finely chopped parsely (divided)

3 tbsp finely chopped shallot (divided)

1 tbsp dijon mustard (divided)

1/2 c sour cream

1 tbsp flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp capers

3-4 heads belgian endive

1.  Prepare crab cakes: combine 1/2 tsp lemon zest w/ 2tsp lemon juice, crabmeat, 2 tbsp fennel, 2 tbsp parsley, 1 tbsp shallot, 1 tsp mustard, half of the sour cream, flour, and salt.  Mix gently.

Form into tiny 1tbsp size disks and brown on each side in a little vegetable oil.

2.  To make sauce: combine remaining fennel, parsely, shallot, mustard, sour cream, and capers in a small bowl.

Put a little sauce and a crab cake on each endive leaf.  Voila!