From Philly Hoagies to Baltimore Crabs: Two New Twists on Classic Local Cuisine, a Guest Post Exchange with Emily Malloy

Please welcome the always awesome and frequently hilarious (only when she intends to be, I assure you!) Emily of Cleanliness is Next to Godliness. We've worked up a fun little guest post exchange highlighting the iconic dishes of one another's cities, as you'll see below. She's come up with a very cool twist on a Baltimore classic, while I've deconstructed a Philly hoagie and turned it into something completely different. Hint: My dish is on the right above, and if you want to learn more, you'll have to go check out my guest post on her blog. And now, without further ado, heeere's Emily!

Hello all! My name is Emily of Cleanliness is Next to Godliness and it's an absolute pleasure to be with you today! When Madame Trix and I were brainstorming our guest post exchange, we thought it would be a ton of fun to tackle each other's local cuisine. Trix hailing from Baltimore and yours truly from Philadelphia, this made for a fun task! Such. Fun. I am so glad that we were able to do this. However, being the foodies that we are, we each consequently did the local dishes with a twist! Because we're twisty people!*

Thanks again to Trix for this fun experience!!

*Please take note that I did not say twisted people. There is a big difference. :o)


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"Sisters. Sisters. There were never such devoted Sisters."

Philadelphia and Baltimore. Two cities that are practically sisters. I mean, they just have so much in common. Really! Take for instance:

Baseball. Philadelphia has an outstandingly incredible baseball team. Baltimore had an outstanding baseball team at the end of the 1880s. (snicker) I joke. Cal Ripken, Jr. rocks my socks off (but the Phightin' Phils are still better, ahem).

Rivers. Here we go! Philadelphia and Baltimore are both located along rivers. (Yeah, that's not really that striking of a comparison, you're right, I can do better!)

Famous People. Philadelphia and Baltimore both have a lot of famous people that call these cities home. Oh! You're wondering who these people are, huh? Who else do you need to know other than Trix and myself? Sheesh. Forget Babe Ruth being from Baltimore and Grace Kelly being from Philadelphia. ...Okay, let's not forget them. They were amazing.
 

Food! Philadelphia and Baltimore are both eatin' towns. Seriously. Both cities have made the top 15 Fattest Cities list. You know that means there has to be good eats at these places!

So.. what does it boil down to that these two cities have in common, aside from the fact that they both sit along rivers, have sports teams, and are completely overshadowed by New York City and Washington, DC? The fact that they both have great local cuisines.

When thinking of Pennsylvania's southern neighbor, only one thing comes to mind. Crabs! Deeelish. There is nothing more yummy than a good crab cake. Oh my.

Know what else is great? Butter. And eggs.

Know what happens when you put them together? Aside from a higher cholesterol score?

Eggs Benedict and Crab Cake. Holy Moses.

This ain't yo mama's Eggs Benedict.

Eggs Benedict, meet Baltimore!

Eggs Maryland

Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients for the Crab Cakes:

1 pound lump crab meat
1 large egg, lightly mixed
1/4 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup Vidalia onion, chopped
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 TBS mustard
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
2 TBS to 1/4 cup bread crumbs (depending on how much you need to get the mixture to hold)
1 cup all-purpose flour, for dredging
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions for the Crab Cakes:

1. In a medium sized bowl, combine the crab, vegetables, egg, mayo, mustard and seasonings.

2. Slowly add the bread crumbs until the mixture begins to hold.

3. Refrigerate the mixture for a half an hour, or until you’re ready to use it (or use it right away, if you must!)

4. Heat a large skillet with the olive oil over medium.

5. Shape the mixture into 1 inch thick cakes, dredge in flour and add to oil, cooking approximately 3 to 5 minutes per side.

Ingredients for the Poached Eggs:

4 large eggs

1 TBS white vinegar

3 cups of water

Pinch of salt

Directions for the Poached Eggs:

1. Bring water to boil in a small sauce pan.

2. Add vinegar and salt, and reduce the heat to simmer.

3. Crack each egg into a small bowl (makes the addition into the water smoother, trust me!).

4. Add 1 to 2 eggs at a time. It looks like sheer chaos is going on, but trust me! It's working!

5. Cook each egg until no longer transparent. Remove with slotted spoon.

6. Place on top of the crab cake!

Ingredients for the Hollandaise Sauce:

3 large egg yolks

1 TBS lemon juice, freshly squeezed

6 TBS unsalted butter, softened

1 tsp paprika

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions for the Hollandaise Sauce:

1. Over medium, melt the butter, but do not brown it!

2. In a blender, combine remaining ingredients for about 30 seconds on high.

3. Reduce speed on low, add the melted butter.

4. Combine for about 10 to 15 seconds.

5. Taste to see if you need more lemon juice or salt and pepper!

6. Top the poached egg and crab cake. Eat immediately. And then nap!