The Seattle Times posted this recipe today and I can't wait to try 'em with some of our 'guaranteed to make your eyes water' cocktail sauce. Crab cakes + a few Metaxa Sidecars + a warm spring day... Boy howdy, them's good eatin'.

On a related note, we had American Easter dinner at the Dahlia Lounge and my dish included hush puppies drizzled with fig molasses... now I'm obsessed with the fig-molasses combination. More on that later.

All of this kinda makes me wonder why we don't own any of Tom Douglas' cookbooks...

Here's the recipe:

Makes 8 cakes

- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped red bell pepper
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
- 2 teaspoons chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon Tabasco
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup olive oil

- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 pound fresh Dungeness crabmeat, picked clean of shell and lightly squeezed if wet
- 4 cups fresh bread crumbs
- 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
- About 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Green Cocktail Sauce (recipe does not follow)
- 4 lemon wedges

1. In a mini food processor, combine egg yolk, vinegar, mustard, bell pepper, onion, parsley, Tabasco, paprika, thyme, salt and pepper. Pulse to finely mince the vegetables and combine the ingredients. With motor running, slowly add oil through the feed tube until the mixture emulsifies and forms a thin mayonnaise.

2. Transfer mayonnaise mixture to a large bowl and stir in sour cream, then use a spatula to fold in crabmeat. Gently form into 8 patties, about 3 inches across and ¾-inch thick. Put bread crumbs in a shallow container and stir in parsley. Lightly dredge the crab cakes on both sides in the bread crumbs.

Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour or longer.

3. Put 2 large nonstick skillets over medium heat and add about 2 tablespoons butter to each pan. When butter is melted, add 4 cakes to each pan. Gently fry until golden brown on both sides and hot through, turning once with a spatula, about 4 minutes on each side.

4. Transfer crab cakes to plates, serving 2 to each person, accompanied by ramekins of Green Cocktail Sauce and lemon wedges.