My wife and I have a couple of friends who don’t spend much time in the kitchen. Most of the food they bring home is already prepared or something that’s already been seasoned, sauced and ready for the oven, grill or, more likely, the microwave. Getting invited to their house for dinner means a few things. First, we’ll eat well after the sun goes down and there’s a sizable line-up of empty wine bottles on the counter. Second, I’ll probably end up having to finish cooking whatever it is we’re supposed to eat, but by the time I’m involved, it’s too late. Finally, the dinner will be bad. The meat will be overcooked and gray, the vegetables as soft as baby food. Look, as long as I still have all of my teeth, I like my veggies crisp.

Another couple who, like us, enjoy the company of the host couple, but not their food, calls their style of table fare “prison food.” These non-foodies also don’t keep any leftovers. A quick inventory of their fridge will reveal a bottle or two of dressing, some packaged cheese for the kids and a few bottles of white wine. Some people are just not that into food. I suppose that there’s also no good reason to hang on to lousy food.


Pretend that your leftover fish is cooked crab meat. Combine the flaked fish with whatever your favorite crab cake recipe calls for. Add some Old Bay Seasoning, egg, mayo, bread crumbs, lemon, etc. and mix the whole thing together. I’ve found that the mixture works best if it’s just a little moister than your average crab cake before cooking. Brown the cakes on both sides and then pop them into a 375 degree oven for about 5 or 6 minutes to finish cooking.

I like to top the cooked cakes off with some creamy coleslaw in a warm sourdough roll. Of course, these cakes are best if you don’t wait until the fish starts to stink up the house.  This week’s video recipe shows you how to make Shrimp and Fish Cakes with fresh, uncooked fish and a big butterflied shrimp in the middle. For a text version of the recipe, click here