The Wall Street Journal-20080202-WEEKEND JOURNAL- Food - Drink -- Chefs at Home- Snacks for the Super Bowl- A Texas Chef Livens Up the Game With Spicy Crab Cakes

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WEEKEND JOURNAL; Food & Drink -- Chefs at Home: Snacks for the Super Bowl; A Texas Chef Livens Up the Game With Spicy Crab Cakes

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THE CHEF: TIM LOVE is chef/owner of several restaurants in Fort Worth, Texas, including Lonesome Dove Western Bistro; Duce, a modern steakhouse; and Love Shack, a classic hamburger joint.

KNOWN FOR: Mr. Love tweaks Western cuisine by blending Texan ingredients -- beef, buffalo, and antelope, for example -- with global ones, such as Manchego from Spain or yucca, a root found in South America.

THE MEAL: Mr. Love says these crab cakes and empanadas are easy to prepare and good for a Super Bowl gathering that usually relies upon old standards. For larger groups, make the empanada recipe go further by dividing the dough into 32 balls instead of 16 and adding one tablespoon of filling instead of two.

KITCHEN TIP: If you don't want to make the dough from scratch for the empanadas, buy premade frozen dough. Goya brand's frozen "Discos," for instance, are available in Mexican markets and in the frozen-food sections at many supermarkets.

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For wine pairings from our columnists, go to WSJ.com/ChefsAtHome.

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Mini Jambalaya Crab Cakes

Yield: About 15

Preparation time: 50 minutes, plus 3 hours chilling

Cooking time: 10 minutes

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 celery stalks, finely diced

1 carrot, finely diced

1/2 small onion, diced

4 strips bacon, roughly chopped

2 tablespoons butter, divided use

2 cups uncooked short-grain rice

3 cups chicken stock or broth

3 tablespoons Cajun seasoning

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup tomato puree

1/2 pound crab meat, picked over

1 tablespoon hot sauce, or more to taste

Salt

-- In a large saute pan over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the celery, carrot and onion and saute until the onion begins to soften. Add the bacon and saute until nearly crisp. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the butter and the rice. Reduce the heat to medium and stir for 1 minute to coat the rice.

-- Add 1 1/2 cups of water, 1/2 cup of the chicken stock, the Cajun seasoning, thyme, black pepper and tomato puree. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer the rice, stirring constantly to prevent it from burning on the bottom.

-- As mixture thickens, continue to add more broth to the rice, in 3/4-cup additions. Stir until the rice is cooked but not mushy and offers only a slight resistance when bitten, 20 to 25 minutes. Continue cooking for about 1 minute more, stirring to remove any excess moisture. Stir in the crab and the hot sauce, and season well with salt.

-- Spoon the mixture into a parchment-lined rimmed cookie sheet or baking dish (about 9 inches by 12 inches); spread to level. Refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours. Using cookie cutter or drinking glass that is about 2 inches in diameter, cut the rice into about 15 rounds (or squares, to avoid scraps).

-- Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the crab cakes in batches. Brown them on both sides and warm through, about 1 to 2 minutes each side. Serve immediately.

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Pear and Manchego Empanadas

Yield: 16 empanadas

Preparation time: 45 minutes, plus 1 hour refrigeration for dough

Cooking time: 30 minutes

For the dough:

4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons baking powder

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, cut into small pieces

1 cup chicken stock or broth

For the filling:

2 cups (about 2 large) minced fresh pear, peeled and cored

2 cups (about 1/2 pound) shredded Manchego cheese

1/2 cup minced jicama, peeled

Juice of 1 lime

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 large egg, beaten

-- Make the dough at least 2 hours ahead of serving. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Add the butter pieces and blend it with a fork, fingertips or by pulsing in a food processor until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the chicken stock a little at a time, stirring or pulsing until just incorporated.

-- Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured surface and gather it, then knead gently with the heel of your hand once or twice, just enough to bring the dough together. Form it into a flat rectangle and chill, in plastic wrap, at least 1 hour.

-- Make the filling. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine the pear, cheese, jicama, lime juice, salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until you are ready to use.

-- Divide the dough into 16 balls. On a floured surface, roll each ball into a 6-inch circle. Brush the edge of each circle with the beaten egg and place a few heaping tablespoons of the filling in the center. Brush the rim of the dough with more beaten egg.

-- Fold the dough over the filling to form a half-moon shape. Crimp the edges with your fingertips to seal the empanada. Pierce the top of each empanada with a fork and brush it with beaten egg. (These may be refrigerated at this point until shortly before serving time.)

-- Place the empanadas on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake until puffed and golden, about 30 minutes.