BH&G Fish and Seafood Cook Book: Crab-Deviled Eggs and Smoked Oyster Puffs

The ladies’ holiday cocktail party continues! I’ve already shared with you the wiener part of the evening and the sparkling punch, but here are the remaining delicious dishes, Crab-Deviled Eggs and Smoked Oyster Puffs. Both recipes come from the Better Homes and Gardens Fish and Seafood Cook Book (1971 edition), one of the books from my collection that I had not yet cracked open.

Well, what a treat this cook book is. It is chock-full of molds and mousses made out of fish filets and crustaceans. I didn’t choose one of those types of dishes because, well, gelatinous seafood doesn’t appeal to the masses, and HELLO! I’ve already been there and done that with #107 Seafood Mousse  and the molded Tuna-Herring Spread and Cheese Spread from #114 Cold Appetizers.

But right now that is neither here nor there. Now why did I choose these two dishes? Because I love anything that’s called a puff. And I think deviled eggs are delicious. And with crab–fancy!

Well the Crab Deviled Eggs are just like the regular ol’ deviled eggs that my mum makes for holiday snicky snacks. But with crab. Well, that’s a simple change. And a tasty one, too. Here’s the finished product–made especially pretty by my paprika and scallion sliver garnish:

So, Smoked Oyster Puffs.

The thing that I liked best about the puffs was that I used a Rabbi Elizer Goldberg Heroes of the Torah glass to cut the Swiss cheese into rounds. Which then looked rather moon-like when put on the rest of the canape.

Here is the finished product:

I put these on both tiny cocktail loaf Pumpernickel and a few cut out pieces of gluten-free bread—my mum has the gluten.

These were OK. Not great. But definitely edible. I liked them well enough.

So that’s it for the lady party! Here is a picture of the full spread:

Oh, also on the table, a cheese plate, artichoke dip, an assortment of Christmas cookies, and a platter of my mum’s famous Spinach Balls. That’s the plate adjacent to the punch bowl that is nearly empty. The Spinach Balls are the stuff of legend. I do believe that I have relatives that now come to our yearly Christmas Eve party solely for the Spinach Balls. They are that good. My mum gives the recipe only to very special people.

But maybe if I hit a particular number of hits or subscribers I will share the Spinach Ball recipe. Is that enough of an incentive for you folks to tell your friends about the wonders of Dinner is Served 1972? Think about it.

Let me finally close the book on my holiday cooking (yeah, all the way at the beginning of spring) with this picture:

I shot a gun for the first time over the holidays. I went to the range with my brother, who is a very responsible gun owner. This is me giving some Sarah Palin realness. I mean, what says America more than the birth of Christ and firearms?