Katy Sparks, the brilliant and beautiful chef behind the food at Quilty's, and a Food & Wine Best New Chef for 1998, has taken over the stoves of Compass on the Upper West Side. Compass is at 208 West 70th Street (b/w Amsterdam and West End Aves., 212-875-8600.On another note, Katy has just gotten her first cookbook deal with the esteemed and venerable editor Judith Jones of Knopf. Stay tuned for a Fall 2005 release.
She can really cook. The crab cake recipe here looks really simple and tasty. Notice there's no Old Bay seasoning or any other big flavors to bury the subtle flavor of the lump crab meat. If you're trying to save a few bucks, you can go 50/50 with lump crab meat and shredded, which is also tasty but has a different consistency. Remember, it's important to handle it gently to avoid crushing the delicate lumps you've just paid big bucks for.
Rate her on the Scoville scale and let me know if you try making the crab cake recipe. I'd rate her cayenne.
I vote "Serrano" I think I just may try out the crabcakes real soon... looks like a killer recipe!
I think she's a least as hot as Rachel Ray, especially in the cooking department. I definitely want to check out her book.