Congratulations are in order for this fancy graduation party dinner

May is the month of graduations. Now that we graduate from preschool, kindergarten, grammar school, high school, college and beyond, there might be a graduation in your house this month.

For this column, I’ve created a dinner that feels fancy but is really easy. You want to celebrate the graduation, so the fancy part is important. I suggest that you give everyone a menu that you have rolled up and tied with a bit of ribbon, like a diploma. This is a celebration, so pull out the fancy dishes.

The butternut squash has lots of flavor and makes for a smooth soup. Although I suggest that you serve it hot for this dinner, it is good at room temperature if there are any leftovers. The orange is a great happy color that adds to the celebration.

Crabcakes are delicious made with Louisiana Gulf crabs. Be sure to pick through the crab meat so that no one gets a surprise bit of crab shell. I like this recipe because it doesn’t have too much breading and that lets the crab flavor predominate. I like to serve them with a fresh sauce that simply accentuates the crabbiness of the cakes and helps to contribute to the celebration.

I would pair the crabcakes with freshly steamed asparagus or broccoli that is buttered and hit with a squeeze of lemon juice, warm New Orleans French bread, and cheesy grits.

And then it’s time for the apple cake. Your celebration deserves a cake, and this one remains moist even a few days later (if you actually have any left over that long). Using cane syrup is not usual in apple cake, but we are in Louisiana, so why not take advantage of our special ingredients?

One final flourish: Lower the lights and flame the cake at the table to make sure the graduate knows how proud you are!

Butternut Squash Soup

Serves 6-8.

Preheat oven to 325 F.

1 large butternut squash or 2 small ones to make about 3 pounds raw squash

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger

4 cups chicken broth

1 cup buttermilk

5 fresh sage leaves

5 fresh rosemary leaves

1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

Grated rind of one large orange

Chopped parsley for garnish

1. Cut the squash in half lengthwise with a large knife. Prick the squash with a knife through the skin side, and place the two halves, cut side down, on a cookie sheet oiled with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Place in the oven at 325 F for 40 minutes or until a knife can easily pierce the neck of the squash. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. (You can substitute about 3 pounds of canned or frozen butternut squash.)

2. While the squash is baking, sauté the onion pieces in a large heavy soup pot until they are soft, about 15 minutes.

3. Add the garlic and the fresh ginger and sauté for five more minutes, while stirring.

4. Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer.

5. While waiting for the broth to simmer, scoop the seeds from the squash with a spoon and discard them. Scoop the cooked meat from the skin of the squash and place it into the broth. Don’t worry about size of squash pieces, because they will be blended. Remove the pot from the heat.

6. Add the buttermilk, sage and rosemary, pepper and salt, and the orange rind.

7. Place an immersion blender into the pot and blend until the entire mixture is smooth. If you do not have an immersion blender you can use a countertop blender or a food processor, working in batches, to blend the soup until smooth. 

8. Reheat if necessary and serve, garnished with chopped parsley.

Crabcakes

Makes 6 or 7 crabcakes.

1 stick of unsalted butter

2 shallots, minced

2 celery stalks, minced

4 large peeled raw shrimp

1/2 cup mayonnaise 

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed

3/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper, plus more as needed

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus more as needed

2 tablespoons hot sauce

1 pound boiled or steamed crabmeat, picked over for shells

1/2 lemon, plus lemon wedges for serving

2 tablespoons finely chopped green onion

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. Placed 2 tablespoons of the butter into a large skillet and begin to warm the pan.

2. Add the shallots and celery and sauté until soft, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside to cool.

3. Place the shrimp into the food processor and process the shrimp into a paste. Add the mayonnaise and pulse two or three times to loosen the shrimp. Add the salt, the pepper, the cayenne and the hot sauce. Pulse two more times. Transfer the mixture to the bowl.

4. Add the crab meat. Stir gently but thoroughly to mix.

5. Butter your hands with a teaspoon of the butter, then form the crab mixture into six or seven patties.

6. Add the rest of the butter to the skillet. When it is sizzling add the crabcakes carefully. Cook for about three minutes on each side. Be very gentle with the cakes.

7. Place crabcakes on a platter and garnish them with the lemon wedges, green onion and parsley.

FOR SAUCE: 

Makes 1½ cups.

1 cup mayonnaise

3 tablespoons drained capers, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon liquid crab boil

Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl. Allow to meld together for at least 3 hours.

Apple Cake

If you do not have a springform pan, you will have to be careful removing the cake from the pan even after it cools. Makes 6-8 servings.

Preheat oven to 350 F

1 tablespoon plus 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling over cake

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons dark rum, divided

4 cups peeled and medium chopped Granny Smith apples

1 cup chopped pecans

FOR GLAZE: 

1/2 cup cane syrup

1/2 cup dark rum, reserving 1 tablespoon

1. Prepare a 9-inch springform pan by buttering the bottom and sides with 1 tablespoon of butter. Add a parchment paper round and butter the paper. Set aside.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

3. Cream the butter and sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, incorporating them well. Scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition, if necessary. Beat in the vanilla, cinnamon, and rum.

4. Add the flour mixture in 2 separate batches and mix on low speed until just combined.

5. Remove from the mixer and fold in the chopped apples and pecans with a rubber spatula. Do not over-mix. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula or an offset spatula. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar.

6. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool on a wire rack.

7. Once the cake is cool, run a knife around the cake between the edge of the cake and the wall of the pan. Remove the springform pan side. (If using a regular cake pan, carefully invert the cake onto a plate, remove the parchment paper, then flip the cake plate over and carefully place it right-side-up on a deep platter. Allow to continue cooling.) Poke about 12 holes into the cake with a wooden skewer.

8. Mix the syrup and the rum in a small pot. Heat until the syrup mixture is bubbly. Stir well. Add the reserved tablespoon of rum. Place the cake on the table and lower the lights. With a long lighter, light the syrup/rum mixture and pour it carefully over the cake. Serve immediately.