Q: I attended a wedding at the King Plow Arts Center. The food was exceptional. I live in California and would love to share some of the recipes with guests that I have over for dinner. Of special interests were the crab cakes with sauce. I was told that the caterer was in-house and was something like Bold Foods.

-- Gladys Cannon, Redwood City, Calif.

A: Bold American Food Co., the catering arm of the Fifth Group Restaurants (which also own South City Kitchen, La Tavola Trattoria, the Food Studio and Sala), caters all the events at the King Plow Arts Center. It also provides catering service to other venues and homes. Kurt M. D'Aurizio, executive chef of Bold American Food Co., was happy to share his delicious version of crab cakes. He uses panko, Japanese bread crumbs, to bind the patties and seasons them with a healthy dose of red pepper to give them a bit of heat. The crab cakes can be served as an entree or made smaller for an impressive appetizer. D'Aurizio likes to serve them with horseradish slaw (slaw mix in a rich vinaigrette flavored with freshly grated horseradish) and adds fresh herb leaves like parsley and tarragon as a garnish.

-- Jeanne Besser, for the Journal-Constitution

MAIN DISH

Crab Cakes With Whole Grain Mustard Sauce

Makes 4 servings

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

For the whole grain mustard sauce:

1/4 cup whole grain mustard

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon dry white wine

Salt and pepper

For the crab cakes:

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup panko bread crumbs

1 teaspoon thinly sliced green onions

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1 pound fresh lump crab meat

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

To make mustard sauce: In a bowl, combine mustard, mayonnaise and wine. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.

To make crab cakes: In a bowl, mix mayonnaise, panko bread crumbs, green onions, cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Gently fold in crab meat, being careful not to break up meat. Taste and adjust seasoning. Form into cakes. In a large skillet, add oil. Saute crab cakes until golden brown on both sides, carefully flipping to keep intact. Serve with whole grain mustard sauce.

Per serving: 370 calories (percent of calories from fat, 70), 22 grams protein, 6 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 29 grams fat, 98 milligrams cholesterol, 970 milligrams sodium.

Is there a restaurant recipe you'd like to make at home? Tell us what you're looking for and perhaps we can get it. If we succeed, we'll have the recipe tested and adapted for the home kitchen, if necessary. Because of volume, we can't answer all inquiries. Send your request, along with address and phone number, to:

Mail: Food Department, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 72 Marietta St. N.W., Atlanta, GA 30303.

E-mail: menu@ajc.com. Fax: 404-526-5509.