Crab Strudel and CSN Stores $40 GIVEAWAY

For my first GIVEAWAY post, where you'll have an opportunity to win a $40 gift certificate to any of the 200+ CSN Stores, featuring furniture, health and fitness, home decor, cookware, dining room sets, and more...I thought I'd share the recipe and photos from last night's dinner (Ina's amazing Crab Strudel) along with a glimpse inside my home. My favorite room in our early 1800's house...you'll see the dining room's before/after shots (when we moved in), and hear our short story associated with the walls that serve as a canvas to so many dishes appearing in this blog.

For a shot at winning the $40 gift certificate (sent to your email directly from CSN for one time use), simply post a comment below... or... DOUBLE your chances of winning and Tweet, blog about, OR Facebook this CSN Stores giveaway linking back to this post and mention you did so in the comments form below. (Do 2 of the above, you'll have 2 spots in the drawing, do all four and you have four!) You get the gist! A random winner will be announced Thursday, July 22. So welcome into my dining room...make Ina's crab strudel, visit CSN Stores and Good Luck!


Arguably the most beautiful room in the house, upon moving in five years ago...we couldn't wait to begin its transformation! Ten foot ceilings, thick moldings, wide brick fireplace surrounded by delft tiles, anchored on both ends by original built-in cabinets, even in the rooms tired state, it was easy to envision its potential!


Long time residents of the town, tell us the house acquired the delft tiles back in the mid 1800's, when a foreign diplomat's grand home in the center of town burned to the ground. As the story goes...people in town were told to salvage what they could from the homes debris and thus began the beautiful tiles new reign in what is now our dining room.


The built-in cabinets need detail work, a task I've been avoiding since hearing "their story." Our neighbor tells of a scholarly gentleman who used to own the home, insisting the cabinets were haunted by a little girl who loves to dance. We have never seen her, but in searching for clues have come across mysterious looking spots on our dishes and trays resembling an almost footstep like pattern.


Four layers of dirty, old wall paper, mudding, sanding, taping and painting brought this room back to life. A new light fixture, large expanding walnut dining table and a few other pieces we've acquired through the years, make this room a favorite place for family dinners and special space to entertain our guests. We can't help but wonder how many meals have been consumed in this dining room and of all the conversations it's been pleased with (if not burdened by) throughout its centuries. We can only hope the room is content with our efforts to restore its rightful beauty and that perhaps we've provided our little dancer... a grand stage... better suited for her performance!

*Note: I substituted Old Bay Seasoning in place of the curry

Crab Strudel
2007, Ina Garten, All Rights Reserved

Ingredients
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, divided
3 scallions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 pound lump crab meat, drained and picked to remove shells
2 teaspoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 lime, juiced
Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10 sheets phyllo dough (Athens brand)
1/4 cup plain dry breadcrumbs

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a medium saute pan, add the scallions and garlic and cook over medium-low heat until the scallions are soft, approximately 5 minutes. Add the curry powder and stir.

Shred the crab meat into a bowl and mix with the parsley, lime juice, salt, to taste, and pepper. Add the crab meat to the scallion mixture.

Melt 10 tablespoons of butter in a small pan and set aside.

Unfold 1 sheet of the phyllo dough. Brush the sheet with melted butter and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Repeat the process by laying a second sheet of phyllo dough over the first sheet, brush it with melted butter and sprinkle with bread crumbs until 5 sheets have been used. Spoon a 1-inch wide row of the crab mixture along 1 edge of the phyllo dough. Roll it up. Brush the top with butter and set aside. Repeat the entire process using the all the phyllo dough and crab filling.

Cover a sheet pan with parchment paper. Score the crab strudel diagonally into 1 1/2-inch pieces and bake for 12 minutes, or until the top is lightly brown. Slice and serve.