Celebrate 4th of July With Food

Hermosa Beach will celebrate Independence Day on Monday, and one of the most important ways to get into the holiday spirit (along with ) is with food.

Hermosa Beach Patch asked local chefs last year to share their favorite summer recipes with readers—here they are again for you to use during Fourth of July.

Crab Cakes (from Paul Bentsen, executive chef at —see accompanying video)

1 pound fresh crab leg

1/4 cup light mayonnaise

2 strips of smoked bacon, finely chopped

1/3 cup crushed jalapenos

2 red onions, finely chopped

1 lemon wedge

1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

1/2 cup garlic oil

Dash of optional seasoning

Dash of raw sugar

Butter Sauce

1 cup butter, cut into 1-inch pieces

1/2 cup Champagne

Drain the crabmeat, if necessary, and put in a medium mixing bowl. Gently mix in the light mayonnaise, breaking up the lumps of crabmeat with your fingers, but do not over mix.

Mix together the rest of the ingredients: smoked bacon, fresh jalapenos and red onion. Drizzle lemon juice over the mixture by squeezing the lemon wedge.

Finally, mix in the breadcrumbs and a dash of seasoning of choice, such as one teaspoon of paprika or cayenne pepper. Form balls of crab cakes with mixture, pressing down in big sizes and shaping into patties.

Heat garlic oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot, carefully place crab cakes, two at a time, in the pan and fry until golden brown, which will take about 4 to 5 minutes. Carefully flip crab cakes, browning each side. Then bake in the oven for an additional 4 minutes on low-heat. Serve warm with champagne butter sauce.

For the sauce, melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat, and then slowly pour in champagne. Stir together and set aside to cool.

Place crab cakes on butter sauce for presentation and sprinkle a dash of raw sugar on top to serve.

Indo Salad (from Executive Chef Alex Lombardo of —see accompanying video)

1 pound sushi-grade ahi (yellowfin tuna)

Lemon pepper spice for dipping

1 bunch wild arugula

1 avocado wedge

1/3 cup diced tomatos

1/4 cup pickled ginger

1 lemon wedge

olive oil

pinch of black and white sesame

Coat both sides of the ahi in lemon pepper spice. Add oil to the pan and heat on high. Wait until the oil is hot then sear the ahi for 30 seconds to a minute on each side, making sure the coating turns caramel brown.

Cut the ahi into eight or nine quarter-inch slices, then place on a plate garnished with a banana leaf, if desired. Add arugula, diced tomatoes, avocado wedge and pickled ginger to the plate along with the ponzu sauce dip. Pour a small amount of lemon juice and olive oil over the arugula and finish with the sesame garnish.     

Ponzu Sauce

1 cup mirin (sweet rice wine)

2 cups soy sauce

1 cup lime juice

Pour the mirin into a pot and heat until about half of the liquid evaporates. Add the soy sauce and lime juice. Bring the mixture back to a boil and heat for two minutes. Make sure to chill the sauce before serving.

Do you have a special recipe perfect for an Independence Day gathering?