Crab Season

The Crab season is here and the small boats are out by the jetty pulling in large succulent crabs. I borrowed a picture Pat took at a Crab feast some time ago. I had pictures of fish and fishermen but no crab. This one looks like one we had for Thanksgiving lunch, huge of size, sweet meat and harder than it should be to crack them open and get the meat out. If you love crab then you have to work at it to get to the good parts. Whenever we have shell fish I am reminded of my friend, Mary Kay, who lived in Rhode Island and was a true lover of both lobster and crab. We went out to dinner one night and I swear she should have gotten a medal for being the best 'picker' in the bunch. She got meat out of places we never heard of. I bet if she had asked for a doggie-bag she could have gone through our shells and filled it with enough pickings for another meal. How we teased her but how I envied her talent as I struggled to get just a tiny bit out of a crab claw. With all their rugged beauty you would think you could hold on and get the meat without a struggle but nature has its own way of testing your patience. Maybe owning one of those tiny silver forks is the secret of success.

As for pictures, I managed to find a star fish in the rocks but that is as close as I could get to a claw. The ocean is like glass, silky and smooth. Son John is coming home this weekend and we can go down to the harbor and buy some fresh crab so he can have a treat. I was told many years ago that shell fish is very high in cholesterol and that could be true, but I am also a firm believer that a little now and then cannot hurt us. You know, like liver and onions, but what a comparison, I could give up liver and onions and smile, but crab . . . um . . . that is a 'claw' of a different color. I think the word I am looking for is 'moderation' then you can enjoy a taste of the foods you love without getting into trouble.

Check out your local restaurants and see if they got a shipment of crab and lobster in. It will not be the freshest but it will be a close second and enjoy the tastes from the sea. One of my sisters-in-law and two of my children wouldn't touch anything from the sea no matter how much you bragged about good taste. They couldn't stand the smell never mind the taste. Now, I know why they enjoyed stopping off at MacDonald's. Enjoy whatever is your favorite food today . . . Bon Appetite!