Monthly Cooking Thread - July 2021

[Jamestown1630]

We’re in crab season, here in Maryland.

Some versions of Crab Imperial can be totally ‘keto friendly’, and here is one, from the long-time Maryland seafood company and restaurant ‘Phillips':

http://www.phillipsfoods.com/recipes/classic-crab-imperial

Crab Imperial

1 lb. Phillips Jumbo Lump Crab Meat

1 tsp. parsley

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1 egg

1 tsp. Phillips Seafood Seasoning

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

3 oz. Hellmann’s mayonnaise

1 tsp. melted butter

Imperial Topping:

3 oz. Hellmann’s mayonnaise

1 oz. half & half

1/2 tsp. Phillips Seafood Seasoning

1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce

Pinch of paprika

1/4 c. shredded Cheddar cheese

4 ramekins for baking (or empty natural crab shells)

Combine all Crab Imperial ingredients (except for the crab meat) in a medium mixing bowl and whip until smooth.

In a separate mixing bowl, add Phillips crab meat and pour imperial mixture over crab meat.

Blend all ingredients together by tossing very gently in order to avoid breaking delicate crab lump meat. Place 4+ ounces of the mix into each of 4 individual ramekins (or empty natural crab shells) and bake at 400° for 12-15 minutes.

While the imperials are cooking, combine Imperial Topping ingredients (mayonnaise, half & half, seafood seasoning, lemon juice & Worcestershire sauce) in a medium mixing bowl and whip until smooth.

After imperials are finished baking, remove from oven and switch oven to broil.

Top each ramekin (or natural crab shell) of baked crab imperial with the imperial topping and a pinch of paprika. Top each crab imperial with a Tbsp. of shredded Cheddar cheese.

Place in broiler to finish off until cheese has melted and imperials start to brown.

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And for those who don’t care about carbs, here’s another Maryland tradition: the Smith Island Cake which, since 2008, has been the Maryland State Dessert. (There are varying opinions on why the layers are so thin. Some say that in the late 1800s, when legend has it that the cake originated, it was easier to bake thin layers in a wood-fired oven; others say that it’s because the fudge packing the layers caused the whole thing to hold up better out on the watermen’s boats.

Doesn’t matter to me – more chocolate gets my vote no matter the reason):

http://www.visitmaryland.org/article/Smith-Island-Layer-Cake-Recipe

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And for your late-night listening pleasure, here is the Ukelele Orchestra of Great Britain performing ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLgJ7pk0X-s

[Liz]

Not Smith Island cake perfection, but a no-bake gussied up to sweeten July 4.

Popular Icbox Cake / fancfied for the fourth

Just layer chocolate wafers w/ Chantilly cream, line up in stacks of nine.
Ice w/ more cream. Chill. Serve with raspberries and garnishes of blue blossoms.

Chef's tip: add crushed berries to some of the whipped cream while stacking.

[bgill]

The only crab we get here is fake crab bits from Louis Rich.

Actually, it was sure welcome, no matter what it’s made from, during the big TX freeze. I made up a huge pasta salad with the fake stuff the night before the power outages hit. It was tasty, filling and didn’t need to be heated.

[MomwithHope]

That was a wonderful story. Thanks or sharing.

[MomwithHope]

I have always lived inland, and my only real crab fests were at Red Lobster. Thirty plus years ago they would have an all you can eat King Crab meal for $7.50. Yes that’s right $7.50. They did it once a year and hubby and I always went. One year we went with 2 of his buddies. After awhile the waitress got sick of collecting all the claw waste, but kept bringing the crab. When we were done, there was a tall pyramid of crab refuse that took up the whole middle of the table, and we stuck dollar bills in many places for a tip.

[Jamestown1630]

That’s what a crab feast looks like on the Eastern Shore - newspapers on picnic tables piled high with crab shells :-)

[Jamestown1630]

I’ve always liked that fish sandwich from McDonald’s too. But you have to get if freshly made, and hot.

Popeye’s came out with a fish sandwich recently; and while I must admit that my try at it was ‘delivery’, I couldn’t figure out why Popeye’s can do such a great spicy chicken sandwich, but thoroughly botch the fish sandwich...

[Jamestown1630]

Most of the people I know who make great seafood salads use some of that ‘Krab’; but most mix it with real shrimp and real crab.

[Jamestown1630]

I think the red is traditional in Maryland crab dishes.

[Jamestown1630]

It’s one of my favorites.

There’s a McDonald’s right outside of our doctor’s practice.

Whenever we finish our annual physical appointments, my husband and I go directly to Mickey D’s - not only because we’re hungry after starving ahead of blood work - but also just for spite :-)

[Califreak]

Me too and I hate seafood!

[Viking2002]

It almost varies from community to community sometimes. I can do either.

[Viking2002]

I’ll put Old Bay on everything from scrambled and deviled eggs to popcorn. It’s a great seasoning. Try it on roast or grilled chicken. Yum.

[Jamestown1630]

Old Bay has marketed a hot sauce that’s apparently selling like crazy around here, and appears to be actually seasoned with Old Bay:

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2021/07/02/old-bay-hot-sauce-gets-national-recognition-people-magazine-calling-declaring-it-top-hot-sauce/

[Viking2002]

OK, I gotta try that. Or order online. I have a three-shelf wooden corner rack in my breakfast nook I call The Hot Sauce Shoppe. I am a hot sauce nut, and use what I collect, as well. From all over the world. Probably a couple dozen bottles and some Jamaican marinades, too.

[Jamestown1630]

My favorite has always been, and will probably always remain, McIlhenny’s Tabasco.

http://www.tabasco.com/tabasco-history/

(But I do like the Hot, Fire and Diablo sauce at Taco Bell. I like the vinegary ones...)

[boatbums]

My mom was from New Orleans and there is something special about Lake Pontchartrain blue crabs!

I have fond memories of going to this place on Esplanade in the French Quarter and our family sharing a HUGE platter of fat crabs spread out on a big newspaper lined table. We didn't even need the crackers because we could crack open the claws with our teeth and scoop out the luscious, sweet, white meat with a butter knife! I was queasy about opening the bodies and cleaning out the lungs and stuff to get to the big lumps but I got used to it. No need for sauce or butter, they were so good. Dang! I'm gonna need to get some crabmeat now.

A really good party dip is to take a pound of lump crab and gently stir it into a stick of butter that's been melted with an 8 oz. package of cream cheese, the juice of a lemon and some freshly grated black pepper. Serve it warm with some captains wafer crackers. Yum!

[Jamestown1630]

'A really good party dip is to take a pound of lump crab and gently stir it into a stick of butter that's been melted with an 8 oz. package of cream cheese, the juice of a lemon and some freshly grated black pepper. Serve it warm with some captains wafer crackers. Yum!'

That sounds good - but I had to look up 'Captains Wafer Crackers'.

This reminds me- there's something I've loved since early childhood, when my father took me to a bar with him, and the bartender gave me a coke with a cherry in it. They also gave me these 'waffle' crackers that had cheese inside. I've only found those crackers a few times since then, and I think they were made by Old London; but they don't seem to made anymore. The last time I found them was in a drugstore in Pennsylvania about 20 years ago... :-(

[boatbums]

My new favorite is Florida stone crabs. I like them cold with a mustard sauce. The season runs October 15 through May 15. They've been unbelievably expensive for last several years.

Also, we were in Ft. Lauderdale several times and there's place called Rustic Inn that served Golden Crabs that were cooked in a garlic, parsley butter and SOOOOO good. You had to wear a bib and work at getting the meat out but it was worth it.

[rlmorel]

I think I am going to try that-a roasted chicken with Old Bay!

I’ll season it with garlic paste, black pepper, and Old Bay, and shove a beer can up its tailfeathers to make it stand up on my grill!

[rlmorel]

You bet, thanks for the kind words...:)