Hometown Favorites

So I'm gearing up for another weekend, during which I hope to get some serious cooking and cleaning done - though that remains to be seen - and I'm kicking it off tonight with one of my favorite foods, steamed crabs. Now, I know that lots of cities and states have crabs - stone, alaskan king, snow, dungoness ... But Maryland Blue Crabs, in my humble opinion, are superior. My reasons are simple - they're my native crustacean and I find them to be so much meatier and sweeter than those other crabs. And steaming them in Old Bay (the godfather of all spice blends, thank you very much) turns amazing into A-MA-ZING. Seriously.

I grew up eating crabs, learned to pick them at a very young age, and taught my unfortunately land-locked friends how to properly eat one. Growing up in Baltimore, so close to the water especially, crabs were a natural addition to the summer menu. And all the acoutramon that accompany them: newspapers, mallets, butter knives, corn on the cob, a ROLL of paper towels and an icy beverage - usually beer, though in my case I prefer soda with my crabs.

There is nothing quite so fantastic and exciting in this town as being invited to a crab feast. It's the one party you want to attend, every single time. Crab feast? I'm there. I'll cancel whatever needs to be cancelled. You bring the little buggers, I'll bring my appetite. And all the wonderful and delicious things you can do with the crab meat - if you possess the willpower of a saint and the patience of Job - that you don't shovel into your mouth as soon as you crack that blister-red shell. Crab cakes, or crab balls; crab soup or cream of crab soup (so good); crab dip, crab salad, soft shell crab sandwhiches ... this list is a tad like Bubba Gump's shrimp list ...

There is no better way to usher in a warm summer night than with a picnic table crowded with friends, hot steaming crabs heaped in the center and sweaty bottles leaving condensation rings on the newspaper. Tiki torches and lightning bugs, buttery corn on the cob and the most beautiful sound in seafood - that satisfying crack and snap as the claw gives way to a perfectly intact mouthful of crab. Fetch me a bib and let the feasting begin.