Last summer's virtual Crab Week has taken on a life of its own. I just got this e-mail, which made me smile:

Hi Elizabeth

I am emailing you from England where we are in the planning stages of a new Crab and Lobster Festival.

I came across your blog on the Baltimore Sun website about the Baltimore Crab Week and I was wondering if you had a link to more information about it as I am really interested to see what it includes?
 
Many thanks and best wishes

Kate Royall

Actually her Crab Week sounds better than ours, a) because it includes lobster and b) because you actually eat them, you don't just talk about them. But what do they do with crabs in England? I'll have to find out more.

(Rich Watts/Special to the Sun)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 10:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (12)
Categories: Crab Week
        

 
As Crab Week draws to a close, I realize I forgot to mention that hard-shell crabs were the cover story of May's Saveur magazine.

I certainly didn't appreciate the fact that the print edition focused on New York and Vietnam, not Maryland; but it's certainly worth mentioning.

I'm about ready for big juicy steak. How about you? But if there's anything left to say about crabs, please post it below. 

For instance, I didn't have any advice on buying crabs from the back of a truck on the side of the road because I've never done that. Maybe you have.

I just went back to my original post about Crab Week events, and we did pretty well. The only thing I forgot was the best places to get carryout crabs. 

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 6:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (24)
Categories: Crab Week
        

Just in the nick of time (for Crab Week anyway) I checked my work e-mail and found this:

Hi EL.  No discussion of crab dip this week, which is one of my top measures of a decent happy hour spot.  Is there still time?  Thanks, Lisa

Of course there's time. It's Crab Week till midnight. 

Interestingly, Lisa didn't include any mention of which bar's crab dip she likes, but maybe she'll read this and post below. Or maybe you have a suggestion.

Is there any chance any of you reading this don't know what crab dip is -- that hot concoction of crab, mayonnaise, cream cheese and seasonings?

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 10:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (29)
Categories: Crab Week
        

The time has come to see what Film Critic Extraordinaire Michael Sragow thinks of that cult classic Attack of the Crab Monsters. I'm hoping that some of you couldn't resist and also got it from Video Americain or Netflix and can  tell us what you think.

Here's his review: ...

Continue reading "The Attack of the Crab Monsters review" »

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 10:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)
Categories: Crab Week
        

Here we are almost at the end of Crab Week, and I don't think anyone has talked about Maryland crab soup.

My favorite is from Eddie's of Roland Park, with good vegetables, just the right spices, not too salty, and big lumps of crab. But I bet the other local markets like Graul's do a good one, too.

It's not an upscale food, but it's harder than it looks to produce a good one that isn't too cooked down so the veggies are mushy and the overcooked broth too thick and salty. 

At the moment I can't think of any restaurant's crab soup that really stands out, but that doesn't mean there isn't one. Any nominations? ... 

Continue reading "Crab soup, beautiful crab soup" »

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 5:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (34)
Categories: Crab Week
        

Mr. Old Fart has kindly designed us a Crab Week T-shirt. I briefly thought of getting some printed up as a fabulous prize for something or other, but it seemed like too much trouble. Anyway, here it is:

Continue reading "The Crab Week T-shirt" »

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 2:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)
Categories: Crab Week
        

As Crab Week draws to a close (not yet, not yet, we still have through Saturday), I'm beginning to worry we won't fit everything in that needs to be discussed. For instance, Bill posted this under the entry on Crab Fluff:

i wonder if we are going to get a thread to discuss some blasphemous or terrible crab dishes?

Of course, we ended up doing that under that post, but if you have more examples, this is the place to do it.

At one point (when Dining@Large was the lead photo on the home page for a couple of hours), the comments were coming so thick and fast I'm worried I may have forgotten something else you wanted to talk about. If so, please post below.

Midnight Sun Sam suggested... 

Continue reading "Of soft crabs and terrible crab dishes" »

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 11:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (38)
Categories: Crab Week
        

In case Crab Week has seemed a little, well, mainstream to you (except, of course, for Amanda's first video), Owl Meat is here with some wacky multimedia crab-tastic fun and a crab-related Mystery Product.

Remember the rule: No looking up ingredients on the Internet. After all, if you guess right you might actually win the Ear Wax Candy or one of the other fabulous prizes. Here we go: ...

Continue reading "Crab-tastic fun from you know who" »

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 5:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (107)
Categories: Crab Week
        

By total coincidence, Pearson's Port, the Newport Harbor, Calif., seafood store where Therese Pearson showed our Amanda Hastings how to kill, clean and cook a West Coast crab, is the star of the Los Angeles Times online food section today. Here's the link. Of course, the story is about spotted prawns, but still.

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 5:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Crab Week
        

By now you probably know I'm not a beer drinker, so I'm turning you over to Beer Blogger Rob Kasper for a serious discussion about what beers go with steamed hard shells.

But does it really matter? I mean, does taste even enter into it by the time you're on your second crab covered in Old Bay?

I would think it's more a matter of a) cooling properties, b) thirst quenchiness (is that a word? It is now), and c) alcohol. Correct me if I'm wrong here.

And why does no one mention Mexican and Indian beers? I would think beers that can stand up to those two cuisines could hold their own at a crab feast.

While you're at it, care to guess the crab house pictured? 

(Andre F. Chung/Sun photographer) 

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 11:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (30)
Categories: Crab Week
        

Those of you who were horrified by Amanda Hasting's video illustrating the crab cooking technique of Therese Pearson of Pearson's Port will like this kinder, gentler video about how to make a West Coast favorite, crab enchiladas.

I don't know if you can appreciate how funny the whole retro Little Woman in the Kitchen thing is unless you know Amanda, but maybe you can tell just from how she looked in her Sugar Week video and Crab Week West Coast Style.

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 10:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (14)
Categories: Crab Week
        

Continue reading "Shallow Thought Wednesday" »

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 5:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (26)
        

Enough with the steamed hard shells and crab cakes already. Let's talk about the rest of the crab universe.

I had crab imperial for the first time in ages recently at Tark's Grill. At one time practically every restaurant in the area had it on the menu, sometimes in several variations (flounder stuffed with crab imperial, shrimp stuffed with crab imperial, you get the idea). Who would have guessed it would ever go out of style?

It's less surprising that crab fluffs and fried hard shells (which I haven't had in years, but as I remember are stuffed with crab cake mixture and then fried) aren't around as much as they used to be. This is an era when people don't fry crab cakes anymore, let alone dip them in thick batter and then fry them, which is what a crab fluff is.

As for the fried hard-shell crab, it's such a bizarre concept words fail. But it does have a sort of awful fascination, doesn't it?

I can't think of any other weird crab dishes at the moment, but I'm sure readers will have some suggestions.

(Photo of Patrick's crab imperial-stuffed lobster tail by Colby Ware/Special to The Sun) 

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 4:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (37)
Categories: Crab Week
        

I thought this was an intriguing observation/question by MD Canon under the Top Ten Crab Houses post. Anyone want to take a crack at it?

As someone who travels a lot (30K in the car, 25K by air in an average year, though on business rather than recreation) I'm wondering what's wrong with tourists? When I'm visiting a city for 48 hours and get one dinner to myself, I like to look for iconic experiences. It's nice to be able to stroll around something like Pike Place Market or the Riverwalk and know that you are getting a taste of the local culture -- even if the really good stuff is hidden away. (Though I am always grateful when Zagat provides a decent hint!)

Continue reading "What's wrong with tourists?" »

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 3:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (17)
Categories: Crab Week
        

If Baltimoreans have a Holy Grail, I once said in a review, it would be the perfect crab house. 

It's not just the heaviness and sweetness of the crabs and the perfect seasoning they're looking for. Intangibles like atmosphere, water view and old-fashioned charm play a part, too.

Other factors are important. If you have out-of-town visitors who are only here for a day or two, it may be hard to drag them down to Dundalk to tear apart crustaceans, an activity they're dubious about anyway. So you need to know about a crab house near the harbor, where your visitors insist on spending the afternoon.

I don't pretend to have tried every crab house in the area, so this list isn't a definitive one. Feel free to add your favorite by posting below.

Here are my 10: ... 

Continue reading "Top Ten Crab Houses" »

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 4:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (151)
Categories: Crab Week, Steamed crabs, Top Ten Tuesdays
        

Continue reading "Where else to get a great crab cake" »

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 6:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (115)
        

Lissa's comment under Welcome to Crab Week raises a couple of important points:

Nice video, although I suspect that the first time I try to pick a crab, it isn't going to look quite like that.

So, what do you drink with crabs if you don't drink alcohol?

First, I forgot to mention in my Welcome that I hope everyone will plan to pick steamed crabs at least once this week, especially if you haven't done it before, and report back on where you went and how you did. Or, if you're an old hand at this, what you think of this year's batch.

Second, good question about the drinks, Lissa. I drink alcohol, but I don't drink beer. (Steamed crabs and a nice vinho verde? I think not.) People who don't drink alcohol usually get pitchers of Coke, but at Mr. Bill's Terrace Inn and probably some other crab houses, you can get pitchers of lemonade, which is my favorite.

(Christopher T. Assaf/Sun photographer)

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 11:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (78)
Categories: Crab Week, Steamed crabs
        

Crab Week, the week we've all been waiting for with crab mallet in hand, has arrived. I hope you're as thrilled as I am. I also hope you'll put that crab mallet down. People who know better will think you're an amateur.

When my in-laws retired, they moved to Oxford, Md., on the Eastern Shore and we visited them most summer weekends. Occasionally their watermen neighbors invited us to a crab feast. The two things I learned early on about eating steamed crabs with Eastern Shore folks at home are...

Continue reading "Welcome to Crab Week" »

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 9:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (27)
Categories: Crab Week
        

Are you as excited about Crab Week as I am? I know you are.

For those readers who don't know what I'm talking about (which means you haven't been checking in often enough), Crab Week starts this Sunday, June 1. There will be many thrilling events, but not to worry. If you don't like crabs, I will be posting other stuff too.

I'm going to list the events now, but I don't want you to discuss the topics specifically until Crab Week, except for suggestions for next Tuesday's Top Ten or for other crab-related entries you'd like to see included. I know it's hard, but please try not to jump the gun here. 

Anyway, here's the lineup so far: ... 

Continue reading "Crab Week is coming! Crab Week is coming!" »

Posted by Elizabeth Large at 10:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (31)
Categories: Crab Week