What to do with a live crab?

Dungeness crab season is in full effect. To celebrate I decided to have a little crab fest at the house, and since we can not live on crabs alone, clams steamed with beer and butter were also on the menu for the evening.

I usually buy my crabs steamed, cleaned and ready to crack and dip into my herb butter sauce. I get to avoid the whole killing and cleaning part and go straight to enjoying the fruits of my local fish mongers labor. While this is a stress free way to enjoy crab, the price for this ranges anywhere from 2 to4 times the cost of buying a live crab. Given the global economic melt down I decided to be a little frugal and purchase live crabs.

For many reasons, including price, I like to shop for my seafood at Ranch 99 market. The fish mongers are quick and they'll clean, fillet, and even fry your fish for you. Clams are self service in the seafood department so I scooped up 2 pounds of clams and took a number to request my crabs. After a short wait my crabs were given to me in plastic bags with the warning that they would in fact bite and the store was not responsible for any injuries I may incur.

I'd never steamed my own crabs and although I was a bit nervous, it was definitely exciting. I used a giant pasta pot with a strainer to steam the crabs. It was big enough to fit 2 crabs at a time. The crabs were definitely a little feisty I used tongs to get them from the table to the pot. Once in the pot they kept moving for a little bit claws tapping on the glass lid. Thankfully, that part was over fairly quickly.

Cooking time depends on the size of your crab, generally between 10 and 20 minutes, you want to start checking at 10 minutes. Your crab is done when it's a bright orange color and the limbs very easy to remove. Mine were ready at exactly 15 minutes.

Now that your Crab is cooked you'll want to remove it from the pot and let it cool and rest for a bit. Once the crab is cool enough to handle the real fun begins, cleaning!

To clean the crabs you will first tear off all the limbs and place them in a serving bowl. Next you are going to pull off the top shell carefully and remove the brain. The brains are edible but tend to be bitter so I remove them. They are yellow and have the consistency of a dense foam. Also remove all of the exterior features that are inedible. Once that's done you can cut what's left in half and place it in the serving bowl.

I make a simple garlic herb butter to serve with the crab. (recipe to follow)

A word to the wise, you will want to make sure that all traces of crab are removed from your kitchen as soon as you are done with your feast. The shells develop a terrible odor fairly quickly and if left in your kitchen garbage your kitchen will smell foul for days.

I was having 5 adults and 1 child over and I purchased 4 crabs. It was too much 2 would have been more than sufficient. It's important to buy only what you need because crab doesn't keep well or long. If you are in a situation where you have left overs make sure you crack the crabs and remove all the meat from the shells and store that in the fridge. You can use the meat the next day in an omelet or pasta.

Happy Crabbing!

Herbed Garlic Butter
1 stick of butter
1 Tbsp shallot finely minced
3 cloves of garlic minced
1 Tsp fresh Thyme minced
1/2 Tsp fresh rosemary minced
1 Tbsp Italian flat leaf parsley minced
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Salt and Pepper to taste

Melt the butter on medium low heat. Add the shallot, garlic, herbs and season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook on low heat until the flavors have been infused in the butter without browning it. (approx. 10 mins) Pour mixture into a serving bowl and add the lemon juice.

Beer Steamed Clams
2 lbs Clams
1/2 large red onion minced
3 Tbsp fresh garlic minced
3 Tbsp Italian flat leaf parsley minced
6 oz of beer (whatever you like to drink)
2 Tbsp butter
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (enough to coat the bottom of your pan)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Clean the clams thoroughly. In a large bowl add 1/4 cup of salt and fill half way with cold water. Add the clams and additional water if necessary the clams should be completely submerged. Allow the clams to soak in this water for 20 to 30 minutes. This is important because the clams will release any sand they may have inside while soaking in the salt water.

Coat the bottom of a 12 inch pan with olive oil and heat on medium high. When the oil is hot add the butter. Once the butter is melted add the onions and saute until translucent. season with salt and pepper add the garlic and parsley. Cook until the onions start to get golden around the edges (about 5 mins)

Drain and rinse the clams. Turn the heat on the pan to high and add the clams. stir the clams in the pot and ensure they are well coated with the mixture in the pan. Add the beer and cover immediately. Cook covered for 2-3 minutes and check. Most of the clams should be opened if not cover and continue to cook for another minute or two. Otherwise turn off the heat and pour clams and broth into a large serving bowl. Serve with crusty sourdough bread.

Leeky Potato Soup

There are few things more comforting on a cold foggy cold San Francisco night than a bubbling pot of yummy soup.

Recently my mother paid me a visit. She has a variety of dietary restrictions which challenge my cooking skills. One of the many things she's not allowed to eat is tomato. Normally my soups tend to be more on the brothy/stewy side but for me using tomatoes is essential for that kind of production. So that left the problem of finding a delicious comforting soup that didn't involve tomatoes.

I know there are lots out there. Carrot Ginger soup, Butternut Squash soup etc...etc...etc... But I've made those all before. Besides what was I going to do with the parsnips, leeks, potatoes and fresh thyme I had in the fridge. Leeky Potato Soup.

Modifications
I use chicken broth in this recipe but it can very easily be substituted for vegetable broth making this completely vegetarian. if you happen to be vegan you could substitute the butter for olive oil and use extra broth or water in place of the milk.

This recipe will serve 4 generously.

Leeky Potato Soup

3 Tbsps Butter
4 Medium leeks (pale green and white parts only) Halved lengthwise and sliced thinly
3 Medium Russet potatoes (peeled and cubed)
2 Medium parsnips (peeled and cubed)
1 Tbsp fresh Thyme
4 1/2 Cups Chicken or Vegetable Broth
1 Cup whole milk
2 Tbsps Fresh chives
Salt and Pepper to taste

Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add leeks; stir to coat with butter. Cover saucepan; cook until leeks are tender, stirring often to prevent browning, about 10 mins.

Add thyme, potatoes and parsnips. Cover and cook until potatoes and parsnips soften stirring often so they do not brown. About 10 mins.

Add 4 1/2 cups of broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until the veggies are very very soft. About 30 mins.

At this point you can either use an immersion blender to puree the veggies or you can use a potato masher to crush them. I like to use the masher because it gives the soup a more rustic texture.

After you've mashed/pureed add the milk. Serve in bowls and garnish with chives. A nice chunk of crusty bread also makes a nice accompaniment to this dish. enjoy!

Baked Swordfish with Citrus Arugula and Toasted Almond Cous Cous

Sounds Pretty fancy huh? It tastes that way to. You'd think it would take hours to create this culinary delight. You'd be wrong. You can have this delicious fresh meal from the fridge / pantry to the table in 30 minutes or less. it all depends on how fast you can prep your veggies. I'm a bit slow on the prep side so I come in right around 30 minutes.

So in order to get everything to the table hot you'll want to heat the oven first. Then prep the fish for baking and set aside. Next start the cous cous. As soon as the oven is heated put the fish in. Finish the cous cous. Lastly you'll want to make the citrus arugula.

Baked Swordfish

1 1/2 pounds swordfish steaks
4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
extra virgin olive oil
Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 425

Rinse the steaks in cold water and pat dry. Spray a non reactive baking dish with olive oil. Place steaks in the dish. season with salt and pepper. spread the garlic slices evenly over both steaks. Place 2 sprigs of fresh thyme and 1 sprig of rosemary on each steak. Drizzle with olive oil.

Bake for 20 - 25 mins


Toasted Almond Cous Cous

1/2 red bell pepper finely diced
1 medium carrot (grated)
2 cloves of garlic
1 Tbsp minced flatleaf parseley
1/2 cup diced onions
1/2 cup toasted almonds
1/4 cup golden raisins
2 cups cous cous
2 cups water
1tsp dried oregano
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
dash of cinnamon
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a deep 12" skillet. Add butter and brown slightly over medium high heat. Reduce heat. Add onions; saute until translucent. Add parsley, garlic, and oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook for 2 mins. Add bell pepper. When the bell pepper has softened add carrots, raisins and a dash of cinnamon. Once the carrots have softened add water and increase heat to high. Bring mixture to a boil. To the boiling water add cous cous. Stir to combine, remove from heat and cover. Allow to sit for 10 mins. Fluff with fork and add almonds.


Citrus Arugula

2 cloves garlic (minced)
2 small leeks trimmed (halved lengthwise and sliced)
7oz Arugula
zest of one orange
3 Tbsps orange juice (the juice of half an orange)
2 Tbsps Extra Virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a 12" skillet. Saute Leeks and Garlic until translucent. Season with salt and pepper. Add orange zest. Continue to cook for 4 - 5 minutes.

Add arugula, oj and balsamic. Cook until greens have wilted. Serve warm.

A bite in Philly

So a couple weeks back I visited a friend in Philadelphia. I figured I'd probably check out a cheesesteak, maybe a little cream cheese on a bagel while I was out there. That's not what was in store for me.

Though everything was really awesome two restaurants stood out in my mind as being more than excellent. Here's a little blurb about each of them.

ZoT
http://www.zotrestaurant.blogspot.com/

122 Lombard St

Philadelphia, PA 19147

+1 267 639 3260 Phone

+1 267 639 3259 Fax

zotevents@gmail.com

With some 362 beers on their menu (it takes up the entire front window), Zot is certainly a tough act to follow. Particularly for me because I love Belgian beers. I sampled mostly dark Belgians, which is kinda strange, because I am used to Belgian brews like Leffe or Hoegarten which are white.

They specialize in mussels, and offer 25 or so different preparations on the menu. It was a close call between the mussels steamed with Hoegarten and orange slices and the mussels steamed with leeks, goat cheese and bacon. The bacon won. They were served with belgian style fries and a dipping sauce, which truth be told I didn't have many of. My god was it good. I also sampled the truffled ceaser salad, good but not amazing. The dessert was completely amazing. A pot de chocolate garnished with a sliced strawberry, so good I couldn't finish it. I ended my zot experience with a hot toddy prepared with makers mark, mulling spices and honey.

So the next time you're in Philly forget the cheesesteak. Treat yourself to mussels and beer. You'll be glad you did.

Fredas
210 Ocean St.
Cape May, NJ
(609) 884-7887
http://www.capemaytimes.com/Restaurants/cape-may/fredas.htm

Fredas is a hip little cafe in a charming old Victorian. It is a romantic and intimate setting for a meal and the food is incredible. It is byob and reservations are recommended.

So, we sat at a table by the window which afforded us a view of the street. Being that we were in a quaint little town, this added to the ambiance. It almost felt as if you had taken a trip back in time, to simpler days. The food, however, sealed the deal. It was so good that you are left a bit dazed.

For an appetizer we had the crab spring rolls they were served with a guava sauce it was out of this world, but nothing compared to what was to come. For mains we had rack of lamb excellent perfectly seasoned and tender as well as a fish that I don't quite recall the name of but it was prepared in a lemon caper sauce that made you wish it was ok to lick the plate. They served the most incredible mashed sweet potatoes as a side my guess was that they roasted them in balsamic first and then mashed them with butter, brown sugar and pumpkin pie spices (clove, cinnamon, nutmeg and all spice). I would have asked for confirmation but a cooks gotta keep their secrets. As if that wasn't enough, we had an incredible butter rum cake served with dulce de leche, vanilla ice cream and pralines.

In short I stumbled out of Fredas in a state I can only describe as foodgasm. If you're out that way it is a delight not to be missed.

Not your mom's meatloaf

or mine for that matter. This recipe takes me back to Sunday dinner at my Aunt's house. The whole family would get together and Tia Toni would cook. She prepared classic American meals with just a hint of the old country. I would sit at the kids table in the kitchen with my sister and cousins. We watched Wild Kingdom and did our best not to get into too much trouble as we waited for supper to be served. Her moist delicious meatloaf is this weeks delightful bite.

I unfortunately do not have a vegetarian alternative to post for this recipe. However, the sauce is completely vegetarian and could be used for a variety of meatless alternatives. If you have a recipe for a meatless-loaf feel free to share I would love to try it.

Meatloaf a la Pinzon

1 1/2 lbs ground sirloin
1/4 lb ground veal
1/4 lb ground pork
1 medium carrot grated
2 stewed plum tomatoes
3 cloves garlic
2 egg yolks
1 small red onion
1/2 cup of pimento stuffed green olives
1 tbsp capers
2 tsp italian seasonings
1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper to taste

Peel the onion and cut into about 8 pieces.

In a blender, add the onion, tomatoes with about 2 tbsps of the juice from the can, garlic, olives, capers, Italian seasonings, egg yolks, salt and pepper. Blend until mostly smooth.

In a large bowl combine the sirloin, pork, veal and carrots. Add the mixture from the blender to the bowl and combine well with the meat. The mixture will be very wet. Add the breadcrumbs to the mixture. Knead until everything binds together well. Add additional breadcrumbs as needed.

Next split the mixture into two and place into two medium loaf pans. Press the mixture into the pans ensuring there are no air pockets. Bake on 375 for 40 minutes.

Red Pepper Gravy
1 Whole Red Bell Pepper seeded
2 Fresh roma tomatoes
1 small red onion
5 black peppercorns
1 tsp fresh thyme
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

In a medium sauce pot add 2 cups of water, red bell pepper, roma tomatoes, red onion, peppercorns and thyme. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand covered for 10-15 minutes.

Now uncover the pot and remove the bell pepper, tomatoes and onion. Place the onion directly in the blender. Peel the Bell Pepper and tomatoes and add to the blender along with 1/2 cup of the water from the sauce pot. Puree.

Empty the sauce pot return to medium heat and add the olive oil. Once tghe olive oil is hot add the puree and reduce until it is the consistency of gravy.

Ratatouille Quiche

My grandma was a self proclaimed terrible cook. She had no interest in the kitchen what so ever, but she still had her moments of inspiration. She made some amazing things, that I crave to this day. Everything she made was prepared simply. By cooking with minimal seasoning her dishes relied on the flavors and quality of the ingredients she used. Her steamed zucchini with butter and Parmesan cheese was the inspiration for this weeks delightful bite.

Until recently I was under the impression that quiche was a challenging dish to prepare. A friend who had been experimenting with a variety of quiche dispelled that myth. I may never be the same.

If you've ever wanted to impress your dinner guests without breaking a sweat try this quiche. You'll look like a rock star every time.

Now, I made my own crust for this quiche. It is excellent and a snap to make. If you don't feel inspired then use your favorite store bought crust and this will be on the table in about an hour and fifteen minutes.

Ratatouille Quiche

Crust
2 cups AP flour
1/2 cup Yellow cornmeal
3/4 tsp Salt
1 cup Unsalted butter
6 tbsp ice cold water

Filling
5 Medium zucchini
1 Small leek trimmed
4 cloves garlic minced
14 oz can of diced tomatoes
2 tsp italian seasoning
3 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp butter
6 tbsp Parmesan cheese
6 eggs
2/3 cup Heavy cream
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp pepper
additional salt and pepper to taste

To make the crust: Stir together the flour, cornmeal, and salt ina large bowl. Using a pastry blender cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly.





Once you get it to this point you want to start adding the water one table spoon at a time until the dough comes together. Knead well and seperate the dough into two equal sized balls. Form into disks, wrap with plastic wrap and refridgerate for at least an hour.

While the dough is chilling start the quiche filling. This is important because you'll want the filling to have cooled significantly before putting the quiche together.

Slice the leek and set aside. Slice the zucchini into rounds about 1/4 of an inch in thickness. Heat the extra virgin olive oil and butter in a 12" non stick skillet on medium high heat. Once the butter has melted add the leeks and garlic. Saute until the leeks have softened season with salt, pepper and italian seasonings. Once you see the leeks begin to go from translucent to golden add the tomatoes. Continue to simmer the tomatoes for a few minutes until some of the moisture evaporates. Add the zucchinis and cook until tender. It's very important not to overcook the zucchini because they will continue to cook in the oven. As soon as this mixture is ready pull it off the stove and place in a bowl to cool.

Now for your pie crusts. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. On a lightly floured surface roll out both disks to a 14" circle, about 1/8 inch thick. Fit each crust into a 9" pie pan. Trim the pastry and crimp edges.

Whether you made your crusts or are using store bought crusts remember to pierce the bottom of the crust with a fork and/or use parchment paper and pie weights to keep the crust from bubbling. Place the crusts into a 425 degree oven and bake until they start to get a little color. It should take just about 10 minutes.

Pull the crusts out of the oven and allow to cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees.

Once the crusts have cooled sprinkle 1 tbsp of Parmesan cheese on the bottom of each crust. Then split the zucchini mixture evenly between both crusts and sprinkle 2tbsps of Parmesan cheese on top of the mixture.

In a medium bowl beat the eggs, heavy cream, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp nutmeg and 1/4 tsp of pepper together. Pour half the egg mixture in each pie crust. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 40 minutes. (You can test at 30 minutes, if a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean it's done.)

Voila! You're done. Serve with your favorite salad.

Summer in San Francisco

Labor Day has come and gone heralding the beginning of summer in San Francisco, a wonderful if brief season of clear skies, warm weather and sunshine.

During this time I try to spend as little time as possible working on a hot stove. So I tend to make use of all the wonderful produce available to create tasty and refreshing salads. I like to visit farmer's markets to get my produce when I can, but I find that my local neighborhood produce market also offers a wonderful variety of in season veggies and fruit. These two options will be the tastiest and the easiest on your pocket book. However, if those options aren't available to you, you'll be able to find the ingredients necessary for this salad in any grocery store.

This recipe is one of my favorites because it is so easy and versatile. You can substitute any of the vegetables for whatever is ripe, available and to your liking. It calls for chicken but it can easily be made vegan/vegetarian by substituting the chicken with tofu or toasted nuts. If you plan on using tofu I would recommend marinating it in the dressing before putting it in the salad.

Lentil Chicken Salad with Couscous

1lb cooked boneless skinless chicken breast in 1/2 inch cubes
2 cups cooked lentils cold (green or brown)
1/2 cup cooked couscous cold
Lemon balsamic dressing (recipe below)
2 green onions sliced
2 medium carrots shredded
3/4 cup heirloom cherry tomatoes halved or quartered
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup diced cucumber
1/2 cup dried orange scented cranberries
3 tbsp fresh mint finely chopped
3 tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley finely chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl combine lentils and couscous. Then add the mint, parsley, oregano and garlic until thoroughly combined. Incorporate the carrots, onions, bell pepper and cucumber. Add the chicken and dried cranberries. Lastly add the tomatoes, dressing, salt and pepper. Toss well and allow to chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour, the longer the better. It will keep and be delicious for 3-4 days.

Lemon Balsamic Dressing

3 Tsp Balsamic vinegar
3 Tsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tsp Dijon Mustard
8 Tsp good extra virgin olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Combine the Dijon, lemon juice and balsamic in a small bowl. Whisk mixture briskly as you add the olive oil in a slow steady stream. Season with salt and pepper to taste.