Tonight, we celebrated a friend's 40th birthday with dinner at our
house. Originally, we had planned on having lobster, but it was such a
gorgeous day --warm, but not humid -- that we decided to get some
hardshell crabs instead. Perfect weather to sit on the patio and pick
crabs.

We didn't have any appetizers, which is unusual for us. It was ok,
though, because we had plenty of room for the main event. We had the
crabs (from a carryout crab place, steamed with Old Bay, not sure if
beer was involved in the steaming), a tossed salad, and a huge loaf of
ciabatta bread with a couple of flavored dipping oils.

We sat, and picked, and ate, and drank (beer for my husband and our
friend, sauvignon blanc for me, and caffeine free Pepsi for my
5-year-old crab-loving daughter -- big treat!).

For dessert, I had made a yellow 9"x13" cake decorated to look like a
golf course, because our guest of honor is an avid golfer. Got the idea
for the cake from Family Fun magazine; here's a picture from the web
site (we added tee markers, too).
http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/spec.../cake_teetime/ It was very
easy to do and looked wonderful.

Our guest loved the cake, but we didn't eat it (it was just for show --
not something I wanted to eat or serve -- too much green food coloring).
I had also made a small chocolate cake w/ choc frosting to eat,. Our
guest, who dines with us frequently and always brings ice cream, brought
3 pints of Haagen-Dazs (triple chocolate, mint choc chip, and caramel
chocolate cone), which we ate w/ the chocolate cake. We had told him
that he didn't have to bring anything to his own birthday dinner, but
he's a generous guy.

It was a nice dinner, and the cleanup was so easy -- roll up all the
crab shells and innards in the paper that covered the patio table,
enclose it all in a couple of trash bags, and toss the other few odds
and ends into the dishwasher. I love easy summer meals!

Chris

"Chris" wrote in message
> Tonight, we celebrated a friend's 40th birthday with dinner at our house.
> Originally, we had planned on having lobster, but it was such a gorgeous
> day --warm, but not humid -- that we decided to get some hardshell crabs
> instead. Perfect weather to sit on the patio and pick crabs.
<snipped>
> Chris

Where do you live, Chris? You sound like a neighbor!

Dora

"limey" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Chris" wrote in message
>> Tonight, we celebrated a friend's 40th birthday with dinner at our
>> house. Originally, we had planned on having lobster, but it was such
>> a gorgeous day --warm, but not humid -- that we decided to get some
>> hardshell crabs instead. Perfect weather to sit on the patio and
>> pick crabs.
> <snipped>
>> Chris
>
> Where do you live, Chris? You sound like a neighbor!
>

Hi Dora, we live in northern VA. Not as much fun as living *really*
near the bay and eating crabs, but better than not eating crabs at all!
How 'bout yourself?

"Chris" wrote in message >

> "limey" wrote in message

>> "Chris" wrote in message
>>> Tonight, we celebrated a friend's 40th birthday with dinner at our
>>> house. Originally, we had planned on having lobster, but it was such a
>>> gorgeous day --warm, but not humid -- that we decided to get some
>>> hardshell crabs instead. Perfect weather to sit on the patio and pick
>>> crabs.
>> <snipped>
>>> Chris
>>
>> Where do you live, Chris? You sound like a neighbor!
>>
>
> Hi Dora, we live in northern VA. Not as much fun as living *really* near
> the bay and eating crabs, but better than not eating crabs at all! How
> 'bout yourself?

We live on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, in crab country - the Wye River,
in fact. Gorgeous crabs caught around here right now - yesterday a friend
brought us two dozen which he'd already steamed (my first of the season).
They were the heaviest and fattest crabs I've ever had. Ate some and
picked the rest for crab cakes.
Joy to the world - and I'll post recipes for anyone who is interested.

Dora

"limey" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Chris" wrote in message >
>
>> "limey" wrote in message
>
>>> "Chris" wrote in message
>>>> Tonight, we celebrated a friend's 40th birthday with dinner at our
>>>> house. Originally, we had planned on having lobster, but it was such a
>>>> gorgeous day --warm, but not humid -- that we decided to get some
>>>> hardshell crabs instead. Perfect weather to sit on the patio and pick
>>>> crabs.
>>> <snipped>
>>>> Chris
>>>
>>> Where do you live, Chris? You sound like a neighbor!
>>>
>>
>> Hi Dora, we live in northern VA. Not as much fun as living *really* near
>> the bay and eating crabs, but better than not eating crabs at all! How
>> 'bout yourself?
>
> We live on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, in crab country - the Wye River,
> in fact. Gorgeous crabs caught around here right now - yesterday a friend
> brought us two dozen which he'd already steamed (my first of the season).
> They were the heaviest and fattest crabs I've ever had. Ate some and
> picked the rest for crab cakes.
> Joy to the world - and I'll post recipes for anyone who is interested.
>
> Dora
>

Recipes don't help if you don't have the crabs! I recall as a kid on Long
Island catching bushel after bushel of blue crabs just for fun. I would not
touch them but my parents seemed mighty pleased. Blue crabs are ne of the
Great Things.


--
Peter Aitken

"Peter Aitken" wrote in message

> "limey" wrote in message
>> Joy to the world - and I'll post recipes for anyone who is interested.
>>
>> Dora
>>
>
> Recipes don't help if you don't have the crabs! >
> Peter Aitken

Er....."we hold these truths to be self-evident". You'd only be
interested if you *did* have access to crabs, wouldn't you?
Glad you enjoyed LI crabbing when you were a kid. Great summertime fun.

Dora