A Crab Of Blue
You simply have not lived life to the fullest if you have not enjoyed a golden-fried plate of crab cakes on a hot summer day, somewhere near the New Jersey shoreline. It's all about the crab in that part of the world, for the Blue Crab is legendary table fare for legions of fishermen and shellfish fans, and for good reason...
Betcha can't eat just one!
Our family was no exception, and we loved all things crab, particularly the eating part.
What we really loved though was a feast of crab cakes prepared by my mother, whenever and however we could get it. It was common knowledge in our familial realm that Mom made the best crab cakes around, and that epicurean knowledge was not lost on the rest of the neighborhood either.
Our mother was lost to us many years ago, and somehow, don't ask me how, so was her crab cake recipe. My sister tells me that she has tried to prepare it from memory on several occasions, but the end result never quite measured up. For my part, I could never bear to try.
Sigh, of sighs...We would all have to live with the disappointments of the lesser cake.
That is, until just recently.
I found these notecards, in her hand, at the bottom of a long neglected box of family photos. Suddenly, I remembered that I had made a big deal out of wanting that recipe, which she promptly sent. Being young at the time, and mostly preoccupied, I then, promptly...forgot!
Shame on me.
But then again, Holy Crab!
I am hero, hear me roar...
Once lost, but always loved, I share the directions now, with you!
Enjoy!
Elegant Simplicity - But Oh So Good!
*I like mine with tartar sauce and a Jersey hard deli roll, and of course, an ice cold brew of some kind with a side of salty breeze.
You?
By Michael Patrick McCarty
Active Member Outdoor Writers Association of America, and An Ambassador For @myhuntingfishing blog and #myhuntingfishing Community
Come On In - The Water Is Wild, and Free...
“I don't know what it is about food your mother makes for you, especially when it's something that anyone can make - pancakes, meat loaf, tuna salad - but it carries a certain taste of memory.” - Mitch Albom
A Love Note To My Mother, Age 3.
Long Before I Ever Had A Cake of Crabs, But I Must Have Known That They Were On The Way!
Fish & Shellfish By James Peterson. William Morrow and Company, NY, 1996.
Great Recipes Here! It Is One of My Favorite Seafood Cookbooks, But I Must Say, Their Crab Cake Recipe Is Just Not Quite As Good As Mom's!
We generally have a copy Of this title in our bookstore stock, if so interested...
Image source for Blue Crab Is https://pixabay.com/en/crab-blue-point-seafood-sea-nature-1586519/; For Crab Cake is https://www.flickr.com/photos/ralphandjenny/5228862989
Fantastic post! So heartwarming, what you thought was a lost relic of your beloved mother had been found. Now much like her spirit, her crab cakes live on. Btw I love blue crabs, I go crabbing every September in the back bays at night. Although I have never made a crab cake, there are a few places out east of me in Montauk that make a crab cake that is to die for.
This looks delicious! My suggested beer pairing is a Amber Ale. Try it out and let us know what you think!
Excellent Recommendation!, and no need to twist my arm...
Best!