Just-steamed Dungeness crabs. Photo by
Ken Ishirotie | IST.

But the current cause for celebration is that Dungeness crab season has begun. Chefs across the country are cooking up this West Coast delicacy. If you’re a crab lover, make plans to get your share; and if you have a good local fish market, you can cook them at home.

Dungeness crab has been compared by some to the Maine lobster in flavor, but the meat is more tender. The meat is perhaps the sweetest of the Pacific crabs, flavorful and a bit nutty. Perhaps it’s so sweet and tender because of its fine diet: It enjoys clams, other crustaceans and small fish.

The crab variety is named after the seaport of Dungeness, Washington, but is found all along the Pacific coast from the Aleutian Islands of Alaska to Santa Cruz, California. Its Latin name, Cancer magister, means “master crab” because it can measure as wide as 10 inches. Only male crabs with shells measuring 6.25 inches across or larger may be harvested. A single crab in a good season like this one can weigh two pounds!

According to the Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission, Dungeness crabs molt between June and August and spend the next few months eating and filling up their new shells. The crab’s meat-to-shell ratio is tested, and once it’s high enough for a consistent, high-quality product, the season is opened for commercial fishing. Male crabs are about four years old before they are large enough to be harvested.

In San Francisco, “Dungeness crab season is like Christmas for adults,” Matt Violante, general manager of Alioto’s restaurant, told Nation’s Restaurant News. “Everyone calls to ask when we’re going fishing, when the season starts,” so they can book a table.

While a favorite preparation is simply to steam the large crab legs and claws and dip the meat in melted butter, you can prepare anything from Dungeness crab cakes and crab fritters to Dungeness crab mac and cheese and cioppino, an Italian version of bouillabaisse made with seafood in a spicy tomato broth.

Then there are Dungeness crab casseroles, Dungeness crab mousse, Dungeness crab sandwiches on grilled ciabatta or other bread, and Dungeness crab-stuffed ravioli in caper butter sauce. Dungeness crab bisque with large chunks of crab leg meat is a tasty way to start the meal.

For us, the freshly-steamed crab meat is best absolutely plain, without covering up the flavor and texture nuances that make it such a treat. We don’t even need butter.

Dungeness crab claws and legs marinated with cilantro, garlic, parsley and olive oil and sautéed. Photo courtesy MarxFoods.com.

These recipes can be used in any season with any type of crab.

 
Find many more Dungeness crab recipes from the Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission.

CRAB MEAT 101: A CRAB-BUYING LESON

Now, about crab meat in general: Do you need to spring for the costliest, jumbo lump crab meat? Not unless you’re entertaining people you really want to impress, who will know the difference.

Here’s the way to decide among the grades of crab.

A cheeseburger using pimiento cheese from
ZoesKitchen.com. Photo courtesy Zoe’s
Kitchen.

It reminded us of our mom’s pimiento cheese spread, which she enjoyed on toast with a tall glass of iced tea.

Pimiento cheese is a Southern specialty—along with barbecue, catfish, deviled eggs, grits, fried chicken and sweet tea.

Sharp Cheddar cheese, chopped pimientos and mayonnaise create a spread that’s used to fill celery sticks, to slather for cheeseburgers, to spread on crackers or toast and to make grilled cheese sandwiches and cheese omelets.

RECIPE: PIMIENTO CHEESE SPREAD

Ingredients

1. COMBINE mayo, pimiento, Worcestershire, onion and cayenne in a large bowl. Stir in the cheese.

2. CHILL in fridge to let flavors meld. Serve at room temperature. Can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Variations

Add cream cheese for a creamier spread. Photo courtesy Kraft Foods.

 
 
MORE WAYS TO USE PIMIENTO CHEESE

 
Share your favorite uses and variations with us!
  

Homing in on the label, the quirky-looking product turned out to be chocolate-covered baguette slices, made from baguettes left over at the day’s end.

Traditional tips for leftover baguette include bread crumbs, bread pudding, bread salad, bruschetta, croutons, crostini, fondue dippers and garlic toast. But we like the sweet treatment of chocolate-covered bread.

It’s easy to make for home snacking (delicious with coffee and tea), to bring to work or as gifts.

CHOCOLATE COVERED BREAD

Ingredients

Preparation

1. SLICE leftover baguette into 1/4″ wide pieces and toast lightly. You can use a toaster oven or conventional oven. Let the toasted slices cool to room temperature.

2. MELT chocolate in the microwave or in a double boiler. Dip one side of the baguette slices and coat thoroughly. Let dry, coated side up, on wax paper. Then dip second side.

3. SPRINKLE before the chocolate dries with your choice of one or more garnishes: coarse sea salt, chopped nuts, dried fruit (blueberries, cherries, cranberries, raisins or other favorite) or seeds (sesame or pumpkin seeds).

4. ENJOY within a day or two; keep in an airtight storage container.
Find more of our favorite chocolate treats.

But don’t serve Fido a cup of Earl Grey or Green Jasmine: Caffeine isn’t good for dogs. California Tea House consulted with numerous veterinarians and researched herbal treatments for canines in order to develop a perfect blend for canines. It happens to be the (human) tea company’s most popular product!

Named after the company’s favorite canine, Machu’s Blend tea for dogs is a once-a-day herbal tea that:

WHAT’S IN THE DOG TEA?

Machu’s Blend tea for dogs combines chamomile, calendula (marigold), fennel seed, ginger root and skullcap (a member of the mint family).

Brew a half teaspoon in a cup of water, steep for 1-2 minutes and allow the tea to completely cool (you can add ice). Then, you and Fido are ready to curl up on the sofa with a good book or your favorite DVD: perhaps a Beverly Hills Chihuahua marathon?

Get your Machu’s Blend—and plenty of blends for humans—at CaliforniaTeaHouse.com.
  

Don’t bring a serving dish to the table:
Spoon out portions into—or directly bake
them in—ramekins. Photo courtesy Blake’s
All Natural.

Unfortunately, we live in a “supersize me” culture. When we pay to eat out, we want our money’s worth: We’re pleased by huge portions and comment negatively on smaller ones. Research shows that, although people are more aware of the higher calorie intake of large portions, they tend to feel justified eating the amount that’s put in front of them.

But when you cook at home, your advantage is the ability to control the amount of food they prepare as well as the portion size.

With that, our tip of the day is: Make it mini.

One way to ensure smaller portions is to buy smaller muffin tins for cheesecake, cupcakes, muffins, potato and pasta dishes, starchy sides and other carb-laden treats.

Steer away from bringing a serving dish or pot to the table. Pre-fill parchment cups, ramekins or other small dishes with individual portions and bring them to the table, where everybody gets one. To avoid seconds, pack any extras from the recipes into portion-control cups and stick them into the freezer.

This recipe is by Matthew Kadey for PaperChef.com.

MINI MAC & CHEESE CUPS

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. COOK the macaroni according to the package instructions, until al dente.

2. PREHEAT the oven to 375°F.

3. DRAIN the pasta, return it to the pot and stir in the Cheddar cheese and ½ cup of the Parmesan cheese.

4. LIGHTY beat the eggs and stir in the milk and yogurt.

5. ADD the egg mixture to the pasta mixture along with the sun-dried tomatoes, chives, cayenne, nutmeg, mustard, salt, and pepper. Mix well.

6. DIVIDE the mixture among 12 parchment cups (this recipe used PaperChef Tulip Cups).

7. HEAT the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat.

8. STIR in the bread crumbs and cook until browned, stirring regularly.

9. STIR the remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese into the toasted bread crumbs, sprinkle over the pasta mixture and bake until set, about 15 minutes.

10. COOL for 5 minutes before unmolding.

Ingredients

This recipe yields 12 appetizer-size servings.

Use ramekins to control portion sizes. Photo courtesy PotatoGoodness.com.

Preparation

1. PREHEAT oven to 350°F and spray 12 small ramekins with nonstick cooking spray.

2. PLACE potatoes in a microwave-safe bowl; cover and microwave on HIGH for 6 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Meanwhile…

3. MELT butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute more. Slowly stir in half and half, cooking until mixture is smooth.

4. ADD cheeses, a little at a time; then stir in remaining ingredients.

5. SPOON into prepared ramekins and bake for 30 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly.
 
Do you have a favorite portion control tip? Please share!