ROCK CRABS

I haven't gone to the Hollywood Farmer's Market for about a month & I needed my fix!

While on our trip to Oregon I tried to collect as many family recipes as possible.  My step mom Betty, gave me all kinds from my Grandma Loretta's recipe files. There was one called "Vermouth Crab" that intrigued me. It was not one of her recipes. She wrote, A friend made it when they went to Coos Bay. She said it was different but good. I just had a bug u up my......, to try it. (Along with a few other recipes on Sunday).

Sunday was a  gloomy morning & a  great morning for sleeping in (something I'm not too good at, but felt like doing).  My need to satisfy my urge & not wanting to deal with crowds later in the day, over ruled my want for sleep. So I got my butt up, fed the girls, drank a few cups of coffee while I stared at my computer & woke up a bit. (I think I also did a bit of bitching to myself over guys working on the property next door making noise on a Sunday morning before 8AM! Again one of the reasons we wanted to buy the property). By the time  I trucked down to the Market it was a little after 8AM,  a bit later than I like to get out for the market. I like being there at or before 8AM when they open, again the crowds. I was hoping it would not be too busy, due to the gloom, so I could get into visit The Creepy Crab Man & out in no time. He always has crabs along with an array of other beautiful fresh caught fish from the coast of  Santa Barbara, so it was a good bet he would have crabs on this gloomy LA morning.

Before I go any further, let me "explain" how we named him "The Creepy Crab Man". The first time Lauren & I went to his booth was about a year or so ago. At that time he was not near as busy as he is now. There is another fish vendor right in the middle of the Market (prime area) that everyone lines up for. They don't catch their fish so I've never gone there. "Creepy Crab Man" is at the very end of one side of the market and I don't think a lot of people knew he was there, so he didn't use to be that busy. Now you have to get there early or wait in a long line. Anyway,  the first time we found his booth he was not too busy and was with what looked like his son (Now I think he just works for him) and he had a tub of crab and maybe some fish but mainly crab. Over time he has added more and more fish. Not being too busy he had more time to check things out. He could not get enough of Lauren! (It wouldn't have anything to do with the way she dresses, ha, ha. I always ask her aren't you going to be cold in that?) He just leered at her & he's old enough to be her father, I think. He looks like he could be, that's for sure! It was bad though, please Crab Man, contain yourself!

As I was researching  Rock Crabs he came up on the internet a few times and he he does have a name (I also have his card, but can't find it). I think it's Gary or something. Another LA blogger has even gone out on his boat. Yes, she is... young & pretty. Spicy Salty Sweet (link to her story). He will ALWAYS be the Creepy Crab Man to Lauren and I. (Lauren I miss you & going to FM together. Get home soon!) Even Sunday he had two guys working with him to handle the demand and there he was as soon as he had a chance right next to some young girl, asking if she needed help. I guess all those hours on a boat with other guys and just those fish, you get a little... you know.
But again, really? What is it with so many men? We'll leave that topic for another time as I have much to say on this subject.

I never really looked at the crab that CC Man sold, but I knew it was local and that is what I am trying to buy. Am I glad I did. Now that I have. I don't know why they aren't more popular. They are very similar to Dungeness Crab, or so I thought, by looking at them. After I boiled them and started to crack & clean them I realized they really are a different crustaceans. Their shells are much harder. While trying to crack the inner abdomen I actually sliced my thumb open on a piece of shell, so bad I had to stop and get a bandage so I didn't bleed all over into the crab meat. The claws remind me of Stone Crab. They are large and very hard and red with the black line outlining the claw. The meat is supper sweet and I think a bit firmer in texture than Dungeness. I actually liked it better. The little legs don't have as much meat and are a bit hard to get meat out of. They are good for stocks etc. though if you don't want the hassle of trying to get the meat out.

I did make my take on the Vermouth Crab (it still needs some tweak's though)  but next time I buy it, I'm just going boil and eat. No sauce, no recipe, just fresh tender sweet Rock Crab.

Goodies from the Farmer's Market. It was a very light day of shopping for me. Fresh Baked French Bread to go with Mussels, Oysters & Crab.  Also,  fresh tomatoes, onions, beets.

MY POOR HUSBAND

I was woke up last night with one of my sinus headaches and it is still with me at 7:55 AM this morning.
Don't know how much I am up to writing with this pounding in my sinus and head. (This is great, I was to start working with Wayne on new songs today for my Open House).

Terry telling me not to take a picture of him.

I would like to introduce you to my husband  Terry Crosby. Our friends will tell you, he is pretty spoiled by me, especially when it comes to food. I'm now on my second cup of coffee and I'm feeling the vice on my brain beginning to lift a bit. Back to Terry. We have this thing, he asked me every single day, especially when I am about to walk out the door "what are we doing tonight?" This translates to "what is for dinner?"

Brian & Tara 

Richard

Trout Ready for Stuffing and Grilling

Now, I think we had a pretty grand meal for the 4th! Then on Tuesday we had Richard and Brian back over for fresh steamed clams (I had bought at FM but not enough for everyone on the 4th but too much for just the two of us). While picking up a few things at Costco I happen to find some trout that looked beautiful and I could not resist, since I am a food junkie. Even though they were wrapped in plastic, the eyes were clear, so I decided to take the chance and buy them. What the hell, If they were bad I could always take them back. I was pleased to not smell any fishiness when I opened the pkg. I stuffed them with fennel, some leaks, shallot, parsley, butter and spices and we grilled them. They were wonderful. Everyone went crazy over them. Brian kept talking about how it took him back to his childhood eating lovely fresh whole trout. (unfortunately I was so tired I forgot to take pictures of the meal after it was cooked). Terry is still saying we need to get some more trout. Richard sent me an email saying it was the best meal he's had here yet!

Soooo even though, I had entertained several days last week and into this week and I was trying to finish setting up this blog, still having some clean up from all the entertaining, not to mention the filth in my kitchen to be cleaned up & my everyday care of garden etc. You guessed it.... just as every other afternoon, "what are we doing tonight"? Even on Weds., when I took the day off to relax after weeks of laying the patio and schlepping bags of sand pavers & digging in the ground. While I'm at the nail salon. The call comes in. Oh, you know what he asked, don't you? By the time I got home he had scrounged some left over trout and found some other things to pick at, so he was fine.

This all brings me to the wonder of eggs. We've had egg dishes several time this week and last.
Eggs are so versatile. They are light and nutritious and so easy to throw something together with. Be it a sauce, breakfast, some sort of dessert, not to mention all the recipes that call for them.

Yesterday after being sucked into the black hole, called the "internet", all day, when I finally emerged you know the question I was asked.... "what are we doing tonight?" I did have very good intentions of getting in the kitchen to do some creating yesterday, but as I said, I was sucked into the black abyss. I've had all these root veggies I bought a week or so ago, when I woke up with the idea of a spring vegetable stew. That idea never seem to evolve, so last week I'd roasted them (another idea, but no time to follow through with). I had to so something with them. So I threw them all into the blender with some parsley, lemon and light sour cream. I had some veggie's and some little mini hard pita things Abdul brought for the 4th. I put the dip into a bowl and just put everything else out in the bags they were in on our little patio table. Terry went nuts over the dip. But.... he was still hungry. Something you need to know about Terry is, he is like a dog. He doesn't really eat much all day and then loves to eat a good size meal at night. When I looked in my frig, that is overflowing with food, there were those eggs again right in front of me calling to me.

I just was not in the mood to make much.
 So it was going to be eggs again!                                                                                                                                                                              

I also have zucchini starting to come out of my ears, especially the large one's that hid from me and overgrew. I just picked some more fresh tomatoes.

So I pulled out the skillet put some olive oil, heated up to high. I sliced some zucchini and threw them in and tried to get them nice and brown.

My thought was to make a take on a frittata.

I fried the zucchini on one side turned them over. Then I was rummaging through the frig and found the cramini mushrooms and a cut Wala Wala onion, so I sliced the mushrooms and onion and threw them in on top of the zucchini. I let them cook a bit and get soft. I mixed up some eggs and milk put some spices and grated some cheese into the egg mix and threw it on top of the veggies. Grated a small amount of cheese on the top.

I put the oven on 400, put the pan in the oven and let it go. It took about a half hour to bake. We watched the final episode of  Law and Order Criminal Intent  (boohoo). Before the show was over it was finished baking, in about 30minutes. I let it cool a few minutes (not to long because Terry was starving by now). I cut a serving out of the pan, put on a plate with a couple sliced tomatoes and  we had a meal.