| Crab meat is what comes to my mind when I think of | | | | 2) Turn off the heat when the garlic turns "gold" not |
| a dish which is luxurious in all terms. You may end up | | | | brown. |
| spending a fortune (close to $40 a pound) gulping | | | | 3) As soon as the garlic starts coloring, you can add a |
| down a few crab cakes. And once done, you will be | | | | cup of cherry tomatoes. |
| left wanting for more. | | | | 4) Continue cooking till the tomatoes collapse. |
| Cooks on the East and West Coast now have | | | | 5) Just heat the crab meat. Ensure that you are not |
| access to great fresh crab meat, and if you can resist | | | | cooking the crab meat as it is already cooked before |
| eating it straight from the container or tossing it with a | | | | picking. |
| little mayonnaise, it can make a full meal. Fresh crab | | | | There are lot of pasta shapes which you can use with |
| meat makes the pasta sauce so luxurious that no | | | | the crab meat. I have not found the right pasta shape, |
| other dish can provide this with so little work. | | | | but it doesn't really matter. Just make sure that you |
| Recently, I found fresh crab meat for less than $20 a | | | | shop for the right crab meat instead. |
| pound from Maine. It costs more or less the same if | | | | --Pasta With Crab-- |
| you are looking for crab meat from Maryland. "Jumbo | | | | ~ 1 pound pasta |
| meat" is the more expensive than "claw meat" and | | | | ~ 1/2 pound crab meat, or more |
| "lump lump". Just shop around you'll get some fresh | | | | ~ 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil |
| crab meat at some really attractive prices. | | | | ~ 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves |
| If you intend making a pasta dish, you will get the claw | | | | ~ 2 dried red chilies, or to taste |
| meat for $15 a pound. Jumbo lump is a bit more | | | | ~ 2 tablespoons slivered or minced garlic |
| costlier at $25 a pound. If you wish to buy freshly | | | | ~ Salt to taste |
| picked Dungeness crab, you can look at the West | | | | Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and salt it. Put oil, |
| Coast fish markets where it sells for $25 a pound. | | | | garlic, chilies and a pinch of salt in a saucepan large |
| You can also use crab meat packed in tins or | | | | enough to hold cooked pasta and turn heat to |
| containers if you can't get fresh ones. They are often | | | | medium-low. Cook, shaking pan, until garlic just begins |
| pasteurized and packed in containers and then | | | | to color; turn off heat. |
| refrigerated. It costs almost the as fresh meat but it is | | | | When water boils, cook pasta. When it is just about |
| picking up in terms of popularity with crab meat eaters. | | | | done, turn heat under oil back to low and add crab; stir |
| It's a second choice but no a terrible one. The fresh | | | | once or twice. Drain pasta (reserve a bit of cooking |
| crab meat has some intense flavor which may not | | | | water), and toss it in crab sauce to coat. If mixture |
| found in crabs in containers or pasteurized crab. | | | | seems a bit dry, add reserved cooking water or more |
| It's very easy to cook the crab meat. Here is how you | | | | olive oil. Stir in parsley, adjust seasoning, and serve. |
| do it: | | | | Yield: 3 or 4 servings. |
| 1) Use crab meat, garlic, olive oil and a chili or two. | | | | |