Labor Day tips from the Food Network

Looking for some fun ideas to commemorate the unoffical end of the summer?  Food Network has some tips and videos that could help get you inspired.  I viewed the Maryland crab boil video and was almost inspired to give it a try.  Almost inspired.  I would have to purchase a boil thing (I’m sure the “thing” has a name but they never said what it was.)  Then I would have to buy a bunch of crabs alive (I don’t really eat seafood so I have no idea where to buy live crabs.  The docks maybe?  Anyone know where the docks are in Southern California?) 

If you do know this crucial information, and have the necessary equipment, a big crab boil looked pretty easy.  Take all those beautiful live crabs you bought from the docks, or your fish monger, or wherever (can you tell I have no idea what I’m talking about when it comes to seafood?) and put them in a huge pot of boiling water with beer and Old Bay.  Old Bay is very important.  They mention it about twenty times in the span of thirty seconds. 

Cook the crabs until they’re done.  Spread out some newpaper on a big long table, and dump the now dead crabs in front of your dearest friends and family.  Then dig in.  At what other type of dinner party are you allowed to dump the food in front of the guests and ask them to rip into the food without utensils.  Sounds like a crab bucket full of fun to me.  Too bad I don’t really like crab.  Do you think this would work with chicken?  Probably not.  Nor do I recommend anyone tries

Have you been to a crab boil?  Or seafood boil?  It seems like an East Coast thing.  How simple is it really?  And how hard is the clean up?  Are you picking crab shells out of your hair for days?

Food Network has some other ideas on their website.  Just click on a video and enjoy!

Aug 31, 2006 at 8:43 am PST | From: Other | 

2 Comments »

  1. It is simple, delicious, and healthy! How often can that be said about Southern food? We have all seen Paula Deen’s old-fashioned Southern style cooking. My favorite “boil” recipe calls for baby red potatoes, polish sausage (optional), corn cobbettes, uncooked shrimp, the largest beer can money can buy, and Old Bay. Do not buy light beer, remember this is for flavor, not consumption. Do not use anything but Old Bay. It cannot be recreated. I know several true Southerners who have tried and failed. Saute the sausage and set aside. In a soup pot, add baby potatoes to boiling water. After 8-10 minutes, add the beer and Old Bay. When water boils again, add the sausage and corn cobbettes. Two minutes later, add your shrimp. The dish is ready in 2-3 more minutes as soon as the shrimp is pink. It is my favorite shrimp dish. I’m a huge fan of one pot meals. The best thing about it is its versatility to add whatever veggies and seafood you like. I was actually going to make it recently sans sausage, but Trader Joe’s did not have the uncooked shrimp.

    Comment by Valerie — September 1, 2006 @ 7:07 am

  2. Oh, Valerie that sounds exactly like what I enjoyed at a Mardi Gras-themed party I attended in July in Dallas. In fact, here’s a pic including chicken thrown in there like Jessica mentions, too! http://i7.tinypic.com/286who6.jpg

    It was such yummy goodness! We all ate like drunk little pigs, smacking lips, licking fingers, and washing it all down with cold beer - we floated the keg that night too! I didn’t do the cooking, I was in charge of a few photos, and the jello shots (every time a Zeideco tune played).

    Comment by Luna — September 4, 2006 @ 10:10 am

 

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