Callinectes Sapidus

Favorite Foods

My favorite foods are steamed crabs or fried soft shell crabs of course! In Maryland we serve these steamed and spicy or fry the entire unpeeled crab in its 'soft-shell' form (just after moulting before the new shell has time to harden). Being from Baltimore (or a Balti-moron as we are sometimes called) I love all kinds of seafood except clams. Don't ask me why I don't like clams, I have no idea, I can eat oysters in any way shape or form but dislike clams.
I am also a carnivore and adore a good steak cooked very, very rare (just cut it from the steer and warm it through). My favorite vegetable is asparagus. My dream meal is a crab cocktail or salad (fresh lump blue crab meat on butter lettuce with lemon thyme, mayo and Old Bay seasoning. Roll the mixture up in the delicate lettuce leaves and eat with your fingers.), a rare filet mignon or good rib eye steak and asparagus.
What dish am I famous for? We are of German, Hungarian and Lithuanian extraction so probably the family traditionals: Sauerbraten, potato dumplings and apple struedel. All three are very time and energy consuming dishes to make and so they are made fairly infrequently. These three recipes have been handed down from my great grandmother, and except for the struedel aren't even written down anywhere. My other favorite is my Dad's chili. Posted here at Recipezaar as "Old John's Chili Con Carne (Recipe #138532).
Locally, my favorite place to dine is a place called "The Crack Pot" where their Maryland Crab Dip is to die for and they also make the best crab cake I've ever tasted in a commercial establishment.(of course my own home made ones are still better!) Their cream of crab is also the best in the area.
Since joining Recipezaar, I have become more adventurous and frequently will plan meals according to random recipes found on site. I'm still trying to record the family recipes in my personal cookbooks and eventually share them so they aren't lost; but my spare time at this point is devoted entirely to writing. Fortunately, my son (the human one) shares my family's passion for cooking, so I hope to be able to hand the family specialities off to him one day.