Crab Fest

One of my fondest memories from vacations in Virginia involve my Pop getting a crate of crabs and setting up shop in his garage for dinner. It was the first place that I learned how to dissect a whole crab and segregate the "do" and "do not" eat. It having been awhile, I needed a refresher when we sat down, only remembering vaguely something about dead man fingers that were in the "do not". Pop walked us through popping off the shell and breaking it in two and how to end up with a leg topped by a good chunk of meat. Getting a big chunk of meat is like a treasure. Usually you work your tail off for a sliver a meat pulled from the claw. Sliver because 3/4 of it tore off inside and it will take another layer of thumb skin to break apart enough shell to get it out. If you are thinking of Red Lobster and crab legs the size of your head...don't. We were not vacationing in Alaska. These were fresh from the Chesapeake Bay and even if I was required to burn more calories than I ate, it is still the meal I look forward to the most and remember most fondly.

As we tear through crab after crab the shell pile grows and grows. You can see the mountain starting between Brandy and Pop. Pop is the crab master and if you look pathetic enough, he hooks you up with a master size piece of meat. I do pathetic very well...

It was a fun meal, as it always is. The boys were less interested, so they just ran around the garage, occasionally being told to not touch a tool or hose. After Joshy saw Pop pretending to get Tina with the crab claw, he grabbed a fresh claw and joined in. That is how it goes. He sees it as a toy and I see it as the evil, bony fortress standing between me and food. Still, it beats a lobster. Ever since I learned that they go "Eeeeeeeeee" when you cook them, they totally freak me out.