Week of November 6: The Non-Crab Boil (posted by Ray)

On Saturday, November 12, Andrea and I co-hosted with the Whitemans (picture on left: Brandon, Max, Shannon), the first crab boil of this season. Like so many "firsts", our crab boil had some issues... no crab. It seems that someone (surely not me) had misread the crab season posting (http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mrd/index_calendar.html#1105). Recreational crab season started on November 5th. Commercial crab season would not start until the 15th! So we had all this stuff for a crab boil... potatoes, corn, and kielbasa but no crab. Brandon was in a panic! I think I actually heard him yell, "Why, God why?!!!" I don't like to toot my own horn but I'm fantastic at problem solving... it's a burden I've learn to live with. So I slapped some sense into Brandon and suggested that we do a clam bake instead. With that suggestion, I was able to turn Brandon's frown upside down. Brandon, Andrea and I drove down to Costco and picked up some clams, mussels and jumbo shrimps.

We returned to the Whiteman house for our first Clam Bake... ever! Any mere mortals would have been daunted and intimidated by the task at hand. Instead Brandon and I turned to our trusted cooking bible, The Best Recipe (http://www.cooksillustrated.com/bookstore_detail.asp?PID=265). This book has never once failed any one of us. And we use it very often. Here is the actual recipe we used http://americastestkitchen.com/recipe.asp?recipeids=2081&iSeason=4.

While Brandon and I were busy cooking, we sensed a disturbance in the force. My sweet, lovely wife had succumbed to the dark side of hunger and had gone mad. "Drea Vader" had already devastated the pita chips and hummus and was now eyeing Max's Gummy Drops.

Soon the rest of the gang started arriving one by one (Leslie&Todd, Ed&Laura&baby Sean) and the house started filling with the smell of kielbasa, steamed clams, mussels and shrimp. After about 25 minutes of steaming, it was time. Drea Vader took off her mask and wiped away a tear from her left eye as she gazed at the beautiful sight before her. As if the starter's gun in each one of us had gone off simultaneously, eight adult pairs of hungry hands grabbed away at the pile (notice the 12 oz bottle of beer as a scale of reference). We stuffed ourselves like it was the last meal on death row. Man! It was good! Especially when washing it down with a cold beer! Even Leslie and Drea Vader, who merely wanted to "try a few" out of politeness soon forgot about their prejudice for the "slimy creatures" and repeatedly reached for pile. I could have sworn I head Leslie drop an F-Bomb when she realized she had just refilled her plate from the empty shell mound instead. The eight of us ate ourselves silly but could not beat the pile. Rest assured, if you know the Whitemans (actually just Brandon), not one single morsel would go to waste. Can you say "Pasta with Clams?"

We ended the near perfect day just chillin by the fire in the backyard and drinking a few adult beverages. But Todd next time when you make a Makers and Ginger, remember it's Makers and Ginger and not Ginger and Makers!!!

(from left to right: Leslie, Andrea, baby Sean, Laura, Ray and preppie Brandon)