I'm crabby!

Dungeness crab season opened in California last Sunday. The local crabbers didn't like the price the wholesalers were offering so they didn't go out until they got their price, Monday afternoon, so the first fresh local crab appeared Wednesday in the stores.
So today I went over to G&G Market (a local small 3 or 4 store chain that has a good vegetable section and a good meat/fish counter with real people behind it) and pulled my ticket (#68 as they were serving #39) and picked up a crab, $2.99/lb. Back in the SillyValley, I typically paid $4.98 to $7.98/lb.
Dinner tonight was cracked crab, Caesar salad, fresh local sourdough loaf, some leftover Kabinett Riesling (it's good, I think I posted about it a few days ago), and flan for dessert.
The crab was wonderful - buttery and sweet and tender, maybe sweeter than the slightly Auslese-ish Kabinett <g>. It was small, a bit under 2 pounds, so I had no trouble at all finishing her off.
I'm used to making Caesar salad with lemons picked off the tree, but here in Santa Rosa I don't yet have a lemon bush/tree, so I used a store lemon and got the dressing a bit on the lemony side because store lemons aren't nearly as sweet as tree-ripened ones. It was Ok, just not as perfect as the crab.
I've been trying local artisan breads, and this one, from Basque Cafe Boulangerie in Sonoma, was really pretty good. Nice and crusty, chewy texture, but not quite as sour as I'd consider perfect. However it is #1 of the ones I've tried so far.
Flan is easy to make, as long as you're willing to watch the sugar melt.

So I'm very happy crabby!!

John

Oh envy! Have an extra for me.

Clever play with words John...as I was reading I kept thinkging, "what is he crabby about?"

Ah, great minds think alike. Wednesday my wife picked up two dungness a litle over two pounds each & served them steamed with just some lemon wedges. Oh we had a mixed green salad first. The crab was accompanied by a Thomas Labaille 05 Sauvignon Blanc which was just great. We will have this identical meal once or twice a week until next spring. It's a tough road to travel but somebody has to do it.

a Thomas Labaille 05 Sauvignon Blanc which was just great..

Cuvee Buster? We had a bottle last night that seemed woody (as opposed to oaky) and imprecise in all the wrong ways. Must have been off.

a Thomas Labaille 05 Sauvignon Blanc which was just great..

Cuvee Buster? We had a bottle last night that seemed woody (as opposed to oaky) and imprecise in all the wrong ways. Must have been off.

I haven't had that problem with either Reg or Buster.

I haven't had that problem with either Reg or Buster.

Hopefully it was just the one bottle. Of course it was Brad Kane's bottle, so who knows what it had been though..

>>> It's a tough road to travel but somebody has to do it.

Yeah, I know. One has to do one's part!

The story in the Press Democrat was that the crabbers are hoping the catch will last till June. If so, I'll probably die happy!

Having just moved here to Santa Rosa, I'm going to have to check out the stores - cheapest isn't always best, but this was awfully good crab!

John

Ah, great minds think alike. Wednesday my wife picked up two dungness a litle over two pounds each & served them steamed with just some lemon wedges. Oh we had a mixed green salad first. The crab was accompanied by a Thomas Labaille 05 Sauvignon Blanc which was just great. We will have this identical meal once or twice a week until next spring. It's a tough road to travel but somebody has to do it.

Lou, your suffering is a model for us all. You set a shining example in these dark times.