Winter is fresh crab season here in Northern California. When our local Whole Foods gets in a shipment, we’re first in line for the biggest (anything greater than 2 lbs) fresh, cooked crabs, already cleaned and broken. Dad calls it “nature’s fast food”. We’ve been known to go through a couple 2 pounders just for lunch. Note that as with all seafood, the crab’s freshness is imperative. I had to take one back to WF a few weeks ago, because it just wasn’t edible. My bad, I forgot to check. Although your fish monger should be checking before handing it over to you, you really do need to inspect it before paying for it and taking it home. The best way to test is to smell. If it smells too fishy, not good. What to do with leftover crab meat when your eye is hungrier than your stomach? Mix it into a fresh crab dip, refrigerate it overnight and eat it the next day. If you are no where near a place that sells good, fresh crab, you can of course use canned crab. Trader Joe’s has a good product. I’ve also mixed this dip up with pasta for a lovely crab pasta salad. Yum!

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