Crazy for Crab: Everything You Need to Know to Enjoy Fabulous Crab at Home,

By Fred Thompson

Book Overview

In Crazy for Crab Fred Thompson begins with a comprehensive chapter on the basics of crab varieties and how to cook them, then launches into chapters of delectable recipes. His chapter devoted to the glorious variety of crab cakes includes Fred's Pretty Darn Close to Perfect Crab Cakes, with scallions and bell pepper, as well as the more adventurous Thai Crab Cakes with Chili-Garlic Sauce. The chapter on soft-shell crab includes such preparations as Pan-Fried Soft-Shell Crabs with Warm Tomato and Bacon Vinaigrette, while the chapter on hard-shells features multiple versions of crab boils. There are also chapters on salads, soups, appetizers, brunches and light meals, and casseroles, with recipes including Crab Salad with Asparagus and Lime, Spicy Red Crab Soup, and Crab and Artichoke Dip. All are accompanied by mouthwatering photos of finished dishes, pictures of famous crab restaurants from plain to fancy, decorative illustrations, and stories of watermen and crabbers from around the country.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1558322663
• ISBN13: 9781558322660
• Release Date: March 2004
• Publisher: Harvard Common Press
• Length: 200 Pages
• Weight: 1.32 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 8.0" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

The School of Crab Cooking

This book takes all of the fear out of cooking with crab. Fred explains step by step everything I needed to know to select crab, cook it, and use it in recipes. I hosted a Crazy for Crab Dinner with every course a recipe from this book. The Crab Bisque is creamy heaven, the Crab Salad on spring greens is easy and delicious, and most of all the Pretty Darn Close to Perfect Crab Cakes is easier than I expected to make and everyone says they are the best they have ever tasted. The book even has a great Key Lime Pie for the grand finale. I will make all these recipes again and again. You will be happy to have this book and will want to try all of the recipes!

Leaves no crab uncooked

Fred Thompson's Crazy For Crab deserves ongoing recommendation as a lovely survey of different types of crab and how they can be easily prepared at home. From Soft Shell Crabs with Warm Tomato/Bacon Vinaigrette to Pumpkin Crab Soup, Thompson's Crazy For Crab leaves no crab uncooked.

Gorgeous and Drool Inducing!

In what can only be considered a "love note" to all things crab, Fred Thompson has created an absolutely definitive guide for crab lovers everywhere. Beginning with what he calls "The Crab Basics", a discussion of the types of crab available as well as the various methods for selecting and storing crab products, and ending with a list of crab festivals around the country, "Crazy for Crab" offers something for even the most casual of crab fans.With twelve recipes for crab cakes alone (ranging from the basic to the very fancy - tarragon aioli anyone?), Thompson has more than covered the territory. Included are soup and appetizer recipes, as well as many for salads and casseroles. The level of involvement and difficulty for the recipes ranges from the very simple to the relatively complex and for every recipe the likes of Crab Imperial (that is, well known and fairly easy to track down) he includes another for a dish altogether more exotic and modern tasting - Thai crab cakes with chili-garlic sauce, for example From the everyday to the sublime, Thompson has covered it all. Augmented with discussions and recipes for bay seasoning and homemade tartar sauce, this comprehensive work is recommended for anyone who enjoys these sweet gifts from the sea.

Crab Lovers UNITE !

This is an excellent cookbook on cooking crabs and things to go with them! If you ever traveled to Baltimore, MD... One of the things that usually got you was you could not find a DEFINITIVE cookbook on crabs... This book seems to be the ONE! Now if I could only just get a way to have more crabs coming to Nashville.... A wonderful cookbook! If you love crabs-why are you still reading this? Buy the Book, already!