Crab

We prepared this gumbo on our “Pass It On” show, because it is a generational favorite that dates back to Gina’s Nana. Nana made it for Gina, Gina makes it for our daughters, and the hope is that someday our daughters will prepare it for their children. Gina and I love seafood and spicy Louisiana flavors, and this gumbo delivers plenty of both. It’s delicious served over Gina’s Perfect Rice (page 27). Gumbos throughout the South are made with countless combinations of seafood and meat (chicken, wild game, and spicy sausage), and ours is brimming with crab, shrimp, chicken, and ham.

Gina: Pat is a meat-and-potatoes man, but me, I’ve gotta have my crab cakes. Every year, we go to a fancy restaurant in Memphis for our wedding anniversary, and I order crab cakes off the menu every time. I love them so much that Pat has started making them at home. Do you think he’s being cheap or treating me special? The secret to these crab cakes is using plenty of crab and not too much filling. The sunny Lime Mayonnaise packs a piquant punch.

If you have beautifully ripe fresh plum tomatoes, peel and seed them for the sauce. If it isn’t tomato season, opt for canned tomatoes, but include a few fresh plum tomatoes to give the sauce a taste of freshness. I like the sweetness of jumbo lump crabmeat in these agnolotti, but if that is not available, substitute any type of fresh, sweet crabmeat, or even fresh sea or bay scallops cut into 1/2-inch pieces.

I prefer “jumbo lump” crabmeat picked from blue-claw crabs for this recipe. If you can’t find that, substitute “lump” crabmeat—smaller pieces from the same species of crab—or chunks of king-crab meat. Avoid fine-textured crabmeat, like snow crab or spider crab.

A hollowed-out mushroom cap makes an ideal little edible bowl, perfect for filling with cream cheese and bacon, creamed spinach and ham, Italian sausage and cheese, or crabmeat. These—made with fresh crab, a little bit of low-fat mayo, and real bacon—are a real caloric bargain. A single serving (4 large mushrooms) nets you only 4 grams of fat and just under 120 calories.

Though I haven’t lived on Cape Code since I was eight, this dish proves I’m not just a Red Sox fan but a true New England Patriot. With Chowda and Mac ’n’ Cheese in one dinner, you can get to Massachusetts in 30 minutes or less, even if you live in Michigan.

This is my at-home version of Chef José’s crab omelet from the Floridian Diner in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Hey, José, how did I do? Oh, and the inspiration for the hash browns comes from my love of latkes and my love of these crunchy treats called plantain spiders, which I had at La Casita Blanca in Puerto Rico. They are too delish!

Choose your wrap: the Bibb will be soft, the iceberg will be crunchy. Like the difference between flour and corn tortillas.

The thing about hors d’oeuvres is that they should not only taste good, but they should look really cool, too. These do just that. You need espresso cups, sake cups, or fancy shot glasses for these. These “pea shooters” are great to make ahead and put together at the last minute. Drinking an hors d’oeuvre is the cool way to go!

A high-in-folate parsnip looks like a funky carrot, but this root veggie is sweeter and slightly nutty.

This soup is equally delicious served hot or chilled.

Crab cakes are so popular in Baltimore, they're even sold at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Use lettuce instead of a bun, and serve with a squeeze of lemon.

Briny-sweet crab and piquant chiles shine on subtly flavored white bread.

(Enchiladas de Cangrejo con Mole Verde) Now that lump crabmeat is more readily available, a great way to enjoy it is with the aromatic spiciness of green mole. This is a rich dish and will go well with a side salad. Of course, you can also use any other kind of enchilada sauce that you like.

Fresh crab meat is so rich, fabulous, and sweet that, for this dip, I wanted to highlight the texture and flavor of the crab without masking it. Served bubbly hot with a crisply browned, lemon zest–panko topping, this dip will be a party favorite—easy to put together, quick to bake, and quick to disappear, too.

For leftovers of this classic seafood stew, increase the recipe by half.

I often wonder if tostadas—crisp tortillas mounded with your choice of topping—were the first version of modern-day nachos. If so, these would definitely be called "supreme." Crunchy tortillas are layered with slices of creamy avocado and topped with a zesty crab salad to make the perfect appetizer.

Folding sweet jumbo lump crabmeat and chopped scallions into the classic batter of cornmeal and buttermilk dresses up these pups for a party. They're crisp, fluffy, and, truth be told, dangerously easy to eat, especially after a dip in a lemony homemade tartar sauce speckled with parsley, sweet pickles, and capers. For information about crabmeat.