Crabs and Macaroni

When I was a kid growing up in South Philly, there were certain foods that we would always look forward to and enjoy during the summer. There was Pop’s Water Ice, with real chunks of fruit floating in a refreshing cup of icy goodness. There was the pretzel man who would push his wagon up and down the streets, ringing his bell and yelling “soft pretzels!!!” and he would slather the mustard on your pretzel with a paint brush. There was the Mr. Softee ice cream truck that knew to come around the neighborhood blaring it’s famous jingle just as you were finishing up dinner. And then there was my favorite summertime meal – spaghetti and crabs. Just the smell of crab gravy (spaghetti sauce cooked with crabs instead of meatballs for you non South Philly readers) brings me back to when I was a kid – sitting in my parents’ living room on a hot Sunday afternoon, listening to Harry Kalas and Richie Ashburn call a Phillies game on the tv or radio, anxiously waiting to crack a claw or two. These days, I have to settle for the neighborhood Rita’s Water Ice (good, but not Pop’s), there is no more neighborhood pretzel man, and Mr. Softee….well, he now comes around just as we’re starting to eat dinner (damn that jingle!!!). But I still make it a tradition to have at least one Sunday Crabs and Macaroni dinner each summer.

What’s so unique and special about this dish is the amazing flavor that comes together when you cook the crabs in the sauce. Words can’t describe how good it tastes and smells. The sauce also adds an incredible tenderness to the crab meat. Most people I know would call it Spaghetti and Crabs. When my mom would make crab gravy, she would serve it with thin spaghetti and we would dig into the crabs afterwards. They were the reward for eating your entire plate of pasta. She would also use blue crabs that my Grandfather would either catch or buy fresh and send over to our house. I decided on a slightly different approach when I started making my own crab gravy. First, I prefer using either ziti or rigatoni. That’s why I went with the more generic “Crabs and Macaroni,” but feel free to use whatever pasta you like. Second, I like to add a can of crab meat to the sauce for extra flavor*. I also like the fact that you get some meat into the mix with your pasta. Why wait until the end to enjoy the taste? Third, while it’s more expensive, I prefer to use pre-cooked snow crabs that you can find at the seafood section of the supermarket. I always felt that the smaller blue crabs involved a lot of effort with little payoff. The snow crab legs, however, have plenty of meat with much easier access. Feel free to use whatever choice of crab you like best!

Now, if you decide to make this meal (and I encourage you to do so), there are a few things that you should be forewarned about.
1. This is a very messy meal. All shame goes out the window. Shells will be flying and sauce will be splashed. There’s no way around it. With that in mind…
2. Keep plenty of napkins on hand. You can even go rib-shack style and just keep an entire roll of paper towels at the table.
3. Do not wear a white shirt. You will walk away from the table looking like you were involved in a crime scene.
4. No matter how much you wash them, your hands will smell like crabs for the rest of the day. It’s a special meal…savor the funk.

* If you decide to use a can of crab meat, be sure to buy the large 16-oz cans of crab meat that are located in the seafood section of your supermarket. While they can be a bit pricey at times, they are packed with 100% crab meat. The smaller cans that are found near the cans of tuna are packed with about 1/3 water, so you are getting your money’s worth with the larger cans.

Now get crackin’!

1 tblspn olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 29-oz can tomato sauce
1 28-oz can crushed or pureed tomatoes (depending on your preference), plus 1-1/2 cans of water
1 6-oz can tomato paste
2 tblspn sugar
1 tblspn Italian Seasoning
1/2 tspn Old Bay Seasoning
1 1-lb can of crab meat
2-lbs crabs

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat until hot, but not smoking. Add garlic, heat for 30 seconds. Add tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste and water; stir. Add sugar, Italian Seasoning, and Old Bay; stir. Bring to boil, the lower heat to medium-low. Add can of crab meat and crabs; stir and partially cover. Stir occasionally. Cook on medium-low for 1-1/2 to 2 hours.

Pasta Giardino (Garden Pasta)

This is a nice alternative to traditional pasta with gravy. It”s quick and simple, healthy, and absolutely delicious. Below are my vegetables of choice. Use whatever vegetables you enjoy most, but I suggest keeping the bell peppers and tomatoes in the mix. They add great texture and flavor. Goes great with a crisp white wine!

PASTA GIARDINO (Garden Pasta)

1 container grape tomatoes
1 small eggplant, diced
1 yellow squash, diced
1 zucchini, diced
3 bell peppers, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dill
salt and pepper
olive oil
2 tablespoons pecorino romano cheese
1lb pasta (I recommend ziti or rigatoni)
1/3 cup pasta water, reserved (optional, for extra flavor)

Mix all of the diced vegetables, garlic and dill in a bowl. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and stir (you don’t want to saturate the vegetables with the oil – if the veggies are looking dry while cooking, you could always add some more oil). Add salt and pepper to taste and stir. Spread the vegetables into a 13×9 pan, bake at 375º for approx 15-20 minutes, until vegetables are tender and tomatoes start to pop.

Meanwhile, boil one pound of pasta, until al dente. Drain pasta, reservig about 1/3 cup of the pasta water. Drizzle pasta lightly with oil to avoid sticking. Using a large serving bowl, stir the pasta and vegetables together. Slowly add the reserved pasta water and continue to stir. Add the pecorino romano and stir. Serve and enjoy!

Feeling extra creative? Try adding some shrimp, crabmeat or scallops to the dish!

Comfort Foods Part 1: Macaroni and Cheese

I don’t remember eating Kraft macaroni and cheese when I was little. The first time I do remember eating it, I wasn’t that impressed. So when my wife said, “Hey, we gotta try my mom’s macaroni and cheese recipe,” I thought “Really? Well…ok, I guess.” Let me tell you something…home made mac & cheese is now one of my favorite comfort dishes. It is simple to make, filling and quite tasty. Our daughter, Julianna (who I believe OD’d on the Kraft stuff about 15 months ago), insists on only home made! The kid’s turned in to a connoisseur at age 4…it brings a tear to my eye. If you have little ones at home, this is a recipe that they’re sure to love. If you want to get creative with it, try mixing in peas or tuna, top with some hot sauce, or serve with some stewed tomatoes.

*Note – we use American Cheese. Feel free to get creative and use your cheese(s) of choice!

INGREDIENTS
1 lb. elbow macaroni
1/2 lb. American Cheese
3 cups milk
1 stick butter (slightly softened)
1 tblspn flour
salt & pepper

PREPARATION
Boil macaroni.

Melt butter in pan. Pour 3 cups of milk in pan & stir until warm. Add flour and salt & pepper. Stir

Break up cheese in small pieces, add to sauce. Stir over low heat until melted (no lumps).

Drain macaroni and pour in flat pan. Pour cheese over macaroni, covering all.

Cover with tin foil, bake at 325˚ for 30 minutes.

Next post – Comfort Foods Part 2: Soups

Sunday Gravy

Happy New Years, everyone! I decide to kick off 2009 with a real bang…Sunday Gravy. As you may have read in my blog intro, I made my first pot of gravy with my mom’s old neighbor way back when I was a kid. I have made countless pots of gravy since, but only in the past few years have I really zeroed in on a specific recipe. However, I have never followed a written recipe. It was always from memory, or whatever mood I was in that day. Although I found it a bit painstaking (as I believe this should be a free-form dish), I documented every measurement while making today’s gravy. You’re welcome.

First, let me address the whole gravy versus sauce issue. There are countless opinions on the subject. My new friend, Lorraine Ranalli, just wrote a book on it (I suggest you all visit her fantastic web site). When I hear “sauce,” I think Marinara. Quick. Delicious, nonetheless…but quick.You heat your oil and garlic, add your tomatoes, onions, seasonings, maybe even some meat or shrimp, and in 20-30 minutes you have a tasty meal. Gravy, on the other hand, is a bit more complex. My guess (and this is only a guess) is that the term comes from the flavors of the meats that are incorporated. The “other” gravies (beef, turkey, chicken, etc.) are, of course, made from meat drippings. But the main difference to me is the time, patience and love that you put in to your gravy (I was gonna go with blood, sweat and tears, but that would be gross). You treat your pot of gravy as if it were a child. You raise it and nurture it, from it’s infant stage until it matures.

I always add meatballs to my gravy, usually with either sausage, boneless country spare ribs, or brasciole (thin steak stuffed with a breadcrumb mixture and rolled up). Today I went with the spare ribs. First, I marinated them in apple cider vinegar, then gave them a quick rub with kosher salt, pepper, garlic powder and rosemary, then roasted them slow and low for 75 minutes at 325º. I also prefer to bake my meatballs and sausage, instead of the traditional frying. It’s just as tasty, healthier for you, and frees up some quality time.

Before we get into the actual recipe…you’ll notice that I suggest adding two baby carrots to the gravy. This is an old trick that I learned a few years back. The carrots add a natural sweetness to the gravy, while at the same time soak up some of the acid from the tomatoes. I joke with my friends that when the gravy is done cooking, you could probably add a wick to the carrots and light them up on the 4th of July.

One last note…if you decide to try my Sunday Gravy recipe, I would be delighted. But if you decide to alter my recipe, and add your own flavors or ingredients, I would be overjoyed. Experiment, adjust the flavors to your likings, and most of all have fun. And be sure to share your version of the recipe with me.

Enjoy!

2 28-oz cans crushed tomatoes
1 29-oz can tomato sauce (plus one can full of water)
1 6-oz can tomato paste with Italian herbs
olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tblspn Italian Seasoning (marjorim, thyme, rosemary, savory, sage, oregano and basil)
1 tblspn sugar
1 beef bouillon cube
2 baby carrots
1 cup red wine(whatever you have opened)
1 loaf crusty Italian bread

Drizzle bottom of sauce pot with olive oil to coat on medium-high heat. Add chopped onion; stir for 1 minute or until onion is translucent. Add minced garlic; stir for about one minute. Add the two cans of crushed tomatoes, one can of tomato sauce plus one can of water, and one can of tomato paste; stir. Add Italian seasoning and sugar; stir. Heat and occasionally stir until slowly bubbling. Add bouillon cube, baby carrots and splash of wine; stir. Lower heat, slightly cover and simmer for one hour. Add meats; simmer partially covered for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally. Sip and enjoy the remaining cup of wine as you dip some bread into the gravy while it’s cooking.

Serve over your choice of pasta and enjoy!