Here I am in Florida. It’s where my BFF lives–in a sprawling house on a golf course with a pool. I have a room (at least, I have proclaimed it mine! I just need a flag, according to Eddie Izzard) with a door that opens directly across from the hot tub.
It’s a rough life when I’m in Florida. I try to do something here that I’m not good doing elsewhere (except Momma’s where there’s no internet and sketchy phone service) and that’s disconnect. Bad for readership. Good for sanity.
Not to worry, I have been collecting stories to share–so be prepared for the deluge of those in the upcoming days…just getting it in sharing form is the complete antithesis of my Floridication.
While in Florida, I like to eat as much seafood as possible and as I’m picking apart my crab legs the other day, a thought struck me: who was the first person to look at a crab with all it’s tiny legs and big claws and hard shell and beady eyes and think “oooohhh, I bet that’s tasty!”? And then, to pick it apart–piece by piece. Btw, if you eat way too fast try crab legs–nothing makes that process faster…unless you can convince family, friends, and random strangers three tables over to help you!
A quick internet search suggests eating crabs have been around since prehistoric times. Makes sense for hunter & gathers near the sea. The Chinese have a legend about the first person to eat a crab. It offers a bit of insight, but I still wonder what was going through the minds of the people as they are chasing down these strange looking creatures. Sure, once someone had a bite of the delicacy, they were more prone to chase the suckers down the beach. But just doing it on blind faith? Nothing short of amazing!
And speaking of ahhhh-mazing: THANK YOU! to whomever decided it would be a great idea to dip it into butter. m’wah! m’wah! m’wah! What? Butter makes everything better. You know, just like bacon.
The best place that I’ve had crab legs was the Sea Salt Eatery at Minnehaha Falls in Minneapolis, MN. It was a hot day and it seems that half the city was at the park…and the restaurant. The wait was long, but since I had great company, a delicious beer, and gorgeous weather I was okay with that. Crab legs were one of the daily specials, so I felt like it was THE only menu option for me. When it arrived, I was definitely NOT disappointed! In hindsight, I should have taken a picture before I dug in, but nope. I was too excited to wait! In the end, I’m quite sure I had butter sauce and bits of crab shell all over my face, my hands, the table, the floor (but it was a deck, so you know–perfectly okay!). Three words: nom nom nom
The downside? The Sea Salt Eatery is only open April through October. Actually, it’s probably a good thing. Winter is NOT the time to be sitting outside in Minnesota! But trust me, Sea Salt is a great destination stop while in the Twin Cities. Go, enjoy the sun, the scenery, get a local beer, order fresh seafood, kick back and relax…and that’s an order!
If you’re not fortunate enough to get to Sea Salt this summer, there’s still a lot of great crab legs out there. Go out and enjoy the sweet, buttery deliciousness; just pay homage to whomever was crazy enough to brave snapping claws and figuring out how the victor worked his/her way through danger and the shell to the delicious spoils.
The Epicurious Texan 