Earlier this year, I wanted to change up SteamyKitchen.com’s site design and structure. The current design has served me quite well, but I wanted more features, and let’s face it, given the choice of “same” or “more bling” you know which I’d rear end in a heartbeat.
But the only technical thing I’m good at is the three-finger-salute, Ctrl-Alt-Del. The move is used so often that it’s implanted in my autonomic nervous system, etching a fat path with sparkly pink synapses. Just this past weekend at the grocery store, I had an altercation with an old, crinkly bastard who apparently forgot to pluck his golf club out of his ass before he stepped off the green and yelled at me for my grocery cart that came within 2 millimeters from his precious blue Volvo convertible. After walking away and cussing under my breath, my fingers automatically went into position and from a distance, I held my hands up and Ctrl-Alt-Deleted his 2-inch forehead. It’s a powerful gesture, one that stops Windows dead in its tracks and also gives me the satisfaction of cursing him from afar. So what if I look dumb, I don’t care.
For the site, customizing fonts and colors were a piece of cake, but changing column widths was like trying to move the Statue of Liberty with a salad fork and cheese grater.
Do you know what HTML stands for? Hyperactive Total Mental Leakage. Oh yeah. And cascading style sheets, or CSS? That’s the sound of my precious brain cells seeping out of my head during moments of spontaneous HTML.
This is worse than learning a new language! At least if I’m flubbing in Spanish, I can supplement with hand gestures. In code-speak, if you’re missing one little tiny “:” the site just shrugs its shoulders, says,
DOES NOT COMPUTE, and heads back to the server for a nap.
Finally, last Friday, after countless hours of coding, testing, tweaking and head banging, I was ready to launch. I announced aloud to my friends that I was going to click this little button, chimes will sound and magically, all the electronic impulses in the universe would align and “poof!” Steamy Kitchen would unveil its new facelift. I held my breath, shut one eye and clicked.
INVALID ERROR
“Dammit! I thought you loved me. Say something! Tell me what you want. Our relationship is so much stronger than a colon.” But still, no response. I should have included a line item for “therapist” in my design budget.
I was so sick of the computer, that for dinner options, I reached for a cookbook instead of searching through my bookmarks. This recipe for Roasted Garlic Killer Shrimp is one that I adapted from a cookbook called,
Crab cookbook co-authored by my friend, Jennifer Jeffrey. The other author, you ask? None other than the famous Andrea Froncillo, exec chef of The Stinking Rose, a garlic restaurant in San Francisco and Beverly Hills. I modified the recipe by using shrimp instead of crab because I live in a far, far away place that even though surrounded three sides by really deep water, I have absolutely no access to fresh, live crab. Sigh.
***
This is a “soft” launch of the new site design. What does “soft” mean? It means It means I’m still tweaking the site design and structure. So if you happen to come along knocking on my blog and see me in my underwear painting, hammering and leaking brain cells, you’ll understand. It also means if I f’ up, leave a “:” out of the code and break the site, you’ll also understand, right?!
I can broked new dezign…
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Garlic Roasted Killer Crab Shrimp
serves 4 as part of multicourse meal
1 lb shell-on shrimp
½ cup white wine
½ stick of butter
3 tbl minced shallots
2 tbl fresh rosemary
1 tsp fresh thyme
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 tbl olive oil
1 tbl sea salt
crushed red pepper
chopped parsley
loaf of crusty french bread
Preheat oven to 375F.
If you are using extra large shrimp, you can butterfly them, keeping them in the shell, like I did in the photo. Otherwise, leave them whole in the shell. Wash and carefully cut through shell to devein the shrimp while leaving the shell on. The easiest way to do this is with sharp, pointy kitchen shears. Just cut through the back. Heat olive oil and butter in large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. When hot but not smoking, add the shallots, garlic, rosemary, red pepper and thyme. Fry until fragrant. Add wine, salt, pepper. When boiling, turn heat off and toss in the shrimp. Send it off to the oven for 7-10 minutes, or until shrimp is cooked through. Timing will depend on the size of shrimp, check after 7 minutes. Garnish with sea salt, chopped parsley. Serve with bread to soak up the juices.
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Contest to Win Free Crab Cookbook!
Jennifer and Andrea have generously given me 5 signed cookbooks to give away! To enter, just comment below and mention your favorite way to have crab. That’s it! So simple. I’ll draw 5 names on Tuesday December 18th at 11pm.
Good luck!
________a little note from my sponsor________
Are you hosting a dinner party? The table setting is one of the most important elements to set the tone of the party. Impress your guests with beautiful dinnerware, flatware and wine glasses. Before the guests arrive, be sure to use quality cutlery and cookware to make cooking easier and faster. Sharpening knives as they begin to dull will keep your knives like new.
____end of the little note from my sponsor______
{ 152 comments… read them below or add one }
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There’s a place in town here that has wonderful cajun food so I would have to say that cajun style is my favorite for crab.
Soft shell crabs, baby… YUM!
I am fortunate enough to live in Sonoma county and drive out to Bodega Bay and buy Dungeness crab direct from the boats. My favorite way to have crab is:
With 5 or 6 good friends and lots of napkins.
Crab cakes on hoagie rolls, not too bloody much breadcrumb filler and LOTS of lemon. Oh, and good iced tea!
Makes you think spring in the midst of all this snow and yuck, doesn’t it?
Singaporean chili crab or the Vietnamese garlic butter crab, paired up with their garlic noodle. To die for!
Lunch time is definitely not the right time to read your blog…..my lunch is looking more miserable by the minute =P
My favorite kind of crab is the one my mom makes with tamarind, oyster sauce, and garlic. You are one funny gal Jaden. I love reading your posts.
My grandmother used to boil ‘em and then stir-fry em with a 3 onion, black bean sauce…mmm mmm mmm.
steamed the crabs, lay them out on newpapers and grab some nutcrackers and let’s go. oh, don’t forget the soy & garlic dipping sauce. reminds me of home.
Oh my my my….that killer shrimp looks killer
I have to add that to my repertoire.
Mmmmm…. crab is my favorite meal. My favorite way to have it is the way this little restaurant in Hawaii makes it. They cover the crab in this roasted garlic butter and it’s soooooooo yummy! You end up with butter and garlic all over your face and hands but it’s worth it!
crabcakes, crabcakes, crabcakes with homemade mayonnaise!!!
Oh man! The post itself was good enough but all of the other ideas here in the comments…I am hungry!
My favorite way of having crab is the way they make it here at the beach, baked in shells and prepared with coconut milk, palm oil, tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, and bread crumbs.
My absolute favorite way to eat crab – are crab cakes! They are fabulous with a little lemon juice or a remoulade. I could eat them every day.
My favorite way to have crab……hmmm…..
Crab cakes
Crab Eggs Benedict
Crab Soup (at Ray’s the Steaks, YUM!)
I could go on and on and on…….
Firt, greetings from Bonn / Germany!
My favorite way to have crab is the swedish way (like in in the IKEA-advertisement). Cook them in boiling water and enjoy them on a long table with family and friends in the summertimes under an apple tree.
Oh how I love crab…. snow or king crab legs, steamed / boiled in water with old bay seasoning, then just drowned in melted butter. OR… crabmeat stuffed portabella mushrooms. third: Crabcakes!!!! And can’t forget crab-dip slathered on crackers!
Now I’m hungry!!!!!
crab rules. i love them hot and spicy in some coconut milk with pumpkin and snake beans. yum.
Masala crab or as we say, curried crab.
Jaden,
I love your site and your shrimp look delish. I love crab served cold that has been marinated in a tangy, spicy sauce….yummy!
I’m with you Jaden, I’m not very technical too and my computer has made me weep plenty of times – isn’t this another one of those ‘Love-Hate’ relationships? HA!HA! The shrimps look fantastic by the way. How I like crabs done? with chilli of course!
Wishing you, Scott, Andrew and Nathan a wonderful and safe Christmas! xoxoxoxo Carol
I love crab rangoons! I make them annually, and am always tweaking to get the right balance of sweet, salty, and green onion.
I also like to make it chipotle-cheesy, and stuff it into peppers, with spanish rice. Yum!
I like mine done the cajun way – like crawfish boil , but use crab instead of crawfish .
yummy .
Jaden, my wife loves your site. She sent me a text message the other night that said “I think you need pictures like steamy kitchen.”
How’s that for deflating my fledgling-site ego?
She’s right, though. I had been using a little dinky point and shoot, because it’s so quick and easy (let’s face it, getting out the nice SLR and actually having to work is not as quick and easy as *POINT*CLICK*).
So, the point… I tried it out tonight, using our *nice* camera (you can probably see the ones I took using the PnS, too). Do you have any thoughts or suggestions?
Fondly,
Hal
Crab!
A-way up here in Oregon we go for the big sweet Dungeness Crabs.
My favorite way of cooking them is to take the cooked crab, break up the shell into legs, body and claws and saute all the parts together with butter, Old Bay seasoning and a bit of pepper. We all sit at the table and make a big ol’ mess sucking crab from the shells. Yum.
Jaden, I’ve loved seeing your blog grow over the past months. It’s great to read an authentic voice talking about great food. Hope to see you over in this corner of the world one of these days.
Best,
Lane
I have read this post almost 5 times now and laughing away to glory!
I could give you an oscar for your way with word Jan dear. 
I love steamed crab with egg white. Chopped some spring onion as garnish and enjoy the sauce from the crab.
Jaden
I am a regular here, simply love your writing style. Just wanted to say your site is a real gem. Keep the good work going! Happy Holidays!
-Madhu
This shrimp dish looks delicious! I eat shrimp more often than crab, but just because it is more available. And try living in Utah – any fresh seafood is pretty rare!! I once had some stuffed mushrooms that had crab in them, and they were pretty awesome!
This are some wild and crazy whole shrimp! What long “arms” they have. “Better to keep me out of the pan” says the shrimp.
My favorite way to eat crab is either in a crab cake or right out of the shell, like with Jonah crab claws. Mmm…Jonah crab claws with spicy cocktail sauce. Sweet, spicy and delicious!
Mmmm. thanks for this recipe! I miss having easy access to fresh dungeness crab, but I would love a good recipe book.
Nothing beats steamed king crab legs with a little butter.
That picture is just beautiful!
The shrimp looks so tasty! Makes me want to go to the market, buy some shrimp and cook up a nice meal.
Alaskan King Crab is always tasty as is…but fresh dungeness crab is sooo good…very meaty and the “gooey insides” is creamy.
Absolutely love your blog and your kids are such cuties. Looking at your pics always makes me hungry.
Favor Crab…ways
1. Short on time to eat- Dungeness Crab cut into 1/4’s saute over high heat with black beans, garlic, ginger, scallions, touch of thin soy sauce, oyster sauce, and of course the tamale.
2. Hours to worship the sweet crab-Blue crabs cut into 1/4’s saute over high heat with tons of ginger, scallions and again a must is the tamale.
Yummy, yummy so tasty. I am going to have to make crab this week end be damned the cost.
Love crab, hate the trouble. So my favorite way is in a restaurant, where they bring the little sucker over, you say “ok.” they bring it back to wherever and bring out THREE different versions of king crab. My favorite-the steamed, garlic king crab, all cut up and practically falling out of the shell. SOOOO good!
Love your blog! Referred my fireman brother here cuz he’s got to cook for many hungry, hefty men.
I love crab in the simplest crab cake possible. No butter, no sauce, just sweet delicious crab meat.
Sorry to hear about the computer problems. That’s never fun. At least you can drown your sorrows with that great shrimp dish (but hey, they’re big enough to call prawns). Hope to see the new site soon! Don’t give up!
My favorite is Malaysian style sweet & sour crab like this http://kookyculinary.com/2007/07/03/crabs-more-crabs/
I hadn’t ever eaten crab until I met my boyfriend, now fiance, and he introduced me to his favorite food: crab legs. It was the only “fancy” thing he knew how to cook, and we had a lovely, romantic candlelit dinner at home.
I haven’t had a chance to experiment with different ways of making crab, but I am eager to try; a little worried about messing with their perfect taste though. We just steam them and rip them open and eat them plain or dipped in melted butter…. Makes my mouth water just thinking about it.
Soft shell crab sandwich while sitting on the dock, having a couple of beers with my pals in Wrightsville, NC.
I’ll have shrimp or crab! Just the thought of garlic-rosted has my stomach gurgling.
Oooh, living most of my life in Hawaii, my favorite crab dish is definitely sushi. Often they use imitation crab, but I found a great place that uses fresh crab. Yum!
I grew up on an intercoastal waterway in north Florida and every other Sunday afternoon my dad would empty the crab trap for dinner. Usually just blue crabs but the occasional stone crab would wander in. Our family’s trick to fabulous , sweet crabmeat was to split the blue crabs down the center (yes, while they are still alive) and rinse them under running water before steaming. Then all of the crabs would be dumped onto the dining room table, which had been covered in several layers of the sunday paper. We used skinny butter knives to get the crabmeat out, dipped the pieces in warm butter and then dredged them through some Old Bay. Yum.
Besides eating a Crab Louie at Scoma’s in S.F., my second favourite way to eat crab is at a local crab feed, with piles of marinated crab surrounding me, with friends and family digging in with the bare hands and eating until we are so full it’s hard to move!
I “borrowed” this last night for some clients. Awesome dish, lots of levels of flavor. I chose to mount a little (considerable amount) of butter at the end to seal the deal.
Oh.. crabs, my favorite. But your prawn version looks so good. I like your photography style.
My favorite way to have crab is with a cold beer
Preferably cold stone crab with spicy mustard sauce and an Abita Purple Haze.
My favorite way to enjoy crab is stir fried with a black bean sauce rich with garlic.
Even though I always fry my prawns, I love trying out new techniques and this time it’s roasting them. Can’t wait to taste the difference.
my favorite way to have crab is black bean sauce with garlic and eggs mixed in. Yummy…add a drink and a friend and i can sit there all day eating and chatting!
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