Who does not love crab?

Delicious by itself with drawn butter, crabmeat is also delectable when made into crab cakes, or a lovely silken bisque. The only reason I do not eat crab several times a week can be summed up in one word: cost. Even when they are on sale, King Crab legs are quite pricey. And of course, the time and labor intensive task of "picking" crabs makes lump crab meat upwards of twenty dollars a pound. If you love crab, but find the cost prohibitive, check out some of the vacuum packed, ultra-pasturized crab meat lines that are on the market. B.J's in Cumming has two such products and both are excellent. The crab meat is sold in a sealed pouch and you can buy either the claw meat or the more expensive lump meat. Both are reasonably priced and taste delicious. I have used both in all these recipes and have had rave reviews. You may be able to find crab in your grocer packaged in this way as well.

Crab and other shellfish are good sources of chromium, which works with insulin in the metabolism of sugar helping the body to maintain normal blood glucose levels. Studies indicate chromium helps to raise the levels of HDL (or "good" cholesterol), which can reduce the risk of coronary artery disease and strokes. Crab also contains a good amount of selenium. Selenium has been shown to help protect against heart and circulatory diseases.
Crab or crabmeat is available year-round in some form, including live, raw, frozen, cooked, and canned. Live crabs should be refrigerated and used on the day of purchase. Raw crabmeat should also be kept refrigerated and used within 24 hours. Thawed, cooked crab should be used within the same day of purchase. Vacuum-packed crab can be stored in the refrigerator up to a month and used within four days of opening. Canned crab is good for six months.

For some reason, many people are intimidated to make crab cakes, but will order them at a restaurant no matter what they cost. They are not at all difficult to make, and the best part about making them yourself, is that you can control the seasoning, as well as the amount of crab you use. I sometimes make very small ones as they make a nice appetizer. You can prepare the cakes the day before you plan on using them and cover and refrigerate. They are actually better when they have had a good long while to firm up in the refrigerator.

Adlen Robinson is an award winning freelance writer. Besides her popular food columns, she also writes the column "Home Matters," where she shares with readers about her life with husband Paul and their four children. She welcomes reader tips, suggestions and comments at [email protected].