Chesapeake Bay Crabs Hardcover – September 21, 2011

For such a small state, Maryland has turned out more than a fair share of fine writers and works. Just in my lifetime we have seen the postwar work of Katherine Anne Porter and James M. Caan, the great post-modernist John Barth, the seminal naturalist warnings of Rachel Carson, the techno-pop thrillers of Tom Clancy, the political satire of H.L.Mencken ... one could go on but the point is made. The unofficial tourism motto of Maryland is "Maryland is for Crabs", but I would add "Maryland is for writers, too". Which brings me to the work of Maryland's great travel writer, Judy Colbert. Colbert has recently earned renown for her "100 things to do in Baltimore Before You Die", but that's only the latest of many books about Maryland, Virginia, the Chesapeake Bay and of course, Maryland's national food, the blue crab.I would be simplistic to call this book a crab cookbook, although it is that, but it goes deeper. It's about crabs, the natural history of; crabs, the catching of: crabs, the marketing and distribution of: crabs, the cooking of: crabs, the delicious and delectable eating of. Did I mention it's about crabs? Colbert has gone to the famous sources for many of her recipes, researching and working with many of Maryland's top chefs, but she has also ferreted out a number of the private recipes, the family favorites, the dishes that bring back a childhood spent in Maryland.It's a delicious book, made even more wonderful by many fine photographs. "Chesapeake Bay Crabs" is a definitive work that belongs in any collection of fine regional cookbooks. And it also belongs in the library of anyone who loves Maryland, and the Bay.

I bought this as a Christmas gift for my sister. It is filled with beautiful pictures and plenty of recipes for the crab lover. Highly recommend.

Great crab cookbook! Lots of recipes I want to try.

It was a birthday gift for my son who lives in Maryland... he loves it.

There are more than 100 recipes in this book to acquaint you with one of the Chesapeake's wonders - the blue crab. There is a section that will tell you much about this crustacean - about the crabs themselves, the bay area, the people that live there, buying, catching, cooking, picking and soft shells. An index is included and a glossary and food tips and a listing of blue crab festivals all with photos.Recipes include; breakfast, appetizer and dips, crab cakes, salads and sandwiches, soups, sauces, entrees and dessert. One could certainly find the perfect crab cake or crab dip recipe in here, as there are many of each and also varieties of crab soup.Personally I would recommend Senator Barb's favorite crab cakes - it's the best, and her crab imperial too. Other favorites have been; manicotti with crab sauce, crabmeat and spaghetti and dreamy crab noodle casserole.This has been a favorite cookbook of ours and makes a wonderful gift too.