On Fri, 07 Mar 2008 00:58:44 GMT, "Musashi" >
wrote:

>I do differ in opinion as regards the Blue Crab, as I find them very tasty
>on their own, without any spicy "crab boils".
>I find the taste of the meat distinctive, different from Dungeness and long
>legged Alaskan species.
>In Japan, the Blue Crabs are called Watarigani (Migratory Crabs) because of
>their swim paddles and the belief
>(not found to be incorrect) that they migrated like schools of fish. Most
>commonly Blue Crabs are used for Miso soup.
>
>Musashi

In the Jacksonville, Florida area, live blue crab is available almost
all year at any bait shop and fish store.

We in the South do like our spicy flavorings. It's a cultural thing
here. I've lived here now for over 30 years and have gotten used to
the strong flavors of Southern cooking. It's not "bad", just
different.

You'll not find a cupboard in the south that doesn't have "Old Bay" in
it. I use the stuff in many recipes.

I prefer to go crabbing and catch my own. It's easy. We use crab lines
with chicken neck or backs on them. In a few hours, you can catch 20
of them easily.

There is one local lake that has a spill-over from the Intra-coastal
waterway that creates a lake that from north to south is fresh,
brackish, and sal****er. The brackish end has so many kinds of fish in
it that it can be a nightmare of licensing. Hook type, bait type, time
of year....you need a lawyer to go fishing there.

Local Blue crab is abundant and very, very tasty. The Jimmies can be
as much as 10 inches across. The roe (mustard) is awesomely good when
spread on a fresh steaming bite of crab meat.

While pulling in a crab line one time, I had a small 3 foot gator swim
up and start helping me pull my lines. I let him have them and slowly
backed out of the lake. I was up to my waist in the water and hoped
that his Mom or Dad wasn't in the area. The 20 or so Vietnamese that
were crabbing in the next area were all pointing and yelling at me. I
think they were telling me that I was insane.

Gator tail is really good also...cooked with Old Bay of course.....