In article >,
"Mr. Joseph Littleshoes Esq." > wrote:

> One of my favorite ways of serving asparagus is in a crab and asparagus
> soup.
>
> --
>
> Mr. Joseph Paul Littleshoes Esq.

Have you seen my off the cuff recipe for that?
I really need to finish that pic series. It was SO very good!

Asparagus and Crab Soup

Approx. 5 lbs. tough asparagus stems
(I save them in the freezer until I have
a batch large enough to make soup)

1 lb. fresh shredded crab meat (I usually
use Dungeness but used King Crab this time
as it was on sale)

1 lb. tender asparagus stems
1 stalk celery
1 shallot
1/2 cup dry vermouth
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
6 fresh basil leaves
4 oz. salted butter

Salt to taste

Place asparagus stems into a pot and just cover with water
Add the rosemary sprig (minced) and basil leaves (torn up into small
bits).

Cook until the asparagus stems are turned to mush
(I used a pressure cooker for about 30 minutes)

Strain off stems and herbs, reserving the cooking liquid and run
thru a food mill or mash thru a fine mesh strainer to
get as much puree material that you can while removing
the fiber from the stems.

Add the asparagus mush back to the reserved liquid.

Chop the tender asparagus stems, celery
and shallots, then add back to the pot.
Bring to a brisk boil and reduce by about 1/3rd
stirring as needed to keep it from scorching.
Allow to cool a bit, then puree with a hand blender.

Melt the 4 oz. of butter and add along with the shredded crab meat and
vermouth, garnish as desired and serve hot.
--
Peace! Om

Web Albums: <http://picasaweb.google.com/OMPOmelet>

"Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck." --Dalai Lama

In article >,
"Mr. Joseph Littleshoes Esq." > wrote:

> I like to start off with a good clear chicken stock, add some saffron to
> that and the fully picked over & cleaned crab flesh to quickly cook,
> skimming as needed and then add the asparagus tips a bit of lemon and
> ginger, simmer & serve.
>
> I have used a crab stock as the basis for the soup, with the cooked crab
> meat added to the cooked soup just before serving, but i prefer a
> chicken stock and taking the best bits of crab flesh and quickly cooking
> them in the chicken stock.
>
> Though i think it is a very good soup, i usually buy it from a
> restaurant rather than make it myself just cause i cant bring myself
> to do much less than gorge on crustaceans and shell fish any chance i get.

<lol> I know what you mean! It was all I could do to use it for soup
but the soup made several servings and the crab flavor dominated, so it
was all good. I do like the asparagus base rather than a seafood base.
The crab stood out more with the asparagus as a nice mild background for
it.

> I do like a bit of white wine, never cared for vermouth in cooking, but
> the white wines go nice in the crab and asparagus soup.

I'm still playing with dry vermouth and liking it so far. I've had
trouble with wine adding a sour note to recipes so tend to avoid it.

> > Salt to taste
> >
> > Place asparagus stems into a pot and just cover with water
> > Add the rosemary sprig (minced) and basil leaves (torn up into small
> > bits).
> >
> > Cook until the asparagus stems are turned to mush
> > (I used a pressure cooker for about 30 minutes)
>
> !!!
>
> Horrors!
>
> I mean i can understand using a food product in such a way solely for
> its flavour but ....."ewwww!" if you don't mind my saying so

Hey, it's a waste item. We were talking woody asparagus stems there. <g>
Many people just freeze them and add them as a stock ingredient. Even I
have done that. :-) Especially if the entire pot of solids from the
stock are going to be discarded, like if you also use bones and onion
skins, and shitake stems! Many people just throw woody asparagus stems
in the trash or compost.

>
> >
> > Strain off stems and herbs, reserving the cooking liquid and run
> > thru a food mill or mash thru a fine mesh strainer to
> > get as much puree material that you can while removing
> > the fiber from the stems.
> >
> > Add the asparagus mush back to the reserved liquid.
> >
> > Chop the tender asparagus stems, celery
> > and shallots, then add back to the pot.
> > Bring to a brisk boil and reduce by about 1/3rd
> > stirring as needed to keep it from scorching.
> > Allow to cool a bit, then puree with a hand blender.
> >
> > Melt the 4 oz. of butter and add along with the shredded crab meat and
> > vermouth, garnish as desired and serve hot.
>
> Ah! so you cook the crab separately from the soup?

The crab comes cooked from the store already. See, I never did
understand why people do more than just warm the pre-cooked crab from
the store. I don't think I've ever seen raw crab sold, unless it is in
the "live" state and running around a seawater tank. Just adding it to
the hot soup warms it enough. I shell it cold as is from the store
after thawing it.

Even if I'm just going to pig out on crab with hot garlic/lemon butter,
I just shell it cold and add it to the hot butter compound and eat it
out of that! ;-d Keeps it from getting overcooked and dried out. I
quit steaming crab legs from the store ages ago. It's perfect every
time. Besides, even if you do steam heat crab legs, they are mostly cold
by the time you are done shelling them anyway, so what is the point?
The hot butter mix (or whatever you prefer) heats it up just fine to
eatable temperature.

>
> The chinese restaurant uses the crab stock in which they have cooked all
> their crabs as the basis for their very good crab and asparagus soup.
> More a broth really i suppose.
>
> I prefer a chicken stock, i think the flavours of crustaceans and
> chicken blend very well, add some butter, garlic and white wine and you
> have a classic case of "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts."

I suppose. :-) But, we are doing the opposite. I'm using an asparagus
base for the crab, and you are using a crab base for the asparagus. <g>
Two totally different soups!

>
> Mr. Joseph Paul Littleshoes Esq.
--
Peace! Om

Web Albums: <http://picasaweb.google.com/OMPOmelet>
"We're all adults here, except for those of us who aren't." --Blake Murphy

In article >,
"Mr. Joseph Littleshoes Esq." > wrote:

> >
> > I suppose. :-) But, we are doing the opposite. I'm using an asparagus
> > base for the crab, and you are using a crab base for the asparagus. <g>
> > Two totally different soups!
>
> Its a lot of work to go to for a dish i can buy. I live near the ocean
> so live crabs are plentiful, but the only time i use them is when i can
> get somebody else to butcher them. Same with just about any sea food.

Slacker. <g> I love to do fresh shrimp as I can use the heads for some
of the best shrimp stock in the world and nothing beats fresh shrimp.

>
> But i do like a chicken & crustacean or just about any sea food mix.

Ok. I generally do not combine poultry and seafood. I know that
chicken stock is a good neutral base for just about any kind of soup,
but if I want a seafood base, I do save shrimp shells. Adding shrimp
heads to the stock makes it even better! I've also used fish heads as I
can get them cheaply at Fiesta since they stock live fish, then keep the
heads for people that want them butchered for them on site and don't
want the heads.

I recall the last time I bought whole shrimp from Fiesta. Dad commented
on my purchase and asked about the waste weight from the heads. I told
him that I'd not waste them, I'd use them for stock. The Mexican lady
parceling my order overheard me, nodded and smiled. <g> Not all white
girls I guess know what to do with shrimp heads!

>
> And in my attempts to duplicate the chinese restaurant soup i tried
> several variations. But prefer my crab as whole and fresh and
> unprocessed as possible. Much as i love a crab chowder i rarely make
> it. Crab cakes and crab cocktail can be an indulgence but still, just
> crab meat and a dipping sauce or two or three can be sublime.

I know. <g> It is my favorite way to eat it, but that soup was SO good,
I will have to duplicate it at least once. I did not use a recipe found
on the 'net, I made it up as I went along.

> I have
> been know to serve it cold & marinated with a salad and as an ingredient
> in a pasta dish. ITs excellent ground up and mixed with ground chicken

AGHHH!!! You mix shredded crab and chicken? Talk about Sacrilege! Agh!
<g>

>
> But by using the made ahead chicken stock, and quickly cooking the crab
> flesh only in it, one gets that wonderful marriage of chicken and sea food.

Ok, but we were talking crab and asparagus, not just crab soup dear.
>
> Cooking the crab in boiling water than combining the crab stock with
> chicken stock is also good, but i have never quite got the proportions
> just right.

I dare you to try a shell stock and leave the chicken out of it. :-)

Om the purist!
> --
>
> Mr. Joseph Paul Littleshoes Esq.
--
Peace! Om

Web Albums: <http://picasaweb.google.com/OMPOmelet>
"We're all adults here, except for those of us who aren't." --Blake Murphy

Omelet wrote:
,
> "Mr. Joseph Littleshoes Esq." wrote:
>
>
>>>I suppose. :-) But, we are doing the opposite. I'm using an asparagus
>>>base for the crab, and you are using a crab base for the asparagus. <g>
>>>Two totally different soups!
>>
>>Its a lot of work to go to for a dish i can buy. I live near the ocean
>>so live crabs are plentiful, but the only time i use them is when i can
>>get somebody else to butcher them. Same with just about any sea food.
>
>
> Slacker. <g> I love to do fresh shrimp as I can use the heads for some
> of the best shrimp stock in the world and nothing beats fresh shrimp.

Ok, i can force myself to deal with shrimp and craw daddies and even
frozen lobster tails, or the occasional prawn but anything
larger.....well, lets just say that if i had to butcher my own animal
flesh i would be a vegetarian by default

I have recently been getting 6 butterflied, shell on shrimp with a
coating of herb butter, put them in a small pan in a hot oven for 5 - 7
minutes and they come out golden in a pool of butter that can be turned
into an excellent sauce. 6 for $1.49.
>
>
>>But i do like a chicken & crustacean or just about any sea food mix.
>
>
> Ok. I generally do not combine poultry and seafood.


I got the idea from a Korean soap opera i watched. Food made for the
Royal Palace in 1500's Seoul.

Little shrimp and chicken balls in a broth.

And i was stunned by the flavour combining chicken and shrimp produce!
add some butter, garlic, white wine, onions etc. and i came near to
ambrosial

THe Koreans get some ginger and other spices in there and often as not,
in their haute cuisine, use fruit vinegar's.

> I know that
> chicken stock is a good neutral base for just about any kind of soup,
> but if I want a seafood base, I do save shrimp shells. Adding shrimp
> heads to the stock makes it even better! I've also used fish heads as I
> can get them cheaply at Fiesta since they stock live fish, then keep the
> heads for people that want them butchered for them on site and don't
> want the heads.

Oh sure, fish stock is great, but i find i have to make it up as needed,
i have found it don't store well, cant really be made up in large
quantities ahead of time the way other meat and vegetable stocks can.

>
> I recall the last time I bought whole shrimp from Fiesta. Dad commented
> on my purchase and asked about the waste weight from the heads. I told
> him that I'd not waste them, I'd use them for stock. The Mexican lady
> parceling my order overheard me, nodded and smiled. <g> Not all white
> girls I guess know what to do with shrimp heads!
>

Some people grind up the shell to make butter with, but you have to have
an expensive press to do that. And you can do it manually if your only
making a very small amount and have a good mortar and pestle

>
>>And in my attempts to duplicate the chinese restaurant soup i tried
>>several variations. But prefer my crab as whole and fresh and
>>unprocessed as possible. Much as i love a crab chowder i rarely make
>>it. Crab cakes and crab cocktail can be an indulgence but still, just
>>crab meat and a dipping sauce or two or three can be sublime.
>
>
> I know. <g> It is my favorite way to eat it, but that soup was SO good,
> I will have to duplicate it at least once. I did not use a recipe found
> on the 'net, I made it up as I went along.
>
>
>>I have
>>been know to serve it cold & marinated with a salad and as an ingredient
>>in a pasta dish. ITs excellent ground up and mixed with ground chicken
>
>
> AGHHH!!! You mix shredded crab and chicken? Talk about Sacrilege! Agh!
> <g>
>

No i "ground" crab and chicken and mixed them together.

>>But by using the made ahead chicken stock, and quickly cooking the crab
>>flesh only in it, one gets that wonderful marriage of chicken and sea food.
>
>
> Ok, but we were talking crab and asparagus, not just crab soup dear.

Yes i know but by cooking the raw cleaned crab flesh in the chicken
stock one gets that marvellous marriage of chicken and seafood. Even
more intensely than by adding pre cooked crab to the soup, which is what
the chinese restaurant that introduced me to the asparagus and crab soup
does.

>
>>Cooking the crab in boiling water than combining the crab stock with
>>chicken stock is also good, but i have never quite got the proportions
>>just right.
>
>
> I dare you to try a shell stock and leave the chicken out of it. :-)
>
> Om the purist!

Of course i have, in the past, i used to cook a lot more, both in time
and quantity.

I cook a lot more simplistically these days

Mr. Joseph Paul Littleshoes Esq.

In article >,
Joseph Littleshoes > wrote:

> > Slacker. <g> I love to do fresh shrimp as I can use the heads for some
> > of the best shrimp stock in the world and nothing beats fresh shrimp.
>
> Ok, i can force myself to deal with shrimp and craw daddies and even
> frozen lobster tails, or the occasional prawn but anything
> larger.....well, lets just say that if i had to butcher my own animal
> flesh i would be a vegetarian by default

Can't break open and clean a crab? Wimp. <g>
But, it is a helluva lot of work so I don't blame you.

Nothing like a fresh duck tho', killed, plucked, cleaned and roasted
as soon as it's ready. Still warm with the body heat before being
roasted. The meat is tender and juicy like nothing you have ever had.

Turkey too.

Fresh meat is fresh meat. There is no substitute. Might sound barbaric
but it's delightfully primeval.

>
> I have recently been getting 6 butterflied, shell on shrimp with a
> coating of herb butter, put them in a small pan in a hot oven for 5 - 7
> minutes and they come out golden in a pool of butter that can be turned
> into an excellent sauce. 6 for $1.49.

Okay.

> And i was stunned by the flavour combining chicken and shrimp produce!
> add some butter, garlic, white wine, onions etc. and i came near to
> ambrosial

Okay, you have convinced me to try it. I just did a shrimp rice for dad
tonight, but the rice was done in some frozen vegetable stock. I'll
have to try a seafood chowder made with a chicken stock. Chicken is
cheap enough.

>
> THe Koreans get some ginger and other spices in there and often as not,
> in their haute cuisine, use fruit vinegar's.

I have a batch of blackberry vinegar I need to take off shortly.

> Oh sure, fish stock is great, but i find i have to make it up as needed,
> i have found it don't store well, cant really be made up in large
> quantities ahead of time the way other meat and vegetable stocks can.

Huh? It freezes just fine!

> > AGHHH!!! You mix shredded crab and chicken? Talk about Sacrilege! Agh!
> > <g>
> >
>
> No i "ground" crab and chicken and mixed them together.

As a cake or in a soup? Or what?

> > Ok, but we were talking crab and asparagus, not just crab soup dear.
>
> Yes i know but by cooking the raw cleaned crab flesh in the chicken
> stock one gets that marvellous marriage of chicken and seafood. Even
> more intensely than by adding pre cooked crab to the soup, which is what
> the chinese restaurant that introduced me to the asparagus and crab soup
> does.

Tsk. Okay, you have convinced me to try it next time I decide to make a
seafood soup. Would you recommend making a poultry based asparagus soup
then as a seafood soup base?

> > I dare you to try a shell stock and leave the chicken out of it. :-)
> >
> > Om the purist!
>
> Of course i have, in the past, i used to cook a lot more, both in time
> and quantity.
>
> I cook a lot more simplistically these days
>
> Mr. Joseph Paul Littleshoes Esq.

I understand actually. That rice mess was the most complex thing I've
cooked in the past couple of months. I've just not been in the mood and
food does not have to be complicate to be good. :-)
--
Peace! Om

Web Albums: <http://picasaweb.google.com/OMPOmelet>
"We're all adults here, except for those of us who aren't." --Blake Murphy

Omelet wrote:
> Nothing like a fresh duck tho', killed, plucked, cleaned and roasted
> as soon as it's ready. Still warm with the body heat before being
> roasted. The meat is tender and juicy like nothing you have ever had.
>
> Turkey too.
>
> Fresh meat is fresh meat. There is no substitute. Might sound barbaric
> but it's delightfully primeval.


Have you had your testosterone levels checked lately? Just wondering.
;-) If you cook a fresh killed turkey I will be glad to try it. My
sister raises turkeys so she does it, but I have never tried it; one of
her turkeys weighed 40 pounds, she could barely squeeze that turkey into
her oven. She is cooking a turkey and a ham for Easter. I won't be
going to her house, because his family and parts of my family will be
visiting.


Becca

In article >, Becca >
wrote:

> Omelet wrote:
> > Nothing like a fresh duck tho', killed, plucked, cleaned and roasted
> > as soon as it's ready. Still warm with the body heat before being
> > roasted. The meat is tender and juicy like nothing you have ever had.
> >
> > Turkey too.
> >
> > Fresh meat is fresh meat. There is no substitute. Might sound barbaric
> > but it's delightfully primeval.
>
>
> Have you had your testosterone levels checked lately? Just wondering.
> ;-)

<snork>
Me primeval hunter! Ugg! ;-)

> If you cook a fresh killed turkey I will be glad to try it.

The texture is totally different from the ones at the store.

> My
> sister raises turkeys so she does it, but I have never tried it; one of
> her turkeys weighed 40 pounds, she could barely squeeze that turkey into
> her oven. She is cooking a turkey and a ham for Easter. I won't be
> going to her house, because his family and parts of my family will be
> visiting.
>
>
> Becca

So whatcha gonna cook?
--
Peace! Om

Web Albums: <http://picasaweb.google.com/OMPOmelet>
"We're all adults here, except for those of us who aren't." --Blake Murphy

Omelet wrote:
>> one of her turkeys weighed 40 pounds, she could barely squeeze that turkey into her oven. She is cooking a turkey and a ham for Easter. I won't be going to her house, because his family and parts of my family will be visiting.
>>
>>
>> Becca
>>
>
> So whatcha gonna cook?
>

We are thinking about baking a ham and making potato salad, I am not
sure what else.


Becca

In article >, Becca >
wrote:

> Omelet wrote:
> >> one of her turkeys weighed 40 pounds, she could barely squeeze that turkey
> >> into her oven. She is cooking a turkey and a ham for Easter. I won't be
> >> going to her house, because his family and parts of my family will be
> >> visiting.
> >>
> >>
> >> Becca
> >>
> >
> > So whatcha gonna cook?
> >
>
> We are thinking about baking a ham and making potato salad, I am not
> sure what else.
>
>
> Becca

Ah! Picnic type fare. Perfect for this gorgeous spring weather!
Maybe some type of green stuff? Zucchini has been a bit expensive
lately but usually works ok. Are fresh green beans still showing up at
the store? I've not done much produce shopping lately other than lettuce.
--
Peace! Om

Web Albums: <http://picasaweb.google.com/OMPOmelet>
"We're all adults here, except for those of us who aren't." --Blake Murphy

Omelet wrote:

> Ah! Picnic type fare. Perfect for this gorgeous spring weather!
> Maybe some type of green stuff? Zucchini has been a bit expensive
> lately but usually works ok. Are fresh green beans still showing up at
> the store? I've not done much produce shopping lately other than lettuce.

It's been beautiful here and we have a little Spring shower developing
at the moment.

I hear ya about the zucchini being a bit expensive. I gave $1.99/lb. for
it last week (even at THAT price I had to have it for my menu). Acorn
squash is $1.69/lb. The zucchini should be showing up in the farmers
markets pretty soon <crossing fingers>.

Green beans are sitting about $4/lb. for fresh (probably from Mexico),
though even in peak season they are average $2/lb. Bob and I were in
CostCo a couple of days ago and they had a 2.5 lb. pkg. of French Green
beans for $5.29. Cleaned and ends snapped. I thought that was a decent
price. Arriving home I discovered they came from Guatemala. Not sure if
that's a good or bad thing, as I typically avoid produce brought in from
another country. Steamed some last night and they were pretty good. I
noticed while shopping this week that the frozen veggies like Brussels
sprouts are cheaper than buying fresh if you base it on the per pound
price. And sometimes, frozen is okay.

I get a little leery of where CostCo gets their produce and fish. Their
Tiger shrimp comes from Viet Nam. They can keep those.

--Lin

In article >,
Lin > wrote:

> Omelet wrote:
>
> > Ah! Picnic type fare. Perfect for this gorgeous spring weather!
> > Maybe some type of green stuff? Zucchini has been a bit expensive
> > lately but usually works ok. Are fresh green beans still showing up at
> > the store? I've not done much produce shopping lately other than lettuce.
>
> It's been beautiful here and we have a little Spring shower developing
> at the moment.

We had a downpour yesterday but it's been gorgeous today. High 70's and
no wind.

>
> I hear ya about the zucchini being a bit expensive. I gave $1.99/lb. for
> it last week (even at THAT price I had to have it for my menu). Acorn
> squash is $1.69/lb. The zucchini should be showing up in the farmers
> markets pretty soon <crossing fingers>.

Hope so! It's a bit early yet but it should start coming in from Mexico
soon for around $.99. It was $1.79 last I looked. I generally get
Tatuma or Mexican zuch' for about 1/2 the price of yellow squash or
regular zucchini.

I'm looking forward to Asparagus season! ;-d I'll blanch and freeze
more like I did last fall.

>
> Green beans are sitting about $4/lb. for fresh (probably from Mexico),

Ow!

> though even in peak season they are average $2/lb.

True, but they are so darned good and there is very little waste.

> Bob and I were in
> CostCo a couple of days ago and they had a 2.5 lb. pkg. of French Green
> beans for $5.29. Cleaned and ends snapped. I thought that was a decent
> price. Arriving home I discovered they came from Guatemala. Not sure if
> that's a good or bad thing, as I typically avoid produce brought in from
> another country. Steamed some last night and they were pretty good.

Those packaged ones are always good. I've only ever purchased them on
clearance tho'. There are advantages to shopping at 07:00. <g>

> I
> noticed while shopping this week that the frozen veggies like Brussels
> sprouts are cheaper than buying fresh if you base it on the per pound
> price. And sometimes, frozen is okay.

I found that out about pearl onions! They are about 1/3rd the price of
fresh. I don't purchase many frozen veggies, but sometimes it's not a
bad thing, especially if you just want a little of this and that and
don't want to purchase whole bunches or bags of fresh that might not get
used. I don't feel I'm saving money if I end up tossing it.

>
> I get a little leery of where CostCo gets their produce and fish. Their
> Tiger shrimp comes from Viet Nam. They can keep those.
>
> --Lin

<lol> I'm lucky that way. A lot of the local gulf coast shrimp has been
on sale this past year. The one nice thing about the asian shrimp is
that it's brought overall prices down.

I've read about testing on that shrimp (and fish) that supposedly comes
from contaminated water. It's "toxin load" is no higher than stuff
caught locally. The water there has quite a bit of flow-thru. I think
if the water was really as bad as they thought, all the people that
depend on those rivers etc. would get sick and die. :-)

Speaking of farmed fish, I've been discouraged by the price of Tilapia.
It's okay imho but not worth $4.99 per lb. I saw it for around $2.50
per lb. the other day. Fillets no less! That's a lot more like it. :-)
It's main push for raising it was that it was supposed to be a "cheap"
fish for the masses and it was certainly not being sold that way for a
long while!

I'll pay $4.00 per lb. for local farm raised catfish first. It's far
more flavorful and farm raised catfish does not seem to have the "muddy"
taste of wild caught...
--
Peace! Om

Web Albums: <http://picasaweb.google.com/OMPOmelet>
"We're all adults here, except for those of us who aren't." --Blake Murphy