I Have Cravings for Soft Shell Crabs

After 2 days of feasting, ( Turkey Dinner on Wed-Thanksgiving Eve here at THD) and yesterday Honey Baked Ham Dinner at Dodie's and Ruth Residence in Bencia, you would think that I will not be thinking and writing another article on my Food Cravings.  On the contrary good food triggers more cravings and perhaps a sign of Food Addiction. Hopefully Not!  So today I am posting on my cravings for soft shell crabs. I wrote this last September.

"The end of September is also the end of the season for live or fresh soft shell crabs( SOFTIES). However, they are available all year round frozen and can be purchased in some restaurants or local fish markets in most big cities. Last May before I moved here at THD, I ordered soft shell crabs from my Favorite Seafood Restaurant in Rancho Cordoba.  It was expensive but delicious and it cured my cravings for the SOFTIES.  When we were residing in Maryland in the mid 1990's, availability of this seafood delicacy( fresh) was easy because of the nearness of Chesapeake Bay from May to September. 

Here in Walnut Creek, I am not sure where to buy soft shell Crabs. So I did a Google Search and here's what I learned.     

where to buy soft shell crab near me

One of the these Sunday Evenings when Food is not available here at THD I will order soft shell crabs via Door Dash, or Grubhub  and have it delivered in my front door not outside the gate of the The Heritage Downtown.  It will then be the only time when my cravings for this seafood delicacy will be satiated. Meanwhile I have several filipino dishes in my freezer ( Dinuguan, Calderetta) that I purchased recently just in case I will have cravings for Pinoy dishes. The other day my cravings for Dimsum was cured when Dinah and I were able to have a Dimsum lunch when we visited the Blackhawk Museum in Danville.  The other day, my friends from Fairfield, Frank and Mildred Cabunoc brought me PINAKBET that I consumed with gusto. 

Thank you, Frank and Mildred for the treat.  A lot of my non-Filipino co-residents here at THD had asked me the taste of pinakbet. Here's the answer to the question.

The tender and earthy sweet taste of the squash, the crunchiness of the green beans, the bitter taste of the bittermelon and the slimy texture of the okra are the flavors you will experience with pinakbet. This is a vegetable dish that may contain a little bit of shrimp or pork, but it is primarily a vegetable dish. The protein Pinoy dish that is a good pair is either Calderetta or Dinugu-an.  Calderetais a hearty meat dish using chevon (goat meat), beef, or pork combined with potatoes, carrots, tomato sauce, and liver spread or liver paste. This is a popular dish served during special occasions and a regular in every Filipino cookbook. 

Dinugu-an is a Filipino savory stew usually of pork offal (typically lungs, kidneys, intestines, ears, heart and snout) and/or meat simmered in a rich, spicy dark gravy of pig blood, garlic, chili and vinegar. As for the taste, Dinuguan is definitely porky and savory, not heavily salty, but usually with a sour note. Texture wise, this dish varies widely, from a fairly thin, light brown number to a thick, dark, grainy stew that Filipinos jokingly refer to as chocolate soup. I love this dish once in a while.

Finally, here's a photo of the Persimmons/Pomengranate Salad served Last Wednesday Here at THD to complement our Turkey Dinner! I hope you had a Great ThanksGiving Day. Mine was fantastic because it ended with the 49ers manhandling of the Seahawks in Seattle, Wa.