Boothbay Harbor Inn hosted the third annual Crab Cake Cook-Off June 28 for the long awaited and revived Windjammer Days Festival. Forty first-come, first-served donors toward WJD were treated to VIP seating for their participation in the tasting. Chefs were Kelly Patrick Farrin from Carriage House, Ralph Smith from Boat House Bistro and Mine Oyster, Rick Koplau from Craft Kitchen and Tavern, and Mike Nguyen from Water's Edge. Judges were News Center Maine’s Sharon Rose, Your Maine Concierge owner Vanessa Santarelli and Harborfest Director Lori Reynolds.
The Cook-Off also marked a renewed collaboration between Friends of Windjammer Days and Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce. Executive Director Lisa Walby emceed and BHRCC board of directors members Doug Goldhirsch, Jason Denby, Joanna Breen and Julie Roberts bused tables until Rose revealed Farrin was the judges’ choice for Best Crab Cake.
Said Rose, “What it all came down to was a 0.5 difference in the score. (It was) an extremely elegant presentation, the flavors were bright and fresh, the crab flavor really came through, it was well balanced. The way the other ingredients were plated and presented gave the eater lots of options how they wanted to add flavor to their crab cake.”
Walby announced Koplau as the peoples’ choice winner with 19 votes out of 40. “Most mouth watering crab cake – that's what we're going for,” said Walby.
Each chef gave insight to their dish. Koplau said his “simple recipe” consisted of carmelized shallots, bacon crumbs, the “usual culprits” for the cake to keep the creamy consistency most prefer, topped with pickled fiddleheads and ramps, tomato jam and a little blistered pepper aioli.
Nguyen said his crabmeat was also sourced locally, seared with red pepper, celery and a lot of lemon zest and was accompanied with a tomato vinaigrette and marinated cucumbers. The secret ingredient? Philadelphia Cream Cheese. Said Nguyen, “Hey, I'm from Pennsylvania, so I had to put a little something from there.”
Smith said he took a rare departure for an Asian inspired crabcake akin to the classic crab imperial inside rice paper with a panko crunch. “I'm from the Chesapeake area, Delaware. So, crab cake, crab cake, crab cake, crab cake, crab cake. I decided to do something as far outside the box as possible and stay away from the traditional crab cakes I'm used to.”
Farrin also professed a simple recipe consisting of celery, onion, Old Bay Seasoning and fresh-picked crab brought in the same morning. “We put a little chipotle aioli on there, some crispy thyme … paprika, chive oil and a lot of love.”
Said Rose, “We always joke when we do events like this that it's such a tough job, but honest to god – it's such a tough job. I think the real winner is Boothbay Harbor when your town has this for talent … They were all so beautifully presented, all so tasty and we were getting so full because we wanted to eat all of it.”
The process of trying to feed his own kids has translated into the kitchen at Walker’s Tap & Table, where Wells has been executive chef since it opened, just a few months before the pandemic. Here, Wells is cooking up crowd-pleasing dishes like crab mac and cheese with goldfish crackers and microgreens, or specials like soft-shell crabs dusted in Cheetos. “I do dumb stuff with them,” Wells said, sitting at a booth in the restaurant’s Glenwood dining room. A white fabric canopy and bubble lights have turned this strip mall storefront into an oasis. In one corner, the flames of a brick oven dart to heat up pizzas, and a team of cooks prepares wings, salads and busting-at-the-seams burgers.
The demo is 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 14. Tidwell, owner of Jenuine Cuisines personal-chef services and program director of the North Akron CDC NoHi Pop-Up kitchen, will guide folks on how to make Red Thai Shrimp Curry.
Tidwell, a graduate of Cuyahoga Community College, holds degrees in applied business in culinary arts, biology and public health.
Registration is required for the free Zoom event. Participants will receive an email invitation to join the class, which will be recorded for the library’s Facebook and YouTube pages. For details, email askus@hudson.lib.oh.us or call 330-653-6658, ext. 1010.
I am oncleveland.com’s life and culture team and cover food, beer, wine and sports-related topics. If you want to see my stories,here’s a directory on cleveland.com. Bill Wills of WTAM-1100 and I talk food and drink usually at 8:20 a.m. Thursday morning. And tune in at 7:05 a.m. Wednesdays for “Beer with Bona and Much, Much More” with Munch Bishop on 1350-AM The Gambler. Twitter:@mbona30.
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The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announced the 2021 spring inshore shrimp season will close at official sunset on Friday, July 2, 2021, in all remaining inside waters from the Mississippi/Louisiana state line westward to the Louisiana/Texas state line
For a map detailing this closure, see the map above or click here.
The open waters of Breton and Chandeleur Sounds as bounded by the double-rig line described in R.S. 56:495.1(A)2 and all state outside waters seaward of the Inside/Outside Shrimp Line, as described in LAC 76:VII.370 will remain open to shrimping until further notice.
Data collected in recent weeks by LDWF biologists indicate an increased quantity of small, juvenile white shrimp within these waters. The decision to close these waters was made to protect these developing shrimp and provide opportunity for growth to larger and more marketable sizes. The areas that remain open will be monitored and closed if biologically appropriate.
LDWF reminds shrimpers there is a size restriction on saltwater white shrimp taken in the inside and outside (offshore) waters of Louisiana. Saltwater white shrimp must be 100 count (whole shrimp per pound) or larger. This size restriction applies to the taking or possession of such shrimp aboard a vessel, EXCEPT from October 15 through the third Monday in December, when there is no possession count on saltwater white shrimp, taken or possessed. When more than 50 percent by weight of the saltwater shrimp taken or possessed is seabobs or brown shrimp, then the maximum allowable amount of undersized white shrimp taken or possessed should not exceed 10 percent by weight of the total saltwater shrimp taken or possessed. If compliance issues develop, remaining open areas will be closed.
For more information, contact Peyton Cagle at (337) 491-2575 or pcagle@wlf.la.gov .
(WBRE/WYOU) — If you have these shrimp products in your freezer you should throw them away because they may be contaminated with salmonella.
Avanti Frozen Foods is recalling several shrimp products after the FDA tested and found salmonella in a sample of frozen cooked shrimp.
Shrimp brands including Censea, Hannaford, Open Acres, Waterfront Bistro, Honest catch, COS, 365 and Meijer have the potential to be contaminated with salmonella, according to the FDA.
The FDA released the company’s announcement on June 25 saying the affected products were distributed nationwide from late December 2020 to late February 2021.
Consumers with the following products should not consume the shrimp and should return it to the place of purchase or throw it away, the FDA said.
Even though the products were imported between December 2020 and February 2021, they may have been sold in stores more recently.
Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in children, frail or elderly people and people with weakened immune systems. You should call your healthcare provider if you experience any salmonella symptoms such as diarrhea and a fever of 102°F. Other symptoms include nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
The CDC recommends that items and surfaces that came into contact with the recalled products be washed with hot soapy water or in a dishwasher.
For more information, contact the company at +(91) 402-331-0260 Monday-Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. GMT +5.5.
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The remains of the interior of the Rusty Crab restaurant in Mars Hill after a fire early Monday morning put it at a total loss. (Photo courtesy of Rusty Johnston)
The remains of the interior of the Rusty Crab restaurant in Mars Hill after a fire early Monday morning put it at a total loss. (Photo courtesy of Rusty Johnston)
The Rusty Crab, a popular seafood and burger shack on Route 1 in Mars Hill, has burned down and is a total loss. The cause of the fire is unknown.
MARS HILL, Maine — The Rusty Crab, a popular seafood and burger shack on Route 1 in Mars Hill, has burned down and is a total loss, according to its owner Rusty Johnston.
Johnston said he received a call from the local fire department at around 1:30 a.m. Monday telling him that his business was on fire. By the time he had arrived on the scene, firefighters had extinguished the blaze, but it was too late for the restaurant to be salvaged.
“It was a complete loss,” Johnston said. “The fire marshal is investigating it now and we should know more after that, but unfortunately we had no fire insurance.” The cause of the fire was still unknown Monday evening.
While fans of the crab shack, which also serves whole claims, haddock nuggets and lobster rolls, may despair at the loss of the Route 1 landmark, Johnston says there are already plans to revive the Rusty Crab. He said he is closing on purchasing property on a brick-and-mortar restaurant in Mars Hill, with plans for it to be completed by winter and serve food year round. He is also looking into a way to build a new stand in the meantime.
“[We] want our customers to know this setback won’t slow us down,” Johnston said. “The restaurant is still a go.”
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(FOX TV) – The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said a Salmonella outbreak that has sickened multiple people is linked to frozen cooked shrimp.
As of June 25, the CDC said six adults from Nevada and Arizona have been infected with the particular strain of Salmonella linked to the outbreak.
The true number of sick people in an outbreak is likely much higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses. This is because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for Salmonella, the CDC said.
Several products are included in the recall from Avanti Frozen Foods.
The shrimp was sold under multiple brand names including 365, Censea, Chicken of the Sea, CWNO, Hannaford, Honest Catch, Meijer, Open Acres, and Waterfront Bistro.
The products were distributed nationwide from late December 2020 to late February 2021. You can see more details and descriptions for the affected product in the FDA recall here.
If you have any of the products, throw them away or return them to the store where you purchased them.
Most people infected with Salmonella experience diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps, the CDC said.
Symptoms usually start six hours to six days after swallowing the bacteria. Most people recover without treatment after four to seven days.
The CDC recommends calling your healthcare provider if you have diarrhea and a fever higher than 102 degrees; diarrhea with no improvement for more than three days; bloody diarrhea; so much vomiting that you cannot keep liquids down; or signs of dehydration.
Chef Kenneth Temple, who was born in New Orleans, says people tend to overcomplicate blackening shrimp. This simple technique requires heating butter until bubbling hot and then dredging the shrimp in a spicy seasoning, such as a Creole or Cajun blend. Make your own spice blend (see related recipe) or buy it. Then, the shrimp are quickly cooked over very high heat until deep brown and slightly charred. To make the vegetables, stroll through the farmers market and pick up your favorite produce. Keep the spices mild in the vegetables to balance the flavorful shrimp. If you prefer not to blacken the shrimp, the vegetables are great with poached or broiled shrimp as well. Serve with hot sauce and lemon wedges, if desired.
Total time: 45 mins
Make Ahead: The vegetables can be made up to 1 day in advance.
Storage Notes: Leftover shrimp and vegetables can be refrigerated in separate containers for up to 3 days.
Where to Buy: Creole or Cajun seasoning can be found in well-stocked supermarkets.
Servings:
When you scale a recipe, keep in mind that cooking times and temperatures, pan sizes and seasonings may be affected, so adjust accordingly. Also, amounts listed in the directions will not reflect the changes made to ingredient amounts.
Tested size: 4-6 servings
Ingredients
For the vegetables
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound cherry tomatoes, halved
1 medium onion (about 8 ounces), chopped
1 red or orange bell pepper (about 7 ounces), chopped
2 jalapeños, seeded, ribbed and minced (optional)
16 ounces fresh or frozen corn (if frozen, no need to defrost)
1 lemon, finely zested and juiced
1/4 cup no-salt-added chicken broth or water
6 ounces baby spinach
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more (optional) for serving
2 cloves garlic, finely grated or minced
For the shrimp
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided, plus more as needed
24 large (21-25 per pound) shrimp, peeled and deveined (see NOTE)
2 tablespoons Cajun/Creole seasoning, preferably low or no-salt
Make the vegetables: In a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat, add the oil and heat until shimmering. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring, until blistered, about 2 minutes. Add the onion, bell pepper and jalapeño and cook, stirring, until just starting to soften, about 2 minutes. Pour the corn on top and let it sit undisturbed for about 2 minutes. Stir to combine and cook until the onions are translucent, and the bell pepper softens, about 3 minutes.
Stir in the lemon zest and juice, chicken broth or water and cook for about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat, then stir in the spinach, parsley and garlic until the spinach is wilted. Cover to keep warm.
Make the shrimp: Turn on the vent over your stove, if you have one. In a large, microwave-safe bowl, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Toss the shrimp in the butter to lightly coat. Place the shrimp on a platter and season liberally and evenly on both sides with the Creole/Cajun seasoning; it’s okay if some of it falls off.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter until bubbling. Increase the heat to high and add the shrimp in a single layer to the skillet. Cook undisturbed until they turn deep brown, about 2 minutes, then flip and cook until deep brown on the other side, about 2 minutes more.
Watch carefully, the butter will turn brown, but should not smell burned. If you’re cooking in batches and the butter does start to burn, carefully wipe the skillet clean and start over with fresh butter for the next batch. To check if the shrimp are done, cut one in half -- it should be opaque throughout.
Divide the vegetables among four plates, top with the shrimp and sprinkle with parsley, if using.
NOTE: Temple leaves the tail shell on the end of the shrimp to protect the tender tip in the blackening process. You can do this or peel the shrimp completely.
Adapted from private chef Kenneth Temple of Dallas.
Tested by Ann Maloney.
Email questions to the Food Section at food@washpost.com.
Utilize your sheet pan to make an easy, one-pan weeknight dinner tacos. Here is Smith’s Chef Jeff Jackson, showing us how to make sheet pan Hawaiian shrimp tacos with creamy jalapeno sauce.
Ingredients
For the Tacos:
1 1/2 lbs. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tbsp. oil
1 tbsp. garlic, minced
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 fresh pineapple, chopped into bitesize chunks
1 shallot, sliced
Taco sized tortillas and avocado for serving
For the Sauce
1 jalapeno, seeded
1/2 c. sour cream
juice and zest of 2 limes
3 tsp. honey
1 c. cilantro, chopped
1 ear raw corn, kernels removed from the cob
1 pinch of salt and pepper
Directions
Make the sauce by adding the jalapeno, sour cream, lime juice and zest, and honey to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Pour in a bowl and stir in the cilantro, corn, and a little salt and pepper. Setaside.
Preheat your oven to 425. Add the shrimp to a mixing bowl then add the oil, garlic, chili powder, soy sauce, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine. Add the seasoned shrimp to one side of a parchment-lined sheet pan keeping the shrimp in an even layer.
Toss the pineapple with the shallot and layer it on the other side of the sheet pan. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Turn the oven to broil and broil for 2-3 minutes or until the pineapple begins to char. Remove from the oven.
Stuff warmed tortillas with shrimp and pineapple then drizzle with the jalapeno sauce and avocado. Enjoy!
At low salinity, shrimp exhibited inhibited growth and different lipid profiles
Results of this study show that L. vannamei juveniles grown at 3 ppt salinity had inhibited growth and different lipid profiles relative to shrimp grown at 30 ppt salinity. These findings help explain physiological strategies by L. vannamei to adapt to low-salinity waters and provide new insights into the significance of lipids for shrimp osmoregulation. Photo by Darryl Jory.
The Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) is considered a highly efficient osmoregulatory species [one that can regulate its internal ionic balance] that can tolerate a wide range of salinities from 0.5 to 50 ppt. Aquatic animals require more energy for osmoregulation at low salinity levels, and L. vannamei reportedly needs significant extra energy (20 to 50 percent of total metabolic energy) for osmoregulatory processes including increasing metabolic rate, modification of cellular membrane components, alterations in ion transport enzyme activity, highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFAs) concentration, free amino acids (FAAs) concentration, water permeability of gills and synthesis of certain non-essential amino acids under low salinity stress
Researchers have shown that increasing dietary lipid level from 6 to 9 percent can alleviate the osmoregulatory pressure of L. vannamei under low-salinity stress. However, information is limited on the physiological functions of specific lipids and fatty acid metabolites in improving osmoregulatory efficiency of shrimp under low salinity conditions.
Lipidomics is a mass spectrometry-based [analytical laboratory technique to separate the components of a sample by their electrical charge and mass] field of science for exploring the structure, composition, and even quantity of lipids in biological systems such as cells, organs and body fluids. In shrimp, the gill is the organ primarily responsible for osmoregulation of hemolymph [a fluid analogous to the blood in vertebrates, and which circulates inside the bodies of insects and crustaceans] and muscle is the material repository or nutrient pool. However, little is known about the lipid responses in either gill or muscle in L. vannamei under low salinity
This article – adapted and summarized from the original publication (Huang, M. et. al., 2019. Growth and Lipidomic Responses of Juvenile Pacific White Shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei to Low Salinity. Front. Physiol. 10:1087) – reports on a study that investigated the significant differences in lipid metabolites between shrimp grown in salinities of 3 and 30 ppt using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry [an analytical chemistry technique that identifies most organic compounds] analysis.
Study setup
Healthy juvenile L. vannamei juveniles were procured obtained from a shrimp breeding operation in Danzhou (Hainan, China) and acclimatized in the lab for one week at 30 ppt salinity. The acclimated shrimp (0.75 ± 0.03 grams) were then randomly stocked into separate tanks with four replicates for each salinity group (3 and 30 ppt), with 20 animals per tank. During the acclimation and experimental periods, the shrimp were fed three times daily with a commercial feed and daily rations were adjusted to a feeding level slightly more than satiation. The photoperiod was 12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark. Water pH (7.5 to 7.9), temperature (26 to 28 degrees-C), dissolved oxygen (4.8 to 6.4 mg per liter) and total ammonia nitrogen concentration (<0.02 mg per liter) were monitored twice a week and maintained throughout the experiment.
After eight weeks, all shrimp were fasted for 24 hours prior to sampling. Shrimp in each tank were bulk weighed and counted, and hepatopancreas, gills and muscle tissues samples were collected. Hepatopancreases were weighed to determine the hepatosomatic index. Gills and muscles from four individuals in each tank were pooled as one sample and frozen in liquid nitrogen immediately, and then were kept at minus-80 degrees-C for lipidomics analysis.
For detailed information on the experimental design and setup; shrimp husbandry and sample collection; lipid extraction, identification and lab analyses; and statistical analyses, refer to the original publication.
Results and discussion
This is the first investigation examining the effect of low salinity stress on L. vannamei using lipidomics analysis. In our study, L. vannamei juveniles were grown at two different salinities, 3 and 30 ppt (control) for eight weeks, and then a liquid chromatography (LC) mass spectrometry (MS)-based lipidomics analysis was performed to reveal the lipid profile differences in gill and muscle.
Our results showed that L. vannamei shrimp cultured at 30 ppt salinity had better growth than shrimp reared at 3 ppt salinity (Fig. 1). As a euryhaline [capable of adapting to a wide salinity range] species, L. vannamei has been reported by various researchers to have an optimal salinity range of 20 to 25 ppt for growth. Our L. vannamei under low salinity had lower weight gain and condition factor [relationship between body length and weight] than the control shrimp at 30 ppt, but no differences were found in survival and hepatosomatic index [which reflects physiological condition of the animals]. Also, shrimp grown at 3 ppt salinity required more energy than at 30 ppt.
Fig. 1: The weight gain (%), survival (%), hepatosomatic index (%) and condition factor (%) of L. vannamei at 30 and 3‰ salinity. Data are presented as the mean ± SEM (n = 4). Two asterisks (∗∗) indicate a highly significant difference (P < 0.01) between two salinities.
The data from our research indicated that the shrimp having better growth performance at 30 ppt salinity were closer to their hemolymph isotonic point [where there is a balance between the concentration of water inside and outside the animal], and also further confirmed that ambient water at 3 ppt was definitely stressful for L. vannamei.
We determined that the lipid components in gill tissues obtained from our experimental shrimp were very similar to those of muscle, regardless of ambient salinities, and phospholipids were the principal lipids. But a higher number of differential lipid metabolites were identified in gill than in muscle at 3 ppt salinity relative to the control shrimp at 40 ppt salinity; these lipid metabolites belonged to several lipid classes. And of these lipids, phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidic acid (PA), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and triglycerides (TG) were the main lipids in both shrimp gill and muscle, regardless of salinities.
Osmoregulation is an energy-dependent process and aquatic animals are forced to spend more additional energy for modulating and stimulating transport mechanisms for ions [particles, atoms or molecules with a net electrical charge] when challenged with salinity stress. Various researchers have reported oxygen consumption and respiratory quotients [the ratio of carbon dioxide produced by the body to oxygen consumed by the body] as good indicators for assessing the energy utilization; for our shrimp, these indicators at 3 ppt were significantly higher than those of shrimp at 17 and 32 ppt.
Our also data showed that the composition and relative abundance of fatty acids at the same position of the specific lipid class was similar in L. vannamei regardless of ambient salinities or tissues, indicating that the distribution of fatty acids in lipids was far from random, and the utilization of lipid classes is highly specific in L. vannamei. And important fatty acids like eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) showed significantly positive genetic correlations, suggesting that their high values have potential for genetic improvement.
Overall, the results of our study show that the lipid variations determined are closely related to several physiological processes (bio-membrane structure, mitochondrial function, energy supply and others) that can improve the osmoregulatory capacity of L. vannamei under low-salinity conditions.
Perspectives
Our results showed that growth performance in L. vannamei is inhibited when the shrimp are grown at a salinity of 3 ppt. The substantial changes in lipid profile we determined were related to fatty acid utilization, energy supply and other processes that can improve the shrimp osmoregulatory capacity. This remarkable change in lipid profile is a significant physiological strategy developed and used by L. vannamei shrimp to cope with low-salinity stress.
This study helps explain the physiological strategies of used by L. vannamei to adapt to low-salinity waters and provides new insights into the significance of lipids for osmoregulation in this species of shrimp.
Now that you've finished reading the article ...
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Cilantro Vinaigrette Ingredients:
-2 cup Cilantro
-1 each Garlic clove
-4 tbsp Lime juice, Fresh About 2 limes
-1/2 tsp Oregano
-1/2 tsp Cumin
-1/2 tsp Salt
-1/2 cup Avocado oil
Directions:
1.In a medium bowl toss together avocado oil, cumin, sugar, hot sauce, salt, and shrimp. Place in the fridge while preparing salsa and vinaigrette.
2.In a large bowl combine all the ingredients for the pineapple salsa and set aside.
3.In a blender add cilantro, garlic clove, lime juice, oregano, cumin, and salt. Blend on low and slowly pour in the avocado oil to emulsify.
4.Preheat the grill to medium-high, place shrimp on skewers for easy flipping. Cook until pink and no longer opaque 2-3 minutes per side.
5.Serve in the lettuce leaves with pineapple salsa and a drizzle of cilantro vinaigrette.
Photo Credit: Photo courtesy Diva Productions, Inc.
Entertaining in the summer often means finding ways to keep cool while feeding a crowd. The best way to feed a large number of people is to find recipes with simple preparation and low-cost ingredients. I've discovered that inexpensive appetizers are a wonderful way to set the tone for a party -- and feed a crowd. I've provided a fabulous recipe for "Crab" Stuffed Snow Pea Appetizers and some tips for planning and preparing a crowd-pleasing menu:
1. Plan your menu using inexpensive ingredients as the "foundation" of your meal plan. For example, pasta, potatoes, rice, seasonal vegetables and good-quality canned goods like beans and tomatoes make a great base for a variety of dishes from appetizers, salads and soups to main course meals.
2. Make a shopping list and plan your trips based on the items you can prep ahead of time, and the items that have to be done the day of the party. Purchase large, food-safe plastic storage bags to make storing huge quantities of food easier and to conserve room in your refrigerator. Incorporate coupons and sale items into your menu and shopping plan. Don't try to shop and cook on the same day.
3. It's often easier to make a recipe that feeds 6 to 8 people multiple times than it is to try to multiply recipe ingredients to feed 12, 20 or 50. This method also allows you to use smaller pans or bowls, making it easier to transport and to store the finished dishes.
4. Substituting inexpensive ingredients for more expensive ones, or using smaller amounts of more expensive ingredients helps to stretch your food budget. For example, instead of using more expensive smoked salmon, good quality canned salmon can be mixed with cream cheese and spices to make a low-cost and delicious dip or spread that can be served on toasted bagels for brunch or as an appetizer for dinner with crudites or crackers.
5. Decide the order of preparation in advance and enlist help with preparing the menu as much as possible. Don't be shy about asking family and friends to bring drinks, side dishes or paper goods.
6. When making large amounts of food, cleanliness and holding the dishes at the correct temperature is very important. Invest in an instant-read thermometer and follow the temperature guide to determine if your dishes are at a safe temperature before serving. Crock pots, ice chests and placing dishes or pans in bowls of ice help maintain food-safe temperatures.
Most of all, remember that the purpose of the occasion is to celebrate with the people that you love, so relax and enjoy yourself!
"CRAB" STUFFED SNOW PEAS
This delicious, crowd-pleasing appetizer uses inexpensive imitation crab meat and fresh snow peas. You can cut costs even more by eliminating the "crab" meat and doubling the amount of eggs, mayonnaise, pickle relish, celery and spices the recipe calls for. The "stuffing" mixture can be prepared a day in advance and the appetizer can be assembled the day of the party.
1 pound fresh snow peas
2 pounds imitation crab meat
4 hard-cooked eggs, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
3 tablespoons finely chopped onions
4 teaspoons pickle relish
1/2 teaspoon prepared horseradish
3 dashes of hot sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
To make the stuffing mixture:
Dice or shred the crab meat. In a small bowl, combine the crab meat, eggs, celery, mayonnaise, onions, pickle relish, horseradish, hot sauce and salt and pepper. Mix well, cover and chill the stuffing mixture for at least one hour or overnight. Stir before using the mixture to stuff the snow peas.
To prepare the snow peas:
1. Wash and clean snow peas. Split the snow peas on the top side, removing and discarding any strings and leaving the bottom intact to form a little "boat" to hold the stuffing.
2. Blanch the snow peas in lightly salted boiling water for 30 seconds. Carefully remove the snow peas from the water and immediately submerge them into a bowl of cold water for a minute to stop the cooking and retain the color. Remove the snow peas from the water. Set the snow peas aside to drain.
3. Stuff the cooled snow peas generously with the crab-meat filling (about 1 heaping teaspoonful for each snow pea). Chill the appetizer in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Makes about 48 stuffed snow peas.
Angela Shelf Medearis is an award-winning children's author, culinary historian and the author of seven cookbooks. Her new cookbook is "The Kitchen Diva's Diabetic Cookbook." Her website is www.divapro.com. To see how-to videos, recipes and much, much more, Like Angela Shelf Medearis, The Kitchen Diva! on Facebook. Recipes may not be reprinted without permission from Angela Shelf Medearis.
(c) 2021 King Features Synd., Inc., and Angela Shelf Medearis
Supernova 2018zd is the first example of a brand new type of supernova.
Joseph Depasquale, STScI
Just when you think we know a whole lot about the stars above, something comes along and illuminates even more. Literally, in this case -- thanks to the observation of a brand new type of supernova.
Published in Nature Astronomy on Monday, a report from an international team of scientists confirms a previously-unseen type of stellar explosion. Before the find, there were thought to be only two types of supernova: A core-collapse supernova (which occurs when a massive star runs out of fuel and its core collapses into a black hole or neutron star) and a thermonuclear supernova (which occurs when a white dwarf star explodes).
However, since the 1980s there was speculation another type may exist. Ken'ichi Nomoto of the University of Tokyo predicted a third type called an "electron-capture supernova" in 1980. This refers to supernovae arising from a dearth of fuel, which then had gravity force electrons into the core's atomic nuclei -- thus collapsing in on itself.
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Evidence to suggest the existence of an electron-capture supernova involves huge stars losing much of their mass before exploding. The mass in question should be of an unusual chemical composition. Post-supernova there should be minimal radioactive fallout and the core should have neutron-rich elements.
Spectral analysis of a supernova, originally detected in March 2018, provides new evidence for the theory of an electron-capture supernova. Dubbed "Supernova 2018zd," there are several key factors that suggest its electron-capture nature: it displayed a high amount of its mass loss before exploding, has an unusual chemical composition, produced a weak explosion, shows little radioactivity and it leaves a neutron-rich core.
Understandably pleased to see his theory gain weight, Nomoto commented on the development and contributed to the paper.
"I am very pleased that the electron-capture supernova was finally discovered, which my colleagues and I predicted to exist and have a connection to the Crab Nebula 40 years ago. This is a wonderful case of the combination of observations and theory," he said.
This is a composite image of the Crab Nebula, which has long-since been hypothesized as the result of an electron-capture supernova.
NASA, ESA, NRAO/AUI/NSF and G. Dubner (University of Buenos Aires)
The Crab Nebula link
One of the brightest mysteries in supernova history, the origins of the Crab Nebula have long gone unexplained. It's believed that in A.D. 1054 a supernova occurred in the Milky Way. Historical accounts allege it was so bright that it could be seen in the daytime for 23 days, and at night for nearly two years. Nowadays its remains are known as the Crab Nebula.
Despite being studied extensively, determining whether the Nebula was likely the result of an electron-capture supernova was tricky -- largely because the explosion was almost a thousand years ago.
With this new supernova discovery, however, it's believed we can more confidently declare the Crab Nebula to be the result of an electron-capture supernova.
Dr. Andrew Howell, leader of the Global Supernova Project and staff scientist at Las Cumbres Observatory, said "This supernova is literally helping us decode thousand-year-old records from cultures all over the world. And it is helping us associate one thing we don't fully understand, the Crab Nebula, with another thing we have incredible modern records of, this supernova."
"In the process it is teaching us about fundamental physics: How some neutron stars get made, how extreme stars live and die, and about how the elements we're made of get created and scattered around the universe."
With more still to learn about this new type of supernova, it's hard not to keep your eye more firmly on the night sky for any new and exciting flares of immense brightness.
Few in Tennessee can wield a bow quite as well as Crab Orchard Elementary School’s Trevor Thompson, as the decorated middle schooler has put his talents on display in front of statewide, national and international audiences.
“I’ve really liked it since I was little,” Thompson said. “I was nervous at first, then I realized I’m pretty good. In third grade I started doing tournaments. When I got into fourth grade, I could do state and made it to nationals and worlds. I’ve went to Louisville, KY to do nationals and two years ago nationals was in Nashville. I’ve been to Iowa to shoot also.”
Thompson’s recent success has been recognized across the Southeast.
“I won Tennessee’s state 3D competition, and that’s where you shoot at animal-shaped targets instead of block targets. It’s a little bit harder; the bull’s-eye targets have a bigger area to shoot at.
“I got first in bull’s-eye and second in 3D in Alabama,” he added. “It was outdoors and that’s not what I’m used to. It was more challenging.”
Traveling out of state to bigger competitions is a thrill for Thompson.
“It’s bigger, and they’re fun,” he said. “You’re not shooting things you’re used to.”
As a whole, Thompson enjoys the mental aspect of archery.
“It’s fun and important,” he said. “It takes your mind off of everything.”
The difference from traditional sports makes one’s internal focus and motivation that much more important in archery.
“In football and basketball you’re running around, but in archery you’re standing around more,” Thompson said. “If I’m shooting by myself, I’ll look at somebody else’s target and want to beat that.”
Thompson and his Crab Orchard teammates compete against other Upper Cumberland programs throughout the year. Elementary students interested in archery may contact their respective school for more information.
If you've pulled up a chair and popped open a menu at one of your favorite Pensacola seafood restaurants this summer, the odds are high that you've noticed an absence or price increase in crab, one of the stars of any seafood spot along the Gulf Coast.
Pensacola and Pensacola Beach restaurant owners are dealing with an "exorbitant" increase in crab meat prices and in some cases, crab meat shortages, that are rooted in the COVID-19 pandemic's economic domino effect.
The local solution to this issue has varied in recent months. Seafood restaurants are raising prices, wiping crab items from their menus entirely, shielding the customer and cutting into their own profit margins or some combination of the three.
But there's no denying that everyone is in a pinch; they're just handling it in different ways.
"I never thought I'd see the price this high, but we're sticking to our guns," said Grand Marlin Corporate Chef Gregg McCarthy, who said his restaurant is gritting its teeth and bearing the price surge on fresh domestic crab meat. "This is our philosophy. I know our guests love our crab cakes. That's what got us to the dance and we're never going to waver from those standards."
Shaggy's Harbor & Grill is another local restaurant lauded for its crab cake recipe, but you won't be able to get your hands on them anytime soon. Shaggy's is one of the restaurants that has bid goodbye to crab until wholesale prices stabilize.
"We don't have crab cakes right now at all, the market price for crab meat increased 80%. So a lot of places are just removing it from their menu," said Shaggy's Assistant Manager Rachel Norman on Friday, speaking strictly to the vendor Shaggy's works with. "Crab claws, fresh blue crab claws, I know there's an issue with that. And raw half-shell oysters, there's also a shortage with those as well."
McCarthy at the Grand Marlin said jumbo lump crab meat from his trusted vendors costs between $40 and $45 per pound, and he's paying that price so as to not sacrifice product quality. But he said he can't justify buying pricier crab fingers right now.
"The price would have been in the upper 20s before the pandemic and the shortage," McCarthy said, of jumbo lump crab. "Crab fingers, which used to be our staple appetizer, I want to say that's in the mid-30 dollar range. We used to pay $19 per pound."
Joey Patti's General Manager Charles Merritt said Friday that he thinks restaurants in northern states that have recently lifted their COVID-19 restrictions are now making up for lost service by submitting much larger wholesale orders than they did prior to the pandemic.
"Any states that reopened in the past two or three months are buying products, and so it's not only leading to less crab, it's everything," Merritt said. "Canola oil, we used to pay $20 for it, now we're paying $45. Every oil, soybean, vegetable oil, they've all more than doubled. We're at 55% food cost right now because of the increased mark-up on all goods. Crab might be a little more noticeable to the customer, but it's everything."
The crab shortage isn't unique to the United States. Seafoodnews.com reported this month that worldwide supply limitations, logistic constraints and shipping delays have created supply and inventory shortages across the world.
Merritt said the American restaurant industry is feeling the trickle-down effects of the federal supplemental unemployment benefits program, saying his restaurant is dealing with a rise in people who are choosing not to work to collect heftier unemployment checks.
"You got no supplies and you have people who don't want to work and so they can't even re-stock at the same rate they would be if everyone wasn't getting $600 a week," Merritt said. "The real problem is the lack of work right now."
McCarthy said he believes the lack of employment is spilling outside of kitchens and warehouses as well, leading to a general uncertainty as to when wholesale prices might stabilize.
"I've asked all my sources and I can't get anybody in agreement on how long this will last," McCarthy said. "It's the fishermen that aren't going out and fishing, so that's driving the price up, and, from my standpoint, we are so short-staffed that it really limits what we can do with our menu, we've had to scale some things back. I'm about 15 people short in the kitchen right now. And everybody's in the same boat."
Casino Beach Bar & Grille owner Matt LaFon agreed Friday that the rise in unemployment in general is at the core of shortages on crab and other food-related products. He said his restaurant is eating profit losses and incrementally raising prices on crab items, but has no plans to remove crab from his menu — for now.
"We still have crab on the menu, but if prices go up any more at all, I don't see how we'll be able to keep it on there," LaFon said. "It's kind of both, we're definitely making sure we get hit with it harder than the customer. And honestly, it seems like every week when we get our pricing in, it's higher. But if it gets to a certain point, we'll just have to take it off the menu."
Customers and restaurant owners alike are at the mercy of the market for now, so crab availability and pricing will continue to vary. Overlying reasons like the future of the unemployment landscape could continue to dictate that market for the foreseeable future.
"It's just unfortunate that we come off of a year where we'll all shut down, and a lot of restaurants and bars went out of business, and we're just hanging on here," LaFon said. "And now we got the customers, but we don't got the workers. So it's just been a 180. Luckily for us, our staff's been great and we're open normal hours, but I know it's not the same case everywhere. I think prices on things like crab will stabilize when everything levels out a little bit. Hopefully things get back to normal later this year."
Jake Newby can be reached at jnewby@pnj.com or 850-435-8538.
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(WBRE/WYOU) — You may want to check your freezers. Avanti Frozen Foods is recalling several shrimp products after the FDA tested and found salmonella in a sample of frozen cooked shrimp.
Shrimp brands including Censea, Hannaford, Open Acres, Waterfront Bistro, Honest catch, COS, 365 and Meijer have the potential to be contaminated with salmonella, according to the FDA.
The FDA released the company’s announcement on June 25 saying the affected products were distributed nationwide from late December 2020 to late February 2021.
Consumers with the following products should not consume the shrimp and should return it to the place of purchase or throw it away, the FDA said.
Even though the products were imported between December 2020 and February 2021, they may have been sold in stores more recently.
Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in children, frail or elderly people and people with weakened immune systems. You should call your healthcare provider if you experience any salmonella symptoms such as diarrhea and a fever of 102°F. Other symptoms include nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
The CDC recommends that items and surfaces that came into contact with the recalled products be washed with hot soapy water or in a dishwasher.
For more information, contact the company at +(91) 402-331-0260 Monday-Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. GMT +5.5.
ROCKPORT, Texas — The iconic Big Blue Crab, which is in Rockport was destroyed in 2017 by Hurricane Harvey will soon be making a comeback to the beach.
Co-chair of the Big Blue Crab Committee, Don Aboff says thanks to countless fundraising efforts and a few years of hard work they are almost finished with the big blue crab sculpture. The astonishing new crab is 22 feet wide, 13 feet deep, and weighs almost 6,000 lbs.
According to Aboff, this time around the crab will be stainless steel and powder coated in order to be stronger than the last one and withstand a storm.
“It’s been such a significant part of Rockport and its history that’s it’s been great and as we get closer and closer there has been so much positive feedback. It’s absolutely beautiful and it’s going to be back on the beach and it’s almost as if we have finally said we won Harvey we won,” said Aboff.
The big blue crab committee hopes to unveil the massive crustacean by Fourth of July weekend, but that date is not final as they wrap up finishing touches.
For the latest updates on coronavirus in the Coastal Bend, click here.
Several lots of frozen cooked shrimp have been recalled nationwide at major grocers, including Whole Foods, Safeway, Meijer and Hannaford. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stated the recalled shrimp has been found to contain Salmonella contamination.
The eight recalled brands include Chicken of the Sea and the supermarket house brands.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that six people have been infected with the contamination so far—four in Nevada and two more in Arizona. There were two hospitalizations and zero deaths. The last onset illness was April 25.
All recalled shrimp were distributed by Avanti Frozen Foods of India, and the affected lots were distributed between December 2020 and February 2021.
Salmonella was first found in an import sample during January, the FDA stated. Though that particular sample was destroyed in March, illnesses began sprouting up in April from the contaminated lots sold three months earlier.
"As of (Friday, June 25), there are six clinical isolates from ill people that are genetic matches to the salmonella collected from the import sample. Five of the six ill people were interviewed to determine the foods they ate before becoming sick, and all five ill people report eating shrimp," the FDA stated.
Former U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke (C) takes a close look at Gulf Coast shrimp while touring the Lafitte Frozen Seafood Corporation on August 16, 2010 in Lafitte, Louisiana. The FDA announced on June 25, 2021, that several lots of cooked frozen shrimp from India have been recalled from Whole Foods, Safeway, Meijer and Hannaford stores for Salmonella contamination.Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images
The shrimp that caused the reported sicknesses have already passed their expiration dates and have been pulled from the shelves. Here are the affected products still on the shelves and their lot numbers:
Healthy people who come in contact with Salmonella could experience nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. More serious problems could include arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms.
Should any person have these symptoms after handling the product, they should contact their health care provider.
The CDC says that roughly 1.3 million people get sick on an annual basis from Salmonella contamination.. There are about 26,500 hospitalizations and 420 deaths annually.
I love shrimp scampi and today’s recipe is the one I used just the other day. It was delicious. The original recipe calls for uncooked shrimp, but I always use pre-cooked, it’s just easier. Also, the original recipe calls for large or extra-large shrimp and I prefer medium to small. We like ours served over angel hair pasta but any pasta will do.
Classic Shrimp Scampi
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup dry white wine or broth
¾ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 ¾ lbs. pre-cooked shrimp, shelled
1/3 cup chopped parsley, optional
Freshly squeezed juice if half a lemon
Cooked pasta of your choice
In a large skillet, melt butter with olive oil. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about one minute. Add wine or broth, salt, red pepper flakes and black pepper and bring to a simmer. Let sauce reduce by half, about two minutes. Add shrimp. If you are using uncooked shrimp, sauté them until they just turn pink, two to four minutes, depending on their size. If you are using pre-cooked shrimp, they will already be pink and you just need for them to warm up, stir them for a minute or so. Stir in the parsley and lemon juice and serve over cooked pasta.
Guests traveled to DoubleTree Hotel on Bush River Road Saturday evening for the sixth annual Shrimp and Grits Fest.
The event, hosted by Columbia Food Tours, came to a halt in 2020 due to the pandemic, however, everyone was ready to jump back in to action Saturday to crown a new winner of Columbia's best shrimp and grits.
Kristin Cole, owner of Columbia Food Tours was eager to see a nearly full house for the event. "We had to cancel last year, we were super bummed," Cole said. "We’re so glad we can have it this year, and like people they wanted some shrimp and grits, we almost sold out actually."
Thirteen restaurants participated in the competition, each offering a unique twist on the classic Southern dish.
Shrimp and Grist Fest attendee Dwayne Schumpert was dressed to impress in a costume decorated with very fitting accessories for the event. Schumpert said his costume was specially selected for the day. "I just believe in dressing for the occasion," he said.
Schumpert added that picking a winning team seemed difficult saying, "it’s too hard to narrow it down."
Griffin's Chophouse of Lexington took home the grand prize winning the overall people's choice award for the night. The restaurant took a simplistic approach to the dish, offering their own classic rendition.
Frozen shrimp is being recalled across the US due to the potential for salmonella contamination. To date, six people have reported a "salmonella-related illness" in connection with these shrimp.
The recall comes from Avanti Frozen Foods, which may not seem like a familiar name, but the products are packaged under a variety of names have been distributed to major grocery chains like Whole Foods and Meijer. All of the products are frozen cooked, peeled, and deveined, and some were packaged with cocktail sauce.
The recall alert at the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) website says the products were distributed from late December 2020 through February 2021, but since they are frozen, some people may still have them in the freezer. Some of the product names include Censea, Chicken of the Sea, Hannaford, Open Acres, Waterfront Bistro, Honest Catch, COS, 365, and Meijer. You can find a full list of the recalled products on the FDA website.
Salmonella can cause serious illness in young children, frail or elderly people, the recall notes. It also adds that even healthy individuals can experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. If you have these products in your freezer, you should throw them out or return them to the place of purchase for a refund.
Glenn Irivine spends a lot of time out in the Ladysmith harbour, so he’s used to seeing invasive species. But Irvine was shocked when he found a European Green Crab in the northern end of Ladysmith’s harbour.
Irivine’s wife Stephanie posted the find to Facebook telling people to be on the lookout for the crabs. The Irvines reported the find to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, which Stephanie says set off a flurry of phone calls with the DFO.
“They were surprised the crab had come here so fast. They knew it was coming, they were hoping it wouldn’t infiltrate the Georgia Strait as fast as it did, but it obviously did,” she said.
The European Green Crabs are a problem because they will kill juvenile crabs, clams and mussels. They also threaten native species of eelgrass, which are an at-risk species. European Green Crabs flourish in estuary settings like those found in the mudflats of Ladysmith harbour.
Distinctive characteristics include five points on each side of the shell, distinctive markings on its back, and two back legs that will move right behind the creature.
Dr. Thomas Therriault, a research scientist with the DFO confirmed that the crab found was a European Green Crab. He said that the crab is a large male and although the finding is concerning, there’s no evidence to suggest that there’s local reproduction of European Green Crabs in Ladysmith.
“We don’t consider Green Crab to be established in the Salish Sea outside of Sooke Basin,” he said. “A one-off finding is not the end of the world, but it is concerning and we want to know about it.”
Further study will be required to determine if there are more European Green Crabs in Ladysmith or if this was just a one-off event.
Therriault said that the crabs likely worked their way up from San Francisco where they’ve been established since the 1980s.
“They’ve been working their way up the coast. That’s the most likely scenario for spread — not to say that movement by ships can’t happen or be contributing, but their larvae can float around out there for 30 to 45 days.”
European Green Crabs have been found in B.C. for the last 20 years. They have been found primarily on the West Coast of Vancouver Island and further north near Haida Gwaii.
Therriault said that the DFO wants people to report sightings of European Green Crabs in the Salish Sea. Sightings can be reported to AISPACIFIC@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.
