“We need the tonic of wildness...At the same time that we are earnest to explore and learn all things, we require that all things be mysterious and unexplorable, that land and sea be indefinitely wild, unsurveyed and unfathomed by us because unfathomable. We can never have enough of nature.”
― Henry David Thoreau
― Henry David Thoreau
February 16th, 2012
Song: Highlights of 1989 . . taking you back!
I’m not so white anymore! My current surroundings of the ancient ones did not deter me from at last setting out for the beach. I’ve been here on Marco Island, Florida for over eight days and only just yesterday did I pull on my ex-bf inherited, metallic and Kermit the frog green speedo. Gathering up a few overly festive beach towels, my weathered non-fiction novel “Lasher” by Anne Rice and my essential pocket companions of a wallet, a lighter, one pack of cigarettes and my i-phone; I stepped onto the white sand beach, rejoicing in my mediocre accomplishment. The beauty of living amongst the near dead is that you really don’t care what anyone thinks about you! (In my own defense, the inhabitants of this isla de viejos commonly refer to the siren of a passing ambulance as an immortal sign, stating “well, there’s another condo for sale!”) My belly still bloated from a solitary Valentine’s day eating extravaganza I settled in about twenty paces back from the tide leaving ample room between my neighboring Blue Hairs and Q-Tips.
The backside of my body is now beet red (so was my poop this morning as last night’s dinner featured some locally grown beets and balsamic-glazed chicken breast:0). The migrating sting doesn’t bother me, as a chef your grow accustomed to a certain level of pain but this does remind me of my first encounter with this seashell ridden beach back in the Summer of 1989. Back then, Guns-n-Roses was enjoying (or shall I say, snorting) the spotlight of our American youth just as the the tropic of cancer sun enjoyed it’s searing of my backside. My sister had abandoned my side you see, and left me to the calling of seabirds and gentle splash of aphrodisiac waves, my insomnia folded within . . . I fell asleep for five hours! The next two days were spent in the reclusive confines of our hotel room administering lotions, aloe vera, even Vaseline with hopes that my skin would not peel from the flesh below. No effort could undo the blistering calling card of Apollo. I could not sit to watch TV only lay on my belly with my head turned counter-clockwise until at last the kinked vertebrae overcame the concept of uncomfortable; needless to say, that trip was flushed down the toilet.
I haven’t really divested much of anything with regards to food lately and so I will share the story of Joe’s Stone Crab Claws. They are local to this region of the US, but really . . who and the hell is/was Joe? (coincidentally it is my good friend Joe’s birthday today– a bit of tribute to him as these two species share some similar characteristics including a genuine love for the Ocean, strategically inclined to defend that which they believe in . . or offensively go after that which they desire, repeated physical torture whether self imposed or that of an outside element, and an earnest sweetness that can only be found after having cracked through the thick, protective eco-skeleton . . which takes a bit of work!)
The Story of Joe & the Stone Crab Claw
Reference: www.joesstonecrab.com// the story recounted from Joe’s son, Jesse Weiss
Joseph Weiss-the "Joe" of Joe's Stone Crab-came to Miami in 1913, when his doctors told him that the only help for his asthma would be a change of climate. Joe and his wife, Jennie, both Hungarian-born, were living in New York, where their son Jesse was born in 1907. Joe was a waiter, and Jennie cooked in small restaurants. Some seventy years later, Jesse recalled the move: My dad borrowed fifty dollars on his life insurance policy, left my mother and me in New York, and came to Florida...He stayed in Miami one night, and he couldn't breathe. So he took the ferry boat that used to go to Miami Beach. Oddly enough, he could breathe over here. So, he stayed here and started running a lunch stand at Smith's bathing casino. That was the beginning of the restaurant that was the seed for Joes.
| After a few years, Joe's was off and running. "We got the 'in'crowd, the society crowd, Jesse remembered. "At that time, we could seat maybe forty or fifty." But stone crabs were yet to come. In fact, no one then knew that this local crustacean was even edible until a Harvard ichthyologist conducting research in the bay finally prompted the question, "Have you ever used these stone crabs, these crabs from the water?" We were serving crawfish, all kinds of fish-but not stone crabs. "Nobody will eat them," Dad said. That was at breakfast. That day when the ichthyologist came down for lunch, he brought a burlap sack, full of live stone crabs. He and my dad went around and around about how to cook them. Do you broil them, or what do you do with them? My dad threw the stone crabs in boiling water and that was the beginning of it. The bay was full of them! When we started serving them cracked with hash brown potatoes, cole slaw, and mayonnaise, they were an instant success. We charged seventy-five cents for four or five crabs, twenty-five cents for potatoes and twenty-five cents an order for cole slaw. And this is the way we have been serving them since. We hit the jackpot with that one!  Stone Crab (Menippe Mercenaria) Menippe-Greek, meaning force or courage Mercinaria-Latin, something of value In order to assure the continued survival of the species: Only one claw may be removed so the crab can defend itself. Egg bearing females are not allowed to be declawed. The crabs are captured in baited traps. No spears or hooks are allowed. Four inches from the first joint to the tip is the minimum legal size, that's about two ounces. A colossal can weigh 25 ounces or more. The large crusher claw can exert extreme pressure. As much as 19000 lbs. per square inch. Although their massive claws serve as deterrents to most predators, fishermen have reported the stone crab falls prey to the octopus. Stone crab season in Florida runs from October 15th to May 15. Stone crabs exhibit carnivorous feeding behavior. Sometimes in traps they resort to cannibalism! The claws make up half the weight of the whole crab, they are removed by carefully grabbing from the rear and twisting. The crab is returned to water and the claw regenerates. It takes between 12 to 24 months to reach legal size again. In 1963 stone crabs cost 30 cents a dozen wholesale but today you can enjoy their sweet, succulent flesh for mere $17.99 per lb. upwards of $37.99 per lb. for the colossal claws (you are correct – they’re not cheap!). You can order these bugger’s online or visit your local seafood restaurant to partake in the delicacy. As for me, I have atrocious memories of having to prep-this guys (crack it but make it look it isn’t cracked at all) for the bazillion customers at MECCA in San Francisco as one of the owners had an infatuation with Key West and all that came from it. The flavor is delicate so whatever you do – don’t over mask it with heavy spices, cheeses or pungent ingredients of any type. I have a simple crab complimentary dipping sauce for yah . . gotta go put some more lotion now, till manana! With Culinary Blessings, Chef Scotty Tarragon-Dijon Dipping Sauce This recipe makes enough for 6-8 crab claws depending on how you like to dunk & dive. You may elect to omit the tarragon if you prefer the one note of dill. Don’t overcook your crab and check to see if it arrived fully cooked in which case you only need to bring it temp. In the absence of all else – I like cilantro-ginger infused compound butter with my crabmeat.  Ingredients: 2 tablespoons chopped shallots 1/2 cup dry white wine 1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar or white wine vinegar 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper 1 cup heavy cream 1/4 pound unsalted butter, divided into 4 pieces 2 tablespoons each chopped fresh dill & tarragon 2 teaspoons chopped chives 3 teaspoons Dijon mustard salt, to taste Preparation: In a medium saucepan, combine the shallots, wine, vinegar and white pepper. Bring to a boil, uncovered, and reduce by half. Add cream and reduce again by half. (Sauce should be slightly thickened.) Lower heat and whisk in butter, one piece at a time. Quickly add the dill, tarragon, chives and mustard and salt, to taste. |
