Labor Day Weekend

It’s Labor Day weekend. I finally had some time to catch up with reading and cooking. There was a piece on the Food section of the Washington Post talking about Crab Feasts. I live near the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, where the world famous blue crabs come from. I got very excited, thinking about going to the Fish Market on Maine Ave in Washington, DC to buy a bushel of blue crabs and steam them at home. I imagined a table covered with crabs, melted butter, old bay seasoning, cold beer, and friends and family sitting around and enjoying themselves. Well, turns out that everybody was too lazy to eat steamed crabs. First reaction I got from everybody I asked: “Do we have to break the shell of each one of them?” I couldn’t believe them. Then I decided on something easier to eat. I made Asian Salmon and Corn and Crab Chowder on Saturday, Steak and Potatoes on Sunday, and Crab Cakes on Monday.
The Corn and Crab Chowder is a big favorite of mine. It’s lighter than most chowders because it uses whole milk instead of heavy cream. The sautéed vegetables give it a healthier taste without losing the Comfort Food status. This is a good recipe for a cold day, goes well with a glass of chardonnay.

Corn and Crab Chowder

1 tablespoon vegetable oil or extra-virgin olive oil,
2 tablespoons butter
2 all-purpose potatoes, peeled and diced
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning blend
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock or broth
1 quart whole milk
3 cups corn kernels
8 ounces cooked lump crab meat

Heat a deep pot over moderate heat. Add oil and butter. Sautee chopped onion until lightly browned. Add potatoes, celery, and bay leaf to the pot. Season vegetables with salt and pepper and Old Bay seasoning. Sautee veggies 5 minutes, then sprinkle in flour. Cook flour 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in broth and combine. Stir in milk and combine. Bring soup up to a bubble. Add corn and crab meat and simmer soup for 5 minutes. Adjust the soup seasonings. Remove bay leaf. Ladle soup into bread bowls or soup bowls and top with sliced scallions.

Asian Grilled Salmon

2 lbs Salmon, fillets or steaks
For the marinade:
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Whisk together the mustard, soy sauce, olive oil, and garlic in a small bowl. Drizzle half of the marinade onto the salmon and allow it to sit (wrapped in the fridge) for at least 10 minutes. Place the salmon skin side down on baking pan; discard the marinade the fish was sitting in. Bake for 20 minutes or until the salmon flakes easily with a fork.Transfer the fish to a flat plate, skin side down, and spoon the reserved marinade on top. Serve warm or at room temperature.