garlic scape crab rangoons

Although I typically walk the straight and narrow when it comes to Asian cuisine, I can't help but love the slap-in-the-face-of-traditional-Asian-cuisine guilty pleasure that is the crab rangoon.

It is shamelessly awful and wonderful at the same time. Wholly a creation of the "American Chinese" bent, crab rangoons are an unknown in Asia - and rightfully so, in my opinion. However, the fact that they are little more than a shameless attempt at pandering to the palate of your typical American schlub doesn't make me love them any less.

Creamy and crunchy with just a hint of umami from the scallions/garlic and then dunked in a cloyingly sweet, outrageously fake red sweet and sour sauce they're a guilty treat I can't resist when ordering Chinese takeout.

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maryland crab cakes

Where I grew up in Washington state crab cakes were usually a mish-mash of little crab meat pieces with a ton of filler - lots of breadcrumbs, scallions, garlic, etc.

They were usually OK, depending on where I had them, but I was never crazy about them. Little cakes of apathy that always looked better in print on the menu than they did on the plate after I ordered them.

When I married a lovely man of the East Coast persuasion his mother introduced me to Maryland-style lump crab cakes. My what a change these are. Huge, succulent lumps of crab meat with just enough additional ingredients to keep them from falling apart too much in the pan.

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Homemade Sushi - A Pictorial

TA is the best husband ever and just bought me the Canon Rebel XSI 12.2 megapixel DSLR.

And yes, he does buy the best gifts ever. Last time a Kitchenaid Professional, this time the most awesome camera known to mankind. I love him very much.

TA and I also spent much of Labor Day weekend with MiL and sFiL in Maryland.

We ate lots of tasty fudz.

I took lots of pictures.

Enjoy.

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