Crab Season

Summer in Maryland means one big thing for locals- Crabs!
When I lived elsewhere, I made it a point to come back to Maryland during this time of year because I had to get Maryland steamed crabs. Now that I live in Maryland again, I can get crabs many times a year.
It must be a vegan's nightmare to watch people tear apart these little creatures and consume every bit of their insides. I love it!
Personally, I think that my crab dissection technique is quite honed after 3 decades of destruction (WWF reference).

A couple of my guidelines are as follows:

1. go for the heavier crabs- more meat inside
2. once you start, avoid wiping your hands- the spice buildup on the fingers will flavor the meat as you eat it. just don't touch anything else especially your eyes.
3. eat all the crab- even the little legs- they are too expensive to waste.
4. mustard- it's like butter and egg yolk an in one delicious flavor- use it, eat it, relish it. do not fear crab gut.

These are pictures of what are called "lollipops" - a perfect single bite of delicious crab. The one on top is the big brass ring- the lump crabmeat! The bottom is the crab claw.
This meal was at Obrycki's, my current favorite crab restaurant- sure they don't use Old Bay, but I love it nonetheless.