Alaskan King Crab: Avocado, Mayo & Butter

New Years day, football, food and my father are all lumped together for me. Most New Year's days growing up I sat around the entire day watching bowl games with my father, snacking on food. Always one of the highlights was the Rose Bowl. Invariably it was sunny and 80 degrees in Pasadena and we watched in awe at the game played on green grass with the big red rose emblazoned on the field while outside of our home in Utah snow covered the ground and chill was in the air. We talked many times about one day going to Pasadena and being at the Rose Bowl. Many years later, long after Judy and I were married and had moved to California, Dad and I fulfilled that dream: we attended the 1997 Rosebowl where Ohio State beat Arizona State 20-17. That Arizona State team had Jake Plummer at quarterback and Pat Tillman, later killed in Afghanistan in the Army Rangers. I was disappointed when ASU lost in a close game. Well, Dad is now gone, but I can't shake the tradition. So this New Year's day, with sunny, 75 degree weather outside our Redlands home, I had some Alaskan king crab on hand and watched the Rose Bowl - Ohio State again, this time beating Oregon. I enjoyed the game, many fond memories of Dad, and the crab!

Alaskan king crab may be my very favorite food. I like getting the biggest legs possible - I particularly love the long solid legs. I let it thaw and eat it cold. The salty, juicy meat just melts in your mouth. I find that steaming it dries it out.

I had the crab two ways. First, I cut some up into smaller bits, added some shrimp and mayonnaise, mixed it together, then put that combination on a bed of avocado. Great stuff!

Then I warmed up some butter and ate the rest dipped in warm butter. For part of it, I put mayonnaise in the butter as well, something I've never done before. It was good, but I think I'll stick to plain butter. Something about the cool crab meat combining with the warm butter for a knockout taste. Nothing fancy, just two ingredients, but my oh my, what a flavor combination and sensory homerun.