we have a multi-part planting project in the works (some of which i will likely talk about later in the week... if i make it that far). unfortunately, we needed some parts that we did not already have on hand, so we started Sunday morning by driving to the other side of town to visit a new-to-us garden center. it was HUGE! we ended up making a hasty exit before we blew our budget for the next six months on gardeny (gardenish?) things. for example, we made the horrible mistake of checking out their bonsai section, so there might be some bonsai adventures in the not-too-distant future. the place is dangerous.
so, we paid for our stuff, then went racing to the car to get off the premises while we still could, assuming that all of the dangers would evaporate once we got back on the road. HUGE mistake!
we had barely turned the corner, when noticed a new-to-us Asian grocery store on the opposite side of the main street. it was HUGE. and they have an impressive assortment of... everything... including a seafood section with tanks full of swimming things all begging to become our next meal.
so, in we went, and home we came with this guy and a few of his friends.
i called this one Paco, because why not.
this is where things got interesting.
i should point out that we also purchased a new wok, because we had decided to give them a quick toss in the wok with some herb-y bits then splash on some sauce-y things and serve it with a bit of rice. naturally, he decided that this required a new wok.
me: we already have a wok.
him: but they have a whole aisle of woks, and they are all much nicer than ours.
so he ran off to select a wok, while i was left to bear the guilt of deciding which crabs would die for our culinary amusement.
fast-forward to a short while later, and we were standing in our kitchen, looking at the crabs splashing around in a container of cold water. this is when it suddenly dawned on us that someone would have to kill the things.
him: that is all you. i have never killed a crab in my life, and i would not know where to begin.
so, i just stood there, staring at little Paco (who had already been separated from his friends), and there was only one thought running through my head.
me: (said silently while staring at Paco) please don't hurt me.
then i picked him up, wrapped him a kitchen towel—in case he had any thoughts of vengeance—and before long i had four crabs cleaned and quartered, with their claws removed and given a light crack to allow for maximum flavor penetration.
the new wok was hot and ready to go. in went a generous amount of chopped garlic, ginger, and green onions. that was followed by a sprinkling of five-spice powder and a healthy shake of the smoked paprika that manages to make its way into most things we eat around here. then came the crab pieces. i sauced it all with almost everything i could find. there was a fish sauce, light soy sauce, mirin, two types of Chinese cooking wine, Korean chili paste, and a healthy drizzle of sesame oil. i blanched some greens before beginning the crab dish, so i tossed them back into the wok at this point to warm them up again and get them coated in that everything sauce.
we dumped the whole lot into an old baking dish, and we served it along with a bit of plain rice.
it was so good! he is usually impatient when it comes to picking tiny bits of crab meat from their seemingly endless network of shells, but this dish was so tasty, that he gave it his very best effort. meanwhile, i was in a state of bliss through the whole thing.
we enjoyed our meal while watching Barbarella. this was a first time viewing for both of us, and it was the latest installment in the rather odd desire i have had of late to watch movies—most of them bad ones—that existed before my lifetime.
we ate. we laughed. we ate some more.
a good time was had by all... except maybe Paco and his friends.
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