"Posted by chase ---------Can't say truthfully that the duck skin warms my cockles but that wine sure as hell does!!!! Wouldn.t turn my nose up at the egg rolls or crab legs either" I have forgotten one more dish (posted below), perhaps it would tickle your cockles ? :-) "Posted by barnmom -------Who was the lucky Valentine recipient? ;)" Thanks, barnmom. In this case, the giver is luckier than the receiver. "Posted by ntt_hou --------Oh my... my mouth is watering! Not only they look delicious, they look beautiful as well! You grilled egg rolls?! This, I got to try! They look so much healthier :) " Thanks, ntt_hou. Yes, just brush on veggie oil, and bake. Less oily. "Posted by sooz -------What gorgeous food porn! Thanks for sharing!!!" Thaks, sooz. There is only one ValentineÂs Day in a year. "Posted by joanm ---Oh my God! A plate of skin!! I think that is a new fantasy meal for me." What are you doing next ValentineÂs Day? LOL "Posted by therustyone ------- Yum-m-m-m-m-mmmmmm! The wine doesn't do a thing for me. Chase, you are more than welcome to my share of that! I'd be more than happy to have your share of the skin. I've never had crispy duck skin, but I imagine it to be even better than crispy chicken skin. Truth is, it ALL looks extremely good, as always, dcarch. Thanks for sharing with us. Rusty " Thanks, Rusty. Look carefully; ThatÂs a bottle of CHATEAU DUHART MILON, 1989 vintage. About $100 a bottle? As I said, duck skin is what made Peking Duck world famous. You should give it a try. I did forget one more dish, the rest of the duck. Here it is: Dcarch

i love them also very rarely do u have to clean them yourself your fish monger will do it for you they are delicious for sure and yes you eat ther whole thing, shell and all it is crispy...but the shell is soft. you might want to wait till season and eat one in a good fish place first to see if you like it...... 4 soft-shell crabs 1 egg 1/2 cup milk 1 cup all-purpose flour salt and pepper to taste 4 cups oil for frying, or as needed Clean each crab. Lift one pointed side of top shell and remove the gills by pulling them out. Put top shell back down and repeat on other side. On the bottom side remove tail flap by twisting and pulling off. Using a pair of scissors, remove the face by cutting behind the eyes. Rinse the crabs thoroughly with cold water. Dry on paper towels. Heat oil in a deep fryer to 365 degrees F (180 degrees F). In a shallow dish, whisk together the egg and milk using a fork. In a separate bowl, stir salt and pepper into the flour. Lightly salt the crab, then dip in the flour, dip in the egg, then in the flour again. Carefully place crabs into the deep-fryer. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until golden brown on one side. Carefully turn over, and cook until golden on the other side. Drain on paper towels. Serve as soon as they are cool enough to eat. You can eat the whole crab. Linda in Tennessee

I love Dungeness Crab. Growing up in the Bay Area I bought it live all the time during the season, but I always just dropped it into a big pot of boiling water and ate the meat with melted butter, cocktail sauce and a ginger vinaigrette for dipping. Roasted with garlic sounds wonderful! Unfortunately, around here it's pretty much all sold pre-cooked, so quality is sort of hit and miss. Roasting it after it's already been cooked (who knows for how long) would undoubtedly mean it would be way over cooked. I guess the season is almost over, so I'll have to file this recipe away for next year and pick up some good live crabs on a trip into the Bay Area. Thanks!

I was thinking along the same lines for friends and family Christmas presents also to have around here for surprise guests. Here are some that I found. Stacie Onion Soup or Dip Mix 3 onion bouillon cubes, crushed 1 beef bouillon cube, crushed 2 tsp. cornstarch 1/3 cup instant onion flakes 2 dashes pepper Put all ingredients in a small sandwich bag. Seal well and store in cool, dry place. Label bag as follows: Onion Soup: Empty package into a pot and gradually stir in 4 cups cold water and 1 Tbsp. butter. Bring to boil, reduce heat and cover. Simmer 20 minutes. Ladle soup into ovenproof bowls, sprinkle with croutons or toasted bread. Then add one slice provolone cheese. Briefly put bowls under a broiler to melt cheese. Serve. Makes 4 1-cup servings. Onion Dip: Mix one package onion soup mix with 2 cups sour cream. Chill before serving. Dill Dip 3/4 cup dill weed 3/4 cup accent 3/4 cup season salt 3/4 cup onion flakes 3/4 cup parsley flakes Combine all and place in a jar. The pint size jelly jars would be perfect here. To use: combine 2 tablespoons mix with 1 cup sour cream and one cup Miracle Whip in a small bowl. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to blend. This makes an excellent vegetable dip as well as one for chips. Bacon Flavored Dip Mix 2 tbs. Instant Bacon Bits 1 tsp Instant Beef Bouillon 1 tbs. Instant Minced Onion 1/8 tsp Minced Garlic Combine all ingredients in a small bowl; blend well. Spoon mixture onto a 6-inch square of aluminum foil and fold to make airtight. Label as Bacon-Flavored Dip Mix. Store in a cool, dry place and use within 6 months. Makes 1 package (about 3 T) of mix. Add these directions to label: Bacon Flavored Dip: Combine 1 cup of sour cream and 1 package of mix. Chill at least 1 hour before serving. Makes about 1 cup of dip. VARIATIONS: Substitute 1 cup yogurt, 1 cup cottage cheese or 1 (8 oz) package of softened cream cheese for sour cream. Fill a large mason jar with any type of snacks for dipping (small snack crackers, pretzels, breadsticks, etc.). Attach package of dip mix to jar and decorate for gift giving. Mexican Fiesta Dip Mix 1/2 cup dried parsley 1/3 cup minced onion 1/4 cup dried chives 1/3 cup chili powder 1/4 cup ground cumin 1/4 cup salt In a large bowl, combine the spices and store in an airtight container. Attach this to the Jar: Mexican Fiesta Dip Makes 2 cups 3 Tbsp. Mexican Fiesta Dip Mix 1 cup mayonnaise or low-fat mayonnaise 1 cup sour cream or low-fat yogurt In a medium mixing bowl combine the Dip Mix with the mayonnaise and sour cream. Whisk the mixture until smooth. Refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours. Serve with tortilla chips or fresh vegetables. Ranch herb dip and dressing mix Ingredients: 1/4 cup dried parsley flakes 1/4 cup dried thyme leaves 2 tablespoons dried tarragon leaves 2 tablespoons dried onion flakes 3 teaspoons garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper. Directions: Combine all and mix well. Store in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Stir or shake before using. Use as a seasoning in recipes. Herb Mix Dip: use 1 tablespoon of the mix with 3/4 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Blend well. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours. Serve with assorted fresh vegetables. Make your own Onion Cheese Dip Mix for parties. INGREDIENTS: * 1/4 cup instant minced onion * 2 tsp. instant beef bouillon powder * 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese * 1 tsp. garlic salt PREPARATION: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and blend well. Spoon mixture into a small glass jar with screw-top lid. Label as "Onion Cheese Dip Mix" and attach instructions for use. Store in a cool dry place and use within 3-4 months. Makes 4 batches of mix. Each batch, equaling 3 tablespoons, can be substituted for 1 package of purchased onion-cheese soup mix. ONION CHEESE DIP Combine 1 cup sour cream or 1 8-oz. pkg. softened cream cheese with 3 tablespoons of Onion Cheese Dip Mix. Chill at least 1 hour before serving. Makes about 1 cup of dip. Give this dip and dressing mix in decorative jars with instructions for making dip or dressing. Make a basket up with this dip, a pretty serving bowl, and fancy breadsticks, croutons, or bagel chips, INGREDIENTS: * 2 teaspoons salt * 2 teaspoons dried minced garlic * 3 tablespoons dried minced onion * 2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper * 2 teaspoons sugar * 2 1/2 teaspoons paprika * 2 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes PREPARATION: Combine ingredients; blend well. Store in an airtight container. Give in decorative jars with directions below for dressing and dip. Makes 1/2 cup of mix, or 8 portions for dressing or dip. Dressing: In a bowl or jar combine 1 cup of mayonnaise and 1 cup buttermilk. Dip: In a small bowl blend 1 tablespoon mix with 1 cup sour cream. Refrigerate 1 hour before serving. Hope that these sound as good to you as to me. I think I might make a bunch of these and give a mix of them for Christmas presents. Stacie