There is absolutely nothing that I love as much as I love crab. Period. No contest. My favorites are Snow Crab and King Crab; however, I love it all. I don’t eat King Crab very often because of the cost, but Snow Crab is much more affordable. Canned lump crab is also very good and is the basis for most of today’s recipes.

Periodically, we have an array of appetizers instead of dinner. This is a great way to test recipes that you might want to use for your next dinner party. It’s also a great way to give your family a special treat. Prepare several appetizers and rent a movie and your evening is made.

There are many ways to prepare crab, depending on the type of crab and your mood. The first recipe is a hot crab dip. This is a great recipe because you can make it as mild or as spicy as you want it to be. I don’t make it very hot, but you can spice it up with some minced jalapeño peppers or hot sauce.

The second recipe is my favorite crab dip. I love cream cheese and crab and cream cheese are naturals together. If you’ve ever eaten Crab Rangoon’s, you know how well they go together. You can add extra crab boil to spice this up more, if you like.

Recipe No. 3 is crab-stuffed Poblano peppers. These are medium peppers, but once cooked become more mild than medium. This is also great served with a white cheese sauce poured over them. Give this one a try, you will love the results.

The fourth recipe is crab stuffed mushrooms. This is a great appetizer for a party of just a great treat for your family. Keep in mind that this recipe is spicy. You can tone it down by changing the peppers and omitting the hot sauce if you want a milder version. You can also use different mushrooms, although I wouldn’t use portabellas because the flavor of the mushroom will over power the delicate crab.

The last recipe is Crab (or lobster) Bisque. This will become a favorite. It’s so easy to make that it will become a staple. This is a great recipe to make when you are in a hurry. Keep these ingredients on hand, you will really enjoy this one. For a beautiful presentation, hollow out a round loaf of bread and serve the bisque inside.

Hot Crab Dip

1 Pound Jumbo Lump Crabmeat, free of shells

1 Cup Grated Pepper Jack Cheese

3/4 Cup Mayonnaise

1/4 Cup Grated Parmesan

1/4 Cup Green Onions, Minced, Optional

5-6 Roasted Garlic Cloves or 2 Cloves Minced