While visiting my Aunt recently, the subject of cooking came up. I mentioned that I want to do a crab boil for the end of Summer.

When you are Portuguese, you walk over to the kitchen drawer and pull out the cheesecloth. Then start gathering up spices for the spice ball that will help flavor the boil. As she works she gives me the directions to make it taste as I  remember. Telling me that the water needs to  be flavorful on its own, before adding any fish or crab. With the usual… garlic , onions, salt, pepper and the spice ball. She momentairly disapears, then reappears with string to tie our ball. Ten minutes later her task is complete.     

We have hung out together all my life and the ease and fun of being with one of my favorite people is always so effortless. I love her.

As a small child my whole family would gather on the beach. We lived into the Ocean and catch dinner. My Grandmother would use a pitchfork as a gig to hunt clams. Us kids would gather Periwinkles off the rocks. A big pot would already be cooking over an open fire and as the catch was cleaned, it was all added to the pot. Once cooked it was served with French bread in the sand. This is our families tradition, what’s yours?