A Crabby Old Lady

I went to the wet market two Saturdays ago. My intention was to to buy some prawns to make a prawn salad for lunch. It was a dish suggested by my Quay Lo. I saw some nice looking crabs next to it. I just could not take my eyes off of them. As I am crazy for crabs, I did not need much of a sales pitch from the fishmonger to buy some. I picked up a kilogram. As soon as I arrived home, I started cooking my favorite spicy, sweet and sour crabs. Would you believe it if I tell you that I finished all those crabs by myself? No, I am not kidding, I really did.

Yes, I am a crabby old lady, but not like you expected when you read my title, and not what you read about in the following poem. 

A Crabby Old Woman!

What do you see, kids, what do you see?

Are you thinking when you are looking at me...

A crabby old woman, not very wise

Uncertain of habit with faraway eyes.

Who dribbles her food and makes no reply

When you say in a loud voice: 'I do wish you'd try.'

Who seems not to notice the things that you do

And forever is losing a stocking or shoe:

Who, unresisting or not, lets you do as you will

With bathing and feeding, the long day to fill.

Is that what you're thinking? Is that what you see?

Then open your eyes, kids - you're looking at ME.

 

I tell you who I am as I sit here so still

as I act on your bidding, as I eat at your will.

I'm a small child often, with a father and mother

Brothers and sisters who love one another.

A young girl of 16, with wings on her feet

Dreaming that soon now, a lover she'll meet.

A bride soon at 2O - my heart gives a leap

Remembering the vows that I promised to keep.

At 25 now, I have young of my own

Who need me to build a secure, happy home.

A woman of 3O, my young now grow fast

Bound to each other with ties that should last.

 

At 4O, my young sons have all grown and gone

But my man's beside me to see I don't mourn.

At 5O, once more babies play round my knee

Again we know children, my loved one and me.

Dark days are upon me; my husband is dead

I look to the future and shudder with dread.

For my young are all rearing young of their own

And I think of the years and the love that I've known.

 

I'm now an old woman and Nature is cruel

'Tis sad to make old age look like a fool..

The body it crumbles, grace and vigour depart

There now is a stone where I once had a heart.

But inside this old carcass, a young girl still dwells

And now and again, my battered heart swells.

I remember the joys, I remember the pain

And I'm living and loving life over again.

I think of the years, all too few, gone too fast

And accept the stark fact that nothing can last...

So open your eyes, kids, open and see

Not a crabby old woman - look closer, see ME!

– by Anonymous

Some of you may have read this before. I think we can all agree that the poem is sad, and perhaps too often true. And does it make us think how the time will come for each of us, that we age, and if we are not careful, betrayed by our bodies, grow crabby, sadly not able to enjoy a pile of fresh crabs but remembering them with fondness.   Well I didn't think of any of this the day I made this dish. I arrived home and began working on my personal pile of goodness. Somewhere during the meal, devouring the now bright red crabs, it occurred to me that later I must compensate for the feasting by skipping a meal and eating my veggies. I didn't think it very long however. I am happy to report that Quay Lo isn't particularly fond of crab. He says he spends way more calories getting to the meat then he gets eating the meat when he gets there. I didn't tactfully try to suggest that in his case that might be a good thing, because lets face it, there is no tactful way to say that besides, I wasn't thinking about that anyway. At this writing I only have a recollection that I was thinking "it's mine...all mine!" I better eat as much as I can, right now. LOL!

OK, so now, feast over, mission accomplished, and sitting down to recall it here with fondness, the poem suddenly popped into my mind. I had read it some years ago.  I am not sure why I thought of it but crab and crabby are at least related words, though with different meanings. So let me ask you, just now as you read it, did it make you feel a little sad? You won’t when you see the crab dish that I made because this dish tastes as good as it looks. Make this as soon as you can. Prepare it carefully and then sit down and eat it slowly, enjoying each bite. We'll worry about aging, getting crabby, and expanding beltlines later. Some day it may be just a memory, but it won't be one if you don't just do it.

Spicy, sweet and sour crab

This dish is featured in Asian Food Channel (Official) Facebook page

on 15 August 2012

Ingredients:

3 crabs about 1 to 1.2 kg

4 tbs for frying

1 tsp sesame oil

½ cup water

1 onion sliced

1 egg,  lightly beaten

Sauce Ingredients:

2 tbs oyster sauce

1/2 tbs soy sauce

3 tbs tomato sauce

2 tomato, (blanched, skin and seeds removed)

¼ cup fresh red chilli sauce

1 tbs sugar

2 tbs tamarind juice 

1/2 tsp salt or to taste

3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1 piece 2 in young ginger, diced

1 lemon grass, diced (white part only)

Method:

Wash and cut crab in small pieces and roughly pound the shells. Put all the cleaned crabs into colander, drain well and then set inside the fridge while prepare the sauce. Place all the sauce ingredients in blender and blend till smooth paste. Heat a wok with 2 tbs oil, toss the crabs until they turn red and cooked. Dish out the crabs and set aside. Heat 2 tbs oil and sauté, onion slices till translucent. Pour in the sauce and let it simmer for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Add the crabs and ½ cup water and stir to have all pieces of crab covered by the sauce. Let it simmer for another 10 mins. Add in beaten eggs and stir quickly and when sauce is thickened, turn off the fire and serve immediately with toasted bread for soaking up sauce.