[TheKitchenSink]

I know this is a broad question, but well I'm curious to know what the chefs around here are into.

Mine used to be shrimp, but these days I've become a bit of a lobsterhead.

[TheKitchenSink]

oops, sorry about the repeat threads. I'm new to creating polls

[Dillbert]

Originally Posted by TheKitchenSink

oops, sorry about the repeat threads. I'm new to creating polls

do note you have the ability to delete your own posts.

and what's with the lighting etc advert? are you here to cook or advertise?

[KYHeirloomer]

Of those listed I would have to say crab. But if you'd of included crayfish, they'd have gotten my vote.

[KYHeirloomer]

Kitchen Sink,

When you click oin the edit button, two boxes appear. The top one asks you about deleting the message. It defaults to "do not delete."

Just click on the "delete" button, add a reason if you want, and go on from there. That's all it takes.

[Just Jim]

Depends on mood.
Currently it's crab, prior to that it was lobster.
Cleaning 500 lobster tails a night kind of takes the romance away though.
Give me a nice dungeness and I'm a happy bug eater.

[TheKitchenSink]

Hey, thanks for your help KYHeirloomer. That works when it isn't the first post of the thread, but I can't figure out how to delete the initial post. Perhaps only a moderator can do this...I don't know, but clicking edit on the first post is only allowing me to edit, it's not displaying the delete box.

[Dillbert]

TKS -

your private message shows up - it's a blank.

if you're here to yap on about things cooking, welcome.

please understand, these "purpose/topcial" places get overwhelmed with inane posters who have no interest in participating / contributing, but only to publish their web-site links - either directly embedded in the post or in 'signatures'

stuff like "lighting" and "plumbing" is highly suspect. why would anyone here need to know about your lighting products website?

if you want to talk cooking, let's git it on.

if you're looking to advertise your website(s), uhhhhh, mebbe not the best approach.

[TheKitchenSink]

Sorry friend, I'm not trying to advertise anything. I don't know why the message showed up blank. I also don't know why I can't delete those other threads. Perhaps the forum is experiencing technical difficulties. You'll notice that I removed the links from my signature so as to not offend you or anyone else any further.

[DC Sunshine]

I voted crab only because you didn't have Oyster, Moreton Bay Bug, mussels, Razor fish, Abalone, yabbie or scallop.

Crab is the only one on the list for me that has much flavour - lobster, highly over-rated. Certainly overpriced.

For me - oysters every time. Raw.

[Suzanne]

Hi, KitchenSink --

I took care of deleting the excess threads for you. That's something only mods can do (KYH forgot that what he can see on his screen and do are different from what members without his superpowers can see and do. )

Back to your original question: Whichever I'm eating at the moment. Well, maybe not barnacles -- I had those in a great restaurant in Dallas, TX of all places -- and they were just okay. But give me any other crustacean and I can be happily occupied for hours.

Oh -- and for those who wish you had included creatures like oysters or scallops: according to the fourth edition of The New Food Lovers Companion, "crustacean" is defined as:

One of two main classifications of shellfish (the other being mollusk), crustaceans have elongated bodies and jointed, soft (crustlike) shells. The crustacean family includes barnacles, crab, crayfish, lobster, prawn and shrimp.

You also have to take into consideration that some crustaceans with the same name are different in different parts of the world. The Australian lobsters DC Sunshine finds lacking are not exactly like an American lobster from New England. Then again, here in the U.S. our mudbugs (aka crawfish aka crayfish) are different from DCS's Moreton bugs. As far as I'm concerned, they're ALL good.

[TheKitchenSink]

Thanks Suzanne. Perhaps I should've included crayfish before prawn.

DC Sunshine, I always considered those to be mollusks, which is why I didn't include them. Squid is my favorite mollusk.

[KYHeirloomer]

Wouldn't langostinos fit as crustaceans as well?

The suprise to me is barnecles. I'd have thought them to be mollusks, more related to, say, abalone than to lobster.

And what about sea urchin? Where would that fit?

[TheKitchenSink]

According to wiki, sea urchin are related to "sea cucumber" and some other obscure sea-dwellers. Basically, just because it has a shell doesn't mean it's a crustacean.

[The Tourist]

While I love the taste of lobster, I'm concerned about dietary issues.

I happened to see a vignette with Alton Brown a few nights ago on over-fishing and the possible substitute of using crayfish, or crawfish. To my knowledge, while I may have eaten gumbo a few times, I have never eaten crawfish.

This brings up a good point. If you simply like the taste, and crawfish is a direct substitute, would switching over have the same dietary effect?

And if the conditions are favorable, just exactly how do you procure enough crawfish for making meals for several people? I do not see them for sale locally.