Crabby Snacks & Homemades, or, What's Cookin' at the movies

We saw *Silver Linings Playbook* this weekend, and even amidst all the engrossing wincing and laughing, we were nonetheless distracted by multiple references to special foods served during Philadelphia Eagles football games, "Crabby Snacks and Homemades". The googles have let us down (most of the results are other film-goers), and a Philly transplant we queried knows only of "Crab Fries" (fries with Old Bay and Cheez Whiz). Do any LTHers have the secret?

A little more in depth searching on google reveals that crabby snacks are crab and cheese concoctions spread on a toasted english muffins and cut up and served as snacks. My mom used to make a similar thing but we called them Crab Toasts because she made them on toast triangles. They were so so so good. Have not had them in ages. The minutes she would put a plate of them out hot from the oven they would be devoured.

The homemades refers to homemade egg noodles Italian style. I guess in Philly that is what they call them. If someone says "I am making homemades" they are making home made noodles.

My mom made those, but we never had crab in them. Just cheese and mayo, scallions, maybe dried mustard, some worcestershire too? Spread on toast or triscuits if it was a fancy party, baked, or broiled? - they would puff up and were so sophisticated!

And she's originally from Philadelphia. Her father loved "The Iggles."

leek wrote:My mom made those, but we never had crab in them.

I suspect the adjective "crabby" has nothing to do with crab, and everything to do with Old Bay seasoning, which was originally developed in the 1940s as a seasoning for crab, using mustard, paprika, celery seed, bay leaf, both black and red pepper, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, cardamom, salt, and ginger. Thus the trademarked name "crab fries" from Chickie's & Pete's in Philadelphia, which vigorously defends its trademark, per this case from August 2012:

"Pete Ciarrocchi probably was not the first guy to sprinkle Old Bay seasoning over crinkle-cut french fries, but he was the first to get to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to register the name "Crab Fries."
And so, the owner of Chickie's & Pete's is haunting the restaurant world, siccing his lawyer on all occasions that someone uses the term.
Even, in the most recent case, when naming a restaurant in the Outer Banks that opened in 2010.
Crabby Fries = trademark infringement!
Under a settlement reported in the Outer Banks Voice, Chickie's & Pete's has allowed a restaurant in Kill Devil Hills to keep its name. No other details were disclosed, as the settlement was confidential. (In his defense, courts expect trademark holders to defend their marks.)"

PS. On Chicago's Best last night, they profiled Monti's and their cheesesteaks, and it was mentioned--in another link to Philly--that Monti's uses Old Bay seasoning--or maybe just celery salt--on their fries.

leek wrote:...Her father loved "The Iggles."

Not to hijack this thread, but that was the one distraction in "Silver Lining Playbook", the fact that all the characters pronounced the name of the team "Eagles" instead of employing the typical Philly dialect, "Iggles".

As for Crabby Snacks, we had the same amused curiosity, so thanks for this thread.

Buddy

leek wrote:My mom made those, but we never had crab in them. Just cheese and mayo, scallions, maybe dried mustard, some worcestershire too? Spread on toast or triscuits if it was a fancy party, baked, or broiled? - they would puff up and were so sophisticated!

Sort of a north of the Dixie line pimento cheese? Do you have proportions for this?

I love this type of thread where I learn something I never knew anything about!

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:Do you have proportions for this?

Here's one version:
* 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
* 1 small onion, grated
* 1/3 cup mayonnaise
* 1 egg, beaten
* 1/2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
* 1/8 teaspoon dry mustard
* Tabasco sauce to taste
* Ground black pepper to taste
* Paprika

Combine all ingredients except paprika in a bowl and mix well. Spread on toasted bread, and sprinkle with paprika.  Cut slices into strips, wedges, or squares.  Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Serve warm. 

PS. We made something like this long, long ago, but I'm not sure I remember adding an egg to the mixture.

I actually think they also have crab in them.
These are called crab bites probably because the muffins are cut up into bite size pieces. I think you could substitute other cheese for the Old English cheese spread, I do not know if they make it anymore.
Ingredients:
•6 English muffins, split
•1 roll (6 ounces) garlic cheese, or a small jar (5 ounces) of Old English Cheese Spread, room temperature
•3 tablespoons butter
•1 tablespoon mayonnaise
•1/2 teaspoon onion powder
•1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, if not using garlic cheese
•1 teaspoon freshly chopped parsley
•1 can (6 to 7 ounces) crabmeat, drained, flaked
•sliced green onions and tomatoes for garnish, if desired
Preparation:
Heat oven to 350°. Arrange split muffins, cut side up, on a baking pan lined with foil.
In a medium bowl, mash the garlic cheese or cheese spread with butter, mayonnaise, onion powder, garlic powder, if using, and parsley. Stir in the crabmeat. Spread evenly over the split muffins. Bake for 10 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Cut into quarters and serve warm, garnished with green onions and diced tomatoes, if desired.
Makes 48 crab bites.

My mom always made these broiled on cocktail rye and instead of crab used Italian sausage. Loved 'em then, not so sure I would today.

Those are called Hanky Pankies. My mom made those too. I think we went through just about every appetizer in the book. The crab ones are a big favorite but the Hanky Panky ones are good too. You probably would think you would not like them because mostly they had processed cheese in them. But in my book they are still good. You could make them with real cheese too.

Hanky Pankies

1 lb. ground chuck
1 lb. ground pork sausage
1 lb. Velveeta cheese
Garlic powder to taste
1 loaf party rye bread

Brown burger and sausage. Drain grease. Add garlic powder and cubed Velveeta cheese to burger and sausage. Cook slowly until cheese is completely melted, stirring occasionally. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of mixture on each bread. Place on cookie sheet and broil until lightly brown.
They can be made up ahead and you can put them in a Tupperware container and freeze. Take out as many as you need and broil before serving.

tarte tatin wrote:PS. On Chicago's Best last night, they profiled Monti's and their cheesesteaks, and it was mentioned--in another link to Philly--that Monti's uses Old Bay seasoning--or maybe just celery salt--on their fries.

I actually asked about this when I ate at Monti's a few weeks ago. My guess was Old Bay, but the server told me that they just celery salt on their fries.

Cathy2 wrote:

leek wrote:My mom made those, but we never had crab in them. Just cheese and mayo, scallions, maybe dried mustard, some worcestershire too? Spread on toast or triscuits if it was a fancy party, baked, or broiled? - they would puff up and were so sophisticated!

Sort of a north of the Dixie line pimento cheese? Do you have proportions for this?

I love this type of thread where I learn something I never knew anything about!

Well, Cathy, clearly you were deprived! I myself was indulged ONCE in a while as a kid, when my parents would have a party. They seemed so elegant, as leek has mentioned. (And her version, and tartetatin's actually sound as though they might be good.) I'm pretty sure, however that they were popular with my family because they were very easy and very very cheap. (I remember my aunt being positively gleeful about this.)

Like you, Cathy, and all who have posted here, I love this type of thread that meanders from one remote topic ot another. Threads like this one always seem to coincide with some nostalgic thing I've been thinking about making -after about 45 years! In fact, I was just putting together this riff on the onion-mayo thingies for my daughter:

"I will pretend that you have stepped into the Time Machine and set the date at December, 1956. You will need to serve canapés. The cheapest and easiest one on the planet is made from finely chopped raw white onion suspended in a slick of mayo and shelf-stable Kraft Parmesan “cheese” (in the green foil can) atop toasted rounds of white bread, broiled. I would be embarrassed to give a recipe for this, so you will have to work it out for yourself."

Did I mention that they were cheap?

This also is a close cousin of the Artichoke Puffs that my parents made in the late 60's and 70's, which I've since adapted into a spicier artichoke dip: a quartered artichoke, mayo, parm (most likely from that ubiquitous green can), spread on a circle of toast cut with a juice glass, and broiled.

That sounds good Joel. I made a dip like that but its not put on toast I could see that I could put in on. I love that stuff. My mother always bought expensive stuff for company. If you came to our house you would have shrimp cocktail, crab toast and crab mousse. Herring in cream sauce or wine sauce. And for really special occasions my mom would buy a whole filet minon and she would spread herbs and butter on it and roast it rare. It would be thinly sliced and served with slices of french bread with horseradish sauce. From time to time she would make taco plate, sausage balls, meatballs and a crustless quiche thing for appetizers. Sometime the whole party would be nothing but appetizers and drinks.

Gosh, that green can of 'Parmesan' cheese!! How fixed and strong that is in my memory. It took years and years before I realized that there was an actual *cheese* called Parmesan!

What did YOUR family do with it?

Geo

tarte tatin wrote:

Cathy2 wrote:Do you have proportions for this?

Here's one version:
* 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
* 1 small onion, grated
* 1/3 cup mayonnaise
* 1 egg, beaten
* 1/2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
* 1/8 teaspoon dry mustard
* Tabasco sauce to taste
* Ground black pepper to taste
* Paprika

Combine all ingredients except paprika in a bowl and mix well. Spread on toasted bread, and sprinkle with paprika.  Cut slices into strips, wedges, or squares.  Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Serve warm. 

PS. We made something like this long, long ago, but I'm not sure I remember adding an egg to the mixture.

Definitely like this, though I remember green onions in my mom's version, and I too don't think an egg. She also made her own version of spicy Chinese mustard, served with cheese and crackers. And I had a long velvet skirt, she called it a Hostess Skirt, that only was for wearing at parties at home.

My late ex-mother-in-law made crab toasts often and they always seemed the height of elegance when I was first visiting. She also had a real full time maid who ironed the sheets and ladies who came in to serve Thanksgiving Dinner ... so the crab toasts gained quite the aura of upper crust ... especially as I was 19 and from a very working class family when I married! My mother did not make "canapes" and we were more a beatnik chianti and spaghetti household.

Actually, many, if not most, Philadelphians don't pronounce it "Iggles." That is common, but not endemic.

chgoeditor wrote:

tarte tatin wrote:PS. On Chicago's Best last night, they profiled Monti's and their cheesesteaks, and it was mentioned--in another link to Philly--that Monti's uses Old Bay seasoning--or maybe just celery salt--on their fries.

I actually asked about this when I ate at Monti's a few weeks ago. My guess was Old Bay, but the server told me that they just celery salt on their fries.

mbh will tell you that I look to visit her & detour to Weiner Circle for fries with celery salt.

Then she supplies mayo & Coke Zero + her radiant friendship.

Pure_Hg --

I've lived in Pgh a lot, and everyone I know pretty much mostly calls the groshery store "Jint Iggle".
Maybe Philadelphinos are losing their linguistic kühl!



Geo

pairs4life wrote:mbh will tell you that I look to visit her & detour to Weiner Circle fo fries with celery salt.

Then she supplies mayo & Coke Zero + her radiant friendship.

My theory is if you buy the fries and bring them to my house there are no calories in them for me. I'm sticking with that.

In my family we call Hanky Pankies "Chipped Beef on Toast" or "S**t on a Shingle."

Big fan of those crab toasts. Too bad the holidays are already over, can't excuse making them now

We used to have appetizer parties in November wherein we would spend a day busting out huge amounts of different freezable appetizers, and everyone took home 10 or 12 big containers full of a variety of apps to serve throughout the holiday season. Hanky Pankies were a fixture, as were the crab toasts, and the ever-beloved Michigan delicacy known as the Chicken Pillow.

End of thread hijack.

LOVE the app party idea--never a big fan of cookie exchanges because I have no desire to have 100 cookies in my house but the app exchange is a great idea! NOW the thread hijack is over (?!?)

boudreaulicious wrote:LOVE the app party idea--never a big fan of cookie exchanges because I have no desire to have 100 cookies in my house but the app exchange is a great idea! NOW the thread hijack is over (?!?)

It was a great idea for my mom and her friends who actually entertained and could benefit from having a ready supply of pop-in-the-oven snacks. For me, a wild child tagging along, it was a great idea to have a freezer full of fattening deliciousness for my friends after the bars closed. Everybody wins.

NeroW wrote:the ever-beloved Michigan delicacy known as the Chicken Pillow.

Is this it?

Thats a new one. I will have to look into that. By the way, chipped beef is different than hanky pankies. Chipped beef is buddig beef in a package mixed with a white sauce but my mom made the sauce with mushroom soup. Then it is poured onto toast and served as a quick dinner. Hanky panky is an appetizer consisting of sausage and ground beef browned and mixed with cheese and spread on cocktail rye and broiled till bubbling. Crab toast appetizers are a piece of white bread toasted with crusts cut off. Cut in half diagonally to make 2 triangles. Take a can of crab and mix with melted velveeta cheese and a little garlic powder and woost. sauce or hot sauce. Spred on the toast triangles and put in oven till browned. You can doctor it up with other seasonings or green chopped onion tops, etc. too.

I just saw Silver Linings Playbook last Friday, and of course, I was intrigued by "crabby snacks and homemades." A Google search led me to this forum and discussion. It also led me to another message board where a helpful librarian cited the relevant passage from the novel on which the movie is based. Crabby Snacks, as it turns out, are indeed toasted English muffins topped with a crab and cheese spread mixture (not Velveeta, but like the inside of a holiday cheese ball...very 1970's chic), baked until melted and bubbly and then cut into bite-sized pieces. The book does not mention "homemades" per se, but it does describes the mother making her special "homemade" three-meat pizzas (ground beef, sausage, and chicken). So that's probably what the line refers to.

Anyway, I used the recipe that Toria posted and added a few twists to it and made the "crabby snacks" for game day on Sunday. They were yummy! I posted a picture and my adapted recipe on my little food blog, if anyone is interested: http://lindseysluscious.blogspot.com/20 ... mades.html

So I just wanted to stop by and say THANKS for the guidance and inspiration. "Crabby Snacks" are definitely going on my Oscar party menu! --Gina

The references to "homemades" apparently refers to making homemade pasta.
Its a term used by Italian families from South Philly.

Here are a few links.

http://www.criterionforum.org/forum/vie ... p?p=411079

http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2007/07/ ... -bill.html

Also there are many recipes for crab snacks...some use Velveeta some not. Here is one I found that refers to the East coast.

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,161,147 ... 05,00.html

In days gone by people commonly used Velveeta cheese or Kraft roka blue or old english, or a processed cheese because they were easy to obtain and easy to work with meaning quick. They did not have bagged shredded cheese in the grocery store then so homemakers would turn to Velveeta for "melty" snacks where there was not so much of a chance cheese would seize up or turn grainy and they did not have to spend time grating it. So many of the old recipes used various kinds of processed cheese. I think a lot of recipes now rely on shredded real cheese ....I prefer it of course and its easy and quick to obtain now. P.S. I also like the recipe on Joys blog as I would put more stuff in it to spice it up. I would not put shrimp but I like the green onions in it.

Hi,

For Culinary Historiians in October, I made a mac and cheese to Kevin Gillespies recipe. In his header he discussed how he came to make his version:

When I first started making mac and cheese, I made bechamel with flour and milk, then added cheese. But it never tasted right. The cheese sauce was too grainy. I knew you couldn't just melt the cheese straight because it would separate. The flour stabilized it and keeps it from separating. Then one day, I was rolling down the aisle of a grocery store and saw Velveeta. I did a double take, "Shouldn;t that be refrigerated in the cheese section?" I wondered. I picked up the package and read the ingredient list. It had a stabilizer in it. Perfect! I know Velveeta is not a staple ingredient for professional chefs, but I thought, "I don't give a damn, I'm going to make the same sauce I was making before and use Velveeta instead of flour." It worked like a charm. Velveeta makes the creamiest, cheeiest mac and cheese you've ever tasted. I added sauteed andouille sausage and top the whole thing with crumbled potato chips, because that's just badass.

You cannot get from shredded cheese what Velveeta offers. I made Kevin's mac and cheese for this meeting with some last minute help from Ms. Ingie. People were licking the plates clean and eagerly taking extras home. It was also the most expensive mac and cheese I ever made. The andouille was over $20! Yet, it really was very, very good.

Regards,