I have a weakness for crabs. And when I have my heart set on having a crab, I will go to great extents to get one. Fiona has been my accomplice for several crab-finding missions in exotic locations, including Hunstanton and Poole. I must also add that without Texperts (66000), I would have been crab-less and broken hearted in Dorset last January.

But, now that I live in Vancouver, buying crabs doesn't have to be something reserved for trips to strange seaside resorts (I know the fish-man in Cambridge market sells crab, but he scares the crap out of me). I have an excellent fishmonger just round the corner, with a regular supply of Dungeness crabs. I bought a mightly 2lb specimen in order to make some crab cakes, following a simple recipe that let the flavour of the crab shine through, without being overwhelmed. The use of Panko Flakes instead of ordinary breadcrumbs helped make them fantastically crispy on the outside.