Ah, crab cakes. Decadent, savory, with all the salty-sweet flavors of the sea. I'm pretty much addicted to them, but I rarely eat them because of how expensive they are. Either you spend $20 a pound buying crab to make them yourself, or you spend $15 for two tiny cakes at a restaurant. No matter which you choose, you're spending big bucks on something I could wolf down in two seconds. Sometimes I just have to splurge, but other times, when the craving hits, something a little more economic might be just what I need.
Enter imitation crab. Listen, folks, don't knock it 'till you've tried it. It may not be real crab, but it's made with real fish, and it's pretty darn tasty. If they use it at upscale Japanese sushi bars, it's good enough for me! My grandmother and I tried using it in crab cakes one day a few summers ago, and we were shocked at how delicious they were! No, they won't taste exactly like real crab cakes, but they are very, very good and will cost you a lot less. Rejoice, penny-pinchers, frugalistas, and poor college kids! Crab cakes are at long last accessible.
