6 crab bread recipes

Soft shell crabs stuffed with cheese, breaded, and baked in tomato sauce until crispy on top and melty inside. A Chesapeake Bay classic that's easier than frying.

Chilled pappa al pomodoro with crab meat crostini, a Tuscan bread-and-tomato soup served cold with a lemony crab-topped baguette float. An elegant no-cook summer appetizer that turns stale bread into something special.

New Orleans crab canapes: buttered toast rounds topped with creamy crab and gruyere-parmesan cheese balls, baked until bubbly. A classic French Quarter party appetizer.

Crab cakes with tomatillo salsa bind lump crabmeat with bread and egg white for a light crust, pan-seared and topped with tangy diced tomatillo-lime salsa. Southwest-style seafood dinner.

Deep-fried jalapeno halves packed with seasoned crab meat, garlic, and cayenne, double-breaded in cracker meal for an extra-crunchy shell. Spicy, crispy, and wildly addictive.

Moroccan fava bean puree (bessara): dried favas simmered with garlic and cumin, blended with olive oil, served with Arab bread and a cumin-cayenne spice dip.