Memories set sail with Old Bay.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)

Old Bay isn't a seasoning I use often, but it is one I think about from time to time.

I want a can in the pantry just because there ought to be one there. It is a manly thing, I believe. It's all about the stubby rectangle cans, like the old black pepper cans and the ornate cans of curry. I don't use them much, either, but I have them, nevertheless.

They're strong and stout. It's comforting.

Old Bay, my imagination tells me, is a blustery seafaring spice. Not the open sea but the wide bay waters of the Chesapeake where people have a funny accent and eat a lot of crabs. Where they wear rain hats with the front brim turned up and water cascades ...