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Wow--thickly tomato, piquant, lush with seafood, and with the soft bite of barley: this is an excellent and hearty soup from America's west coast. Many thanks to Reiko Callner of Olympia, Washington, for contributing the recipe. She's an attorney who puts her brain into good causes and her heart into dance and culture on the side. She counsels that Dungeness crab is superb, but my version with Chesapeake blues wasn't a bit bad either. Reiko correctly describes this soup as "luscious...all it takes is money." Serve hot as a meal to 4-6 lucky people, bread and salad on the side.

• 6 Tablespoons butter
• 3/4 cup onion, chopped
• 3/4 cup celery with leaves, chopped
• 4 cups clam juice (fish or other seafood stock is fine, including making a stock out of the shrimp and crab shells)
• 1 14-ounce can tomatoes, cut up and with juice
• 1 and 1/2 cups tomato juice
• 2 Tablespoons dry sherry
• 1/4 cup pearl barley
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon Old Bay (seafood) seasoning
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled between your palms when adding
• 1 garlic clove, pressed
• 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 pound crab meat
• salt and pepper

When ready to serve, add the shrimp and crab meat to the soup. Simmer until the shrimp are cooked through, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately..