More information than you ever needed to know about our backboneless, hard-shelled crustacean friends…... Read More
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What is it about the memory or prospect of a lobster meal that evokes an emotional response most refer to as love? We are not talking about ‘like,’ nor ‘prefer,’ not even an, “Okay, I guess I’ll have the lobster tonight,” kind of response– but deep expressions of love?
Is it because lobster is decadent and a treat? Is it because it is so delicious an emotional connection is made in our memory? From annual family vacations to renaming holidays, we have found that people feel strongly about their love of lobster. We had a laugh finding all types of expressed lobster love, while some stories left us wondering just how far people will go for some lobster!
Lobster can inspire some to make sacrifices, both personally and in food preferences. One cold-weather hater feels sad in extreme temps, but contemplates year-round living in a place like Boston if regularly eating lobster rolls were a part of the equation. In “I Love Me Some Lobster,” we learn our worst fears can be overcome with some 10-legged crustaceans on our plates as motivation. While another says they love eating lobster no matter what. It doesn’t matter how lobster is prepared (boiled, steamed, or grilled), or served (in ravioli or on a roll), just serve the fresh “Catch of the Day!”
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How does one actually “do the deed” to get a live lobster from a lobster pot to plate? Off the boat and straight into a boiling pot? Steam it? Freeze it to slow its metabolism first? Or do you first cut through the head with a knife? Do you place it in cold seawater and slowly bring it up to the boil? Everyone seems to have an opinion that varies more than you might assume.
One of the most acclaimed and thoroughly written accounts of lobster, from historical facts through modern-day animal-rights activism and economical impacts, David Foster Wallace’s “Consider the Lobster” sheds light on both sides of the lobster cooking debate. He explores the biology and common inner turmoil behind preparing live lobster, allowing the reader enough information to come to their own conclusion. One reader really enjoyed learning more about lobsters than Wallace probably ever imagined! In, “Fan Me With Your Flippers,” we see a humorous side to lobster courtship–personified. [click to continue…]
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Here at Fine Lobster we have fun with our favorite crustacean for it isn’t just an excellent source of protein in a delicious meal. The American culture embraces the love of lobster and it shows in many different and imaginative ways.
We enjoy lobster jokes, lobster games, our favorite Friends episode in which Phoebe shared her lobster-love theory, lobster bicycles, lobster reality shows—heck, we even love lobster jewelry.
We keep a close tab on all things lobster and here are a few favorites:
• You might wonder why Paul of Rock Lobster Cycles in Santa Cruz, California, named his custom bicycle frame company after lobster. While he describes mountain biking as, “…pretty much chaotic and random,” he also does the song “Rock Lobster” released in 1979 by the band B-52’s that is the source of his inspiration. However, this man is not only passionate about building custom bike frames for elite professionals and amateurs alike, he’s now selling logo socks that claim, “Almost better than bacon,” and we could not have said it better.
• Nothing is more fun than catching your own live lobster table-side! The Maine Lobster Game company makes and sells lobster tanks with catching mechanisms that diners can actually play to catch their own lobster! These games are a hit for restaurants nation-wide, and Fine Lobster always recommends enjoying freshly cooked live lobster.
• Beginning in August this year, The Discovery Channel launched a reality television show featuring New England’s infamous lobstermen; the men of multi-generational family lobster fishing legacy as they battle the sea, the seasons, and each other to catch lobster. Our favorite part of the Lobster Wars is not only watching the show but playing the online game to test our lobster knowledge! How many points can you score? [click to continue…]
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Lobsters are only for catching, sizing, banding, boiling or steaming, and enjoying as a delicious meal, right? What else can live lobsters do other than quickly appear on our plates as the main event? You might be surprised to learn how the great American lobster, Homarus americanus, is so much more than a meal.
1. Annual Maine Lobster Festival
In nearly every town you’ll find a July 4th parade complete with a marching band, a few floats, maybe even a town queen. Yet in Rockland, Maine, there is an entire festival dedicated to our favorite crustacean. From cooking contests and a big parade, to a crate race and crafts, when you see both people and pets dressed up as lobsters you’re nearly there! In 2010, the big event will take place August 4 to 8.
2. Attend Lobster College!
The Kenniston Hill Inn B&B, in Boothbay, Maine, hosts the annual Lobster College, a weekend of learning about and enjoying fresh lobster! The instructors come from the Lobster Institute at the University of Maine, and the weekend includes a boat trip and trap haul, classes on lobster biology and ecology, culinary lessons, and a visit to a working lobster wharf. This year’s college takes place September 17 to 20, 2009.
3. Annual Port of Los Angeles Lobster Festival
Lobster isn’t just an east-coast-thing as proven by the Port of Los Angeles Lobster Festival! With the tag line, “Come for the Feast, Stay for the Fun” who wouldn’t want to celebrate the greatest crustacean at an event that hosts meals, music, a parade, and pirate hunt! This year’s event is taking place September 18 to 20, 2009, when organizers will attempt to break the world record on Saturday, September 19, for serving the most seafood at an outdoor event. [click to continue…]
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Hundreds of coastal communities depend on the traditional, family-oriented history of lobstering. However, the biological factors that sustain lobster fisheries throughout the Maine region, and other US coastal areas, are poorly understood and often disobeyed. In recent years, many fisheries have collapsed in the Gulf of Maine. To safeguard further lob
ster fisheries from a similar fate, it is imperative to improve public knowledge through conservation, outreach, research and education.
For its part, the State of Maine has created laws and agencies to ensure the protection and promotion of Maine lobsters worldwide. Currently, it is seeking a Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) blue “eco-label” seal for Maine lobsters to assure consumers the lobster they enjoy was not over-fished or harvested in a way that harms the oceans.
Maine harvesters have been environmentally conscious and “eco friendly” for over 100 years, harvesting by hand one trap at a time to ensure quality lobster product, sustainable marine environments and overall lobster health. Some of the proper, regulated and sustainable Maine lobstering practices to follow are:
Tail Notching, which ensures that female lobsters with visible eggs cannot be harvested by “notching” her tail before releasing her. [click to continue…]
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Easy boiling, steaming and parboiling tips to prepare live lobster at home.
Enjoying fresh, moist lobster is a fine delicacy, and thankfully preparing a live lobster is rather easy! One warning any chef will share is that it is important to cook it immediately and to avoid over-cooking, and therefore drying out the delicate meat. A fresh and thoroughly cooked piece of lobster will be white in color, firm, and juicy. To prepare a lobster and k
eep it’s fresh from-the-sea flavor Fine Lobster recommends several traditional cooking techniques.
The easiest, most delicious way to cook a live lobster is by boiling as takes least amount of time. Start with a big pot and fill it with seawater (easy for those close to the ocean) or with water heavily salted, roughly about two gallons of water per three pounds of lobster. Thankfully, being crustaceans, they are similar to other arthropods (such as insects) and have a very primitive nervous system that lacks a cerebral cortex, or the part of the brain in humans that detects pain. Therefore, the best process is to place the live lobster head first into boiling water. An easy rule of thumb is to boil the lobster for about eight minutes per pound, and it will be cooked thoroughly but not over done. [click to continue…]
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Glazes are an easy way to add as much or as little extra flavor to a traditional burger. I like to drench my seafood burgers in glaze and always include extra for dipping. To mix it up even more, slice the burger as thin as possible and serve it over a bed of lettuce with the sauce drizzled everywhere. This is a great appetizer.If you like this recipe, you’ll be happy to know this technique also works with just about any fresh seafood. I highly recommend using the food processor to mince the seafood to the right consistency.... Read More
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You can use any bean you like to make this salad. I am partial to cannellini and chickpeas for their flavor. This is a great recipe for block parties. The lobster and shrimp are best served cold or at room temperature. If it is an adult party, add a dash of cayenne pepper to the salad and toss. Serve with ice cold beer and thinly sliced lemon wedges.... Read More{ 0 comments }
Are you planning a romantic dinner or something special for a friend and need to come up with a really easy recipe for two? …and perhaps you even want to save a little money but still want great flavor and impress your guest?... Read More{ 0 comments }
