lobster

A Maine Lobsta Dinnah

August 6, 2015

After our wonderful morning trip to ‘The Hub’ for mussels, we had the most amazing dinner. It was a wonderful way to experience Maine all together.

Elaine set the table full of plate, bowl, platters to serve us freshly cooked corn, steamed lobsters, sauteed garlicky kale, and mussels. And, of course, wine!

Prior to cooking the lobsters, we showed them to Autumn. She was interested but still very cautious of them. Understandably!!

While the lobsters and mussels cooked, Price and Autumn did some golf in the front yard.

And then the feasting began!!

This wild child loved loved the corn on the cob, strawberries, and crackers she munched on for dinner. She didn’t try any mussels or lobster, which didn’t surprise me, but she did check them out.

She cautiously held on to the lobster tail as she examined it. She picked it up and slowly rotated it in her hands as she checked out the shell. It slipped out of her hands and almost hit her face. Oh, poor thing looked so spooked!

There were some little pearls in the mussels that Price had picked for our dinner. One guy had like 12 pearls, but the majority of the mussels were pearl free and delicious.

We cooked up the mussels with some water, wine, and plenty of garlic. A little dip back into the briny broth after we removed the meat from the shells was all you needed before slurping them back.

Sometimes you just need to give your lobster claw with a big rock to crack it up. I insist it’s a much better technique than using a cracker. Louder, but much better! ha!

Dinner was thoroughly enjoyed!!

You can’t beat fresh seafood, good drinks, and wonderful company.

Lobster Eggs Benedict – Ceia Restaurant and Bar, Newburyport, MA

March 27, 2015

Just a few weekends ago I had such a fantastic brunch at Ceia Restaurant and Bar.

What was I doing way up in Newburyport?

I was getting to meet Carrie and Liz!!!!!!!

I have been talking to Carrie for ages and ages on social media, but have never met, although we live a little more an hour apart. Carrie introduced me to Liz when she invited me to brunch. So much fun.

Liz picked Ceia Restuarant and Bar for our brunch as we decided to meet in the middle of all of us. Liz lives nearby and enjoys going there for drinks and dinner so it sounded like a great pick. And it was!

Carrie ordered a Kobe Burger ($16). It’s a burger on a buttered focaccia bun and topped off with Serrano ham, manchego cheese, and a slice of tomato. All of their sandwiches are served with Duckfat fries. OMG! I snagged some and they were fantastic. It was the first time I had Duckfat fries, and I’m hooked now. Plus, they serve a house-made ketchup that is sweet, smokey, and creamy. One of the best homemade ketchups that I’ve ever had.

Liz stuck with the breakfast dishes and ordered the pancakes ($13). The pancakes were studded with black walnuts and thinly chopped pear, and served with with fresh maple syrup. The pancakes were cooked in Candy Cap Oil, which is actually oil infused with forged mushrooms, but has a maple flavor to it. Pretty cool.

Carrie ordered a mimosa and I ordered a Bloody Mary as our brunch bevies. The Bloody Mary was good, but I felt it it was missing something, spicy maybe? Plus, I thought it was ‘weak’. Similarly, Carrie thought her mimosa was too.

I had considered ordering the Shirred Eggs entree but when I saw they had a Lobster Benedict ($18) I just knew it was the thing I couldn’t resist. I mean how could I?!?

Poached Lobster, poached eggs, and a thick slice of Tomato set atop an English Muffin. And then a Spicy Hollandaise was drizzled on top. Then some dressed arugula was piled on top all of that.

It all just sounded too good.

And it really, really was so good.

The serving of the lobster was generous and cooked perfectly. As well, the poached eggs were just about perfect. The addition of the tomato and arugula was enjoyable as they added to the flavor and texture of the dish. The arugula added a bit of a pop to it all. The only disappointing element of the dish were the English Muffins. It seemed that they had forgotten to be toasted, or if they were it was done so lightly that the insides still seemed doughy. Yes, I could have requested new English muffins but I didn’t as I didn’t feel that I missed out on the overall experience of the dish but leaving them to the side. Plus, there still was a great side of hash browns to be enjoyed.

The side of potatoes were amazing. I loved how crunchy they were. They were a great vehicle for the ketchup that was served along side of them. That ketchup was unreal. I typically notice a heavy molasses or vinegar taste in homemade ketchups but this didn’t have either distinct flavor. It was a great consistency and well balanced.

Brunch with great food and great company is always fantastic. I can’t wait to meet up with Carrie and Liz again. And I highly suggest going to Ceia in Newburyport to satisfy your eggs benedict craving.

Rating

English Muffin– 13/20 pts

Lobster and Tomato– 20/20 pts

Poached Egg– 23/25 pts

Spicy Hollandaise- 24/25 pts

Homefries and ketchup– 9/10 pts

Total: 89/100 pts

Ceia Restaurant and Bar

38 State Street

Newburyport, MA 01950

978.358.8112

Enjoying Brunch at Boston Chops with Boston Brunchers

August 13, 2014

I just love to go out for brunch. It’s the relaxed fit and feel of brunch that I love. I mean that I love that you can order whatever… eggs- sure, club sandwich- yep, pancakes- why not?, burger- definitely.I love that flexibility because I’m kinda horrible when it comes to making a decision to eat. More options might scare people but I like to have lots of options to at the last-minute, when the waiter is staring at me go “errr, ummm, I’llTakeTheChickenandWaffles! phew!”

I recently felt that same sense of delightful overwhelm mixed with a great sense of relief when I ordered my incredible brunch entrée at Boston Chops. I was out with a group of Boston Brunchers so I reigned in my indecisiveness and carefully narrowed down my brunch entrée to 2 things so I could just go ‘eeny meeny miny moe’ in my head at the last-minute. (yes, I am a child).

It’s just that they have such a great brunch menu that it was so tough to decide on what to get. Our waitress, Lindsay, was incredible as she was attentive and so well-informed that she was extremely helpful with the ordering process. Her passion for her job and food was clear as she described each element of each dish was inquired about. I couldn’t decide between the Croque Monsieur ($13-$17 w/ 2 eggs) or the Surf and Turf but from Lindsay’s descriptions of the Surf and Turf had me sold.

As part of the brunch we got some goodies to kick things off.

Homemade Sticky Buns! The mini buns ($7) were light and fluffy and the sticky bun sauce was sweet without giving you a toothache. I enjoyed

The table also ordered a dozen Island Creek Oysters ($29). The 2 plates of oysters were served with wedges of lemon, horseradish, cocktail sauce, and mignonette. I did not have any as I don’t like oysters but those who did have them really enjoyed them.

Homemade Donuts ($7) reminded me more of churros. They were crisp, crunchy, and sugary. The I could have drunk that velvety chocolate sauce.

I can never pass up an oportunity to enjoy a cocktail with bourbon, so I select the Maple Berry Smash ($11) as my brunch beverage. The mix of Bourbon, maple syrup, seasonal berries, and herbs made a lovely combination. The maple went well with the sweet and smokey nature of the Bourbon. The berries made it bright while the herbs rounded it all out to add the ‘wow’ element.

After everyone enjoyed the starters the entrees were served. Plates ranged from the Huevos Rancheros ($15) to the Turkey Sandwich ($13) to the “Surf & Turf” ($23). I was down right giddy when my Surf and Turf arrived in front of me. It was quite a sight to be hold with its 4 ounce beef tournedo, poached egg, lobster claws, asparagus, and Hollandaise Sauce.

The piece of beef so tender that I was able to use a butterknife to cut it. It was cooked to a perfect medium rare but I felt it could have used a bit of char to add more texture, flavor as I felt it was a bit underseasoned.

The farm fresh egg was cooked perfectly so that the white was firm and the yolk was bright and perfectly runny.

Alternating bites of the steak, egg, and lobster with the grits made for a lucious brunch.

Lobster Grits. Be still my heart.

There was actually a goof when they brought the entrée to the table- no grits! I was thinking ‘hmm maybe the grits portion is like the sauce, really rich so there is just a spoonful hidden somewhere under the steak?’ Nope, our plates were missing them so they rushed back and brought us these lovely mini dutch ovens filled with the grits. I’m actually glad that they were served separately, as they normally would have been placed on the plate with everything else on top, because this allowed for the complex layered flavors of the grits to shine on their own and not get muddled up with the egg yolk and Hollandaise. If I ever order this again I would actually ask for it this way.

Well, be still my heart. These grits were the best grits I ever ate! Maybe it was the lobster? The butter? The cheese? Oh God! They were so rich and creamy I gobbled up the whole thing. I just knew I wouldn’t enjoy them as much reheated at home so I just dug down deep and enjoyed the last few spoonfuls of the grits before leaning back in the booth in stuffed bliss. (I did a LONG walk with the dog later!)

This is why runny eggs and Hollandaise are my best friends. No wait, they are the devil and angel that sit on my shoulders. But who is who? I’ll never tell!

Houston, we have a problem.

Not only am I offended that this mirror is for jolly green giants but I’m offended as a designer. But who in their right mind thought it was okay to put the bottom of the miror at 4′-6″?? I would never think that was okay when I was designing it or installing it.

But don’t worry Boston Chops, I won’t hold the greatly mislocated mirror against you! I will be back and next time I’ll get a Croque Monsieur!

Boston Chops

1375 Washington Street

Boston, MA

617-227-5011

___________________

While I received this complimentary brunch in exchange for a review, all options expressed are my own.

8.23-25: Weekend Recap

August 26, 2013

{Friday Night} leave work early | Price gets home late | get take out pizza | dinner | work on Project Life | relax & watch TV | bed

{Saturday} Kemper was up early | shower & get ready | pack up the car | left over pizza for breafast | leave around 7am | sleep in the car | Greenwich at 10.15am | hang at the boat waiting for family to come | boat ride to The Cove, lunch, newphews swimming around, ride around the islands in the Sound | last minute grocery shopping | dinner- hamburgers, sausage, salads, lobsters, ice cream cake | play around for hours | get towels and talk with my sister | back to the boat | bed

{Sunday} up early | lounge around | breakfast sandwiches from The Firehouse Deli | leave Greenwich at 10am | Sonic for drinks | get rabbit pellets at Sweet Meadow Farm | Price gets workboots | home & unpack the car | drop Price off at work | grocery shopping for the week | lounge/nap time | laundry | work on Project Life | make pumpkin roll | pick up Price from work | blogging | MTV VMA’s | redline drawings | bed

Lobster Mac And Cheese

July 12, 2013

I have been determined to make lobster for this week’s Sprint Cup Snacks recipe for this weekend’s NASCAR race at Loudon International Raceway. in New Hampshire. Must have lobster when in New England. It’s a given! But my challenge was to make something that both Price and I would enjoy since he is pretty indifferent to lobster when I L-O-V-E it.

Often it works out well that Price is ‘meh’ about lobster and I love it (although I do feel super guilty about eating them now that I read the most amazing book called The Secret Life of Lobsters where I learned that our tasty ocean bug friends are at least 7 yrs old before gracing our dining tables…) since he will put them in the pot for me. I just can’t!

We typically do grilled steak and lobster… so I get the surf and he gets the turf… but I wanted to change things up so I had to go a searchin’ for something so mouth-watering that Price could not resist regardless of our royal red friend. Ultimately I found the best recipe… drum roll please… Lobster Mac and Cheese.

This was a very rich, luscious mac and cheese. Plus it was studded with lobster! If you don’t like lobster then skip it since the mac and cheese base is great anyway, but really, it is so worth it to add the lobster.

PS- I learned my local grocery store steams lobsters for you for Free!!! I highly suggest you check with your grocery store because it’s a total GAME CHANGER!

Lobster Mac And Cheese

Makes 4 generous servings

Ingredients

1/2 pound cavatappi or campanelle pasta
1/2 pound lobster meat
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
1 1/4 cups half & half
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon dry mustard
1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs

Process

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cook the pasta to al dente according to the package directions.
In a very large skillet, combine the butter and flour on medium low heat. Stirring constantly until the rue is golden brown. Add about half of the half & half to the mixture and stir to remove the lumps from the rue. Stir in half of the cheese. Once the cheese has melted into the sauce, add in the rest of the half & half, cheese, and the seasonings. Continue to work together until the sauce is evenly incorporated together.
Add the cooked pasta and chopped lobster into the cheese sauce and toss to combine.
Pour into a oven-safe casserole dish or 4 individual oven-safe baking dishes and then top with bread crumbs. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Slightly adapted from Baked By Rachel