Monthly Meals: August 2007

I grew up on the West Coast, where we have good access to delicious Alaskan crab. However, since Ted and I spent a large chuck of August on the East Coast, I’d like to highlight lobster for this month’s meal.

There’s an ethical component to eating lobster. There’s a strongly divided opinion about whether or not lobsters can feel pain, with PETA falling on one side of the debate and the Lobstermen Association on the other. The question of a lobster’s capacity for pain hasn’t been answered yet, click here if you’re interested in reading more about it. Either way you choose, make sure you educate yourself on both sides of the issue before you make a decision.

Typically, lobsters are cooked alive by being dropped into a pot of boiling water. Also, the shipping and storing of live lobsters prior to their sale brings up many questions. Whole Foods decided last year to ban the sale of live lobsters at their stores, even after experimenting with alternative storing methods. They do still sell frozen raw and cooked lobster, allowing consumers to make their own decisions.

I will only eat lobster during our trips to New England for two reasons. First, I haven’t the slightest idea of how to cook or prepare a raw lobster, and I’m not interested in learning. And second, every summer when we venture East, the lobster we buy has come directly from the fishing boats to the market, where they’re prepared on site. This results in incredibly fresh lobster, and my feeling is that if lobsters do indeed suffer, at least this way it’s brief.

Besides, eating lobster with our East Coast family has become a favorite tradition, so I’m going to continue to do so. And if you also decide that eating lobster is works for you, here are some tips and some great accompaniments.

MAIN DISH

Lobster with Melted Butter

Honestly, I’m not sure how to prepare or cook lobster. We always buy it pre-cooked and pre-cracked, which takes most of the work out of it. Eating lobster is still an endeavor, as you can see from these directions. No matter how you look at it, eating lobster is a lot of work. It’s good thing they’re so delicious.

I prefer to do all of the work upfront, making a little pile of lobster meat on a plate and discarding the shell before I start to eat. Our family calls this the “piling” method, as opposed to the less satisfying “picking” method. Though you have to wait longer to being eating, piling is always worth the wait.

To eat lobster, follow the instructions above, and be prepared to get messy. Also, don’t be afraid to dip the meat in lots of melted butter. When you’re finished eating, after you’ve sucked the meat from the last of the legs and scoured the shell to make sure you haven’t missed anything, you should feel like you need a shower. That’s a good sign you’ve done it right.

SIDE DISH

Corn On the Cob

Buy one ear of good organic corn for each person. In a pot large enough to accommodate the corn, fill to about 3/4 full with water and set it on the stove to boil. While you’re waiting, shuck the corn cobs. I like to trim the ends before I shuck the corn, it makes removing the shuck fibers easier. Rinse the cobs to clean them.

Once the water is at a rapid boil, place corn cobs in the water. They will cook quickly, in five minutes or so, so keep an eye on the pot. When the corn is done, remove cobs from the pot and serve. If you’d like, you can spread butter on each cob before serving. I usually leave it up to each person to decide if they want their corn buttered or not.

Though corn does cook quickly, boiling the water will take some time. Be sure to plan ahead.

SIDE DISH

Brown Bread

B & M makes a delicious brown bread that comes in a can. I like their Brown Bread with Raisins. But it’s not organic, not even close. So, it’s a better bet to make the brown bread yourself. This recipe is based on one I found at Epicurious.com, and it’s delicious.

Brown bread is made using leftover cans, such as those containing soup, beans, or similar fare. After cleaning two leftover cans thoroughly and removing the labels, the batter is poured into the greased cans and baked in a pan of water. When the cans are done and cool, the bottom of the can is removed with a can opener, and the firm bread is pushed out.

INGREDIENTS

-1 Tbsp. butter, for greasing
-1 1/2 cups brown-bread flour*
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1/3 cup dark molasses
-1 cup milk
-1/2 cup dried raisins

*Brown-bread flour is made from equal parts whole wheat flour, rye flour, and cornmeal. If you can’t find brown-bread flour at the store, you can always make the mixture yourself.

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 325ºF. Using a paper towel, grease inside of two clean cans with butter.

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir in milk and molasses. When thoroughly mixed, fold the raisins into the batter.

Fill the cans about 2/3 full with batter. Cover the top of the cans with foil, and tie baking twine around the top to make each can airtight.

Place the cans in a deep baking dish. Fill the dish with boiling water, until it reaches halfway up the side of the cans. This will steam the bread.

After placing the baking dish in the oven, allow the bread too steam for two hours. Check the water level after an hour or so, and add more boiling water if it’s getting low. To check for doneness, insert a long toothpick or a skewer into the center of a can, right through the foil. If it comes out clean, the bread is done.

After taking the baking dish out of the oven, remove baking twine and foil. The cans will need an hour to cool before you can remove the bread, so put them on a baking rack. When they’re cool, use a can opener to remove the bottom of the cans, and push the bread out.

To serve, slice the bread and serve it with butter. If you’d like to warm the bread before serving, wrap the bread in foil and place them in a warm oven for several minutes.

DESSERT

Baked Figs with Brown Sugar and Cinnamon

INGREDIENTS

-1 1/2 TBSP. butter, at room temperature*
-8 black mission figs, ripe but firm
-a few drops of lemon juice
-a few pinches of lemon zest
-1 cup water
-2 TBSP. brown sugar
-½ tsp. ground cinnamon

*If you’re feeling buttered out after the lobster and brown bread, omit the butter from this recipe. If you opt to do this, mix the lemon juice and zest with the brown sugar, topping the figs with this mixture.

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 325ºF. Trim stems from figs and slice lengthwise, leaving skin on. In an oven-proof dish, arrange figs cut side up, so the edges are touching.

In a small cup or dish, mix room-temperature butter, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Spoon a dollop of this mixture on top of each fig. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over figs, and place in oven.

Bake for about 30 minutes. Figs will be done when they’re soft and tender. Sprinkle with cinnamon, and allow to cool before serving.

Serve figs alone, or spoon them warm over vanilla ice cream.

MUSIC

Album: Led Zeppelin, Houses of the Holy

When I think back to what we listened to the most this August, it was Led Zeppelin. While I think the album III got more play on my iPod, “Over the Hills and Far Away” from Houses of the Holy is the song that I listened to almost nonstop this month. Actually, the one song I may have played more was “Hey Hey (What Can I Do),” which is unfortunately one of the only songs that the band opted not to include on an album. What were they thinking? Anyway, Houses of the Holy is the perfect CD for this August, and how can you go wrong with some lobster and a little “D’yer Ma’ker?” It’s the perfect way to enjoy the last days of summer.