Lobster Gram Gourmet Recipes

A Peanut Butter Pie for Mikey

2011-08-16T07:10:00.000-07:00

This morning, while I was looking over blog updates and reviewing the newest recipes on FoodBuzz, I starting seeing a number of posts about Peanut Butter Pie for Mikey. After seeing it for the third or fourth time, I had to see what it was all about. What I found, was absolutely heartbreaking. I found myself on the blog of Jennifer Perillo, In Jennie's Kitchen.
This past Sunday, Jennifer lost her husband, Mikey to a sudden heart attack. Unexpectedly, his young life was cut short on a sunny Sunday, and his wife and daughters are left to try and cope with their tremendous loss.
Peanut Butter Pie was Mikey's favorite. Jennifer was going to make it for him...just as soon as she found the time. Maybe for his birthday...maybe when things were not as hectic.
That hit me right there. Far, far too close to home.
I have already lost several people in my life who are close to me, and I should know better than to put things off for another day. That day can so easily never come about.
It's been getting worse over the last few months. I seemingly have had time for nothing.
I am getting married in six weeks. There are plans to be made, phone calls to make and vendors to coordinate. There are honeymoon plans to review, rental cars to pick up and alterations that need to be scheduled.
So little time to sit down together, enjoy a conversation that does not end in a to-do list.
That's changing tonight.
Tonight, we are not going to worry about who needs to do what.
We won't assemble centerpieces or count down how many tomorrows we have to "waste" until we are married.
Tonight, we are going to go home, prepare a meal together and enjoy what we have right now, a bonded friendship, a deep mutual respect and a constant admiration of each other that is the reason we are solidifying what we share.
Tomorrow will come soon enough, and six weeks will pass in the blink of an eye. Tonight, we will make dinner, and share a Peanut Butter Pie.
I don't even want to put off making it until Friday. I want to share it with the man I love tonight and be grateful that we have shared so much, and have so much to be excited for. The present, just as much as the future.

From: In Jennie's Kitchen Creamy Peanut Butter Pie

Serves 10 to 12

8 ounces chocolate cookies

4 tablespoons butter, melted

4 ounces finely chopped chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup chopped peanuts

1 cup heavy cream

8 ounces cream cheese

1 cup creamy-style peanut butter

1 cup confectioner's sugar

1 – 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Add the cookies to the bowl of a food processor and pulse into fine crumbs. Combine melted butter and cookie crumbs in a small bowl, and stir with a fork to mix well. Press mixture into the bottom and 1-inch up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave. Pour over bottom of cookie crust and spread to the edges using an off-set spatula. Sprinkle chopped peanuts over the melted chocolate. Place pan in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.

Pour the heavy cream into a bowl and beat using a stand mixer or hand mixer until stiff peaks form. Transfer to a small bowl and store in refrigerator until ready to use. Place the cream cheese and peanut butter in a deep bowl. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and gradually beat in the confectioner's sugar. Add the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract and lemon juice. Increase speed to medium and beat until all the ingredients are combined and filling is smooth.

Stir in 1/3 of the whipped cream into the filling mixture (helps lighten the batter, making it easier to fold in the remaining whipped cream). Fold in the remaining whipped cream. Pour the filling into the prepared springform pan. Drizzle the melted chocolate on top, if using, and refrigerate for three hours or overnight before serving.

Images from Mini Crab Cake Stuffed Filet Cut Rib Eye Steaks

2011-05-27T08:32:00.001-07:00

FINALLY! It's Memorial Day weekend! I know I am going to be doing some grilling over the weekend but, until I get to that, I just have to share these pictures from preparing the Mini Maryland Crab Cake Stuffed Filet Mignon for the Memorial Day Staycation. These pictures make me so antsy to get home and do some grilling! I hope everyone out there has a happy and safe Memorial Day Weekend!

Tutorial Tuesday- Filet Cut Rib Eye Steaks Stuffed with Mini Maryland Crab Cakes

2011-05-24T12:55:00.000-07:00

It's almost Memorial Day weekend! Three blissful days off of work and out of the office that should be used for soaking up the sun, grilling and generally enjoying yourself.
Memorial Day has meant the beginning of something special for Lobster Gram...not only is it the official kick off of Summer Grilling Season, it marks the official start of Lobster Gram's Third Annual Staycation Series!
This year, we start with our Memorial Day Staycation recipe: Filet Cut Rib Eye Steaks stuffed with Mini Maryland Style Crab Cakes. This recipe is fast, easy to enjoy and for a limited time, if you order the four 8 oz Filet Cut Rib Eye Steaks, we will send you one dozen Mini Maryland Style Crab Cakes to either stuff in your steaks, or enjoy as an appetizer FREE!
How easy is this recipe? Watch the video below of Dan "The Lobster Man" , Founder of Lobster Gram creating the very same recipe in his own kitchen and see for yourself!

Recipe: Mini Crab Cake Stuffed Filet Cut Rib Eye Steaks
Ingredients

Four 8 oz Filet Cut Rib Eye Steaks
Eight .75 oz Mini Maryland Style Crab Cakes

Directions
Melt clarified butter in a saute pan on high. Once the butter is heated, unwrap the crab cakes and place them one by one into the pan. Once all crab cakes are added, cook for two minutes and then flip with a spatula. Cook for another two minutes on the other side. Once the cakes have a light brown coat, remove them from the pan and let them rest on a plate until the steaks are stuffed. (It's also helps to eat a few crab cakes to get your appetite ready!)
Preheat your grill to high while preparing the steaks. Remove each steak from it's vacuum sealed pouch and pat dry. Holding the steak on it's side, gently cut a pouch into the steak going directly to the center. Be careful not to cut the steak in half. Once the cut has been made, take 2 crab cakes and stuff the pouch. Try to get all of the crab cake inside the cake so it does not dry out. Repeat with the three other steaks.
Once all steaks are stuffed, place them on the grill and grill with cover on until steaks are cooked to your liking. Let steaks rest 10 minutes before serving with an ice cold beer!

Super Jumbo Live Maine Lobsters

2011-05-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again friends and foodies...
Father's Day is just around the corner, and Lobster Gram has brought back the ever popular "Big Daddy" Lobster dinner with 3lb Super Jumbo Live Maine Lobsters!
Shopping for a Dad that has everything? This is the answer to your shopping quandary!
Here is a video of Dan "The Lobster Man" of Lobster Gram preparing two Super Jumbo Live Maine Lobsters, and two one pound live Maine Lobsters to show you the difference.
Check it out! A little later today, I'll post some of the still images from this Lobster Feast!
Bon appetite foodies, and have a wonderful weekend!

Forte' Fat: Kobe Beef Steak and Main Lobster Tails

2011-05-05T12:56:00.000-07:00

Forte' Fat: Kobe Beef Steak and Main Lobster Tails: "42 years ago and 9ish months (September 1968), a 16 year old Surfer girl and boy went to go see Planet of the Apes at a drive-in after a day..."

The Spicy Lobster Boil Tea Towel

2011-05-03T13:59:00.001-07:00

Lobster Gram just began carrying a limited number of new Lobster Kitchen Accessories to our web site for Mother's Day and we had one item in particular I just fell in love with. It's a simple tea towel for the kitchen (see: Kitchen towel, Dish rag etc.)that has one major difference.
A Recipe...for a Spicy Lobster Boil printed right there on the towel. No...really! It's an incredibly useful kitchen item that doubles as a recipe card. Who knew kitchen towels could mutli-task?
And it's cute to boot...
See what I mean? I know I'm picking up a few to add to my lobster kitchen collection.
And for those of you who are unsure what a spicy Lobster Boil is, here is the recipe.
Bon Appetite foodies. Don't forget Mom this Sunday!

Spicy Lobster Boil Recipe from the Tea Towel

Ingredients
3 gallons of water
2 large onions, quartered
10 cloves of peeled and cut garlic
2 lemons, sliced
2 oranges, sliced
5 stalks celery, chopped
6 fresh Jalapeno Peppers
4 tbs Sea Salt
4 tbs Black Pepper

Directions
Fill a large pot with the water. Add all remaining ingredients and bring to a full rolling boil for 20 minutes. Add the Lobsters and cover the pot. Boil for another 15 minutes. Remove lobsters and rinse with cold water.

Sunday Dinner Images- Chateaubriand and Chateau Potatoes

2011-04-25T10:46:00.001-07:00

Sunday dinner at it's very best... Classic French Chateaubriand with Chateau Potatoes. Happy Monday Foodies :)

Wordless Wednesday- Bison New York Strip Steaks and Boiled Salt Potatoes with Veal Demi Glace and Glazed Carrots

2011-03-23T10:45:00.003-07:00

Classic Maine Lobster Rolls from Lobster Gram

2011-03-18T11:59:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon friends and foodies! It's Friday and it's a gorgeous day here in Chicago! Every year when spring rolls around (first official day of spring is Sunday!) Lobster Grammers start craving that classic New England favorite...the Lobster Roll.
There are literally dozens of ways people prepare Lobster Rolls. Some use nothing but lobster meat and clarified butter, others use mayonnaise.
At Lobster Gram, we have used a single Lobster Roll recipe since 1987. Other variations were still good...but they were not the lobster rolls we spend all winter dreaming about.
So, in the spirit of sharing this spring, here is the Classic Lobster Gram Maine Lobster Roll Recipe. Bon Appetite!

Classic Maine Lobster Rolls
-1 lb. (1-1/2 cups) cooked lobster meat, thawed
-1/4 cup green onion, chopped
-1/2 cup celery, chopped
-1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
-1 Tsp. lemon juice
-1 Tsp. Worcestershire sauce
-1/3 cup mayonnaise
-1/3 cup sour cream
-salt & pepper to taste

To make Lobster Rolls
Combine ingredients well, let stand 20 minutes for flavors to mix completely.
With 4 long French or hoagie-style sandwich rolls, slice the bread lengthwise, hollow out the inside of the bread, and toast or grill until slightly crunchy on the outside. Spoon in the lobster filling and it's ready. Serve with crunchy potato chips, side salad and lemonade or a hearty beer.

Wordless Wednesday- Triple Bean Vanilla Cake

2011-03-16T08:06:00.000-07:00

Tutorial Tuesday- Making Lobster Tails As Seen on TV

2010-12-06T08:13:00.000-08:00

Dan "The Lobster Man" Zawacki is here with another great tutorial on how to prepare beautifully butterflied and baked Maine Lobster tails in the comfort of your own home.

I Have a New Favorite Bakery, and You Should Too!

2010-11-29T12:31:00.001-08:00

Good morning friends and foodies! I hope everyone of you had a relaxing Thanksgiving weekend!
My weekend was great. It was my very last weekend off for December, so I decided to spend it relaxing as much as possible and relaxation now involves a trip to my new favorite bakery near my house. Cookies Fresco.
Matt and I found this place a few weeks ago when I was getting out of the immediate care center. He wanted to make me feel better, and knew full well that a bakery would do the trick.
OMG did this place ever do the trick. Their hook was the sample of the Lemon Ricotta Cookie.
After one bite, I HAD to bring some home. They are the most moist, lemony, light cookie you could imagine with a delicate glaze on top that brings just a subtle pop of sweetness. Beware, once you try them, there is no walking away. That's why the sample is free. These people are brilliant.
So on the first visit, (after discussing a few wedding cake details with the owner!) we left with chocolate chip butter cookies, lemon ricotta cookies and gorgeous white chocolate shooters filled with the most dense, creamy raspberry mousse ever to grace a dessert plate. We were in foodie heaven. After we had gotten through all of our goodies, we knew it would only be a matter of time before we returned to try their other goods.
It took 9 days for us to go running back for more.
Saturday afternoon we are in the bakery once again trying to figure out what we should try. Obviously, we were never going to leave without another helping of the Lemon Ricotta Cookies and the mousse, but we wanted to try something savory. The answer? Fresh Focaccia and pretzel buns. I am a hopeless fool for a good fresh focaccia, and this one took the cake. I left the bakery with two of them actually. The one I kept for myself (but was forced to share with Matt, that's love right there) and the other is sitting here in the office on the snack table for the enjoyment of the Lobster Gram crew. From the looks of it, they enjoyed it a great deal because it was gone within minutes.
So with that, I will leave you with some images of the goodies. If you are in the area, drop by. The people are wonderful and really put a lot of time and effort into their products. You can always tell when someone loves their craft. It shows in everything they bring to their business and Cookies Fresco is a wonderful example of just such a place.

Wordless Wednesday- Braised Balsamic BBQ Pork Shanks

2010-11-03T07:19:00.000-07:00

New Products in the Lobster Gram test Kitchen

2010-10-28T12:10:00.001-07:00

Yeah...that's right. I'm trying to get your attention the cheap way! But it's for a good reason. I MUST tell people about this BBQ Pork Shank...

Today I was downstairs in the Lobster Gram test kitchen doing some cooking with Dan "The Lobster Man". Today, we prepared some some of our NEW line of heat & serve entrees to illustrate how dirt simple it is to make the most delicious cuts of meat and glazes you could ever hope to experience.
Personally, I'm Über excited about this new line for several reasons. Hopefully by the time I'm finished enumerating them, you will be excited too :)
1) It's literally easier than making Kraft Macaroni & Cheese. Heat water, throw bag in, wait, serve. Imagine having a gourmet feast that goes from freezer to table in 20 minutes flat.
2) The cuts and flavors that we are carrying are beyond delicious. These people are true masters of their craft and they take the time to make their glazes with all natural ingredients that come from trusted vendors.
3) With the choices that are available, I'm just going to stuff my freezer full of these for those "I can't cook tonight" fits that I get into. I will look like the ultimate domestic goddess every night of the week with the same recipe I use for tea. Woot...effort points for Nikki.
4) The meat is so tender, you can pull it from the bones using nothing more than two spoons. Yes...really, I have pictures to prove it. I didn't even believe it at first. Silly me.

So...now that I have talked them up sufficiently, here are some images from the Balsamic BBQ Pork Shank Dan & I prepared this morning.

Home Made Lobster Pot Pie (filling)

2010-10-11T07:59:00.001-07:00

I love the Fall. It's the time of year when everything becomes vibrant and the air becomes crisp.
I love warm sweaters and slow cooking meals filling my apartment with mouthwatering aromas. Despite the 80 degree weather we experienced here in Chicago over the weekend, I was determined to make an old favorite of mine that is perfect for taking the chill out of your bones. Home made Lobster Pot Pie. I admit, it had been a LONG time since I have made a pie of any kind, so I had to find a good crust recipe. The one I found looked good, but was really anything but. So I'll continue the search for the perfect savory pie crust recipe, and share with you instead the recipe for the most perfect lobster pot pie filling you can imagine. Also, the lobster in this recipe could easily be replaced with almost any white meat, so have at it! Happy eating foodies!

Lobster Pot Pie Filling
6 tbs salted butter
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1/2 cup chopped celery salt, black pepper, white pepper and garlic to taste
6 tbs flour
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup lactose free milk
2 cups unpeeled red potatoes, blanched in stock
1 cup diced carrots, blanched in stock
1 cup sweet peas
1 pound Maine Lobster Claw and Knuckle Meat, cooked and torn into bite-sized pieces

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees . Grease a rectangular Pyrex dish. In a large skillet, melt 6 tbs butter. Add the onions and celery and saute for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the flour and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes for a blond roux. Stir in the chicken stock and bring the liquid up to a boil. Reduce heat and continue to cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the sauce starts to thicken. Stir in the lactose free milk and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the potatoes, carrots, peas and lobster meat. Season with salt and pepper. Mix the filling thoroughly. If the filling is too thick, add a little water to thin out the filling. Pour the filling into the prepared pan. Place the crust on top of the filling. Carefully tuck the overlapping crust into the pan, forming a thick edge. Brush entire top layer with an egg wash for beautiful browning. Bake for 35-45 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

I have a New Nephew!

2010-10-01T07:13:00.001-07:00

As of yesterday afternoon, my only sister became a Mom. George Jacob was born Thursday, September 30th at 4:25pm weighing 7lbs 14 oz. He is absolutely perfect.
I was lucky enough to get to the hospital about 20 minutes before he was born and the family and friends that were gathered in the waiting room got to meet him just after 5.
Check out how cute this guy is...

Come on now... that's a gorgeous baby, and he looks just like my sister.
Great work guys. He is perfect.

Georgie meeting Oma for the first time.

Asian Style Kobe Flat Iron Steaks from Lobster Gram

2010-08-30T08:25:00.000-07:00

Weekends are supposed to be for relaxation.
When one is moving, planning a yard sale for Labor Day weekend and trying to plan a wedding all at the same time, it's used for anything BUT relaxation.
This weekend however, I made time for a new recipe I have never made before with a NEW steak from Lobster Gram. And it was FAN-FRICKEN-TASTIC.
For a very long time I have hoped that we would carry a steak like this, and now that it's here, I couldn't wait to use it for a fruit and meat pairing.
Kobe Flat Iron Steaks. That's right...KOBE.
A little history lesson on Kobe Beef:
Kobe beef is a term that refers to the breed known as Waygu cattle that has been raised by the strictest techniques known the world over.
These cattle are fed grain and beer on a daily basis and massaged to ensure the marbling and flavor make their way through the entire animal.
Actual Kobe Beef from Japan is very difficult to come by because land is so scarce in Japan, but in recent years, Waygu cattle have been brought to America and Australia and raised by the same strict Japanese standards that create the most memorable steak you will ever have.
And that is how these amazing steaks came to be at Lobster Gram.
So, in honor of the Asian inspired beef, I prepared Asian Style Orange Kobe Flat Iron Steaks with Orange White Rice.
Happy eating foodies!
Asian Style Orange Marinade for Kobe Flat Iron Steaks

*Makes enough marinade for four 8oz Steaks*

Ingredients
6 tbs Sweet Dark Vinegar
2 tbs Honey
1 tsp white pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbs fresh grated ginger root
1 tsp Chinese 5 Spice powder
1 Cup Orange Juice
2 tbs Finely grated orange rind
2 tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Four 8 oz Kobe Steaks

Directions
Combine all ingredients into a gallon sized zip-lock plastic bag. Shake well to combine. Place all four steaks in the bag and shake again to coat.
Place in refrigerator for 8-24 hours, turning the bag occasionally.
If you fear the bag may open in the refrigerator, place it inside a second bag.
Grill or broil the steaks to taste.
Serve with white rice.

Wordless Wednesday- BBQ

2010-08-25T14:09:00.000-07:00

The Vacation of Fantastic (FRIED) Food

2010-08-17T12:32:00.000-07:00

Hey there Friends and foodies. I'm finally able to post some pictures from my vacation the last week of July!
After sorting through my vacation pictures, I came to the conclusion that I miss southern food.
I LOVE the South. I have a lot of family in the south and have spent many summers with cousins grandparents soaking up the slow going ways of the south.
The food down there is amazing.
They still cook with lard, and it makes me weak at the knees.
So, here is a short presentation of some of the best foods we got our hands on while on Vacation in Tennessee. Happy eating foodies! I'll be posting more vacation goodies tomorrow!

This is a deep fried Oreo. Yes...you read that correctly. The order comes with three Oreos that are battered, deep fried and loaded up with powdered sugar. Eating all three I think is impossible, or requires a trained professional with a defibrillator near by. Just for the record, this was not what I ordered. What I ordered was even better...

The Fried Milky Way. I never knew this existed, and I wish I didn't now. Again, it's a plain candy bar battered and deep fried, then covered in powder sugar. In all honesty, I think I might have eaten half before my body was screaming for a salad or something. So worth it though.
Hand Made Peach Ice Cream from BBQ. The Best BBQ Place in Tennessee is half way up the side of a mountain next to a farmers market. They sell pulled pork, brisket, ribs and their sauce. They also have one type of Fried Pie (yes, this too is fried) and one type of hand made ice cream available. The flavor of both the pie and the ice cream are totally dependent upon what is abundant and fresh at the Farmer's Market next door. The fruit of choice the week we were on vacation, PEACH *SWOON*
This is the peach pie. I ordered two of them for Matt and I thinking they would be somewhere near the Hostess size, and walked away with two HUGE containers with this inside.
A Fried hand made peach pie covered in whipped cream with fresh peach ice cream.
After enjoying the most mouthwatering Brisket in the world, this is the perfect dessert.
This is the smoker that IS BBQ. BBQ is literally a stand. They have fryers in the back, and a smoker in the front. The food is assembled inside the hut. With food this good, I don't care where it comes from or where I eat it.
Last but most certainly not least, this cupcake came from a small bakery near Pigeon Forge that had the BEST baked goods I have had outside our dessert vendor. You choose your cupcake flavor and icing flavor, they will go in the back and choose a HUGE cupcake and cover it with FRESH butter cream frosting in any flavor. They will then drizzle it with any flavor they have that you want. The end result is a huge, messy, perfect cupcake. Also, the baker was the one who directed Matt and I to go find BBQ next to the Farmer's Market. We NEVER would have found it otherwise.
The cupcake was rocking, the cinnamon buns we got the morning we got engaged were even better (sorry for the lack of picture) but his advice, was the most precious of all...

His advice, lead us to this beautiful Brisket sandwich. The pulled pork was incredible as well, but I forgot to take that picture because I was so enamored of my sandwich.
The Sauce that BBQ makes is called Smokin the Pig. It's hands down,the BEST BBQ Sauce I have EVER had, and I usually make my own.
It was dark, thick, sweet and savory...it was heaven.
So much so, that I purchased 3 quarts of it to bring home as gifts.
There have been rave reviews all around since.
Well friends and foodies, that's my foodie vacation. Tomorrow I'll share some videos and pictures from the rest of vacation!

Scallop and Sweet Pea Risotto as a Celebration Dinner

2010-08-09T07:53:00.000-07:00

Good morning all!
It's been a while since my last recipe, but with the Vacation I took and catching up from that...time has been a little short.
Forgive me dear readers, I promise I have a REALLY good reason.
While on vacation (pictures and video will be up this week)...
I'm got engaged!
My boyfriend Matt (also known as the SO, the boy and the one who shoots my videos) and I will tie the knot in October 2011. Planning started almost immediately upon our return home, hence the shortage of time.
So, to celebrate our first night together without family and work insanity, Matt and I decided to make Scallop and Sweet Pea Risotto.
We shared a bottle of wine that was given to me by an awesome friend of mine, and enjoyed the evening of relaxation.
So, here is the recipe for that incredible dish.

Scallop and Sweet Pea Risotto

2 cups sweet peas (frozen or canned depending on preference)
6 cups chicken stock, heated
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
2 cups Arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 pound Sea Scallops, Thawed if Frozen

Directions
Put 1 cup peas and 1/3 cup chicken stock into a blender and blend until smooth; set aside. Place a large, deep skillet over medium heat and pour in 3 tablespoons olive oil. Add celery and shallots and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, until soft. Stir in rice, making sure to coat all the rice grains with the oil. Add wine and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Ladle in 1 cup of hot stock. Using a wooden spoon, stir gently until most of the stock has been absorbed. Keep adding stock, a cup at a time, and stirring. After about 10 to 15 minutes, test the rice. It should be cooked and creamy but still have a slight bite to it. (You may not need all of the stock.) Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the butter. Gently fold in the pea puree and remaining 1 cup whole peas. Taste for seasoning.
Remove from the heat and cover while you sear the scallops. Set a large nonstick saute pan over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Pat the scallops with paper towels to make sure they are very dry. Season on both sides with salt and pepper. Add scallops to pan, making sure not to overcrowd, and cook until they are nicely browned on both sides, about 4 to 8 minutes depending on the size of your scallops. Check the risotto and add a bit more stock if it has gotten too thick. In a shallow bowl or plate, make a nice mound of risotto and top with 3 or 4 scallops. Garnish with the Spring Green Salad, Parmesan, and olive oil. Serve immediately.

Easy Persian Lime Grilled Live Maine Lobsters

2010-07-02T11:59:00.000-07:00

The best foods in life are usually very simple to prepare.
If you start with great ingredients, you don't need to add much to get a great result.
One of the best "simple" recipes I use for lobster takes just one extra ingredient besides the lobster.
A bottle of Persian Lime Extra Virgin Olive Oil from The Olive Tap.
From start to finish, this recipe should really only take about 20 minutes.
The longest amount of time will be spent on bringing the water to a boil.
So, if you have a hankering for easy-peasy lobster with a lime-tastic flavor, use this recipe.

Lime Grilled Live Maine Lobsters

Two 1 1/2 lb Live Maine Lobsters
2 tbs Persian Lime Olive Oil

Directions
Bring a stock pot with enough water to cover both lobsters to a boil.
Once the water reaches a full rolling boil, throw the lobsters in head first and cover the pot.
Once the water returns to a full boil, set your timer for 5 minutes.
After five minutes, the lobsters will be undercooked, but it's time to pull them out and give them a cold water rinse to stop the cooking process.
Once the lobsters have cooled, remove the tail and arms from the body. Place the claws in a zip lock freezer bag and use at another time.
Once the tail has been removed, use a sharp knife and split the tail completely from front to back length wise.
Once the lobster tails are split, brush the meat with a little Persian Lime Olive oil, and place meat side down on the grill for 3-4 minutes or until all of the Lobster tail meat becomes firm and white.

Follow Up- I didn't know...

2010-07-01T13:01:00.000-07:00

I'm sure yesterday's wordless Wednesday post needs a little further explanation. There are a lot of search queries on Google for a strange phrase "black stuff in Lobster". Apparently, people really want to know about the black stuff in Lobster. Not seen it? Take a look, you might scratch your head as well.

There it is. black glossy ooze in the center of your crisp clean cold water lobster tail. So was this Lobster sick? Is it from the Gulf where the effects of the BP disaster are more apparent? No. Thankfully, this lobster is not sick. This lobster is not oily.
This lobster, was going to have a clutch of eggs attached to her abdomen in a few days time. That's right, this female lobster was pregnant and what you see oozing out of the tail, is uncooked Lobster roe, or Lobster Caviar...whatever you would like to call it. Some think it's gross, others think it's black gold.
I tend to side with the later of the two. Lobster Roe is difficult to come by for one reason. Female lobsters that are caught showing eggs on their abdomen are illegal to harvest. In fact, if a Lobster man pulls one up and she is berried, he must cut a notch in her fin to show that she is a breeder and should someone else catch her, they must also return her to the sea. Unfortunately, this particular lobster came from the tank we keep in the Chicago warehouse. She had no visible notch in her tail, and was not showing any berries. When I removed her tail to split and grill finish, the uncooked roe came spilling out and I realized the mistake that had been made.
Had she been left a few more days, we would have flown her back to Biddeford Maine where our warehouse is located so she could be thrown back. Unfortunately, that wasn't to be the case. Obviously, I feel a tinge of guilt, but in all honesty...this is nature, and people are too disconnected from their food sources. Besides...once the roe is cooked and brilliant red, it tastes like Maine Lobster Concentrate, and who does not love that?

Wordless Wednesday- I Didn't Know Until It Was too Late

2010-06-30T10:47:00.000-07:00

Locals Only- Welcome to Lobster Land Chicago!

2010-06-18T10:57:00.001-07:00

Today is officially the first Lobster Gram Chicago Warehouse pick up sale!
This friends and foodies, is a HUGE deal for us here at Lobster Gram. Opening warehouse store has been one of Dan "The Lobster Man's" dreams for many years, and being here to see it come true for him has been a lot of fun to see him so excited...see the first picture for the excited Dan.
There are some AWESOME deals going on here right now, so if you are in the Chicago area, stop by and check us out! For now, here are some pictures. I hope everyone out there has a great weekend, and enjoys Father's Day!

Father's Day- Then and Now

2010-06-16T11:43:00.000-07:00

Father's Day has always been an interesting day for my family. Growing up, my father was not around.
Though I didn't have a biological father around, I didn't lack anything in the way of fatherly love.
I still learned how to waltz by standing on someone's shoes in the basement, just like other girls.
I was taught how to ride a two wheeler bike the hard way; in a pot hole ridden Chicago alley.
I was taught how to roller skate on a linoleum basement floor without busting my head open (even if Oma JUST finished washing the floors).
My Opa (German for Grandfather) was the person who taught me these lessons, and he was the person my family celebrated every Father's Day. We always called it "Opa Day", and this was normal until I was 20.
In 2004, Opa passed away from cancer. Father's Day was now just very sad for my family.
We had lost our patriarch, and were just lost ourselves.
Things started to change in March of 2006 when our family expanded to include my Mom's new husband, Jim.
I gave Jim a lot of credit. The women in my family are not easy to deal with, and he jumped right in to deal with one of the toughest cookies you can imagine.
In addition to his new bride, he now also had to learn to cope with two step daughters, and the craziest most German Mother In Law this continent has ever seen.
This poor guy was in for it.
I almost felt bad for him.
Flash forward four years...
It's Father's Day, and our family has a reason to celebrate again.
This time, we will still remember Opa, but we will also celebrate Poppa being a part of our family.
So this year on Father's Day, we will be gathering in the back yard for some grilling goodness.
As a Father's Day Gift, I ordered two of Lobster Gram's 20 oz Angus Cowboy Rib Chops.

Now that is a steak that any Father would enjoy on Father's Day.
So how do you guys spend Father's Day? Let me know!

So Much Going On...So Little Time!

2010-06-10T10:10:00.000-07:00

Sometimes there just are not enough hours in the day.
The last two weeks have been like that for me and I'm so glad I'm getting back to some sense of normalcy today.
Last week Tuesday, I finished my class for my Multi Channel Marketing Communications and gave my group presentation. We were supposed to have 5 in the group, 3 presented. Oh well, it went well and I got my certificate in the mail the other day :)
Also on Tuesday, friends of my family suffered a great loss when their house burned beyond use.
Apparently the wife went to go pick the boys up, and while she was gone the freezer in the basement malfunctioned and set the old pine paneling behind it on fire. The windows were all closed and the air was on, so the smoke and fire traveled to the third floor quickly, and no one noticed that it was burning. Yay brick.
By the time the family got back, it was already too late. The fire department was there and by some miracle, managed to save 3 of their 4 house pets. Lost was their 19 year old male cat. He was put down because he was already suffering from cancer, and was too old to revive in an oxygen tank for days. The firemen saved Puck, their Newfoundland dog, Won-ton, the pekingese, and their female cat, Roux.
And a miracle it was...Chicago literally just got pet oxygen masks for the fire departments in the last few weeks, and the local fire house that answered the call had just received their pet masks the very morning the house burned.
These animals were the very first to be saved with on site oxygen from the fire department in Chicago, and I'm so very glad of that.
The house is a total loss and must be gutted, but at least our friends are ok.
So that was Tuesday...
Thursday was my 26th Birthday.
Didn't do a whole lot. Went to work and had dinner plans for afterward at my favorite restaurant in Chicago; Sabatino's on Irving Park.
Incredible food, amazing staff and service, and I admit that I have a sweet spot for old school European places that still have a wandering string trio in the dining room.
The meal was incredible. Everything from the escargot to the very last bite of pistachio gelato with a chocolate liquor glaze was perfect. It was so nice to have someone else cook my steak for once lol. I was just happy my Birthday was not Wednesday. Wednesday is Lobster Night at Sabatino's haha.
The day I go out for Lobster is the day I'm committed to the asylum.
Quick pic of me on my way out the door to dinner on Thursday...

No..I usually don't smile in pictures...not even on my birthday ;)
I enjoyed a long weekend for my birthday, and ended it with the City Heat Annual RIP Run.
The purpose of this run is to go to the cemetery where most of the absent brothers are laid to rest and pay them a visit. It began in 1993 and has continued the first weekend in June ever since.
Here are some pictures from my Birthday and the RIP run.
Tomorrow I'll be putting up recipes and pictures for Herb Compound Butter Baked Lobster Tails!

Some of the club's bikes

in the Memorial building

City Heat Chicago Members

Wordless Wednesday- Ultimate Surf & Turf Sampler from Lobster Gram

2010-06-02T09:11:00.000-07:00

Wordless Wednesday- Tomahawk Steaks

2010-05-26T13:14:00.000-07:00

Staycation...Boston Style

2010-05-25T06:41:00.000-07:00

We have had some gorgeous weather in Chicago recently.
Yeah, there was a TON of rain there for a while, but since last Thursday or so, it's been really nice. I didn't cook this weekend because there was a poker run for City Heat. Actually, a lot of the clubs showed up than just City Heat. There ended up being 220 people signed in on 150 motorcycles. It's an incredible sight to see; especially when getting that heard onto the Edens Expressway. I swear on my next run, I'll bring my Flip camera so I can show you guys what it's all about. It was a great time, and not shockingly, I am totally sunburned. Sunburns are always more fun to get than they are to wear for the next few days.
Thursday, I was hanging out in the Kitchen with Dan "The Lobster Man" and cooking up a Boston Party Gram for our annual Lobster Gram Staycation event.
It was definitely great to be out of the office and out in the sunshine for an afternoon.
There was a lot of work to get done, but we still found time to sit down after everything was wrapped up and enjoy the Boston Party Gram we had prepared in the NEW Professional Seafood Steamer Pot.
As always, I'm still amazed by how much food we include in a dinner for two. There was enough food in just that package to feed Dan and I, as well as his neighbors who stopped by to have lunch with us. Really...when a dinner for two feeds 4 adults, you know that's a huge feast.
So, here are some pictures from our adventures last week. I'll be posting more pictures this week from the Ultimate Surf & Turf Sampler & Tomahawk Steaks!
Happy Eating Foodies!

Lobster Gram's Boston Party Gram

NEW Professional 19qt Seafood Steamer Pot

Snow Crab Cocktail Claws

Live Maine Lobsters from the Boston Party Gram

Live Lobster with a Massive Crusher claw. We actually were forced to open that with a hammer.

Snow Crab Cocktail Claws and Chowder from the Boston Party Gram

A little bit of Maine delivered to the heart of Illinois. What a wonderful concept!

Perfectly Steamed Boston Party Feast
Ingredients & Equipment

Two Live Maine Lobsters (select size below)
One lb. each: Fresh Littleneck Clams & PEI Mussels
One 20 oz. New England Clam Chowder
One lb. of Snow Crab Claws
Two servings New Potatoes & Sweet Corn
Fresh Whole Lemon
Clarified Butter
Seafood Steamer Pot
Tongs
Kitchen timer

Directions
Fill the bottom of the steamer pot with about 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil over a high heat while covered. Once steam is streaming through the bottom of the interior of the pot, put the corn and potatoes into the pot and cover. Allow to steam for 5-10 minutes alone before adding shellfish.
After 5-10 minutes, add Live Lobsters, Clams and Mussels to the steamer pot and cover.
Set kitchen timer for 10 minutes.
Once time is up, remove shellfish from the steamer pot, allow to cool slightly and serve with plenty of lemon and butter.
Happy Eating Foodies!

Meatless Monday- Red Wine Mushroom Risotto

2010-05-24T08:40:00.000-07:00

Last week, the Lobster Gram Creative Director Nancy, brought me some Red Wine Mushroom Risotto. Had it for lunch and it was mouthwatering!
I'm in the process of bugging her for the recipe, so as soon as I have it...I will be thrilled to share!
For the time being...just feast your eyes ;)

Wordless Wednesday- Baby Shower in the Office

2010-05-19T07:39:00.000-07:00

BBQ Bison Steaks and Crab Stuffed Lobster Tails for Mother's Day from Lobster Gram!

2010-05-10T10:45:00.000-07:00

Good Monday morning foodies! I hope everyone had a relaxing weekend. For all of you Moms out there...I hope you enjoyed Mother's Day.
As I myself am not a Mom, nor do I ever plan to be, this weekend was all about my Mom.
Unfortunately she had to work both Saturday and Sunday, but that gave me plenty of time to get everything prepared for our late lunch/early dinner on Sunday.
Because Mother's Day is such a special occasion in my family (my Mother raised both my sister and I single handed) I decided nothing less than a great Surf & Turf feast would do the trick.
But I'm not just talking any Surf & Turf...it had to be unique. As unique as my Mom is, if that's even possible.
The answer came to me Friday...
Crab Stuffed Maine Lobster Tails and Bison Steaks with my (now) famous homemade Hot & Sweet BBQ Sauce (heh, it's kinda like me :).
Extra Surf & Exotic Large Game Turf...that sounds like a meal worthy of the strong willed woman who raised me.
So it began on Saturday. I had to prepare the BBQ Sauce for the Recipe. I didn't take any pictures of this process, but BBQ sauce really isn't that photogenic to begin with. Oh well.
So in lieu of pictures...here is the recipe to my very best BBQ Sauce. I hope you enjoy it.

Nikki's Hot & Sweet BBQ Sauce

Ingredients
1/2 cup 18 Year old traditional Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 cup Pear & Cinnamon Balsamic Vinegar
1 cup dry red wine
2 cups ketchup
2/3 cup brown sugar
4 tbs minced fresh garlic
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. Spicy Apple Cinnamon Ginger Mustard
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
Hot sauce to taste (I use regular Louisiana Hot Sauce)

Directions:
Place all ingredients together in a medium cooking pot and bring to a boil while stirring occasionally. Reduce mixture until about half. Once sauce is sufficiently thickened, allow it to cool and jar it immediately. Allow to sit overnight for maximum flavors.

So...here are the pictures from my weekend of food. I also had a chance to swing into my favorite vendor's location on Saturday and pick up some tasty treats for myself.
Happy Eating foodies!

Raspberry Cheesecake Heart with Chocolate Decoration

Mini Chocolate Mousse Heart Cakes

Plain NY Cheesecake

NEW- Petite Fours

Giant Strawberry dipped in three types of chocolate.

Mom's Surf & Turf Feast for Mother's Day 2010

Bison Rib Eye Steak and NY Strip Steaks from Lobster Gram

Crab Stuffed Maine Lobster Tails from Lobster Gram

Lobster Gram Bison Steaks for Mother's Day Dinner

Steak & Tails...it does not get much better than this!

Bison Surf & Turf for Mother's Day.

Home Made Berry Cobbler

Wordless Wednesday- Mother's Day Cake

2010-05-06T12:25:00.000-07:00

Cajun King Crab Cakes

2010-05-04T08:35:00.001-07:00

Very few things make me as happy as crab cakes. Maryland, King, Creole...no matter what crab or spices are used, the outcome is rarely bad.
This past weekend, I decided to make Cajun King Crab Cakes. I had never made these before, but I had made something similar about a year ago called Creole Crab Burgers. This dish was good, but I remember it needing a little more flavor.
The solution was simple. Skip the Jonah Crab meat and go for the Alaskan King Crab.
King crab is so much more flavorful, and the texture really stands up to all of the mixing, and frying that is involved in making these delicious little treats.
Shucking 2 lbs of Alaskan King Crab is not an easy task, but well worth the effort in the end.
Give this recipe a try if you get a chance. These would be perfect served along side a nice thick NY Strip Steak. YUM!

Cajun King Crab Cakes

King Crab Cake Ready for the Fryer

Ingredients
2 lbs whole Alaskan King Crab Legs- Shoulder to tip
2 cups plain bread crumbs
2 tbs Spicy mustard (I use an apple/cinnamon spicy mustard: I'll supply a picture tomorrow)
Cajun Seasoning to taste
Granulated Garlic to taste
Pepper to taste
Salt to taste
Dried parsley to taste
Dried oregano to taste
Old Bay Seasoning to taste
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 oz melted clarified butter
3 whole large eggs
Vegetable Oil for Frying
1/2 red bell pepper, minced
1/4 large red onion, minced
1 large stalk celery, minced

Directions
Thaw and rinse salt water glaze from the Alaskan King Crab legs. To remove the meat from the legs, take a leg, and break it by bending it backwards against the joint. Once you have a segment of leg broken off take your sea sheller and insert the pointed end into the shell. Using a can opening motion, move the sheller through the shell. Once the shell has been cracked, separate the shell and remove the interior meat. Be careful not to pull the cartilage with the meat.
Once you have the meat collected, put some vegetable oil in a deep skillet and begin heating it.
After the oil starts heating, combine all ingredients except for butter and eggs in a large mixing bowl and mix by hand. Once that is worked in, add the butter and work that in. Afterward, add all three eggs and mix well using your hands. Form crab cakes by rolling a 2 inch ball of the mixture between your hands and pressing until you have a patty about 1 inch thick.
To cook the crab cakes, place them gently in hot oil for 3 minutes per side. Finished crab cakes will be browned and crispy on both sides.

Meat Shucked from 2lbs of Alaskan King Crab Legs

Getting ready to shuck the King Crab

Lobster Gram has REALLY nice legs! There are only 2 legs per pound.

Lobster Gram King Crab legs are the whole leg shoulder to tip.

Alaskan King Crab from the Bearing Straight

Gorgeous King Crab Cakes

Everything tastes better when it's fried!

These King Crab Cakes will be a beautiful crispy brown once they are fried.

Lots of red pepper and red onion are the secret to making these Alaskan King crab cakes awesome!

The Perfect Cajun King Crab Cake

Mixing ingredients by hand is half the fun!

Fresh veggies bring this recipe to the flavor level I was searching for!

The Best Korean Food Place in Town

2010-04-27T07:27:00.000-07:00

Morning Foodies.
Hope everyone had an enjoyable weekend. I began mine slightly early Friday when I left the office at 1, and went out for lunch at my FAVORITE Korean restaurant in Chicago.
Cho Sun Oak 4200 N Lincoln Ave- Chicago.
My Mom introduced me to this as a child. She has been going to this place for the last thirty years, and it's really easy to see why after you try their food.
First of all, when it comes to any type of ethnic food, it's always a good rule of thumb to visit a restaurant that is filled with people of this ethnicity. They are obviously more experienced than I with Korean food, so if it's good enough for them, it is more than good enough for me.
From this springs just one issue...
The service.
Unfortunately no one in the restaurant speaks English. I mean, no one.
When my family or friends and I go here to eat, we are often the only Caucasian group in the place....and they never fail to give us spoons to use for the following reasons:
A. As Caucasian city dwellers, we obviously don't know how to manage eating with chop sticks. (False- Been able to eat with chopsticks for as long as I can remember.
B. There are no forks. There are no forks because it's mostly Korean families that eat here.
Ironic...don't you think.
You should have heard the fiasco I had trying to order the Jab Chae without sesame seeds.
A friend of mine suffers from diverticulitis, and therefor can consume no seeds, kernels, pretty much anything that can't be digested. So for him to enjoy the Jab Chae, it has to be seedless.
The first time I tried to order it this way, they thought I ordered it without the use of sesame oil.
And it came with a crap-ton of seeds on it. Like...a laughable amount of seeds.
The second time, I used my fingers to make the "small" motion like a seed and that seemed to open the door.
I should have been a mime.
But aside from the communication snafu, the Cho Sun Oak is everything you could want in fantastic food and a cozy intimate atmosphere far from the trendy neighborhoods and bustle of the north side.
When you step into this restaurant, you feel like you have stepped back in time, and into another country. The dining area contains no more than 5 booths and a small hand full of tables, most of which are very large because at Cho Sun Oak, a lot of the Korean clients prefer to cook their own meals on their table top grill. It's impressive as hell to watch, but if I'm going out to eat, I prefer not to have to cook the meal.
Every time I go there, they ask me if I'm going to be doing the cooking. I always feel sheepish telling them "no". I feel like by now I should be able to prepare my favorite Korean dishes, but I'm pretty sure if I were given Bul-Go-Gi meat to marinade and grill, I would end up with a marinated strip steak that tastes no different from any other steak I have made. I just don't know enough about their use of spices and flavors to be able to get it right. And it is Nirvana when it is done right.
And with that, I will leave you with some pictures from the meal. Please forgive the fuzziness of some of them. I felt that if I took my Nikon out and tried getting really great photos, I would have attracted a lot of negative attention. So I pulled a slick one, and used my Flip camera to catch some footage. Happy eating foodies!

Sweetened Brown Potatoes and Carrot ( Part of Kimchi side dishes)

Sliced and lightly pickled radishes ( Part of Kimchi side dishes)The EVIL Kimchi - Fire hot cabbage

Seaweed, White Onions and Carrots another Kimchi Side Dish

Bean Sprouts with Peppers and onions-again...Kimchi

Fish cake type things? It reminds me of Surimi. I'm not sure exactly what they are comprised of, but it's AMAZING!

Gelatinous Soy cubes topped with sesame seeds and seaweed and Potato, Apple, cucumber and tomato under a cream.(Kimchi Side dish- dessert type)

Jab Chae- Clear rice noodles, stir fried veggies and thinly sliced beef (bul-go-gi)

The short video that was taken- All images were clipped from this video.

The Illusive Pearl Onions and My Bacon Wrapped Comfort Zone

2010-04-20T06:53:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to make Boeuf Bourguignon on Sunday.
I went grocery shopping with my recipe in hand. Choosing the freshest looking mushrooms, carrots, celery, peal onions and bacon with the rind.
The problem...
I couldn't find pearl onions to save my life. I went to three different stores hunting for the them. I had everything else, and this was the last missing piece to the tasty puzzle.
I had to find pearl onions SOMEWHERE..this is Chicago! Right?! Alas...there were no onions to be found.
The search for onions consumed so much time, if I began cooking then, I would have been eating dinner at 11pm.
It was time to come up with a back up plan.
And a damn good one at that. I was pretty disappointed that I wasn't going to be able to make what I wanted to, and what I had already purchased fresh produce for.
It was time for a comfort food plan.
It was time for stuff wrapped in bacon.
Had plenty of it on hand already, and it always makes me feel better!
So here we are friends and foodies, bacon fest 2010.
And in case you were wondering, I felt much better afterwards :)
Go Bacon!

Easy Apricot Glazed Pork Chops & Paying Homage to a Foodie Goddess Next Week

2010-04-15T10:31:00.000-07:00

Another week is almost at a close. I actually did some cooking last weekend, this is just the first opportunity I have had to post.
Please forgive me... I recently got back into school at DePaul, and between work and school/school related time (IE studying, reading course material, working on a team project)it's been hard to find the time to do all the cooking and blogging I want to. It's been almost a month since I have created a video recipe, and I'm really hoping to break that habit this weekend.
This weekend, I'm making a very special recipe. I have never made this before because my hand at French cuisine is shaky, and ruining this recipe would be like dishonoring the woman who's recipe and method I will attempt to duplicate. They say that imitation is the highest form of flattery. Not everyone believes that. Julia Child didn't believe that, and when Julie Powell wrote a blog that followed Learning the Art of French Cooking by Julia, she was less than thrilled. Unfortunately Julia is no longer here, so I don't have to worry about the proverbial smack down if this recipe fails.
So next week, I will bring you Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguigon. Keep your fingers crossed for me foodies :)
Now that I'm done talking about whats up next week, lets discuss what went down last weekend...Apricot Glazed Pork Chops. This recipe was so easy, and delicious I know I will keep it on hand to experiment with lots of different flavors. So here are the images and recipe from Easy Apricot Glazed Pork Chops.

Easy Apricot Glazed Pork Chops

Two 10 oz bone in center-cut pork chops
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/3 cup apricot jelly
1/3 cup white wine
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions
Sprinkle salt and black pepper evenly over chops. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add pork. Cooks on each side until browned (About 5 minutes per side).
Remove Pork chop from pan, and keep warm. Combine preserves, wine, and ginger in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add preserves mixture to pan; simmer 4 minutes or until mixture thickens. Return pork to pan; cook 1 minute, turning to coat.
Serve immediately with rice.

Wordless Wednesday- The Deformed Lobster

2010-04-14T13:06:00.000-07:00

Wordless Wednesday- Easter Ham from Lobster Gram and Niman Ranch

2010-04-07T11:49:00.001-07:00

Beer Battered & Deep Fried South African Lobster Tails

2010-04-05T07:14:00.001-07:00

The Mondays after I spend a weekend cooking are always among the hungriest days I spend in the office.
I usually start my morning by ripping and editing my food photography from the weekend.
It's a great way to ease back into the week, but it never fails to make me want to head back into the kitchen for more cooking, and sooner or later, more eating.
It's not that I'm have incredible mouthwatering food photography skills (I wish), it's just I reminisce about how delicious the meal was, and how relaxing it was to prepare.
Then I wake up from my daydream and realize I'm not in my kitchen, I'm at my desk in front of Photoshop, and I'm about to start drooling BOO.
There were some OUTSTANDING eats around my house this weekend.
Friday night I made beer battered and fried South African Lobster Tails.
They were amazing. The beer kept the batter from being too heavy, and the sweet, velvety South African Lobster tail just melted in your mouth with the delectable coating. It was fried food heaven.
I was planning on making the Dean Brother's Baked Hush-puppies recipe, but I was lazy, and my Mom had made about 10lbs of German Potato Salad to have with Easter Dinner, so I figured I would just have that as I side.
I am powerless against the incredible deliciousness of German Potato Salad. And to make matters worse, I can't make it to save my life. My family holds the recipe hostage, and won't pass it on until it's absolutely necessary. I have pointed out the flaw in the logic of this plan...but that goes ignored. Others hold the ultimate potato power I wish to possess.
Warm, full of fresh parsley and dill...with lots and lots of bacon. You just can't go wrong with it no matter what you serve it with. I had to admit, I thought it seemed to be an unusual pairing with Lobster, but I was so very wrong.
The beer in the batter on the South African Lobster tails was perfectly complimented by the German Potato Salad.
There is a news flash for you guys... beer goes well with German food. Someone call the news paper and stop the presses. This is front page material right here ladies and gentlemen.
Now that we have had that breakthrough, I can share the recipe and photos from over the weekend! Happy eating foodies. I'll be back later this week with more pictures from Easter Sunday's dinner.

Beer Battered & Fried Lobster Tails

Ingredients
Two 8-10 oz Lobster Tails (South African used in this recipe)
1 Bottle Beer of Your Choice
1 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup all purpose flour
Salt & pepper to taste
Cajun Seasoning to taste
Oil for frying

Directions
Using a deep fryer or dutch oven, heat vegetable oil to 365 degrees.
Combine dry ingredients in a 1 gallon zip lock bag and shake to combine well.
Add beer to the dry ingredients little by little until your mixture looks like a thick lumpy paste. This should take most of the bottle of beer.
Split Lobster tails in half using kitchen shears and cutting from the fin, towards the front.
Once lobster tails are split, place each half into the bag of batter and cover completely with batter.
Once all Lobster tail pieces are battered, drop them into the hot oil and fry for about 5 minutes. Lobster tail meat should be firm and white when cooked, and the batter will be a golden brown color. Allow lobster tail halves to rest on a paper towel before serving to draw out any excess oil.

Plans for the Weekend- Clash of the Titans & Deep Fried South African Lobster

2010-04-02T09:52:00.001-07:00

It's Friday at last! It's also Good Friday...so there is a slim chance we will close the office early :)
It's going to be a fun weekend, and I'm really looking forward to getting it started.
To begin with...Today, Clash of the Titans was released in theaters. I have been waiting for that one for a while now.
I have already heard from a trusted source that it was "Cheesy," but that was just a CNN review he had read...so it's not a direct review from the source and less valid in my mind.
The original was good, but I'm pretty sure this one will be better with the technologically advanced effects.
Pretty much anything is better than clay-mation.
Unless it's Mr. Bill. I. LOVE. MR. BILL.
Aside from my uber geeky movie fest, I plan on making some Deep Fried Lobster.
I have not made fried lobster in a while, so I thought I would make it a little more special and order South African Lobster Tails for this recipe.
South African Tails have the same sweetness of a Maine Lobster tail, with the velvety texture of the New Zealand Lobster Tail.
Fantastic combination, and being 8-10 oz each, they are perfect for the Lobster Gram go-to recipe for friend Lobster.
I will share that little gem with you guys on Monday, along with the Dean Brother's Recipe for Baked Hush-puppies I will be making to compliment the fried lobster.
That really does not make sense. I'm deep frying my lobster, and baking the hush-puppies like it's going to make the dinner healthy or something. I guess that makes me delusional.
Oh well.
The South African tails arrived this morning, and I decided to take a few pictures of them while they are still frozen so you can see just how different looking the South African tails are from the other types.
So here they are, and I'll be back Monday with movie reviews, recipes and lots of tasty images.
Happy eating foodies!

Recipes from Last Week's Wordless Wednesday

2010-04-01T06:22:00.000-07:00

Pretty much everyone knows how to roast a chicken.
And pretty much everyone knows how to make mashed potatoes.
What most don't know, is how to turn this simple Sunday Dinner Staple into a gourmet feast without too much additional work.
So here are the recipes from last week's wordless Wednesday post. Butter Parsley Roasted Chicken with Duchess Potato Tartlets.

Parsley Butter Roasted Chicken
Ingredients
1 roasting chicken, about 3 pounds ( I use Niman Ranch Poulet Rouge for their delicate skin that roasts to a beautiful crisp)
salt and pepper to taste
1 small onion, peeled and quartered
4 large celery stalks, chopped coarsely
4 large carrots, chopped coarsely
1 shallot finely chopped
2 to 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh parsley
4 tablespoons melted butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.
Rinse and pat down the chicken. Dry skin with a paper towel. Season the inside and outside with salt and pepper to taste. Remove the bag from the interior of the chicken, and trip the excess neck skin off. To the bottom of the roasting pan, add the onion, carrots and celery. Place chicken on top of the vegetables. Melt butter, add parsley and coat the entire chicken with the mixture.
Roast in oven, breast up, for 15 minutes. Turn chicken on it's side and continue to roast for another 15 minutes. Turn chicken once more, and roast for another 20 minutes.

Duchess Potato Tartlets
Ingredients
3 lbs red potatoes, peeled
Salt & pepper to taste
Paprika
1 stick butter
1/2 cup Milk

Directions
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add peeled potatoes and boil until soft.
Drain the water and add salt, pepper, milk and butter.
Combine well. Preheat oven to 400. In a cupcake tray, fill each cup cake holder about 1/2 way with mashed potato mixture. Add an extra dollop of butter to the top of each tart and bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. Sprinkle with paprika and serve warm.

Kitchen Staples- What do you need to keep on hand?

2010-03-30T10:59:00.001-07:00

Everyone has their own list of "must have" kitchen staples.
Whether it's cooking wine, frozen pork chops or lobster meat by the pound, there are just some thing you feel you can't go without.
So, I thought it would be fun to start a list of my must-have pantry and freezer items,and see what it is that you guys can't live without in your own kitchen.
Here it goes!

MUST HAVE Pantry Items (in no particular order)
1. Oak Aged Balsamic Vinegar
2. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3. Granulated Garlic
4. Red Wine
5. White Wine
6. Shallots
7. Flour
8. Cajun Seasoning
9. Panko Breadcrumbs
10. Maggi Seasoning (Thanks Oma)

Must Have Freezer Items
1. Frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2. Ground turkey
3. Lobster Meat by the pound
4. Sea Scallops (Yes @RecipeTaster, I ALWAYS have scallops on hand lol :)
5. Home made vegetable stock (lasts about 6 months in the freezer)
6. Home made seafood stock (lasts about 6 months in the freezer)
7. Home chicken stock (lasts about 6 months in the freezer)
8. Home made marinara sauce
9. Frozen veggies (peas, carrots, corn, broccoli)
10. Extra sticks of butter (you can never have enough butter on hand)

So...what is it that you can't function without in the kitchen?
Let me hear from you!

Kleftiko- It's spring at last!

2010-03-29T08:07:00.000-07:00

Good Monday morning foodies! I hope everyone had a great weekend. It's starting to be spring here in Chicago. It's a little cool still, but beautiful weather is on it's way and it should be a beautiful end of the week.
My weekend was productive, but relaxing. I got a lot of spring cleaning done that I had been meaning to get to, and then rewarded myself by preparing one of my favorite spring dishes. Kleftiko; otherwise known as Greek Herb Roasted Lamb Chops.
This is a quick and easy recipe that can be thrown together in minutes, and just takes a little patience getting through the roasting process.
The outcome was fantastic as always, and my kitchen is still heavy with the aroma of roasted oregano.

Kléftiko (Greek Herb Roasted Lamb Chops)

2 lamb chops
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/8 cup loosely packed oregano leaves
1/4 cup loosely packed parsley leaves
1 tablespoons thyme leaves
1/2 crushed bay leaf
1/8 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 300. Wash and dry lamb and set aside.
Chop herbs finely. Mix in salt and pepper. Sprinkle lemon juice all over the chops, on both sides. Brush generously with olive oil. Coat with herbs evenly on all sides.
Place chops in a roasting pan high up in the oven. Cook for about 1 hour depending on the thickness of the meat. The meat will be crispy on the outside but tender on the inside. Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday- Butter Parsley Roasted Chicken with Duchess Potato Tartlets

2010-03-24T11:12:00.000-07:00

Vacation Finds and The Unexpected Dentist Visit

2010-03-23T08:27:00.000-07:00

Hey there foodie friends! It feels like I have not blogged in forever! It's great to be back, but the vacation was desperately needed!
First of all, I wanted to share with you all an incredible store that I found over the last week. I was up in Long Grove, IL in the little historical town they have there, and noticed a new shop there called the Olive Tap. As it obviously a foodie shop, I decided to take a look. I will tell you this now people...this is my new favorite store!
They have every kind of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegars you could imagine. The entire store is filled with gorgeous silver tap kegs each filled with a new and intoxicating oil or vinegar. And everything is available to taste testing...yes, really!
I ended up choosing to fill a bottle 275ml bottle with 18 year old traditional from Modena, Italy and another bottle of Cinnamon Pear Balsamic from Modena.
I have two words for you guys...
Balsamic Bacon.
Yes, balsamic bacon.
I made some thick sliced bacon, and just tossed some of the super sweet Cinnamon Pear in and let it caramelize in the bacon fat with some fresh green grapes. It was beyond fantastic.
So yes...if you get a chance, visit the Olive Tap. It's a dream come true if you love to cook and/or eat!
It was fantastic to just relax on this vacation. Not to worry about work, or house chores or anything else...until I chipped a tooth over the weekend, on an unassuming Cheese Nip.
Thanks Murphy...that was super cool of you!
The high point, I got to extend my vacation for another day.
The low point, I spent the beginning of that day in the Dentist's office. Just for clarification's sake..I'll let you guys in on a little secret.

I. HATE. THE. DENTIST.

I don't know if I can stress this point enough. We are talking cold sweats, heart palpitations and dizzy spells at the mere mention of shots of Novocaine and a drill.
But then I grew a proverbial pair and decided, hey since I'm going to face this assured hell, I may as well knock out all of those other little cavities that were brought to light when I had my wisdom teeth extracted.
Great idea Nikki! Instead of having just one tooth drilled, filled and billed...let's do five!
Friggen Sweet!
I see now I can't always trust my own judgment...silly girl.
They say the things you fear the most are the things that have already happened to you.
I guess that only applies to sane people, cause that totally was not the case with me.
I told the dentist I was pretty terrified, and would probably need to be sedated. Gassed, smacked upside the head with a frying pan...I was willing to negotiate.
I then had to explain that this was all theoretical terror as I had never experienced this before and had no concrete reason to be afraid.
My dentist laughed at me for a good five minutes after the phrase "theoretical terror".
I should have bitten him for that.
But I hear dentist tastes bad...
and I didn't want to go to jail and have to explain why I wasn't in the office again.
But I'm back now, and shortly I will be posting some fantastic images from before vacation!
Happy eating foodies :)

Surf & Turf Sundays- Butterflying & Broiling a Lobster Tail

2010-03-09T10:11:00.000-08:00

Another weekend passed, another great food frenzy in my kitchen.
I thought about making Lobster Hash this weekend. I had a really interesting recipe for it and I was excited about making something with that could possibly be good for St. Patrick's day celebrations.
Then I thought about it for a while longer.
How many of you out there dear readers, would ever do something like create hash with gorgeous lobster tails?
Few, if any I should think; unless you live near the Atlantic Ocean where lobsters are abundant and you can lay your own traps. Other than that...it's probably just not worth it. This started to look like a recipe for wasted time and lobster meat, and that foodie friends an egregious Lobster sin.
So I needed a new plan and I needed one fast.
The answer was so simple.
Surf & Turf Sunday.
How perfectly simple.
Nothing pairs better with a lobster tail like a great steak. So I did just that.
I butterflied and broiled the North Australian Lobster Tails, and grilled a fantastic New York Strip Steak. Dinner was perfect. A meal I have had a thousand times, yet never seem to grow weary of.
So here are the pictures I took of this fantastic Sunday lunch along with the directions on how to prepare and serve Lobster tails like the ones seen here.
Happy eating foodies!

How to butterfly and broil a Lobster Tail

Step 1
Start with a completely thawed Lobster Tail.

Step 2
Using a pair of kitchen shears, make an incision in the top of the shell starting at the front of the lobster tail where the meat is exposed, and cut back to the base of the tail where the fin begins. Do not go through the bottom of the tail.

Step 3
After the lobster has been cut to the back of the tail, insert your index finger into the shell at the back of the lobster tail. Remove the lobster meat from the side of the shell, and work your way to the front of the lobster tail, releasing the meat from the shell as you go.
Do this to both sides of the lobster tail and ensure that the meat is properly detached.

Step 4
After the meat has been detached from the interior of the tail, simply grab the front portion of lobster meat, and gently pull the meat up and back towards the fin, but do not completely remove the meat. Pull back until you have reached the end of your incision, close the lobster tail shell sides, and nicely lay the lobster meat on top of the closed shell.

Now all you have to do is brush the exposed lobster meat with butter and some spices and broil for 1 minute per ounce. These North Australian Lobster Tails are 8-10 oz tails, so I broiled them for 8 minutes and then checked to be sure they were cooked.

Fresh Catch Scallops with Simple Balsamic Reduction Dipping Sauce

2010-03-01T07:54:00.001-08:00

Good morning foodies. I hope everyone had a nice restful and fun weekend. I know I enjoyed my weekend. Sunday, I was out on a poker-bus run with the Motorcycle Club my Pappa belongs to.

City Heat Chicago
Nothing more fun than starting the party off at 10:30 in the morning, and ending it around 6:30. 5 Stops, four bars, two school buses full of bikers partying it up.
I'm sure we were at least an amusing site.
And it was an absolute blast from start to finish. I can't wait for the next poker run.
Because I had this insanity going on this weekend, I decided to throw down my recipe for last week in the Lobster Gram test kitchen on Friday.
I have no problem walking away from my hectic stressful days to go downstairs and cook some food. It's relaxing, it's enjoyable, it's a mini vacation at work that I don't have to clock out for, and there are no happier people than Lobster Gram employees enjoying our products for lunch. We spent years carefully choosing products and vendors, so we are all big fans of the food we carry.
People love it when we cook. Free gourmet lunch in the office. Who does not love that perk?
...People who complain when you start reducing Balsamic Vinegar on the stove. That's who.
People start to get cranky when there are strong smells about.
My bad people...I would have made something that didn't require fumigating the office, but my options were slim.
It was like an episode of Chopped down there.
"ok, you have 1 bottle of balsamic vinegar, 2 lbs of sea scallops, 1 container of clarified butter, 2 bananas and a pot of fresh strong coffee".
Um....maybe I'll just hide the coffee and bananas so I can act like we didn't have them.
Yeah, that sums up my test kitchen Friday. Bananas.
So Scallops with a balsamic reduction it was, and I tried to tune out the noise.
So here are the pictures from that adventure, and this weekend I think I will just cook at home.
That's right office folks...no strong smells this week!
...but you won't be fed either. Fair trade?

Sea Scallops with Balsamic Reduction Dipping Sauce

Ingredients
2 lbs fresh sea scallops
1 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tbs clarified butter
Salt, Pepper & Garlic Powder to taste

Directions
Pat dry sea scallops and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
Put vinegar in a small sauce pan and heat on medium for 15-20 minutes or until reduced by half.
When it is reduced, add in 2 tbs of butter and blend well. Set aside until scallops are cooked.
While vinegar is reducing, put a few tablespoons of butter in a large pan and heat until melted.
Add scallops and heat 3-4 minutes per side until cooked through and no longer translucent.
Remove scallops from pan and serve immediately with ramekin of dipping sauce.

Hand Made Ravioli & Diamond Dessert Pictures

2010-02-22T10:36:00.000-08:00

Colossal Shrimp From Lobster Gram

Sheets of Hand Made Pasta ready for filling

Ingredients for Ravioli Filling

Ravioli Filling

Ravioli with Filling Ready for Second Sheet

Ravioli Ready for the Boiling Pot

White Lemon Cream Sauce

White Sauce Ravioli Ready for the Oven

Red Ravioli Out of the Oven

Both Ravioli Pans are Done

Close Up on White Ravioli

Strawberry Diamond from our dessert vendor.
I'm so glad they are local!
Top: White Chocolate Flake
Vanilla Cream Puff
Strawberry Puree
Strawberry Mousse
Plain NY Cheesecake
Shortbread Crumb Crust

Black Diamond Dessert
Top: White Chocolate
Chocolate Frosting puff
Chocolate Chips
Chocolate Ganche
Chocolate Mousse
Chocolate Cheesecake
Oreo Crumble Crust

Three Aewsome Recipes, One Fantastic Day of Food

2010-02-22T10:05:00.001-08:00

It's Monday.
Usually I don't look forward to Mondays, but it's easier to make it through when you have AWESOME left overs for lunch.
Yesterday I tried my hand at Home Made Shrimp Ravioli with Lemon Cream Sauce.
Omg...
I knew it was going to be a process, and it was. However...so worth it.
Worth every moment I spent in Trader Joe's looking for the best shaved Parmesano reggiano, the perfectly ripened lemons and the freshest mozzarella I could find.
It was worth every moment to make hand made pasta (which is actually a great way to relieve stress) and measure out all the various ingredients for the stuffing and sauces.
It was worth it because the outcome (both of them actually) was incredible.
One type of fantastic hand made ravioli, two types of incredible sauce and *PLENTY* of leftovers.
Good thing too, I was so stoked about this recipe last week that if I didn't bring leftovers, some of my coworkers would have revolted.
So here are the recipes that were used yesterday. If you ever give this a shot yourself, make sure to invite lots of hungry people.

Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
3 cups flour
3 eggs
Lemon Pepper

Directions
Combine 1 cup of flour to 1 egg until all three are combined, throw in 2 tbs lemon pepper and combine until you have a huge ball of dough.
Cut dough into smaller pieces and roll out into sheets until it has reached the thickness you prefer.
Leave sheets on table, and prepare shrimp stuffing.

Ravioli Stuffing
1 lb Colossal Shrimp, minced
15 oz Ricotta Cheese
16 oz Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 Cup Parmesano Reggiano
1 minced shallot
2 large eggs beaten and seasoned with salt and pepper
1 cup Italian herb bread crumbs

Directions
In a large bowl, combine shrimp, ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesano, shallot and egg mixture.
Combine with hands until mixed well.

Assembling Ravioli
Lay out a sheet of dough on the table. Using a cookie scoop, place balls of shrimp/cheese mixture on the dough about 1 inch apart. When the layer has all the stuffing it can hold, lay another sheet of dough over the stuffing, and cut the ravioli out using a butter knife.
Use a small amount of water on your fingers to press the ravioli closed at the seams.
Be sure that you have sealed all the ravioli as well as you can. If they go into boiling water and are not sealed, you will have a mess on your hands.
Once all ravioli are assembled, you can throw them in a pot of boiling water for about 10 minutes.
Once pasta is cooked, remove it from the water and set aside.

White Sauce Ingredients
1/3 cup butter
2 tbs flour
1/3 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbs white wine
2 tbs lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
1 large egg yolk
1 minced shallot
1/3 cup shaved parmesano reggiano

Directions
Melt butter and add flour. Stirring constantly, add all ingredients and heat on medium for about 5 minutes. Add the cheese last and this will thicken the sauce.

Red Sauce Ingredients
28 oz. can diced tomatoes w/juice
28 oz. can tomato puree
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

In a large bowl, mix the diced tomatoes with juice and tomato puree . Stir until blended.

For either White or Red Sauce- Baking the Ravioli
In a 13” x 9” pan, coat the bottom with a thin layer of sauce.
Add ravioli to pan arrange in a single layer. Pour sauce over the ravioli and sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesano cheese over the sauce.
Cover with foil, tenting the foil so as not to stick to cheese. Bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 20-25 minutes longer or until cheese is golden brown. Garnish with parsley and serve.

I'll be back a little later with some fantastic pictures of this adventure.
Until then, I'll be enjoying my lunch :)
Happy eating foodies!

Sickness, Bad Movies and Big Dinner Dreams

2010-02-18T10:54:00.000-08:00

It's Thursday.
Normally I would be all ecstatic, but this week I was feeling under the weather.
Went home a bit early Monday, couldn't get out of bed at all yesterday...Tuesday was a blur of just trying to make it.
While I was down for the count, I rented Julie and Julia because I decided that despite my raging dislike of Amy Adams, I love Julia Child (and that other thing...oh yeah, FOOD)
and that might make this movie worth it.
Long story short...not enough Julia, WAY TOO MUCH JULIE.

Julia= large, entertaining, loud, hungry for life.
Julie= small, whiny, annoying, hungry for attention.

The best part of that movie for me, was the part where Julie finds out that Julia hates her.
That moment alone salvaged the movie for me.
Ahh...the things you can waste time with when you are sick in bed.
But crappy movies aside, I'm back up and running. And as always, making grandiose cooking plans for this weekend. Home Made Lemon Pepper Shrimp Ravioli.
Just typing that gives me goose bumps.
Say it with me now folks... "Home made Lemon Pepper Shrimp Ravioli". See...now you are all goosebumpy too :)
So, the plan is to use the Lemon Pepper Fettuccine recipe that was in this month's issue of Food Network Magazine for the sauce base, make some home made noodles with lemon juice and herbs in the dough, and then use the Lobster Gram tried and tested Stuffed Shells Recipe for the stuffing mixture.
Hopefully, the outcome will be delicious lemon herb kissed pasta with a decadent creamy shrimp stuffing and a light creamy cheese sauce. Absolutely heavenly.
My toes are curling up with every mental image. It makes me want to go straight home tonight and make this recipe. If only there were more hours in the day.
So, no more lamenting over wasted sick time or bad rental movies, from here on out, the goal is to move towards Friday with single minded determination...

HOME MADE LEMON PEPPER SHRIMP RAVIOLI

Orange Scallops On Rosemary Vapor Rice Pictures

2010-02-11T12:42:00.000-08:00

Better late than never right?
It's Valentine's Day week and things here in the office are bonkers! Everyone seems to want Lobster for Sunday, and that is just fine by us.
We have done some really cool things this week at Lobster Gram. Among them is our Chicago Warehouse Sale we have going on now. New things are always exciting :)
Well, there is still a lot to get done around here, so I will make this short and sweet
(like me haha) and just leave you with the images from last weekend's recipe.
Hope everyone out there has the kind of weekend they were hoping for.
Happy Valentine's Day my foodie loves!

Kicking the Winter Blues with Bright Food- Orange Scallops on Rosemary Vapor Rice

2010-02-09T08:01:00.001-08:00

When you live in Chicago, is there really a need to have a chubby brown ground rat to tell us that we are going to have another six weeks of winter?
I don't think so.
And so winter drags on through and is currently dumping several inches of snow on us at the moment. We may be getting up to 20 inches by the time this storm has pushed through. Bah.
When winter seems never ending, the easiest way for me to get out of the funk is to cook. Cook something fresh, something flavorful and something that reminds me of sunnier days.
Last weekend, that recipe was Orange Scallops on Rosemary Vapor Rice.
I had first seen a version of this recipe on Oprah's web site, but didn't really want the Scallops to lose their delicate flavor to the overpowering Orange and Rosemary Flavors. I also removed the butter from the recipe, as the Extra Virgin Olive oil used created the perfect orange glaze on the scallops upon standing.
So thanks Oprah for the fantastic recipe idea. I will use this one again the next time I have a taste for Chinese take-out.
With that, here are the recipes for the Orange Scallops and Rosemary Rice, and the video to show you how it's done! Enjoy and Happy Eating foodies!

Orange Scallops

Ingredients
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 finely chopped shallots
1 lb Dry Sea Scallops, thawed
Flour , for dredging
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
Cayenne Pepper to taste
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
more lemon juice to taste
1/2 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice

Directions:
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet. Saute shallots over medium heat until soft and browned. About 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve for sauce later.
Sift together the salt, pepper and cayenne pepper in a bowl.
Pat scallops dry with paper towels. Dredge very lightly with flour mixture.
Increase heat under pan to high; sear half of scallops for 1 minute. Turn and cook other side for 2 minutes; set aside. Add rest of oil to pan, add shallots back to the pan and add the wine, lemon juice and orange juice to the pan and reduce by half.
Taste for sweetness; add more lemon juice, salt, and pepper if necessary.
Add the scallops back to the pan, cover with sauce and warm through, serve immediately with Rosemary Vapor Rice.

Rosemary Vapor Rice

Ingredients
1 large sprig fresh rosemary
4 cups Thai Jasmine Long Grain Rice

Directions
Cook rice according to instructions. Add an entire large sprig of fresh rosemary to the boiling water. Before the rice is served, remove rosemary and discard. Pairs well with many dishes.

Crab Stuffed Lobster Tails- New for Valentine's Day 2010!

2010-02-04T08:53:00.001-08:00

There are few things in this world as good as a Crab Stuffed Lobster Tail.
I'm not talking about a tail that has had the meat removed, chopped, mixed into a stuffing and crammed back into the shell for presentation; I'm talking about a WHOLE Maine Lobster Tail, with additional crab stuffing on top waiting to be baked into golden deliciousness.
We finally started carrying just that, and more...Lobster Stuffed Lobster Tails.
Now, you already know how I feel about Lobster Stuffed Lobster...so needless to say, I'm really excited about this newest offering.
So excited in fact, I decided to get a four pack of crab stuffed lobster tails myself and prepared two of them over the weekend.
They were absolutely fantastic (as expected!).
I will be reordering these in the Lusting for Lobster Package for Valentine's Day.
Nothing says romance like Stuffed Lobster tails, Lobster Bisque and Creme Brulee Raspberry Cheesecake.
Especially if you can get it delivered in time for Valentine's Day for under $90.
And with that, I'll share the quick photos I snapped of these divine lobster tails.
Happy eating foodies!

Moroccan Steaks

2010-02-01T13:02:00.000-08:00

Ok Foodies...These images were supposed to go up last Friday, but I in all my genius forgot my USB cord to my camera at home (Yay Nikki!).
So these were the images that were taken last week Thursday; Niman Ranch Sirloin Strip Steaks with Moroccan Spices and Moroccan Rice. This recipe was so fantastic, I felt silly for worrying what the cinnamon would do to the flavor of my beautiful steak :)
The rice recipe for this feast is really easy as well, and will be included at the bottom of the images. I hope everyone out there had a fantastic weekend, and I'll be back later this week with some images from the Crab Stuffed Lobster Tails I had over the weekend!

Moroccan Rice Recipe
Ingredients
1 lemon
1 tsp lemon zest
1/2 green bell pepper
1 tsp Moroccan Steak Dry Rub
Jasmine Rice

Directions:
Cut your green pepper into strips and roast in the broiler for about 10 minutes or until wilted and soft. Prepare rice according to instructions.
Cut the lemon in half, and juice into a 1 cup measuring container.
Add enough water to the lemon to create 1 cup of lemon water.
Move the rice into a skillet, and add lemon water while combining. Add the spice mixture and lemon zest. Cook until heated through, serve immediately with Moroccan Steaks.

Attempt Number Two: Moroccan Strip Steaks

2010-01-28T12:00:00.000-08:00

After attending my four year old Nephew's birthday party last week Saturday, I began to feel a little sick. I thought nothing of it, just the wear and tear of coming out of the holiday season.
Apparently, I was mistaken.
This was no side effect of stress...this was the side effect of hanging out with a dozen small children that are harbingers of communicative diseases!
So instead of preparing my Moroccan Dry rub and preparing my Niman Ranch Sirloin Strip Steaks like I had planned...I spent the day in bed watching the second season of the Tudors on DVD (Jonathan Rhys Meyers scares me. Kinda like the Sham-wow guy, but without the aggravated battery charges.)
Well, it's Thursday now. A LOT has happened in the span of just a few days, and I am now able to climb out from the yolk of illness and stress and take some time out to enjoy myself in my kitchen.
So tonight...

Moroccan Dry Rub Recipe for Steaks

Ingredients
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 lemon plus more wedges for garnish
1 tbs + 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
2 12 oz Sirloin Strip Steaks

Directions
Combine cumin, coriander, slat, turmeric, cinnamon and pepper in a bowl.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Rub the spice mixture on the steaks and cook until desired temperature.Serve with Couscous and lemon wedges if desired.

I'll have plenty of pictures of this tomorrow friends and foodies!

Images from Loaded Lobster Mashed Potatoes

2010-01-11T10:34:00.001-08:00

Loaded Lobster Mashed Potatoes

2010-01-11T07:09:00.000-08:00

Good Monday morning Foodies! I hope everyone had a awesome Holiday season! I feel SO bad about not posting for the last few weeks, but there was a lot of stuff going on here that prevented me from cooking.
But that's all over with, and I'm back with a new decadent recipe for a decadent new decade.
This recipe, is the collaborative efforts of myself, and Lobster Gram's Creative Director Nancy.
Nancy's mashed potatoes were famous throughout the office for years.
They were a creamy, decadent, toe-curling legend.
Now...they are even better.
We have added bacon, lobster and more cream cheese.
They are the mouthwatering stuff that the best food fantasies are made of.
These are OMG Mashed Potatoes.
Then, I experienced a big, fat foodie fail... The first of the new decade.
Nancy & I decided it would be awesome if we were able to fry the mashed potatoes in little balls to serve as appetizers.
We fried, they started to brown...and they completely collapsed.
I had a frying pan of oil, and mush.
But the consolation prize was a mountain of Loaded Lobster Mashed Potatoes.
That works for me. Enjoy the recipe!

Loaded Lobster Mashed Potatoes
8 Medium Yukon Gold Potatoes
2 Bouillon Cubes
1 Clove of Fresh Garlic
1/4 Cup Full Fat Cream Cheese
1/2 Cup warm milk
4 tablespoons salted butter
5 pieces bacon, crumbled
1 1/2 cup Maine Lobster Meat, chopped
1/2 large red pepper, finely chopped
1/2 large red onion, finely chopped
Extra virgin olive oil

Directions
Fill a large pot with enough water to cover the potatoes. Add 2 boullion cubes, and 1 clove of fresh garlic to the water and cover until it has reached a full rolling boil. While water is heating up, cube your potatoes. When the water is boiling, add potatoes and cook until a fork can easily pass through a potato chunk.
Drain potatoes, return them to the pot and mash. Add cream cheese, butter, milk and salt to taste and blend well.
Once that is blended, add some olive oil to a saute pan, and toss in your chopped red pepper and onion. Saute until fragrant and fold into potatoes.
Fold crumbled bacon and Lobster Meat into the mashed potatoes.
Blend well, serve immediately.

Christmas is Almost Here!

2009-12-22T08:30:00.000-08:00

I feel like I have been gone from writing this blog FOREVER! The Holidays are here and it's been insane here in the office. The days are winding down and time has almost run out to get someone a great gourmet gift. Fortunately, we still have some fantastic options available for delivery Christmas Eve, or Christmas Day!
Forget someone on your list? Send them a Create-A-Gram email certificate! This is the perfect gift every time, for every taste. Let your recipient choose their main course, seafood cake, soup, and dessert...and the certificate includes shipping!
Or...send a gift that is all about their choice with the Your Choice Gift Email Certificates! For each dollar level, your recipient can choose one of 5 packages, and these too include shipping charges at redemption! Does gift giving get any easier than that?

With everything else going on, it will be great to just hang out with my family on Christmas and not have to prepare the meal. My Oma will be making a jumbo batch of her German Potato Salad with lots and lots of bacon, and my Mom will be handling the Ham, and the Sarma (Sauerkraut and ground pork wrapped in cabbage leaves). The only thing I have to make sure I bring, the Shrimp Cocktail, and Gelato

Christmas Day however, will be all up to me. And in classic Lobster Gram style, I will be preparing a Surf & Turf Feast with Maine Lobster Tails, Filet Mignon, King Crab Cakes and Shrimp! I can't wait. Well, I hope you all have a wonderful Holiday. Be safe, Be merry and Happy Eating Foodies!

Jamaican Jerk Shrimp

2009-12-14T08:22:00.000-08:00

Good Monday morning Foodies! I hope everyone had an outstanding weekend!
Mine was super busy, but very productive! Sunday afternoon I spent in my kitchen.
It was a cold, rainy gray day here in Chicago, so I decided it would be a perfect day to make something spicy that reminds me of summer. So, I made Jamaican Jerk Shrimp and they turned out fantastic! Of course I would have liked to prepare them on an out door grill, but in Chicago in December...it ain't happening!
So, here is the recipe for pan seared Jamaican Jerk Spiced Shrimp!

Ingredients
1 tbs sugar
1 tbs paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp ground thyme
1/8 tsp ground allspice
1 1/2 lb large cooked shrimp
2 tbs olive oil

Directions
Pat shrimp dry and place in Tupperware container and cover with 2 tbs olive oil. Cover and toss to coat. Open container and add all spices. Cover and toss to coat again.
Heat a skillet on medium-high heat and cook shrimp for 5-7 minutes until heated.
Serve immediately.

Test Your Lobster Knowledge!

2009-12-08T10:50:00.000-08:00

Quizzes by Quibblo.com

Lobster Hush Puppies

2009-12-08T10:09:00.000-08:00

Ingredients
Oil, for frying
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 large eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 chopped green onions
Salt & pepper
1 pound cooked Lobster meat

Directions
Heat oil to 350. In a large bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt & pepper to taste, and cayenne pepper. Add all wet ingredients except Lobster meat and whisk until combined. Lightly fold in cooked lobster meat and set batter aside for 10 minutes.
Dip spoon into water and then a spoonful of the hush-puppy mixture. This will allow mixture to easily fall off the spoon. Drop by tablespoonfuls into hot oil, and fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve hot!

Lobster Grilled Cheese

2009-12-08T08:20:00.000-08:00

Lobster Grilled Cheese
Ingredients
10-12 oz Cooked Maine Lobster Meat
1/8 cup shredded fresh mozzarella cheese
1/8 cup fresh goat cheese
1/8 cup fresh sharp cheddar cheese
2 tbs mustard,
1 tbs lemon juice
1 chopped green onion
salt and pepper to taste
Bread
butter

Directions
Combine all ingredients except for the cheeses. Butter one side of a piece of bread and lay it down on the hot griddle pan. Spread the lobster mixture on the bread and top with cheeses to your taste. Top the lobster with another piece of buttered bread (butter side out) and cook until both sides are toasted, and the cheeses have melted.

Images from Lobster Grilled Cheese and Lobster Hush-Puppies

2009-12-07T12:43:00.000-08:00

Ok..here is how this is going to work.
Images today, recipes tomorrow :)
Sorry folks, short on time today!

Lobster Grilled Cheese and Lobster Hush-puppies

2009-12-07T07:25:00.000-08:00

Good Monday Morning Foodies! How was everyone's weekend? Mine was super busy but fantastic. Saturday, I went down to the new Chicago French Market at 131 N Clinton. It was packed with holiday shoppers, but all the fresh cheese, produce and everything else was just great. I'll be making regular trips down there from now on.
After that, I went up to the Cristkindl Market here in Chicago. It's one of my favorite Christmas activities. I also got my Christmas tree up and the house decorated...and I spend Sunday cooking and baking.
I decided it would be a great weekend for some comfort food, so I decided to make my ultimate comfort food, Lobster Grilled Cheese. I had decided to make Hush-puppies with this recipe, so I thought, what the heck...lets throw some Lobster into the hush-puppies as well.
The result...phenomenal.
So here is the video for that little adventure, and I'll post the recipes with the images next!
Happy eating foodies!

Angus New York Strip Steaks with Red Wine Reduction

2009-11-30T10:49:00.001-08:00

Good Monday morning Foodies! I hope everyone had a great long extended weekend! I had a lot planned for this weekend, but as I should know by now, planning stuff usually means that you have made plans that are going to fall through. Murphy's law I guess, but at least I still got to cook on Sunday.
Sunday, I prepared two of our 16 oz Angus Strip Steaks with a VERY simple red wine reduction sauce, and it was fantastic. In my experience, the best meals are the ones that are super simple, and designed to augment the natural flavors and textures. This recipe, is that to a "T".
I was unable to get video of this endeavor (Someone left their flip in the office), but fortunately...I got some tasty pictures of the whole process.
So here is the recipe, and the images.
Happy eating foodies!

For Each 16 oz New York Strip Steak you will need the following:
3/4 Cup Red Wine
Salt & Pepper to taste
2-3 tbs cold unsalted butter, cubed
1/2 large shallot

Directions:
Heat the skillet before placing steaks in it.
Put steaks into heated skillet, fat side down so it can render into the skillet.
Cook steaks on fat side for 3-4 minutes until steak has released most of the fat.
Flip steak on the flat side and cook another 3-5 minutes, flip to the other side and cook for another 10 for medium rare. If you like your steak more well done, leave it in longer.
After steaks have cooked to your taste, remove them from the skillet and set aside under tin foil to keep warm. Add wine, chopped shallot and butter to skillet with drippings and reduce by half (15-20 minutes),
After sauce has reduced, serve immediately with warm steak.
Bon Appetite!

Thanksgiving & The Best Turkey I have EVER had

2009-11-27T08:42:00.000-08:00

It's the Friday after Thanksgiving, and instead of being trampled down in a store, I will be here in the office, patiently awaiting the feast of Thanksgiving left overs that waiting for me at home.
Yesterday, I made my first entire Turkey. I was a little nervous because the last thing anyone wants on Thanksgiving is a dry bird, but I was up for the challenge.
Besides, even if the Turkey wasn't perfect...my Mom and Oma couldn't be that mean about it...could they? (For future reference, yes: the elder generations of a German family can be down right cruel when it comes to judging others cooking skills)
Nerves aside, I decided that since it was a year of firsts, I would also treat the turkey to 24 hours of flavor with an AMAZING Turkey Brine that was sent to me by the Spice Hunter.
It sounded really good. Brown Sugar, Pepper, Sea Salt, Rosemary, Thyme, Sage, Cranberry, Juniper berries, simple and flavorful.
My turkey was tender and juicy, it literally fell off the bones when I tried to place it on the serving platter. Every person at the dinner table raved about how incredible this turkey was, and how we will never prepare a turkey without it again.

Nikki's Cooking -1
Judgmental family-0

The turkey wasn't pretty enough to take pictures of because it had fallen off the bones, but presentation does not matter when it's only close family gathered around the table.
So the moral of this Thanksgiving story is: Go to the Spice Hunter, and get some of that turkey brine!
After the turkey was carved and served and everyone had their fill of stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, cranberries and fresh bread, we served dessert which of course, came from Lobster Gram. After all, it's just not a special occasion around my house without the Lobster Gram food. For dessert, we had one of our new 6lb Apple Pies which is always a HUGE hit;

As well as Super Chunk Caramel Brownies (A)

After that, no one was able to move for a few hours lol. Overall, Thanksgiving was a smashing success, and I'm really looking forward to this weekend when I prepare some Angus New York Strip Steaks with a Red Wine Sauce.
Happy Eating Foodies :)

Pictures from Veal Chops with Pears and Rosemary

2009-11-23T12:51:00.001-08:00

Veal Chops with Pears and Rosemary

2009-11-23T11:27:00.000-08:00

Good Monday afternoon foodies! I hope everyone had an outstanding weekend. I know that I did!
Over the weekend I prepared my veal chops with pears and rosemary.
This was a new recipe I had never tried before, and it was out of this world!
The fresh pears and rosemary really brought out the freshness of the veal chops. They were tender and juicy and I was very sad when the meal was over. So, as promised, here is the video and the recipe to go along with it! If you get the chance to prepare veal, I highly recommend this recipe!

Ingredients
2 12 oz Bone in Veal Chops
1 tablespoon butter
3 green onions, whites only
½ cup fresh orange juice 125ml
1 pear, peeled, cored and sliced ¼ inch thick
1½ teaspoons fresh rosemary
½ teaspoon dried rosemary 2.5ml
¼ teaspoon grated orange peel 1ml
Orange slices, rosemary sprigs

Directions
Cook Veal Chops in butter in 12 inch (30cm) non stick skillet over medium heat until lightly browned, about 3 minutes per side. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and continue cooking 10 minutes. Transfer chops to platter; keep warm.
Cook white parts of onion in same skillet over medium heat until tender, 2-3 minutes. Stir in orange juice, pears and rosemary. Simmer until sauce thickens and pears are tender-crisp, about 5 minutes. Gently stir in orange peel and remaining onions. Spoon sauce over veal. Garnish with orange slices and rosemary sprigs.

I Love Cooking in the Fall- Veal with Pears and Rosemary this weekend

2009-11-20T07:52:00.000-08:00

Good Friday morning Foodies! Another week has flown by, and I feel guilty about not posting more. Things get insane for Lobster Gram around the Holidays, and right now I'm in high gear trying to prepare for it. Fortunately, I will have the time this Sunday to prepare a nice big meal again, and I have decided to go with a great veal recipe I got from a Twitter friend @EclecticGrocer. The recipe sounds great: Veal Chops with Pears and Rosemary and I found a roasted rosemary potato salad recipe I'm going to make with them.
I just love spending chilly weekends at home cooking. The house gets all warm and cozy, and the smells that permeate from the kitchen...tantalizing.
I don't think I have ever prepared Veal with Pears and Rosemary, but I imaging the aromas will be mouthwatering. I love fragrant fresh rosemary in an assortment of dishes, so I'm looking forward to this with great anticipation. This will help you see why...
When you start out with ingredients as fantastic as this, it's really hard to mess things up.
So when I get off work today, I'll hit up the grocery store and stock up, then retreat to my cozy kitchen and start kicking out some lovely flavorful and fragrant dishes.
That is until Sunday. Sunday, I will emerge from my kitchen and head to the movies to see New Moon. Yes, I admit that I am a huge Twilight fan. After seeing the first movie, I read the books, and was hooked. The writing it's self isn't something to write home about, but the story sucks you in, and you have to keep reading.
Not to mention that Robert Pattinson is hot beyond all rationality.
So Sunday afternoon, I will be in the VIP 21 & over theater near my house avoiding the throngs of giggling teen girls and enjoying a Sunday Screwdriver in front of the big screen on a comfy love seat. I'm really anxious to get this rocking weekend rolling!
And with that I will close this post.
Keep a look out for the video and pictures from Veal with Pears and Rosemary early next week!
Have a great weekend and Happy Eating!

Wordless Wednesday Part 2- The Conclusion of Last Week's Raw Steak Shots

2009-11-18T13:00:00.000-08:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-11-11T09:07:00.001-08:00