I had partners in struggle tonight in the bungalow kitchen. Four proud lobsters--well, three, because one had lost a claw and looked a little forlorn--met their demise in my killing pot.
Our friend Bob called this morning on his way to the Twin Cities to pick up some live lobsters and graciously asked if we'd like some.
I'd never cooked live lobsters before, but I had read the lobster murder entry at the Julie/Julia Project and I said to heck with that stabbing business. That poor little guy flailing about with his head split in two didn't seem especially humane to me, and besides, I was expected to eat the things. I had to be a little humane to my stomach, which was already queasy just from looking at them.
I just threw them in the steamer, as our friend who had given us the lobsters suggested.
When the lobsters were done, I spared my husband, who is far more sensitve than I about these matters, the gruesome task of removing the tail and watching the green guts ooze out. I harvested as much clean meat as I could, but it was no use. He still couldn't eat it.
So, I had four lobster tails all to myself for supper. In a restaurant, I'd have been in heaven, but in the cold light of my own kitchen and in light of my cold-blooded murder, I just wasn't that hungry either. All I craved was a blueberry smoothie.
To make matters worse, I'd cooked up a batch of saffron risotto which was inedible, whether by association or not, I don't know, but that's it, I've had it with risotto. I'm sick of thick, dumpy, creamy , cheesy rice.(Sorry, Nigella). Unless I'm eating a rice pudding, I want my rice with the grains nicely separated and with lots of flavor, as in:
Aromatic Yellow Rice (from Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cooking)
2 cups long grain or basmati rice
2 2/3 cups water
1 1/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground turmeric
3-4 whole cloves
A 1 inch stick of cinnamon
3 bay leaves
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pats
Put the rice in a bowl and wash in several changes of water Drain. Pour 5 cups fresh water over the rice and let it soak for half an hour. Drain the rice in sieve.
Combine the drained rice, 2 2/3 cups water, salt turmeric, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaves in a heavy pot and bring to a boil. cover with a tight-fitting lid, turn the heat to very, very low and cook for 25 minutes. Let the pot rest, covered and undisturbed, for 10 minutes. Add the small pats of butter to the rice and mix them in gently with a fork. Remove the whole spices before serving.
(This rice is excellent with sweet red pepper sauce.)
So, we won't add lobster to the repertoire, or crab legs either. Risotto is out, aromatic rice is in. And I'm definitely having a blueberry smoothie for breakfast.
10:05:38 PM 
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