Every year during the Homecoming/ Parents Weekend at Endicott College in Beverly, MA we make a short trip up the north shore of Boston to Gloucester to eat fresh lobster that is captured and crated as we sit on the deck looking out over the Atlantic Ocean.
Gloucester, or as the locals call it, "Glosta", is home of the Gloucester Fisherman, the oldest seaport in the United States. Gloucester still exists as a full service port for the New England commercial fishing industry. The port is home to scallop boats, lobster boats, groundfish trawlers, mid-water herring trawlers, gillnetters and other commercial boats.
The lobster (lobsta) from Gloucester (Glosta) is absolutely amazing. The shells on the lobster are so soft – that you barely need a device to crack them open. The restaurants set the tables with bibs, big napkins, lobster crackers and dishes to put your shells into. However, we have found the lobsta in Glosta can easily be cracked with our hands (having just come out of the ocean). At the end of your meal, you are given warm wet towels to clean your hands with.
As the summer has come to an end, eating lobster with an ocean view is a delight and a welcomed treat.
For harder shells Zyliss carries one of our favorite lobster cracking tools. The Zyliss Seafood Cracker sets the standard for top quality. Made of unbreakable plastic, its unique design models the shape of lobster tails and crab legs and claws for easy cracking.
Some of the best features include:
•Teeth on inside of the tool conform to shape and size of claws and legs
•It is made of unbreakable plastic and a durable hinge for long lasting use
•The ergonomic handles ensure a firm grip
•It is also useful for cracking nuts
•It is dishwasher safe
Many people claim they are experts at cracking Lobsters and, being born in New England, I am one of those. As I schooled my young daughter on the art of cracking, my claw exploded and lobster meat shot across the air and landed in my wife Paula’s beautifully styled hair! Yes, she had Lobster hair - big chunks - and she was not pleased! My daughter laughed till she cried. I now know that I need more practice cracking my Lobsta’s.
So my Foodie Friends have fun when when you eat and remember that: “Life Happens in the Kitchen”
Take Care,
John and Paula
