Although I am not at the "extreme" level, due to our careful planning and hoarding of coupons over the past few weeks, Danny and I have managed to save over 200 dollars worth of groceries. This, coupled with the fact that we are more than stocked up with the basics until the end of time, is a good feeling. For example, cereal. Kellogs gave us a free gallon of milk during our next shopping trip due to the amount of cereal we've bought. So. Much. Cereal.
Other than cereal, we have seriously stocked up on meat, due to the Price Chopper Big Meat Sale (not as creepy as it sounds!) that happened two weeks ago. We got 30 pounds of meat, all different kinds and cuts, for $99.00.
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| As you can see, our freezer is full of meat. Our fridge isn't looking too shabby either, and this picture was taken two weeks ago right after we moved in. |
If you're thinking "there's probably only crap meat in that kind of a deal" you wouldn't be alone. I was skeptical as well, but Danny stuck to his guns and convinced me to give it a try. I was made a believer after we bought the deal, with the most surprising cut of meat being a seriously thick, juicy, and huge steak. I ask you - what better meal to make with a good cut of steak than a Surf and Turf dinner?
Now, I promised in my last post a sad pre-boiled lobster picture... and I make good on my promises.
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| Why it's fuzzy and shiny, I'm not sure. Probably because the universe knew my hair looked awful that day.
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| IT'S LOBSTERZILLA!!! |
We prepared our lobster's bath in the traditional New England boil fashion - one lemon (halved), small golden potatoes, bay leaves, fresh rosemary and thyme, corn on the cob, plenty of salt, and ground black pepper. We let the water come to a boil and placed our giant friend right in and covered the pot with a lid... to foil any escape plans he may have had.
I grew up in a small town in Northern New Hampshire. I am familiar with lobster boils. When I was small, my family would get together around my father's birthday (July 4th) and have a giant lobster boil and clam bake in my backyard. It was our "family reunion," and we kids would help the men put the lobsters into the pot. For some reason, that fearlessness and calloused outlook on preparing my food has somewhat waned, due to the fact that I could barely stay in the kitchen while Lobsterzilla bubbled away in the pot. Is this what living in suburbia for six years has done to me?!
While Lobsterzilla visited our New England flavored stove-top spa, Chef Hoyt prepared a steak rub of shallots, garlic, fresh rosemary, thyme, ground black pepper and salt in our new-to-us food proccessor. Best thing we acquired in the move hands down.
Then, he cooked the steak medium rare, allowed it to sit in it's own juices, and sliced it up good and thick to serve with our friend, who's bath was just about over.
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| Look at that delicious slab of protein. |
Finally, Danny halved Lobsterzilla, removed the brain stem, and made a sauce from the tamale (that lovely green gunk that is actually the lobster's liver and pancreas) using salt, pepper, olive oil and lemon juice. As you can see, this behemoth sea monster looks a little fancier prepped like this than torn apart in my childhood backyard, and I can tell you it was just as delicious, especially with the tamale sauce.
That night, we could only eat the body and tail of the giant, not to mention maybe half the steak. The claws and any other parts of the lobster that remained were cleaned and kept for Lobster Mac n' Cheese, which Danny made later in the week. Which, of course, was also delicious, although I sadly did not get pictures of that particular dish. Also, we need a casserole dish to bake things in... the frying pan won't cut it forever.
It's when Danny prepares something like this that I remember how incredibly talented he is. That's not to say that he can't make bread and butter taste better than I ever could, but it's apparent the level of training and experience he has when he takes the care to clean, prepare, and pre-crack the lobster like a pro in a five star restaurant. Lobsterzilla's remains were treated with respect, so unlike the barbaric backyard lobster boils of my past that left discarded red-shelled carnage everywhere at the end of the day. It gives you a new appreciation for food, especially food that had been alive only moments before, and really makes you think about more that the delicious meal it provides.
Next up: Nachos... made by yours truely with no - I repeat, NO - help from Le Chef.
Peace, Love and Butter
- Brooke and Danny -
