Why Didn't I think of That? The Lobster Lovers Dream Come True.

{photo via here}

I'm fairly certain that those of you who aren't regular lobster eaters will not find this interesting. But, if you are a lobster lover, well, your gonna love this.

How often have you sat, hands all covered with gook from de-shelling your lobster, ready to devour the goodness, only to look down at your lobster virtually swimming in liquid? You then, with slippery hands try to dump the liquid somewhere. Ultimately, you lose some valuable piece that has you scrambling like an idiot.

Well, thanks to the brilliance of a New Hampshire woman (T.J. “Lats” Latvis), your worries are over. The brand new innovative lobster plate is two layers - the top boasts vents that let those lobster juices drain to the plate below. Get all the juicy details.

As an added bonus, a portion of the profits from the sales of these plates benefits the Lobster Institute.
The Lobster Institute works with the lobster industry from New York to Newfoundland--the core mission is to sustain both the lobster resource and a viable lobster fisherythrough conservation, outreach and research.

Summer is on the way (or so I'm told...these cold gray days don't have me convinced), better stock up now!

For the Lobster Lover--A Yummy Father's Day Idea!

{photo via Catch a Piece of Maine}

For those of you followers who are lucky enough to live in Maine, this idea may seem a little absurd since the odds are you are just minutes away from a lobster dock where you can dine on the freshest of fresh lobster.

But, for those of you lobster lovers from away, this might be the answer to your culinary prayers.

Catch a Piece of Maine offers lobsters (and some other native goodies) direct from the lobstermen of the Coast of Maine.

That's right -- direct from the fishermen themselves -- no middle man.

Catch a Piece of Maine was started in an effort to help Maine lobstermen. Due to the ever-increasing costs of the trade, many lobstermen are leaving their heritage behind. In fact, according to the Island Institute, of the 5,300 miles of Maine coast, only 20 miles remain as working waterfront.

By bringing the consumer "closer to the dock" (e.g. buying direct  from the lobstermen), lobstermen earn a much-needed premium, effectively preserving the traditional working waterfront. And, by removing the middle man, consumers have a chance to get to know the dedicated lobsterman who harvested their dinner. (On the website, you'll get a chance to learn about the different lobstermen that caught your meal!)

So, this Father's Day, why not treat your Dad to a lobster meal caught by another Dad from the Coast of Maine. Although there are many options on their site, Catch of Maine offers a yummy "lobster share" (for $249 including overnight shipping) which includes:

Four 1 1/2 lb hard shell lobsters (caught by lobsterman Captain Brendan Ready)
1 lb Maine mussles
1 lb Jonah crab claws
4 servings of Maine-made desserts
lobster bibs, cooking instructions and recipes, utensils, wet-naps, sea salt AND
a photograph of Captain Brendan, a map detailing the date and location where your gourmet feast was harvested

(Plus, you also get a DVD about the Catch a Piece of Maine lobstermen.)