A LITTLE LOBSTER, ANYONE?

YUMMEE!

It's that time of year, lobster everything.

Lobster Rolls.

Lobster Cold Plate.

Lobster Sandwich.

Lobster in a Chowder.

Lobster slathered with Mayo.

Or simply, Lobster hot right out of the pot, dipped in melted butter.

Is there really a bad way to enjoy it?

For those out there with seafood allergies, I get it. And I sympathize. A few years ago, after several episodes with bouts of flu-like symptoms, sick stomach and spiking a temp, I finally mentioned it to my doctor. After barfing my guts up at work at the East Point Lighthouse, I told the staff I was leaving early and going home. The next thing I remember clearly was waking up in my bed. I was so sick, and on the verge of passing out that I don't remember the drive home. From East Point. That was scary. The doctor took my symptoms seriously and ordered blood work.

What did it prove? Well, a crazy outcome. He said it wasn't rare, but it wasn't common either. I had a shellfish allergy alright. But only to bivalves.

I could have any shellfish with a carapace, lobster, shrimp, and crab, thank god. If there's anything better than lobbies, it's CRAB!!!

But no to the molluscs. And I'm okay with that. Scallops never agreed with me, I always found them very rich. Clams, meh. Mussels, once in a while, but I never went crazy over them, although I did like serving them, especially in a chowder.

But no more. We were able to piece together my aversion to some fish, seafood chowder in particular, then becoming quite sick, temperature rising, then an irresistible urge to sleep.

The cure? Stay away from shellfish!!

So I'm very careful now, so as not to create another allergy. I made a seafood chowder last week, using striped bass, salmon and of course, lobster. And it was delicious.

Now, back to lobster.

There seems to be conversations out there that boiling or steaming them is a cruel way to cook them. Or at least the preparation to cooking them. Scientists just have to do science-y things. I just don't get it, you pop them in the pot headfirst and slam that lid down.

So what happens if that method should change?

Well, I can handle a change. But what about all the fish plants out there, all over the world who process lobster? An army of workers who depend on that work?

I can see it now.

When interviewing staff for the upcoming processing season, the questions might go a little like this......

Interviewer: "So, do you know how we cook lobsters here?"

Interviewee: "Well, yes sir, I know how to cook them. Get the salted water at a roaring boil, drop the basket into the vats, and cook them."

Interviewer: "What would you say if I told you that is a cruel practise and we now must kill each lobster first, then drop it in the water?"

Interviewee: "Well, I'd say you're friggin' nuts and I'm not working here. You can hire your lobster assassins from somewhere else."

Or something like that.

Have you heard anything about it?

How would you weigh in on that?

I can't help but wonder what some of our older fishermen might have thought of that.

Clive Bruce or old Sept MacPhee.

I'm sure they'd have had a few things to say. In colourful language.

But no matter how you cut it, lobsters are a big part of the Island culture. People have been cooking them and eating them in their own way for thousands of years, long before the settlers. They taught us how.

So here's to malacostracan decapod Homaridae, our common lobster, no matter how you slice it, it's delicious.