New England Summer in a Bowl

There is nothing more evocative of a New England summer than corn, tomatoes, and lobster. A summer is not complete without a meal containing all three (luckily, I have never had a summer go by without a meal like that).

However, I'm not a huge fan of eating a whole lobster as a meal. It's too messy, and the tail gets cold while I'm working on the claws (or vice versa), and what do you do with the plateful of water that comes pouring out of the body?! Add to that a trip to the sink to rinse the gunk out of the tail meat, and you don't have the most pleasant of meals.

This recipe came about precisely because of this. It's the best way to combine those summer flavors into one dish. It's so simple, in fact, that this is really an un-recipe. I've spread it around to friends and family, and each person makes it their own. So consider this less of  something to follow and more of a jumping-off point.

This recipe naturally doubles or triples very easily, and it's a wonderful dish to serve a party (plus, you're serving lobster! But you only have to buy 4 or so to feed a crowd!).

Lobster, Corn, and Tomato Hash
2 Tbsp butter
3-4 ears of corn, kernels cut from the cob
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, the smaller the better (you can use big tomatoes too, like I did above, but the result is a little more watery)
2 1-lb(ish) lobsters, cleaned, and meat roughly chopped
Handful of basil, torn into small pieces
Salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add corn and tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to burst. Add lobster and basil and cook until lobster is warmed through. Salt and pepper to taste.

Cambridge 1, not in Cambridge

Last week, my coworkers (archaeologists and non-archaeologists alike) headed off to see the new Indiana Jones together. Only problem was that we were going to the Fenway movie theater, and a day game at the ball park had just gotten out. Places like Boston Beer Works were too busy. Instead, we headed down to the new(ish) Cambridge 1, right across from the movie theater, for some pizza and beers.

The decor of the place is sleek and minimalist. I really like the high booths, which raise you up enough that you don't feel tiny in the large room and that was large enough to fit our whole party.


There are so many interesting choices on the menu (despite only offering pizza and salads) that I shared two different with a couple of people. The lobster pizza with corn and scallions was my favorite - the corn was really sweet, and there was a fair amount of lobster on it. It was oily because there was nothing to hold the oil onto the pizza, but it was delicious. We also shared the potato pizza, topped with mashed potates, thin slices of potato, fontina cheese, and scallions. I didn't think I'd like potatoes on pizza, but the crust is so thin and crispy that it added a great textural difference.

And how was Indy? Better than Temple of Doom... but that doesn't really say all that much. Overall, it was enjoyable, and it didn't destroy the franchise like so many people are saying it did.

An Ode to Pinchy and Grabby

My long weekend down the Cape was very peaceful. I managed to read three books, fall asleep on the beach, and get in plenty of shopping. We only got to see the sunset one night, thanks to fog and rain, but it was a spectacular one. I especially liked the tiny toy truck we found as we shuffled our feet through the sand.


As promised, there was lobster. My mother and I enjoyed our meals while my father looked on in not-quite-horror. And I didn't make too much of a mess of myself! The lobsters were so sweet, and we paired them with some extra-sweet, local corn, for the freshest of meals.

I named the lobsters Pinchy (above) and Grabby (not shown). I feel that (without getting into a big moral debate), if you're going to eat meat of any form, you should be able to watch the animal get killed. Now, I don't live near many abattoirs, but cooking lobsters is something that can be done at home. So I salute you, Pinchy and Grabby! Thanks for the perfect meal, boys!