I'm here! Our oldest daughter lives in Houston. They are OK but their house has taken a beating. Big oak tree uprooted & on the roof. It's not even their tree! Also lots of large branches stuck in the roof & around the property that don't belong to any trees they had. They've lost all of the landscaping, fence, & the roof is damaged but DSIL hasn't yet been able to get up on the roof to see how bad it is. I'm on standby to fly to Houston to help DD...if I'm here, I'd love to meet you at Abbott's. I'll know a lot more by Monday or Tuesday after they have a couple days to access the damage more. They don't have power or land line phone; but do have a small generator that can keep their frig running for a few days. /tricia

I can't disagree with any of the comments above. It's just that Phil has some specific requirements which I think can be met nicely with his idea. And yes, it is essential that the lobster tail meat must be cooked just to doneness and no more. I live a few steps from a good fish market on Cape Cod and my favorite way of having lobster is to get a big one, large enough to serve the bunch of us. The market has it steamed and ready for us to pick up at a designated time. Some go for the tail, which is my last choice, but may be right for the meal Phil is planning. (I did NOT mean that as a straight line for Jessie.) With a large enough lobster, I can be more than happy with just the tasty white fat, the green liver, the bits found around the leg joints and the red roe if it's a female. I will sneak a bit of the claw meat too, if possible. It's the best part. But this is messy business. It's not what Phil probably wants for this occasion. Also, what experienced cooks think of as routine are not easily accomplished in his situation and, as we know, timing can get complicated. Lori, that is a lovely, scrumptious looking plate. I had thought of Riesling too. It would work well. Linda's idea of champagne is perfect. You can't go wrong with the bubbly. It's good with anything and everybody likes it. Why didn't I think of that? Lobster tail medallions are a good idea too. Cook them *briefly*. Jim

Johnliu: I just came back and reread some of the Posts. Your thread on the Chinese using Chopsticks sounds right. I also heard many years ago, that you should remove the stomach, before freezing , or Gastric enzimes will be released, causing the meat to deteriorate quickly. Teresa_mn: I like your first Post. Often, do things like that but use oven bags and throw in a few tablespoons of Tomatoe Sauce and Garlic. Pinky: Did you pick up on that one. ********************************** Here is the Baked Shrimp Crabcake Recipe. LOU Lou�s - Crab and Shrimp cakes Ingredients One third cup each of chopped Onions, Peppers and Celery, micro waved 2 minutes. One half cup of bread crumbs 2 teasp. Parsley Flakes 1 teasp. Garlic Powder 2 teasp. Parmesan Cheese One half teasp. Old Bay Seasoning Mix the first 6 items , add 3 teasp. Mayo Three quarters teasp. Mustard Three quarters cup, cooked Shrimp, chopped medium 2 - 6 oz. cans of White Crab Meat or lump Crabmeat 1 large egg , beaten Made 5 cakes ( paddies ) Placed on Oiled aluminum foil in a cookie tin. Baked at 350 deg. For 30 minutes, basted with butter and baked 10 minutes more, or until Golden color. These were Baked a little too long. They were good with Creamy Italian Dressing

Thanks for the tips (both here and email) about camera repair. To make a long story short, Sony's site had advice that was useless, so I followed some internet advice and now my camera is officially dead. I'll keep your camera recommendations in mind as I research. The first time I had a lobster roll I questioned why the hot dog bun, but it just works. Also tradition, I believe, is that the buns be top split not side split. It took several tries before I could find those. Before I actually found them I went on KA's site to look for hot dog bun recipes, but found that I needed a special pan to make these. (I don't have a suitably sized substitute.) I worked in the Boston area for a while and was shocked the first time I saw lobster roll on the menu at McD's. I agree they have a bit much mayo, but not bad as I recall. Tricia - Interesting about the personal use license. I've been wondering if there's any way to catch your own lobster without getting either shot or arrested. Now all I need is a few pots. Oh, and a boat.