St. Paul’s prepares for Lobster Fest

Published 3:05pm Monday, October 4, 2010
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LOBSTER: Homaridae; genus homarus: a large edible marine decapod crustacean with stalked eyes, a pair of large claws and a long abdomen. It is found on both sides of the North Atlantic and along the Cape of Good Hope. Brought to the dinner tables of the world by the legendary New England Lobstermen, who capture them with a lobster pot, also known as a trap, which is an oblong wooden case with slat sides and a funnel-shape net.

On Thursday evening, Oct. 7, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church is sponsoring its annual Live Maine Lobster Fest to benefit the outreach programs of the church and Little Friends’ School.

There will be three dinner seatings in Parker Hall (Upper Hall): 6, 7 and 8 p.m. Take-out time for those who choose to dine at home is 5 to 7 p.m. The price is $30 per person for the dinner and $25 for takeout. Take Out dinners may be picked up at the CLOS gate on Lauderdale Street. In addition to the lobster, the menu includes melted lemon butter, baked potatoes, tossed salad, French bread, wine and a choice of dessert, homemade by the Episcopal Church Women.

Tickets are available from Little Friends School, members of the Parish and St. Paul’s office, 874-8421. Tickets must be purchased by noon on Wednesday, Oct. 6.

Refreshments and musical entertainment will be offered in the Lower Hall during the evening. Ticket holders are invited to come 30 minutes prior to their seating time to enjoy music by Harry Gamble, Miriam Coffee and Patti Campbell at the piano.

One of the most enjoyable segments of the evening, this brings together members of other congregations, friends and family in companionship.

Now, from the Maine Lobster Promotion Council in Bangor, Maine, instructions on “How to Eat Lobster” are provided:

Okay, so you’ve ordered your first lobster. The waiter or waitress brings you a bib, a bowl of melted butter, a wet napkin, a nutcracker and a bright red lobster. What do you do next?

Put on the bib. Water can squirt at the least expected moment, not to mention that you will feel years younger.

Twist off the claws.

Crack each claw and knuckle with a nutcracker, pliers, knife or rock. Remove the meat.

Separate the tail from the body and break off the tail flippers. There’s a morsel of meat in each flipper, too.

Insert a fork and push the tail meat out in one piece. Remove and discard the black vein that runs the entire length of the tail meat.

Separate the shell of the body from the underside by pulling them apart and discard the green substance called the tomalley.

Open the underside of the body by cracking it apart in the middle, with the small walking legs on either side. Lobster meat lies in the four pockets, or joints, where the walking legs are attached. The walking legs also contain excellent meat that can be removed by biting down on the leg and squeezing the meat out with your teeth.

Use the wet napkins to clean up.

For those who will be attending the Lobster Fest for the first time: the lobsters are flown in from Maine, fresh from the cold Cape Cod waters. They are cooked on the spot at the church, so fresh their claws are almost waving. And with all the excellent cooks at St. Paul’s, the dessert course is always special. Be sure to save room for it.

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