Summer for the Mast clan this year included a rare vacation. As us kids are slowly moving further and further from our hometown of Goshen, Indiana (think Houston, Fargo, and for me, South Korea later this month), family time is exceedingly rare. But this year we each carved out a week in July to go to Maine.
We watched the tide roll in and out every day, shared coffee and tea at sunrise and sunset, played tons of games, and hiked in the beautiful Acadia National Park. And of course, we ate good food!
I ordered my first Maine lobster at Ruth and Wimpy’s, a popular spot near our cabin. But to save money (and because even on vacation, my family loves to cook!), we wanted to try our own hand at cooking lobster, as well as grilling freshly caught haddock and cod for grilled fish tacos. How I lamented never taking the New England Lobster Party cooking class at The Chopping Block, or any of the awesome seafood options like Seafood on the Grill and Seafood 101!
Near the end of our time in Maine, we made one of my favorite dishes of our time there: a forgiving but delicious lobster mac and cheese. This helped us save money since we only needed three lobsters total for our family of six, and also meant we got to make something none of us had ever made – or eaten! – before.
First we cooked and cracked the lobster, extracting the juicy meat and then chunking it up. After cooking up macaroni and tossing it in a baking dish, we added the hearty pieces of lobster and a roux-based cheese sauce. We used the cheeses we had on hand, including a sharp white cheddar and a creamier gruyere, seasoning with salt and pepper. We topped the lobster mac with bread crumbs and served with freshly podded peas from the farmers’ market.
Some people like vacations from cooking, but that’s not always the case with my family. When you love to cook, it’s hard to stay away from it. Hone your skills at one of The Chopping Block’s upcoming cooking classes.
