Three in particular got my culinary cortex going. The whole concept of a savory macaron from Doggy at Chez What. Troll's lemon relish, which he tells me he makes with lemon, celery, fennel, cardamom, and red pepper (what else could I pair that with besides lobster?). And the shellfish Sabayon that La Diva served with her magnificent lobster souffle.
I was salivating for lobster all over again after seeing the Smackdown entries. Couldn't afford another lobster, but I did have those lobster shells in my freezer. I was well into making lobster stock, and intent on making lobster risotto, when the phone rang (as it inevitably does when I try to make risotto). Which is why the lovely photo at the top of this post is not a food picture. However, I'll be back with a risotto post soon (possibly tomorrow night before Bourdain's new food porn episode) if the phone doesn't ring again.
Meanwhile, Cindie was inspired from another corner of the blogosphere and decided to try out MS's chocolate blackout cake. Cindie fiddled with it (she's allergic to cocoa powder), making her a bolder baker than I am. I mess around with recipes in the cooking arena all the time, but baking is a whole 'nother kettle of, er, lobster. The result was a cake that fell apart on her. When I asked her to let me know how it tasted, she said the upside to something this "deconstructed" is that you can stick your fingers into it before serving and no one will notice. Verdict: Pretty tasty.
With thanks to everyone who stopped by to check out my lobster post, and gratitude to all the Smackdown entrants for your inspiration, I wish you a Happy Monday!
