Oh Yum!

For what seems like ages I have driven past a sign for the Madison Chocolatier on Rt. 1 in Madison, CT. The sign advertised gelato which evokes very fond memories of Bellagio, Italy, 1989. Well, at long last the stars all aligned and I found myself on the right side of the road at the right time of day and I stepped into this tiny shoppe that immediately put a smile on my face. My nostrils were assailed with the intoxicating scent of CHOCOLATE. My eyes were drawn to the showcase filled with chocolates, tarts and cakes that immediately added 3 inches to each hip but somehow I didn't care. I was on a mission. I approached the gelato case and an adorable young girl asked me what I would like. She offered me tastes of any or all of the dozen flavors. I sampled Raspberry Chocolate Flake. Delicious. I really couldn't decide. They didn't have my all time favorite gelato flavor: hazelnut. So I asked the sweet young thing to decide for me. She said she could put a little of each flavor into my cup, so that's what I had. The gelato is served in a little plastic cup with a little plastic shovel as a spoon.

Then today, I satisfied another culinary urge: a hot lobster roll at the Lobster Landing on Commerce Street right here in Clinton. The cafeteria ladies at school had urged me to stop by and taste the best lobster roll I had ever eaten. So simple. Pure lobster, cooked to perfection, stuffed into a toasted roll and doused with a generous portion of melted butter. We sat at a white plastic table alongside the town harbor and savored each succulent mouthful. Now, remind me why I thought that cold lobster with mayonnaise on a buttered roll was perfection.
OK...I have a clue. It all has to do with the butter and my dad. Dad had a "thing" about butter. We never knew exactly why, but nothing that even looked like butter ever passed my dad's lips. So of course, when my parents went to Maine and discovered the joys of lobster rolls they would have gravitated to the cold rolls with mayonnaise instead of the hot rolls with melted butter. They passed this joy on to the younger generation and we never knew what we were missing. Can I love them both?

And, while we're on the subject of food, I just saw the new movie, Julie & Julia on Friday with Debbie. We both loved it. Meryl Streep was amazing. Makes you want to go out and pick up a copy of "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" and sharpen your knives. Go see it.