Food

If I have one complaint about lobster, it is the terminology, "Market Price," that appears to its side on most restaurant menus. "Market Price" annoys me. You never see "Market Price" listed to the side of pork chops or fried chicken on restaurant menus.

I know prices for things like fresh Maine lobsters and fresh Gulf crab claws vary due to season and availability, but prices do not vary for the item the day it is placed on the menu. I say list the price and let the customer decide whether to order the market priced lobster after administered CPR brings them back to consciousness.

That lobsters are such a delicacy today would be amazing to early European settlers of our northern Atlantic seaboard. When these settlers reached our shores, lobsters were so plentiful they could be scooped up from the shoreline. They were considered common food and fed to prisoners and cattle alike. In those days, less affluent male heads of households likely could be heard saying, "What, lobster again? Can a man not occasionally have some sheep's intestines after a hard day's work?"

Though once fished near to extinction, lobsters have made a comeback through careful conservation. Each lobsterman is limited to 800 traps. These traps are devised in such a manner as to allow small lobsters to escape and to keep overly large lobsters from entering the trap. This likely explains why today's commercially available lobsters only vary in size from 1 to 2.5 pounds.

Further restrictions are placed on taking egg-bearing female lobsters and females whose tails have been notched with a V indicating they were bearing eggs the last time they were trapped. Though some older recipes call for female lobsters, in fact, there is little taste difference in female and male lobsters. Adult male lobsters have larger claws, but female lobsters have more meat in their tails thus causing male lobsters to be perpetual liars when asked by their mates, "Does my tail look fat in this outfit?"

To identify female from male lobsters, turn the lobster on its back and look at the first pair of appendages just where the body and tail meet. Male lobster legs are thick and stiff, while the female legs are soft and delicate. It is preferable to use female lobsters when making lobster bisque or chowder because females have roe inside. This roe turns bright red in a cooked female and when used in lobster-based soups, it adds tremendous intense flavors.

Why all this talk about lobsters? Because Grace Episcopal Church's Lobsterfest benefiting Habitat for Humanity occurs Saturday from noon to 7 p.m. in the church parish hall. The great part about this event besides bringing the community together for a good cause is that these Episcopal lobsters are not sold at some nebulous "Market Price."

These live, fresh Maine crustaceans are bought in bulk by the church and members donate side items served with this treat from the deep. A full lobster dinner, eat in or take out, can be had for $20 and a single cooked or uncooked lobster is $15. Tickets are available from church members or from the church office at the corner of East 10th Street and Leighton in Anniston.

I love lobster, but I also love the fact this dinner affords the opportunity to recommend white wines in what would otherwise be a red wine season. Though there are infidels out there who drink red wine with everything, white wine is de rigueur for lobsters. Pair one of these whites with your denizen of the deep:

Chardonnay Delle Venezie Primaterra 2006. $9.99 at the Wine Cellar on Quintard Avenue in Anniston. An Italian unoaked chardonnay. Clean and crisp with a hint of sweetness. Excellent with seafood.

Domaine Pichot Vouvray 2007. $13.75 at Tyson Art and Frame in Golden Springs. A chenin blanc from the Loire Valley in France. This Vouvray (voov-ray) has the necessary zing to be interesting with a hint of sweetness making it excellent for pairing with cream-based lobster soups.

Chateau Potelle 2006 Sauvignon Blanc. $10.75 at Tyson Art and Frame. Excellent, dry, aromatic, sauvignon blanc. Great with unadorned lobster and butter.

2006 Clos du Bois (kloh du bwah) Sonoma Reserve Russian River Chardonnay. $22.99 at Winn Dixie. Light straw color chardonnay. Sprightly with citrus fruit overtones. Smooth but not buttery. Food friendly chardonnay. Excellent with seafood, especially lobsters.