With its vibrant color, its delicate and luscious flavor and its excellent nutritional value, it's no wonder that lobster is such a favorite. Yet for all its specialness, lobster is actually an affordable luxury when made at home. And as a food, the meat in a one-pound lobster has only 98 calories, 13 milligrams of cholesterol (less than the same amount of skinless chicken) and is high in the Omega-3 acids known to help reduce cholesterol levels.

More than five years in preparation, Lobster at Home will teach anyone, from the most inexperienced novice to the seasoned professional, to master the art of cooking lobster. Written clearly and with care for important detail, Lobster at Home goes far beyond any other seafood cookbook. It explains everything from how to choose just the right lobster for a delectable dinner to how to extract every last morsel of meat from a cooked lobster. A treasure trove of information, it also contains completely reliable chapters on lobster anatomy, the basic cooking techniques and the essential equipment. Recipes cover the full range of dishes: soups, chowders, stews, salads and sandwiches, as well as pot-pies, pastas, risottos and classic main courses, along with a special chapter on chefs' creations. Now you can easily turn out restaurant favorites such as Lobster Bisque, Baked Stuffed Lobster and Lobster Fra Diavolo right at home, and at a fraction of the cost.

Among this book's unique features:

• a beautiful illustration showing how and when to select lobster, helping the cook know at a glance when hardshells and soft-shells are available, as well as the best prices

• a handy chart giving cooking times for each size of lobster

• a list of recommended sources for mail-ordering live lobsters

• many recipes that call for the use of already-cooked lobster

From cover to cover, this is a book that welcomes all kinds of lobster lovers who have always wanted to cook lobster at home for family and friends.

Mark Bittman

author of Fish: The Complete Guide to Buying and Cooking

Jasper White is the authority on New England food, but seafood especially, and Lobster at Home is simply the last word on the subject. Its filled with precise information and fantastic recipes, which come not only from Jasper's kitchen but from his soul.

Jim Peterson

author of FishandShellfish

What a refreshing read! Mr. White's personable text and clear, savory-sounding recipes kept me up, stomach growling, to the wee hours. I was left wondering why I don't cook lobster more often. A must for the lobster lover.

Mayor Thomas M. Menino

city of Boston

The historical significance of lobster to the great city of Boston, combined with the talent of Jasper White, is bound to be a recipe for success.

One of the country's most celebrated seafood chefs takes the mystery out of cooking live lobster at home in this friendly, accessible book that cookbook author Mark Bittman calls "simply the last word on the subject". of color photos. 40 line drawings.

Jasper White grew up on a farm in New Jersey, where he learned to cook from his Italian grandmother. He is one of America's leading chefs and teachers of contemporary American cooking. He began his career in 1973, first attending the Culinary Institute of America, then working in restaurants in New York, San Francisco, Florida and Seattle. In 1983 Jasper and his wife, Nancy, opened Jasper's, one of two Boston restaurants to be awarded four and a half stars by The Boston Globe and named Boston Magazine's Best of Boston eleven times out of twelve years. Jasper is currently a consultant for Legal Sea Foods, a world-renowned seafood company. He has been a guest on Julia Child's television series Cooking with Master Chefs and a winner of the James Beard Best Chef in the Northeast award. He lives in Lincoln, Massachusetts, with his wife and three children.

Introduction

1. The Lobster Primer

2. Basic Cooking Techniques

3. Soups, Broths, Chowdersanda Bisque

4. Hot AppetizersandSmall Dishes

S. Lobster Salads, Sandwiches, Cold PlatesandComposed Salads

6. Classic Main Courses

7. Great Lobsters From Great Chefs

Mail-Order Sources

Index