My husband and daughter almost share a birthday; their birthdays are the 20th and 21st respectively.  With Father’s Day thrown in there, it makes for a busy week.  Last night, to celebrate my husband’s birthday, we had fresh steamed lobster.  He’s from Massachusetts, and when given the option for a birthday dinner selection, it’s always his first choice.   If his birthday was in December, we probably wouldn’t do this.  But, once a year, at the beginning of summer, when the corn is perfect and you’ve been to the beach, there is nothing better than this meal.

I served it with fresh corn on the cob, chive roasted potatoes and champagne (we also used $100 bills as napkins).  For dessert, I made strawberry shortcakes.  I used a new recipe for the shortcakes, which was good, but next time I’ll go back to the perfect shortcake recipe from Cook’s Illustrated’s New Best Recipe Cookbook.  (I only deviated because I needed to find a recipe for shortcake on my iPhone while sitting on the beach yesterday.)  I whipped the cream in my new copper bowl that my husband gave me for Mother’s Day.  It really did taste better than cream whipped in the KitchenAid.

The only problem with this meal is explaining to your young daughter how a lobster is different from her pet hermit crab.  Yes, that’s a picture of my daughter kissing the lobster.  (And, no, we won’t eat the hermit crab.)

- Catherine