National Lobster Quesadilla Day

What is today all about?

Part of librarian Pam's daily routine is to check the National Day web site to see what is being recognized each day. She was always a fan of these things, but has certainly followed them more closely during the pandemic. 

Careful readers might have noticed some resulting recipes; careful readers would have noticed even more if I had not fallen down on the blogging job. 

We both continue to innovate in our cooking, but the queue of unblogged recipes is indeed growing. This was so good and so easy, though, that I had no excuse to put off writing about it.

Key ingredients

Early this morning, as we sipped home-roasted coffee from Rwanda, Pam mentioned the happy coincidence of National Quesadilla Day and National Lobster Day. This seemed almost like a command from the Fates to the Hayes-Bohanans.

I simply googled the combination and found this simple recipe at Chop Happy (a site I had not previously known). Simplicity was called for because this was to be a weeknight dinner at the end of another tiring Covid-19 week. More importantly as I have gradually gained confidence in cooking seafood, I have followed an unwritten rule: the more expensive the ingredient, the simpler the recipe should be.

So the simple recipe was very appealing. I got some excellent lobster tails from our favorite fishmonger -- Kyler's Catch in New Bedford (yes, the seafood capital of North America), and chopped them into chunks of about 3/4 inch. I then chopped some scallions (in the recipe) and cilantro (in our fridge, so why not?) and tossed them gently in a bowl. 

Notice my use of the quantity "some" -- I must admit I did not even look at the recipe after my morning coffee. 

I melted butter over low heat (I have never used butter or low heat for quesadillas before) while shredding an entire package of Cabot's pepper-jack cheese (from the farmer-owned cooperative in Vermont). I then assembled the quesadillas and put them in the pan side-by-side, turning the heat to medium-high. I treated them much more gingerly than usual -- in part to make sure lobster did not fall out in the process.

The result? We both pronounce these the best quesadillas we have ever had, and we have had a few. (Like a few thousand, probably). This paired beautifully with our complex, fruity, and bold home-vinted Malbec.

We are also aware that these were by far the most expensive quesadillas we have ever made. But they are not the most expensive we have bought. Cooking at home saves money, but for a special occasion, it can mean that "splurging" for the best ingredients brings the price of an extraordinary meal up to the cost of a mediocre meal at a mid-range restaurant. We know we are lucky to be able to do this from time to time.

Lagniappe

We usually have lobster dinner with friends on Christmas Eve. In 2020, in the depths of the pandemic and before any of us could be vaccinated, we could not do it. So our gift to these friends was lobster quesadilla kits so we could feast together by zoom. 

Apple Cake

 

Last spring the Bridgewaters' One Book One Community Read was Thanks A Thousand by A.J. Jacobs. This memoir recounts the author's attempts to thank everyone who brought him his daily cup of coffee beginning with the barista at his local coffee shop and ending with a trip to South America to thank the farmers. Ultimately he thanks about a thousand people, while realizing he didn't even get to everyone. 

As a children's selection along the same theme we found Dawn Casey's Apple Cake which features a young child thanking all the people, plants, and animals who provide the ingredients to make Apple Cake. A recipe is included in the book, so in honor of the start of fall I made it. I made my own almond flour by grinding almond slivers in the blender. The cake is dense and not too sweet although it has 3 cups of honey.