Land Shark? No, Lobstergram

Summer always brings to mind certain culinary delights -- barbecue, corn on the cob, hamburgers and hot dogs, lemonade, and seafood, particularly anything you'd find at a New England clam shack. We're fortunate enough to live near Pearl Oyster Bar if we need a quick fix, but what about those for whom the closest decent lobster might actually be in New England? Send 'em a Lobstergram.

The folks at Lobstergram sent us one to try a while back. And what is a Lobstergram, you might ask? It's a package containing two live lobsters and all the basic acoutrements you'll need to cook and eat them -- you supply the pot (there's even an option to get the pot sent along as well). The box arrived one night when we got home from work, and we recruited a friend to help us with the process.

Opening the box, we found a styrofoam cooler complete with cold packs, and the two creatures that would shortly become our dinner were right on top. Underneath them we found two bibs, crackers, and seafood forks, along with a lemon and clarified butter. Everything was packed with detailed instructions on how to cook and eat them.

So cook and eat them we did -- a twelve minute dip of the lobsters in boiling water* and a quick zap of the clarified butter in the microwave later, we were transported to a New England seafood shack, all in the comfort of our apartment. In New York, it's fairly easy to get good lobster, but you might consider sending a lobstergram to friends or family for whom it's not as readily accessible -- give them a taste of summer that they've been missing. It's certainly cheaper than sending them a plane ticket to Maine.

Lobstergram for two with two 1.25 lb lobsters, shell crackers, seafood forks, lemon, clarified butter and bibs is $71.95.

* Eric Ripert suggests his method for humane lobster cooking in this recent WSJ article, in case you're interested.