Tag Archives: westhampton

Lobster Lovers

The People that love lobster, really love lobster. Building a summer time menu around lobster is always popular. Lobster salad is a great summer-time way to enjoy lobster in s supper club dinner party.

(Susan and Jennifer at Jennifer’s and Ethan’s wedding rehearsal dinner which featured – LOBSTER)

My wife Susan is a consummate lobster lover. She remembers the first time she had lobster as a ten-year old girl. She enjoyed it then and never misses the chance to enjoy it again. When we make our annual pilgrimage to the beach she tries to have lobster at least once a week. Somehow lobster tastes better at the beach. I will never forget the lecture she gave an old boyfriend of our daughter’s who was a Memphian. He hade the mistake of saying that the lobster from Kroger in Memphis was as good as lobster in the Hamptons. That boyfriend didn’t stand a chance…

(Another crustacean that lost out to Susan)

After college we had an annual “Hamptoons” party with over 20 friends at my parents place in Westhampton. The highlight of the weekend was a lobster feast we would have on Saturday night.  Every year some of our guests were lobster neophytes. Susan would conduct “How to eat lobster” training. Back in the day, there was a fair amount of alcohol consumed at those parties. Somehow the combination of a little too much alcohol and a lot of lobster with butter led to stomach issues. Every year we would give out the “Poison Lobster” award to poor sucker that was either over served kamikazes or over indulged with lobster or both.

(Susan relaxing by the pool in Westhampton)

Lobster salad is a great, lighter way to enjoy the prince of the seafood world. I prefer to serve lobster salad in conjunction with a salad ring. Check out the recipes:

Lobster Salad

Salad Ring

I prefer my lobster salad as part of a larger salad with cucumber, tomato and fresh mozzarella versus a lobster roll. My daughter’s in-laws spend summers in Montauk N.Y. where lobster rolls are legendary. I have had some great lobster rolls in Montauk and elsewhere. For me, the bread takes away from the lobster versus the salad ring that complements the lobster. In the end, whether it is in a roll or with a larger salad it doesn’t matter. It is all about the lobster.

(Ode to Montauk and its Lobster Rolls)

Build a supper club menu around lobster and you can’t go wrong.

If you enjoyed this blog and similar other stories/supper club lessons follow me on Facebook and Twitter and subscribe to get future blogs at www.impromptufridaynights.com/blog and check out my book Impromptu Friday Nights a Guide to Supper Clubs. Published by Morgan James Publishing and available through most channels where books are sold.

Poor Man’s Hampton

If you tell someone that you are going to visit your mother in Westhampton. You usually get a question to ascertain if you are going to “The Hamptons”.  As in where the rich and famous spend their summers. It is true that there is a lot of stupid money, and stupid people, in the Hamptons during the summer. However, there are lots of normal, very nice people there as well. And yes, you will see a few celebrities.

I try to explain to my friends in Memphis that having a house in the Hamptons is a lot like having a lake house in Iuka Mississippi. The more you try to explain this, the worse it gets. Then I try to explain that my mom lives in Westhampton which is the “Poor man’s Hampton”.

The story that I think categorizes this fact the best is told by Ina Gartner the Barefoot Contessa. Ina opened her first Barefoot Contessa shop in Westhampton. After a few years she decided to move to Easthampton. Early on in Easthampton she noticed a customer hemming and hawing over her Lobster Salad. Her initial reaction was that her (then) price of $40 per pound was too high. She asked the man if she could help him and he said: I am just not sure if I need 5 or 8 pounds. She knew then that she was in the right Hampton. There is lots of stupid money in Easthampton.

In doing the research for this blog I saw an article from last week’s New York Post with the lead of: Which Hamptons store is selling lobster salad for $100/lb? The article explains that you can spend from $47 to $100 per pound for Lobster Salad in the Hamptons . This just proves my point that there is stupid money in the Hamptons and brings into question my logic that owning a house in the Hamptons is the same as owning a lake house in Iuka Mississippi. Besides, I am not a fan of lobster salad. If you are a real lobster lover, like my wife Susan, putting mayonnaise with your lobster is sacrilegious, the only way to enjoy lobster is freshly steamed with drawn butter.

It is a foodie heaven in the Hamptons. You don’t have to spend $100 per pound for lobster salad to get a great meal. We bought locally caught swordfish for $10 per pound at the nearby Best Market last night along with a fresh eggplant at $1 per pound and we ate like rock stars. A compound butter made with fresh dill from mom’s herb garden was a key ingredient for the swordfish. My Gorgonzola Aioli was a perfect complement to the grilled eggplant. Round out the meal with a garden salad with local greens, homegrown tomatoes and the famous Mommom’s Vinaigrette. For dessert we had a fruit compote made with fresh peaches, blueberries and walnuts topped with New Hampshire Maple syrup. As my father would say after such a meal:

“Not bad, considering that you threw it together”

Poor Man’s Hampton Menu

From start to finish, this meal didn’t take an hour to prepare and cook. The compound butter and Aioli were made in advance. The swordfish and eggplant were both brushed with olive, dusted with salt and pepper and thrown on the grill. Coming off the grill the swordfish got a small dollop on compound butter. The eggplant was plated and dressed with the Aioli. The salad was thrown together and lightly dressed with Vinaigrette. I hadn’t even thought about dessert, but when my mom asked for something sweet I tossed together the peaches, blueberries and walnuts and then dressed it with a few teaspoons of maple syrup. This last minute addition was the hit of the evening.

The total cost of the dinner was less than $30 to feed 4 people.

At $7.50 per person, even a poor man can have a pretty great meal in the Poor Man’s Hampton.

If you enjoyed this blog and similar other stories/supper club lessons follow me on Facebook and Twitter and subscribe to get future blogs at www.impromptufridaynights.com/blog and check out my book Impromptu Friday Nights a Guide to Supper Clubs. Published by Morgan James Publishing and available through most channels where books are sold.

Maya and Mommom enjoying dinner in Westhampton

A “Go To” Guacamole Recipe

You have to love a good Guacamole. It is nice to be able to whip together a healthy dip that is vegan, dairy free, gluten free that can be prepared in less than 10 minutes. It is always a great starter for a supper club dinner party or quick cocktails by the pool.

(Susan and Mom enjoying guacamole poolside in Westhampton)

The Guacamole development in Westhampton was started by my niece Katie Lawson Hudleston and furthered by my daughter Jennifer Kenny Begun. I don’t know if their development effort was fueled by culinary passion or Corona Light, but the result has become an oft shared and repeated recipe.

Guacamole Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 avocados 
  • 1 jalapeños (finely diced)
  • 1 lime juiced
  • 2 tbsp cilantro 
  • 2 t kosher salt 
  • 2 tbsp red onion diced
  • 2 cloves garlic chopped with  salt

Instructions

  • Scrape the semi soft avocado meat from the shell into a large bowl and then mash (I prefer to use  a potato masher) into a chunky/smooth texture
  • Add the jalapeño, cilantro, salt, garlic, and onion and stir together to get the desired consistency
  • Serve with taco chips or crudité

“Guac” has become a poolside happy hour staple in Westhampton. Check put the video to get a sense of the vibe.

If you enjoyed this blog and similar other stories/supper club lessons follow me on Facebook and Twitter and subscribe to get future blogs at www.impromptufridaynights.com/blog and check out my book Impromptu Friday Nights a Guide to Supper Clubs. Published by Morgan James Publishing and available through most channels where books are sold.