Orange Curd Creamsicle Floats

August 13, 2015 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking with the Contessa

Orange Curd Creamsicle Float | Image: Laura Messersmith — **Orange Curd Creamsicle Float** | Image: *Laura Messersmith*

Each week I follow along with Ina Garten (aka the Barefoot Contessa) and attempt to recreate one of her dishes in my tiny New York City kitchen. The catch? This is my version of cooking school and I’m making these recipes for the first time. I’ll share both my successes and um, challenges, along the way and we’ll see if I can keep up with the Contessa!

Episode: “Afternoon Tea to Go”

The Set-up: Ina is making recipes for a celebratory tea party at her friend Beth’s new flower shop in Amagansett.

The Menu: Daisy Shortbread Cookies, Red Velvet Cupcakes, Orange Curd

0:52 – Ina has decided that a proper English tea strikes just the right note for the opening of the new flower shop location, but I’m pretty sure the British never ate Red Velvet Cupcakes.

1:24 – Wearing my "I Hate Red Velvet" merit badge today. I’ve just never understood the appeal of something to violently and unnaturally flavored.

2:06 – I can’t be the only one who’s thinking of the Steel Magnolias “bleedin’ armadillo groom’s cake” can I?

3:10 – I’m going to try to focus on the cooking now and Ina’s Pro Tip #1: use an ice cream scoop to portion cupcakes and muffins equally.

4:33 – We’re jetting over to Beth’s new flower shop where she’s taking her cues from the tea party theme and making the table arrangements in a silver tea service and vintage tea tins. Super cute.

5:01 – Back to Ina where she’s preparing to frost the Red Velvet Cupcakes with their traditional cream cheese frosting.

6:19 – I’m always curious to see when Ina will break out the piping bag and when she goes for the more rustic, homemade look.

10:25 – Onward to the Daisy Shortbread Cookies which start with Ina’s classic shortbread dough recipe.

11:37 – Pro Tip #2: Shortbread dough should be chilled, but still pliable and well floured when rolling it out into cookies.

12:08 – Pro Tip #3: Keep turning and moving the dough around as you roll it out to keep it from sticking to the board. Any cracks in the edges can just be pressed back together.

13:20 – Ina says she loves shortbread and uses it for all sorts of cookies and tart shells – a multipurpose dough!

14:44 – Over to Beth at the shop who’s putting the final touches on the loveliest buffet table.

15:36 – The cookies are out of the oven and they look perfectly golden and quite substantial as Ina frosts them with white glaze and tops them with yellow buttons of white chocolate.

19:49 – Now for the Orange Curd, Ina’s twist on the classic lemon or lime curd.

20:23 – We see all of the steps – orange zest, mixing, cooking – but at quite a clip without much description along the way. I wish she would spend a little more time on the process…

21:05 – Ina is serving the Orange Curd with fresh, long-stemmed strawberries on a very simple white platter. Pro Tip #4: White dishes show off the colors and textures of the food really well.

22:17 – The tea party is at a sedate simmer as Beth’s customers sip from Wedgewood tea cups and rave over Ina’s treats.

23:40 – Fast-forward to the end of the day when Beth delivers a thank you bouquet of blue muscari to Ina at the barn.

26:26 – It’s Ask Ina time and all the questions will be tea party related. Byron asks if Ina has a favorite finger sandwich? She says yes, and recommends Herbed Goat Cheese Sandwiches with thinly sliced English cucumbers. Yum.

27:02 – Belinda asks for suggestions on how to make tea sandwiches ahead of time? Ina says to assemble the sandwiches, then store them on a parchment paper lined sheet pan with a layer of damp paper towel over the top and wrap the entire thing tightly in plastic before refrigerating.

28:58 – Eric fell in love with clotted cream in England and would like to know how to find something similar in the States? Ina says mascarpone is the closest thing she’s found and gorgeously layers a scone with it and strawberry jam. Amazing.

29:45 - In case you were wondering we don't see Ina hoover up that scone, but I bet as soon as the camera switched off it was G-O-N-E.

Final Thoughts:
It’s so hard to resist rolling dough out too thinly, how does Ina maintain her self control to keep it 1/4 inch thick?

I don’t really drink tea, but now I really want to have a tea party…

If anyone could change my mind about RVCs it’s Ina, but I’m still cringing over the food coloring.

Lessons Learned:
It’s been about a year since I last made a citrus curd and it was about time to refresh my memory with by trying Orange Curd. I probably should have reviewed my post from last summer, but imbued with a sense of covering known territory I dove right in; confident that since the Lemon Curd Tart of my memory was so straightforward that this version would give no trouble. Alas, it was trickier than I remembered.

Mixing – I did vaguely remember the pre-cooked curd looking very odd and it does. Like a curdled, vile mess liberally seasoned with orange zest. Not a very appealing start to something that ultimately tastes wonderful, but forewarned is forearmed. Don’t be frightened off just keep going!

Temperature – The recipe calls for room temperature butter and eggs and I’d recommend leaving the butter out overnight and the eggs for several hours to reach the right temperatures. My butter was fully softened, but the eggs a little on the cool side – not ideal.

Cooking – I unhelpfully didn’t leave any notes to myself on the length of cooking time, so let me do better now: 10 minutes is what’s recommended in the recipe, but I found it took somewhat longer, probably due to the eggs being colder than recommended. More helpful is to watch the texture for cues about “doneness” – when the curd has been cooked enough it will be thick, smooth, and nearly opaque; somewhere in the neighborhood of pudding in consistency.

Small Kitchen Friendly?
Yes, 100%, especially since there’s no tart shell involved this time. I subbed a microplane grater and a handheld mixer for the food processor/stand mixer pieces. After that all I needed was a large mixing bowl, 2 quart sauce pan, measuring cups, a wooden spoon, and a large food storage container. If you’re making floats or sundaes, then an ice cream scoop, glasses and a jigger will be helpful additions.

The Verdict:
I made Orange Curd as a dessert for company, originally intending to serve it in a tart, but then a flash of inspiration and an excellent suggestion from Mike turned it into a topping for boozy Creamsicle Floats (recipe below). Unlike lemons, which are unflinchingly tart, oranges have a mellower flavor and need firm boundaries to prevent them from becoming cloying. The addition of sparkling soda and a splash of Grey Goose was just what the doctor ordered to balance out the sweetness in our floats. A perfect end to the meal.

Orange Curd Creamsicle Float (serves 4)

Ingredients:
4 (12 ounce) cans San Pellegrino Aranciata or Aranciata Rossa soda
4 ounces Grey Goose vodka, divided (optional)
4 tablespoons Orange Curd
1 pint vanilla ice cream
1 orange, segmented

Instructions:
Chill both the vodka and orange soda in advance. Assuming a hot day, take the ice cream out of the freezer 4-5 minutes before serving and allow to soften slightly, longer if it’s cold outside. If it’s a very hot day, chill the glasses too.

Scoop a generous portion of ice cream (1/4 – 1/3 cup) into a roundish ball and place into the glass. Softened ice cream and an ice cream scoop will make this easier, but the results will be the same regardless of how perfect the scoop is. Your preference here on whether your glass and appetite warrant a second scoop.

Add 1 tablespoon of Orange Curd on top of each scoop of ice cream. Pour in 1 ounce of vodka to each glass before filling the remainder of the glass with orange soda, about 6-8 ounces per glass.

Garnish with a segment or two of fresh orange. Drink immediately!

Zucchini Pancakes

August 05, 2015 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking with the Contessa

Episode: “Farm Stand Food”

The Set-up: Ina is taking recipe inspiration from the veggies she finds in her CSA box.

The Menu: Scalloped Tomatoes, Zucchini Pancakes, Cape Cod Chopped Salad

0:41 – Ina has her weekly CSA box of vegetables from Amber Waves Farm and now she has to figure out what to make with everything, which seems kind of stressful!

1:39 – The box yields tomatoes, garlic, basil and two small-ish baguettes, which she says she can make into Scalloped Tomatoes. So that’s a few things spoken for at least.

2:16 – Apparently this Scalloped Tomatoes recipe is perfect with basically everything you could imagine and is one of Ina’s go-to side dishes. She doesn’t actually dare us to find a main course that it won’t go with, but it’s implied.

3:20 – While Ina dices the plum tomatoes we get an overview of Amber Waves Farm and the work that they’re doing in the community to educate people on farming.

4:34 – These are some lucky farmers with both Ina and Eli Zabar singing their praises. I’m convinced at least.

5:09 – Back to the Scalloped Tomatoes, which seem to consist of toasted baguette, sautéed tomatoes, and roughly chopped basil leaves.

6:12 – Now it goes into the oven with parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil to bake a la a gratin. Yum.

10:44 – Onward to transform the arugula and granny smith apples in the box into a Cape Cod Chopped Salad.

11:15 – Ina tells us that arugula used to be difficult to find in grocery stores but that its popularity has increased a ton over the past few years. I believe it too, it’s my go-to green for salads since it seems to hold up in the fridge longer than other greens.

12:33 – I bet this salad tastes awesome, the ingredients in this salad are such classic combinations – cranberry/apple; blue cheese/walnuts.

13:20 – The apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, and Dijon mustard dressing makes me think of fall. We’re one butternut squash away from the ultimate autumnal salad!

14:18 – If you weren’t convinced before that this is an amazing salad, Ina just added big pieces of crisp bacon. Drops mic. Goes home.

19:47 – The last recipe is for Zucchini Pancakes, which seems like a gift from heaven because what on earth are you supposed to do with all the zucchini!? It’s everywhere!

20:29 – Ina points out that this recipe could be used for potato pancakes too, so file this one away friends!

21:46 – I never thought of zucchini as being especially wet, but Ina says it can release a lot of moisture so sometimes more flour is needed in the batter.

22:13 – Pro Tip #1: Using a combination of butter and olive oil for sautéing gives the flavor of butter, but the high burning temperature of the oil.

23:02 – Pro Tip #2: Just like with regular pancakes, you can tell that the zucchini pancakes are ready to flip when the tiny bubbles start to burst.

24:17 – Ina says if this is eating your vegetables then she’s on board. Well, sure anything pan sautéed in butter is going to taste pretty good, right?

27:30 – A round of “Ask Ina” focuses on produce-related questions. First, Sophie requests corn on the cob recipes and Ina suggests cutting it off the cob and sautéing it with butter salt and pepper. All the flavor and no dental floss needed.

28:22 – Next, Cheryl wants to know how to store fresh garlic so that it lasts longer? Ina recommends keeping the head of garlic in its paper at room temperature in a dry, well-ventilated place (ie. don’t peel all your garlic, wrap it in plastic, and keep it in the fridge.)

29:14 – Bill wonders if heirloom tomatoes really do taste different from traditional tomatoes? Ina assures him that they definitely do have a different flavor, but if heirlooms aren’t available that cherry or grape tomatoes tend to be more flavorful and roasting a tomato always brings out its best.

29:40 – Lastly, Cynthia and her family are hoping Ina can convert them into fennel lovers with a new way to cook it. Ina commiserates and says she only likes it roasted in the oven with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. And that’s that!

Final Thoughts:
Zucchini varieties have such adorable names! Seabring, magda, and bush baby sound like characters from a children’s book.

I wonder what other grate-able vegetables could be turned into pancakes? Beets? Squash?

It comforts me to know that even Ina finds it challenging to come up with ways to use her CSA box.

Lessons Learned:
You probably realized before I did that Zucchini Pancakes are essentially the same as a potato latke. It should surprise no one that I’ve never made a latke before, so that didn’t really help me at all! Here’s what I learned along the way.

Zucchini to Flour Ratio – Ina warned us, but I was still surprised! Grated zucchini slowly releases moisture and I found myself starting with just a few tablespoons of flour thinking that was enough. As the mixture sat, even for a minute or two between sautéing batches, I’d need to add another tablespoon or two to get the right consistency. Something to keep an eye, on and next time I think I’d do what Deb at Smitten Kitchen recommends and wring the shredded zucchini in cheese cloth.

Sautéing – An opportunity to put into practice all the pan-frying I’ve done in the last year (thanks pork schnitzel, chicken piccata, goat cheese salad…) As always, resist crowding the pan and cook in batches to get a crispy golden crust; watch for the bubbles to form and burst.

Portioning – I’d recommend starting with 1-2 tablespoons of batter per pancake and spreading the batter out a little. Go for thinner and larger in circumference so that the center cooks fully.

Reheating – No need to worry about having leftovers, I found that I could reheat these on a sheet pan at 350 degrees for 5-6 minutes per side.

Small Kitchen Friendly?
Absolutely. I needed a medium mixing bowl, box grater, small cutting board, chef’s knife and measuring spoons. I also used a large non-stick sauté pan, a baking sheet lined with paper towels, a rubber spatula, a large spoon, and a butter knife.

The Verdict:
I made Zucchini Pancakes for myself during a week when Mike was away for work. I had intended to save him some of the leftovers, but they were so good that by the time he got home from his trip all the extras were mysteriously gone…. I loved the flavor of the zucchini and onion just lightly toasted and golden, and once I had my brainwave about their relation to latkes a little dab of plain greek yogurt (Chobani 4%) was a natural accompaniment. I could easily consume a garden’s worth of zucchini if they came in the form of these pancakes, I bet you could too.

Summer Fruit Crostata

July 28, 2015 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking with the Contessa

Episode: “Good Catch”

The Set-up: Ina and T.R. are having seafood dinner at his new fishing shack.

The Menu: Parker’s Fish and Chips, Tartar Sauce, Chopped Pickles, Summer Fruit Crostata

0:53 – According to Ina, T.R. is in charge of catching the fish for their dinner but we all know that’s fairly unlikely.

1:07 – Ina is cooking most everything in advance, including the Summer Fruit Crostata.

2:30 – Pro Tip#1: Use unsalted butter so that you can control the amount of salt in a recipe.

3:11 – I can’t be the only one who has a hard time moderating the water in pie crust - it always seems to be too wet or too dry! Naturally, Ina’s is perfect.

4:26 – And now ladies and gents: T.R. looking impossibly dapper in a navy Lacoste polo and admitting that he maaaay have fudged the truth when it came to his fishing experience.

5:14 – We’re back with Ina to mix up the homemade Tartar Sauce and even though she’s using dill pickles she still manages to say “cornichon.” Love it.

6:29 – Next, the Chopped Pickles, essentially the same jarred pickles that went into the tartar sauce jazzed up in pretty slices with fresh minced dill fronds.

10:42 – The crust for the Summer Fruit Crostata has rested and chilled in the fridge and now Ina is rolling it out into a perfect circle. One day that will be me!

11:53 – Now the fruit – peaches, dark plums, and blueberries. Pro Tip #2: You can remove the skin from the peaches by blanching in hot water and shocking them in an ice water bath.

12:35 – Ina has somehow, with no swearing or effort, managed to slice the peaches and the plums right off the inner pit. For my own self-esteem I’m going to chalk that up to expert fruit selection and a little TV magic.

13:19 – Hahahaha. We’re treated to intermittent shots of T.R. faithfully, but fruitlessly casting and reeling from the dock. Poor guy.

14:50 – Thank goodness! We saw the fruit piled in the middle of the crostata dough, but for a second I thought we weren’t going to get a demo of the folding technique. How could I have though Ina would hold out on us?

19:18 – Onward to make the batter for the Parker’s Fish and Chips and Ina promises us that it will be crispy and light, not soggy. Preach girl!

20:36 – Ina compares this process to making pancakes in the morning and suggests that it can all be done in advance.

21:27 – It’s official: T.R. has not caught a fish (perhaps the lack of bait on that hook?) and makes an emergency trip to the seafood market. A much more sensible approach, if you ask me.

22:12 – One last prep task before heading over to T.R.’s: cutting big Idaho baking potatoes in wedges and sprinkling them with salt, rosemary and garlic. Yum!

25:05 – Ina arrives at the fishing shack with an adorable “Yoohoo! T.R.?” and immediately calls him out on ‘catching’ the fish at the Seafood Shop.

26:33 – He’s put to work portioning the fish while Ina puts the chips in the oven to roast.

27:24 – Since the potatoes take 30+ minutes to bake they have time for a glass of wine on the dock as the sun sets. Gorgeous.

28:41 – The fish goes from plate, to seasoned batter, to hot oil and back to a paper towel-lined plate in about 6 minutes. No dredging in flour though, which is surprising.

29:10 – Ina’s kicking this one old-school, roadside stand style with newspaper cones and little containers of pickles and tartar sauce. Crostata is consumed straight from the baking sheet.

Final Thoughts:
Fish and chips seem so much more approachable after watching Ina prep them so simply.

I sincerely would love to do a little dock-sitting if it could be arranged this summer.

T.R. is the consummate rascal and Ina is so classy that even jarred dill pickles aren’t beyond her reach.

Lessons Learned:
In my continued efforts to master pies and pie crust baking Summer Fruit Crostata was another opportunity to test my skills and learn from my mistakes. It was also a chance to emulate one of the more alluring Bon Appetit covers I’ve seen. No one should be surprised that even with the concerted effort I’ve been making I still have room for improvement in this department.

Stone Fruit: Am I the only one who is incredibly intimidated by the process of slicing and removing the pits from peaches, plums & nectarines? The last time I tried the fruit was nearly unrecognizable from the divots and bruises I inflicted just trying to get a few slices free. So. Frustrating.

Before I made the crostata I carefully studied these tips & videos from Mario Batali, Southern Living, The Kitchn, and Food52 and have a few of my own.

· Serrated/utility knife – Stone fruits are like tomatoes, the skin is tougher than you think and the flesh is really delicate. A serrated knife makes a cleaner cut with minimal pressure that might damage the fruit. Slice as close to the pit as you can to make the slices easier to remove.

· The SEAM!!! – All the articles mentioned this, but making that first cut along the seam is more essential to successfully twisting the two halves apart than I realized. We’ve all laughed about how peaches look like little bums, well the seam is the uh, crack of the bum and demarcates the two half sections of the fruit and corresponds to the ridge around the pit. Doing this alone will help you immensely.

· Ripe Fruit – high risk, high reward. The riper the fruit the more easily the fruit is to de-pit, but also bruises more. I’d recommend a firm and persistent, but gentle approach, especially when twisting the two halves apart. Resist pressing your finger tips in too hard and grip more with the palm.

Sweet Dough: Most of the crusts I’ve made so far have involved very little or no sugar at all just flour, butter, water, and salt. This one called for a moderate amount of white sugar; a great compliment to the juicy fruit resulting in a dessert that hovered between sweet and fresh. Fantastic.

Patience: Alas, even though I know that keeping the dough cold is an essential part of the process stubbornness and a short window for baking had me rushing. Couple a lack of time with a hot afternoon and you have a recipe for sticky dough and a frustrating rolling experience. I managed to patch the crostata together, but ideally I’d take note of the sky high temperatures outside and remember to leave myself an extra 30 minutes for chilling time.

Small Kitchen Friendly?
Yes indeed, but clear the counter so you have a place to roll the crust. For the pastry, I used a large bowl, pastry cutter, measuring cups & spoons (all reused later for the topping), a liquid measuring cup, and a rolling pin. For the fruit, I needed a separate medium bowl, serrated utility knife, and small cutting board. (I skipped the orange zest and washed the peaches carefully so I didn’t have to take off the skin.) A baking sheet, plastic wrap and parchment paper round out the “kit.”

The Verdict:
I made Summer Fruit Crostata for friends as a post-dinner treat and based on the silence after the wedges were served, and the speed at which it was consumed this was a hit. This is a dessert that lets the fruit shine without a lot of extra business and when beautiful peaches, plums, and blueberries are in season you really don’t need to gussy them up with a ton of sugar and spices. A simple scoop of vanilla ice cream and you’re off to the races with a perfect slice of summer. Do make this crostata immediately.

Lobster Cobb Salad Roll

July 20, 2015 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking with the Contessa

Episode: “Supper in a Box”

The Set-up: Ina trades a boxed dinner with her friend Edwina for a new herb garden.

The Menu: Lobster Cobb Salad Roll, Brown Rice with Tomato & Basil, Mini Orange Chocolate Chunk Cakes

0:59 – Ina reveals that she takes old favorite recipes, like a classic pound cake, and reworks them to incorporate new flavors.

1:15 – First up, the Mini Orange Chocolate Chunk Cakes which are inspired by Grand Marnier.

2:29 – I’ve noticed that Ina uses her Kitchen Aid stand mixer for nearly every baking project, I wonder if that’s for TV efficiency or if she’d really haul it out anyway?

3:41 – But now she mentions that if she has a lot of citrus to juice she uses an electric juicer, so maybe she’s more of a gadget person than I thought…

4:23 – I love chocolate with berries, but for some reason chocolate + orange has never had quite the same appeal.

5:34 – You probably never thought you’d hear me say this, but I think I’d rather have these cakes without the chocolate chunks!

6:42 – Oooh, fun! Ina is making individual sized bundt cakes in neat little silicone molds. Why does something miniature automatically seem more special?

7:06 – Over to Edwina’s where she’s painting two rough wood window boxes bright blue (for Ina) and lime green (for herself.)

8:49 – Back to Ina’s where the Mini Orange Chocolate Chunk Cakes are slightly cooled and ready for to be soaked with an orange syrup. Yum!

11:18 – Ganache time – chocolate chips, instant coffee powder, cream – to drizzle over the top of the cakes. Reminds me a little of those chocolate oranges that pop up around holiday time.

12:03 – Pro Tip #1: If the ganache is too thick, just add a touch more cream until it’s thin enough to drizzle.

13:32 – Onward to the Brown Rice with Tomato & Basil. Ina describes Edwina as a “grown-up hippie” and you know hippies can’t resist brown rice. They just go crazy for it!

14:27 – Ina is making a vinaigrette for the rice salad and I’m a little surprised that she’s going for a white wine based dressing instead of balsamic. Maybe that would be too heavy?

15:20 – Pro Tip #2: Pouring the vinaigrette over warm, cooked rice will allow it to absorb into the grains and add more flavor.

16:56 – I’m also wondering why Ina didn’t go full caprese salad and put in some fresh mozzarella? Obviously, the peanut gallery has aaaalll sorts of ideas about improvements.

19:41 – Ina has moved on to the Lobster Cobb Salad Roll, which she says is a recipe she’s made year after year.

20:04 – Pro Tip #3: Haas avocados are ripe when skin is a deep brown and the fruit is firm. Squeezing fresh lemon juice over the cut pieces keeps the flesh bright green.

21:44 – I’m relieved to see that Ina is not going to boil a lobster on TV, but has wisely opted to buy lobster meat from the seafood shop.

22:15 – We check in with Edwina as she puts the finishing touches on the herb boxes and confirms that Ina is more of a blue person than a chartreuse person.

23:38 – The Lobster Cobb Salad Roll differs pretty significantly from a traditional lobster roll in the dressing department – Ina is using a Dijon mustard based vinaigrette rather than mayonnaise.

27:29 – The fact that bacon and blue cheese are involved completely demolishes my nascent theory that the lack of mozz in the rice salad is because Edwina is vegetarian.

28:40 – Pro Tip #4: This is a “mother-in-law salad” make it for your mother-in-law and she’ll love it and love you!

29:55 – All the treats are packed up in a sweet little take out box as Edwina arrives right on cue with her herb box for Ina. Hugs and exclamations of gratitude all around!

Final Thoughts:
I’m not sure what time of year this episode was filmed, but I can’t think of anything more summery than a Lobster Cobb Salad.

I need to develop more barter-based friendships where I can be the Ina. Any takers?

How many times do you think Ina made Lobster Cobb Salad for Jeffrey’s mother?

Lessons Learned:
I’ve had Lobster Cobb Salad Roll on the brain ever since I first saw this episode, but I wanted to wait until the summer months when light, simple recipes that involve very little cooking are just what the dinner table calls for.

Lobster: I have a confession to make – I’ve never cooked a live lobster and even after making this recipe that track record hasn’t changed. I decided that Ina had the right idea and was thankful to discover that my grocery store stocks cooked lobster meat in the seafood department. So, I’ll save that adventure for next time. Maybe.

Bacon: Definitely cook this in the oven (20-25 minutes total at 350 degrees, flip halfway through, drain on paper towels) especially if you’re roasting shrimp, or toasting the hotdog buns. So much less stressful, zero splattering from the stove top, beautifully crisp bacon.

Ingredients: As I noted, this entrée type salad requires very little effort from the cook and mainly a little chopping and mixing. It is, however; a recipe that highlights every component (no where to hide here), which makes choosing the best possible ingredients important. Luckily, at this time of year great tomatoes and avocados are plentiful. I looked for fruit that was ripe enough to taste delicious and firm enough to hold it’s shape in the salad. This is also the time, in my opinion, to get the thick-cut bacon and buy a small wedge of proper blue cheese (not the crumbles in the plastic container.) If you need to it’s easy to stretch the salad with more lettuce or a handful more tomatoes, and since a little of each of these items goes a long way it doesn’t have to be a huge investment of $$$.

Substitutions: If lobster, cooked, live, or otherwise, isn’t available or budget constraints don’t allow, I’d suggest using shrimp instead. Either precooked from the seafood counter or defrosted and roasted like in the Shrimp and Orzo Salad. The effect will be the same and it’s nearly as easy.

Small Kitchen Friendly?
Yes, presuming that you’re not boiling your own lobsters! I needed a medium mixing bowl, a baking sheet, liquid measuring cup, measuring spoons, mixing spoon, a medium cutting board and a chef’s knife. Aluminum foil will make repurposing and cleaning up the baking sheet much easier.

The Verdict:
We're not regularly eating lobster, but from time to time it makes a really special treat. I made this for us over a hot hot summer weekend, served in a Martin's Potato Roll (natch) for a little extra something. First things first – the Lobster Cobb Salad Roll is not a Lobster Roll in the beach shack sense. Lobster stands in for chicken, but the other ingredients definitely take their cue from the Cobb Salad. Mike remarked on the variety of flavors at play – from the sweeter, mild pieces of lobster and creamy avocado to the bite of the mustard vinaigrette and blue cheese – and in some sense this dish is almost too much a of a good thing. We liked this salad - seriously, what's not to like? - but I’d also love to strip this salad back a little and let the lobster be the star.