A lot of people love eating gourmet Jams, Jellies and Preserves because they taste so amazingly awesome, but did you realize that there are a lot of positive, body friendly, nutritional health befits to eating these delicious “spreadable,” edible fruits.

Fruit are naturally low in fat, sodium, and calories and have absolutely no cholesterol and are an important source of many vital nutrients, including dietary fiber, vitamin C, folate (folic acid) and potassium.

As it turns out, according to both medical doctors and naturalistic nutritionists, as well as university researchers and numerous medical studies done all across the globe, fruit jams, jellies and preserves provide our bodies with beneficial quick boosts of energy and in fact, are only bout half the calories, even far less fat and saturated fat, as well as those oh so dangerous bad cholesterol than butter or man made margarines.

So, according to all the medical experts and scientists, in what ways can gourmet fruit jams, jellies and preserves help make our bodies healthier and our lives more energized and satisfying?

Here is a partial list of the results.

These natural fiber and essential, life sustaining vitamins, minerals, amino acids and other nutrients that we ingest by eating high quality, low sugar, gourmet fruit jelly, jam and preserves can help to :

Stabilize, attain and maintain optimal weight control

Provide energy and endurance during stress and exercise.

Reduce risk of stroke, heart attack and all other potential cardiovascular diseases.

Reduce the chance of and developing various cancers and possibly help to cure current cancers, particularly mouth, stomach, and colon-rectum cancer.

Lower our blood pressure.

Improve the health of hair, skin and finger nails.

Reduce the risk of kidney stones.

Decrease bone loss.

Satiate hunger, helping us to eat less and be satisfied, without cravings.

Lower bad cholesterol

Reduce one’s chance of developing type 2 diabetes

Slow down the aging process.

Reduce constipation and diverticulosis.

Promote healthy growth and repair of all body tissues.

Heal cuts and wounds

Keep teeth and gums healthy.

Help the body form red blood cells

In pregnant women, reduce risk of neural tube defects, spina bifida, and anencephaly during fetal development.

Pretty impressive for something I would probably still eat once in a while if it were actually bad for me, but now that I know how good it is for me … eat on!

Enjoy,

Rocco Loosbrock

Energy Drinks have taken the world by storm the past couple of years, but sadly, just like the rising popularity in smoking cigarettes and taking steroids, most people aren’t really considering the massive negative health effects that energy drinks have on the human body, or the equally effective and far healthier alternatives to these problematic, powerful and popular pseudo-poisons.

These energy drinks supposedly help us out when we’re physically tired and / or mentally exhausted, providing an inordinately “amped-up” amount of brain and body stimulation to get us through those times when a revved up jolt of energy might prove to be of some assistance.

For centuries, the human race relied on a nice, hot cup of premium quality, gourmet coffee

To do the trick, but over the years, the “so called” wonders of science has created these new fangled, alternative concoctions, which often include some positive and healthy human helpers, such as vitamins, minerals and some herbal compounds that naturally assist in giving us a momentary, temporary shot of high velocity power and energy.

Here’s the problem, while a choice blend of all natural coffee grounds will give you that extra added kick of energized intensity, in a strictly way that your body can healthfully deal with the experience of being “plugged in and temporarily turned on” it turns out that, according to the findings of numerous University and premier Medical Center research, some of the ingredients with energy drinks do some serious damage to the human body, particularly our endocrine system.

So much serious damage, in fact, that several sports leagues and teams have already, or are currently the process of banning these energy drinks with the same serious severity as those bans that currently exist regarding other health hampering “hors d’oevres” such as steroids, human growth hormones and other dangerously detrimental drugs.

For those of you who don’t remember back to Biology Class, the foundations of our endocrine system are basically our hormones and glands. These work as our body’s natural chemical messengers, as our hormones transfer information and instructions from one set of cells to another.

While we have numerous important hormones constantly circulating through our blood-stream, each hormone affects only the cells that are genetically programmed to receive and respond to its unique and specific message.

When you mess with the Endocrine system, you automatically knock the body all out of whack and create chemical chaos, leading to problems with everything from our proper glandular release of hormones that regulate the bodies numerous vital activities to even incurring the wrath of a rash of all kinds of infections, stress, anxiety, heart disease, respiratory problems and inability to develop immunity to disease and infection.

Medical tests and University research show energy drinks having a severe effect on the health and functionality of our Hypothalamus, which controls the pituitary gland by producing chemicals that either stimulate or suppress hormone secretions from the pituitary.

Though no larger than a pea, the Pituitary Gland, located at the base of the brain, is the most important part of the endocrine system or “master gland” that makes our hormones that control several of our bodily functions. The anterior lobe of the pituitary regulates the activity of the thyroid, adrenals, and reproductive glands, which produces our growth hormones for our internal organs, bones, skin and all other body tissues, and the ability for women to produce milk.

It also secretes endorphins, the chemicals that reduce sensitivity to pain and controls the development and healthy regulation of our sex organs. Meanwhile the posterior lobe of the pituitary releases anti-diuretic hormone, which helps us to control body water balance through its effect on our kidneys and urine output, as well as oxytocin, triggering s the contractions of the uterus that occur during labor.

Also negatively affected by energy drinks are our Thyroid and Parathyroids, control the rate at which cells burn fuels from food to produce energy and the speed at which all chemical reactions occur within our bodies, as well playing a key role in bone growth and the development of the brain and nervous system.

Then there are our Adrenal Glands, which produce corticosteroids that regulate salt and water balance in the body and the body’s response to stress, metabolism, the immune system, and sexual development and function, as well as our ability to defend ourselves from toxins and allergens, produce adrenaline and regulate our blood pressure and heart rate while under stress.

Our Pineal Gland and Gonads secrete the necessary melatonin, regulating sleep and manufacture our sex hormones, making us and keeping us the gender that we are and allowing us to function sexually.

Our Pancreas produces both insulin and glucagons, which work together to maintain a steady level of glucose, or sugar, in our the bloodstream and to keeps our body supplied with the vital fuel to produce and maintain our life sustaining stores of energy.

Other than that, Energy Drinks are sugary stews of strangely simulated sustenance. So I don’t know about you, but I’ll stick with the delightfully delicious energy boost I get from a nice invigorating cup of gourmet coffee. How about you?

Signing off and Pigging out,

Rocco “Boss Hog” Loosbrock

Its summer time and everyone is looking for something totally new, fun, delicious and exciting to do with their ribs besides the same old, predictably, typical and conventional slathered in BBQ sauce and tossed on the grill.

Check this out and you are absolutely guaranteed to blow the mind, taste buds and socks right off of all of your guests, who will enthusiastically be talking with a smile on their face about this particular meal for years and even decades to come!

Ingredients:

6 1/2 pounds pork baby back ribs

1 teaspoon dried thyme

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 tablespoons salt

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

Sauce Ingredients:
 
1 teaspoon dry mustard

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

1/2 cup steak sauce

3 tablespoons white wine

2 cloves crushed garlic

2 teaspoons ground black pepper

8 tablespoons plum sauce

12 ounce jar gourmet honey

3 tablespoons molasses

Directions:

Set the ribs in a large pot with water and add the thyme, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Cover the pot and bring to a boil and allow to it simmer for 40 minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat and set aside until the grilling is ready to commence.

Now mix together the sauce ingredients and blend well.

Remove ribs from its liquid and generously brush both sides with the sauce.

Barbecue the ribs 8 inches from the coals for about 20 minutes or until brown and crisp.

Continue to baste frequently while grilling.

Serve the meal with remaining sauce on top and whatever side dishes you would enjoy.

Signing off and Pigging out,

Rocco “Boss Hog” Loosbrock

Yep you heard me (literally “read” me) I said pork and impressive health benefits in the same sentence and it isn’t April Fools Day!

Actually, Pork, the “Other White Meat” has been consistently breaking free of the once prejudiced “bad rap” that it had unfairly been saddled with, even going back as far as the 80’s when pork was officially branded as said “other white meat!”

Here are some surprising scientifically proven facts that took even us a bit by surprise.

First of all, ounce for ounce, pork tenderloin has less fat than a chicken breast. Now I’ll wait a moment for you to get back into your chair or standing position off the floor and revive the person in the room with you that you were reading this article to. Yep, pork tenderloin has less fat than the holy diet talisman, the ordinary chicken breast.

Continuing on … pork is actually quite naturally low in salt and a rich source of premium quality protein. It is also a good source of several life sustaining vitamins and necessary minerals that are needed for good health including iron, zinc, as well as some of the B group vitamins, selenium and phosphorus. 

Pork is a great source of protein in your diet. A 100g portion of pork provides you with about half of the protein you need for the entire day. 

While there are several different cuts of pork with varying fat content, the leanest of these contain just 6% fat, which is incredibly low.  

When properly trimmed, pork contains far more unsaturated fat than saturated fat. 

Pork actually contains heart protective “n3 fatty acids” that help the body prevent coronary disease

Pork also naturally contains “Conjugated Linoleic Acid” (CLA) which scientific tests show health benefits in the areas of cancer and heart health. 

Pork is a good source of the easily absorbed form of dietary iron.

Pork is a rich source of B12. A 100g portion of pork provides you with 70% of your daily requirement of the vitamin! 

A 100g portion of pork provides you with more than 30% of your daily requirement of zinc. 

The iron, zinc and vitamin D naturally plentiful in pork are actually far more efficiently absorbed than from other food sources.

Pork is a powerful, natural help in the bodies fight to avoid “Type 2 Diabetes” and help to maintain optimal blood sugar levels. Recent research has shown that pork improves the body’s thiamine status, while lowering heart disease risk factors and actually helping to control glucose levels in type 2 diabetics.

Awesome, today I’m definitely going to pig out!

Signing off and Pigging out,

Rocco “Boss Hog” Loosbrock

Alright, so by now you very well may be wondering to yourself, “has the whole world suddenly gone mad, or is there something seriously substantial and significant behind the huge raging wave of TEA popularity?”

After all, while the aroma of a hot cup of tea can clear the air, clear the mind and clear the senses and nasal passages of anything distasteful or distracting floating in the immediate air space and while a hot mug of tea will immediately shake off the winter chill, starting with the hands and quickly moving to the internal organs, is there anything proven scientifically about the medicinal properties of tea?

You’ll be relieved to know that the answer is YES, actually besides the almost infinitely wide variety of delicious flavors available and the amazingly soothing and calming, stress relieving, tension assuaging properties that are naturally found in tea, science also can give you 10 very powerful reasons why drinking tea id much more than merely cool, fun and tasty.

1: Tea is chock full of all organic, healing antioxidants that protect your body from the ravages of aging and from the health debilitating effects of pollution and toxins ingested into the body from mouth, nose and ears, even the skin..

2. Tea has ½ to 1/3 the amount of caffeine in it as coffee. An eight-ounce cup of coffee contains around 135 mg caffeine; tea contains only 30 to 40 mg per cup. If you’re one of those people for whom; drinking coffee gives you the jitters, can cause indigestion and headaches as well as interferes with your sleep, consider switching over to tea, at least at night.

3. Tea can reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke. Unwanted blood clots formed from cholesterol and blood platelets cause heart attack and stroke. Drinking tea may help keep your arteries smooth and clog-free, in the same way that a drain cleaner can help keep your bathroom pipes clear. A 5.6-year study from the Netherlands found a 70 percent lower risk of fatal heart attack in people who drank at least two to three cups of black tea daily compared to non-tea drinkers.

4. Tea protects your bones. While some people assume that this effect is due to the milk that many people put in their tea, but the scientific facts beg to differ. Thanks to many naturally occurring and highly beneficial “phyto-chemicals,” a scientific study comparing tea drinkers with non-drinkers, found that people who drank tea for 10 or more years had the strongest bones, even after adjusting for age, body weight, exercise, smoking and other risk factors. The authors suggest that this may be the work of tea’s many.

5. Tea improves the health of your teeth and naturally contains both fluoride and tannins that helps top keep plaque and tooth decay at bay.

6. Tea naturally boosts your immune system and helps your body to fight off diseases numerous defenses. A study that involved 21 people who were scheduled to drink either 5 cups of tea or 5 cups of coffee each day for 4 weeks showed that the immune system activity was far higher in the blood of the designated tea drinkers.

7. Tea protects your body against cancer. Due to the “polyphenols;” naturally occurring antioxidants found in tea, the body can have a powerful, regular, consistent dose of “anti-cancer” 4 or 5 times a day to help keep the dreaded “C” word away for good!

8. Tea keeps your body hydrated. It used to be believed that since caffeine is a diuretic and tea has caffeine, it logically must dehydrate the body by making the drinker urinate more., which by the way, is actually a very healthy habit to flush and rinse out the body on a more regular basis.

However, recent research has shown that the caffeine actually really doesn’t matter, that tea and other caffeinated beverages definitely still positively contribute fluid to the body, without removing it in excessive abundance.

9. Tea is completely fat and calorie free. Tea doesn’t have any calories, unless you add sweetener or milk to the tea. This means that, consuming even 250 fewer calories per day can result in losing one pound per week. If you’re looking for a satisfying, calorie-free beverage, tea is a top choice.

10. Tea naturally increases your metabolism. Lots of people complain about a slow metabolic rate and their inability to lose weight. Green tea has been shown to actually increase metabolic rate so that you can burn 70 to 80 additional calories by drinking just five cups of green tea per day. Over a year’s time you could lose eight pounds just by drinking green tea.

Question: So which teas are the healthiest and best for you to drink?

Answer: The ones that you truly enjoy the most and therefore, will actually regularly drink! The truth is, while there are some slightly minor differences here and there, all teas generally contain about the same amount of flavonoids.

Actually, Green and Black tea not only come from the exact same plants, but they are the exact same tea, only processed differently. Green tea is dried for a shorter time and doesn’t go through a fermenting process that is traditionally used for black tea.

So simply drink the teas that you truly enjoy the most and get healthier while you are relaxing and enjoying the intoxicating flavors!

Enjoy,

Rocco Loosbrock

The days of thinking of pancakes as a cheap stomach filler when your busy and on the go and don’t have any time for real food is thankfully long gone. The fact is, pancakes are a lot like relationships, the quality, enjoyment, value and satisfaction that you get out of them is precisely proportional to the quality ingredients that you put into the mix.

In other words, my pancakes have always been extremely healthy, delightfully delicious and exceptionally nutritious and good for me. So where did our culture go wrong when it came to our communal consciousness regarding pancakes somehow associated with plastic and plaster?

First of all, the narrow minded limitations subconsciously created deep within the mind were basely and unfair to begin with. Back in the day, when Grandma and great Grandma ruled the kitchen with am “iron skillet,” there most certainly was nothing the slightest bit questionable, cheap, tawdry, low quality, mass produced or un-natural about pancakes.

Then the hazy, crazy, lazy days of eating right out of the box, from an assortment “pre-formulated, pre-packaged, pre-mixed, pre-prepared” simulated foodstuff items came along and the world nuzzled up to the mechanical feed tube of plastic bottles, cellophane wrapped grub clusters, frozen entrees, canned concoctions, freeze dried meals and fast food joints popping up like untreated zits all along the highway.

Anyway, it took a few decades to break free from “group think” delusions about pancakes, but now they are back with a vengeance and are certainly making up for lost time and opportunities to shine.

Pancakes are now suddenly the popular choice as the veritable center piece from which many wonderful gourmet breakfasts, brunches and lunches are built around. Whole grain pancakes, topped with fresh whipped cream, real maple syrup, mixed compote or a vast plethora or various chopped fresh fruit and served along with a tasty fresh vegetable, cheese and bacon omelet, wedged or hash brown potatoes and juice, coffee and / or tea.

From white floured splatters of inexpensive past dropped on to a greasy grill, to now BMOC (Big Meal On Command) It’s suddenly now the popular, cool, WOW culinary attraction that everyone wants a bite of.

For those who don’t have the time or interest to make the entire pancake lay-out from scratch, there are now actually “Gourmet Pancake Batter Mixes” available online and deliverable directly to your door, that come already prepared for you to simply add in the milk, a couple of eggs, the heat and the love.

Signing off and Pigging out,

Rocco “Boss Hog” Loosbrock

For several decades, steak has been consistently, falsely accused and unfairly saddled with a decidedly undeserved “bad rap” and villain’s infamy when it comes to certain specific health issues like fat and cholesterol.

This of course, is partially an intentional hatchet job done by marketing and promotional agencies who are try to help other proteins such as chicken and fish steal away portions of the “meat market” that beef has dominated for as far back as any of us can remember.

Secondly, it’s simply ludicrous to lump all “red meat” or for that matter, all beef into a single category. Anyone that knows anything about steak knows that there are extremely different grades, cuts and levels of quality.

Top Chefs, Connoisseurs, Gourmets and Aficionados know well enough to only eat Top 1 to 3%, Prime Cut Steak, such as Kobe Style, “Prime Grade,” Angus Beef.   To compare the nutritional quality of some cheap cut, store bought flank steak to such an elite cut of meat is like comparing a Mercedes to a Yugo. There just simply isn’t any comparison.

So what do the Doctors and Nutritionists say about the health factors involved in eating Prime Cut Angus Steaks/ I think the facts might truly surprise a lot of people.

First of all, one of the biggest surprises is that eating Prime Cut Angus Beef actually leads to having a much leaner and firmer, healthier body. This is because such gourmet quality steak is a powerful source of a quality of protein that is rich in a hormone called “Peptide YY” which actually helps the body feel full and satisfied, which naturally stops you from wanting to over eat and increase your calorie absorption, as well as help to ensure that you maintain important “muscle mass” while reducing body fat during any diet or weight loss program.

That’s right; maintain muscle mass while dumping the body… not exactly story you have been hearing from the so called experts, is it?

Here’s another huge surprise. Much of the fat found in prime cut gourmet steak is called “Monounsaturated” fat, which is exactly the same kind of “good,” heart healthy fat found in natural olive oil. Also did you know that Prime Cut, Angus Beef actually has “LESS” of the so called “bad” fats or ‘Saturates Fat” than either fish or chicken? Interesting isn’t it?

Did you know that your gourmet steak is an excellent source of important, life sustaining vitamins and minerals? Gourmet steak has more than 10 times the amount of vital “zinc” than the same amount of tuna and 8 times more energy packed “vitamin B12” than the same amount of skinless chicken breasts and as much iron as three cups of raw spinach.

Why is zinc important to our health? Because zinc helps with cell growth and improves immunity, as well as helps heal wounds, fight off infection and naturally suppresses our hunger pangs when we are dieting. Meanwhile, vitamin B12in steak promotes the body’s production of red blood cells, helps keep the brain and nervous system functioning at their peak, and can help to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s and heart disease.

And of course, besides all of the additional life enhancing vitamins, minerals and various organic “phytonutrients” like “Co Q 10”that are automatically added in to the mix by the healthy, natural meals that the beef consume daily, as building blocks to a strong, healthy cut of meat, there is the one thing that even the “haters” have openly admitted, which is the awesome source of iron that is needed to help the body produce red blood cells and carry the life sustaining oxygen from the lungs to the blood cells and all throughout the body and deep into the tissues of vital organs and flesh.  

Enjoy,

Rocco Loosbrock

Sure, olives add a touch of gourmet class and taste to everything from salads to fish, from poultry to beef, from Mexican cuisine to the most delicious classic Italian Pizza. But did you know that besides looking cool and tasting awesome, olives are actually quite healthy for you?

Premium quality gourmet olives are literally chock full of concentrated levels of “monounsaturated fats” as well as being an excellent source of vitamin E. Since monounsaturated fats are far less easily damaged than polyunsaturated fats, it’s important to have a good, steady supply of them in our cells’ outer membranes and other bodily cell structures that contain fats, such as the vital membranes that surround our cell’s DNA, as well as the important and all natural energy-producing factories inside, called the mitochondria.

These monounsaturated fats, naturally found in olives, combined with the antioxidants found in olive’s naturally high supply of vitamin E, work together to lower the risk of cell damage and inflammation. Add in the effects of the various “phytonutrient compounds” such as “polyphenols” and “flavonoids,” and you have yourself one seriously powerful health food.

Because olives natural Vitamin E is the body’s primary fat-soluble antioxidant, it works overtime to effectively neutralize the negative effects of “free radicals” within all the fat-rich areas of the body. In combination, these stable monounsaturated fats and vitamin E compounds create a positive and supportive environment for several significant cellular processes, including energy production.

If these all important cellular processes, such as mitochondrial energy production are not sufficiently protected, the free radicals produced can cause serious oxidation damage to the body’s building blocks. nearby molecules with -a process called oxidation. If a cell’s mitochondria become damaged, the cells cannot produce enough energy and they will die. If a cell’s DNA becomes damaged, the cell may mutate into “CANCER!”

Free radicals cause the oxidation of cholesterol, which severely damages blood vessels and builds up plaque in arteries, which can eventually lead to a heart attack or stroke. So, the nutrients in olives help to prevent heart disease.

Meanwhile, if free radicals damage the cellular DNA in colon cells, the cells can mutate into cancer cells. By neutralizing free radicals, the nutrients in olives help prevent colon cancer. A higher intake of both vitamin E and the monounsaturated fats in olives is actually associated with lower rates of colon cancer.

Of course, the “anti-inflammatory” actions of the monounsaturated fats, vitamin E and polyphenols in olives may also help reduce the severity of asthma, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis, three conditions where most of the damage is caused by high levels of free radicals. The vitamin E in olives may even help to reduce the frequency and/or intensity of hot flashes in women going through menopause.

Very promising research is currently underway in numerous studies across the globe to ascertain & determine the curative properties of olives, with regards to degenerative ailments such Alzheimer’s Disease and of course, anyone who has spent any time at all in the Mediterranean, knows how olives naturally give luster, shine and body to the hair, as well as naturally lubricate, hydrate and protect the skin and one’s complexion, from environmental dirt, grim, chemicals, aging and the sun.

Bon Appetit!

Rocco Loosbrock

I always quietly laugh just a little bit, silently to myself whenever I meet with a client, associate or friend for the third or fourth time in a week at one of the popular coffee shop like Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, or Starbucks or … if those pesky and persistent Madison Avenue Advertising Geniuses / Genies blink us into magically buying into the idea of ole’ Dunkin Donuts being #1 … and my coffee guzzling pal tells me once again how they simply can’t afford a monthly membership to a gourmet coffee club.

“Really,” I think to myself, “cause actually an entire year’s membership to the nicest Monthly Gourmet Coffee Club Membership actually costs far less than all of the fancy $6 to $8 “Latte-Dah” coffee concoctions that I’ve seen you buy over the past week alone!”

So for you intuitive and perceptive people out there who can do the math and know the score, but still would like to enjoy some of the splendid special coffee creations that you assume only the chain store percolators can supply, put this in your coffee pot and perk it.

Here are the Top Ten Gourmet Coffee Recipes that you can make for yourself and your friends / family / associates at home with that awesome Annual Gourmet Coffee Club Membership. It’s going to absolutely blow your mind, but luckily no longer your bank account, when you see just how simple these recipes really are!

Please keep in mind, in all 10 recipes, the coffees are for a 16 ounce cup and the milk is intended to be steamed or foamed to 160 F.

Cafe Americano
12 ounces hot water
3 shots espresso

Cafe Au Lait
8 ounces regular coffee, not espresso
Add steamed milk to just below rim

Cafe Breve
12 ounces steamed half and half
2 shots espresso
¼ inch of foamed milk

Cappuccino
Pour in foamy milk
2 shots espresso

Caramel Macchiato
Fill ¾ full with steamed milk
Pour in ¾ ounce of Vanilla Syrup
Pour in two shots espresso
Top with foamed milk to the rim
Drizzle caramel sauce on foamed milk

Iced Caramel Macchiato
12 ounces cold milk
Fill with ice to ¼ inch below rim
¾ ounces vanilla
Top with caramel sauce drizzle

Iced Latte
12 ounces cold milk 
2 shots espresso
Fill with ice to ¼ inch below rim

Iced Mocha
12 ounces cold milk
2 ounces mocha syrup
2 shots espresso
Fill with ice to ¼ below rim
Top with whipped cream

Latte
Fill with steamed milk 
Pour in 2 shots espresso
Top with ¼ inch foamed milk

Mocha
Fill with steamed milk to ¼ inch from the top
2 shots espresso
2oz mocha syrup
Top with whipped cream

Enjoy,

Rocco Loosbrock

The warmer weather of the summer months means plenty of opportunities to have friends and family come together to eat outside in nature, where everything just naturally seems to taste a little bit better and meals are always a lot more fun!

So you have yourself a couple of whole lobsters and you just aren’t exactly sure what you should do with them. Well then today is your lucky day and you are precisely where you were meant to be in order to discover this amazingly awesome recipe for what can only be described as a lightly delightful, sophisticated yet subtle summer delicacy, our very own Gourmet Lobster Bisque!

It’s far more scrumptious than conventional clam chowder, yet you can still enjoy it with many of the same familiar and flavorful favorite side dishes. This creamy lobster bisque combines the very best of the natural, hearty mouthwatering taste treasures of the seven seas with the finest culinary seasonings found on Earth.

Best described as a succulent pairing of sea food and spices, this is a dish that will be an awe inspiring hit at any dinner party or outside excuse to eat! Ahoy and Enjoy!

Luscious Lobster Bisque – A Light & Delightful Summer Soup   

(Serves 6) 

Ingredients:

2 Whole Lobsters

1 pitcher of fresh drinking water

2 bottles of premium quality Chardonnay

2 leeks cut in length-wise in half

2 onions cut in half

2 celery stalks chopped into medium sized chunks

2 carrots cut into medium sized chunks

4 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup cognac

5 tbsp. Gourmet Olive Oil

5 tbsp. fresh unsalted butter

3 tbsp. all purpose flour

2 tbsp. tomato paste

2 tbsp. finely grated orange zest for garnish

2 tbsp finely chopped chives for garnish

6 sprigs fresh thyme

4 strips orange zest

1 tsp. whole peppercorns

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
 

Instructions:

If your lobsters are “live lobsters,” the simplest, quickest and most human way to kill them without them or you suffering is by plunging a sharp knife directly behind their heads. 

Cut the lobster in half lengthwise, ensuring that you collect all of the juices that will run out. 

Now remove the claws and tail pieces and set them aside.

Remove the head sac and liver and discard them.

Cut the body into medium sized pieces. 

Heat up 3 tbsp. of olive oil in a large pot over a medium heat and melt 3 tbsp. of butter in it.

Carefully add the chopped lobster bodies, heads and juices, along with the leeks, 1 of the onions, the celery, the carrots, half of the thyme, half of the orange zest and the tomato paste into the large pot with the melted butter / olive oil mix.

Cook approximately 13 minutes, till the lobster shells are red and the vegetables are soft. 

Now remove the pot from the heat and carefully pour in 1/4 cup of cognac.

Ignite the cognac with a long kitchen match and let the alcohol completely burn off until the flame is extinguished.

Put the pot back onto the heat and begin to sprinkle in the flour and stir it in until it is consistently, well mixed, and then allow to cook for another 2 minutes.

Add in as much water as is needed to fully cover and stir up all the browned bits on the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.

Carefully pour in the cream and then bring to a boil.

Once boiling, immediately decrease the heat and gently simmer for about 40 minutes, till the soup is reduced and thickened to your preferred thickness.

Once cooked to sufficient thickness, strain the soup into a clean pot and season with salt and pepper to taste and keep the pot warm, but not cooking

Now heat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Go ahead and heat the remaining 2 tbsp. of olive oil and 2 tbsp. of butter in an oven-proof skillet over a medium heat. 

place the remaining onion, thyme, bay leaf, and orange zest along with the peppercorns into the skillet allow the mixture cook for about 5 minutes.

Add in the lobster claws and tails and begin to carefully flip / toss the portions up into the air and back into the skillet in order to properly coat them with the fat and flavors.

Now remove the skillet from the heat and carefully pour in the remaining ¼ cup of cognac.

Like before, ignite the cognac with a long kitchen match and let the alcohol burn off till extinguished.

Put the skillet into the oven and roast them for about 15 minutes, till the lobster pieces are cooked through and then remove the lobster pieces and set them aside on a plate or tray.

When the lobster portions are cool enough to handle, remove the lobster meat from the claws and tails, chop it up in medium sized chunks and add it to the strained bisque. 

Serve with bread or crackers and some lightly chilled Chardonnay. Enjoy!

Rocco Loosbrock