Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog

February 10, 2014: Au revoir Montreal!

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This morning, it fell on me to dispatch the lobster.  Mom was all for simply dropping them in the pot and boiling them alive but I suggested the more humane method: a quick knife thrust through the head.  She said okay – and then left me to do deal with it.  And when my sister arrived, she was no help either, retreating to the living room while I “handled it”.  So I did.  And, twenty minutes later, we had lobster and garlic butter for lunch.

And while we’re on the subject of eating, here are some of the culinary highlights of my whirlwind Montreal tour…

Pork ribs and popcorn shrimp - Kitchenette
Pork ribs and popcorn shrimp – Kitchenette
Cracker Jack sundae - Kitchenette
Cracker Jack sundae – Kitchenette
Various maki - Sushi Shop
Various maki – Sushi Shop
Prime rib - The Keg
Prime rib – The Keg
Lobster - mom's
Lobster – mom’s

And then, at trip’s end, there’s always the emotional goodbye.  Not so much with family – after all, they know I’ll be back – but with the dogs who, no doubt, are already missing me terrible…

Ralphie - always stylin'
Ralphie – always stylin’
Fernando - blind, but you wouldn't know it
Fernando – blind, but you wouldn’t know it
Felix - mom's favorite
Felix – mom’s favorite

Not pictured: Roxy and Caramel who were out in the back yard when I left.  Clearly, saying good-bye was just too painful.

Okay!  I’m off!  See you in Vancouver!  Don’t forget to watch Underground tonight as our Stargate: Atlantis rewatch continues!

Oh, and please vote for our April Book of the Month Club!

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31 responses

  1. sylvia Avatar
    sylvia

    wow, that was certainly a quick trip. Bon Voyage and catch ya in the Western time zone.

    yep voted…Annihilation and skylight look interesting.

    Reply
  2. Deni Avatar
    Deni

    And for the culinary highlights of my kitchen, FOOD TRUCKS!

    http://i656.photobucket.com/albums/uu284/pbugsmom/foodtrucktampa_zpsb5c88672.jpg

    http://i656.photobucket.com/albums/uu284/pbugsmom/foodtrucktampa3_zps622f76b3.jpg

    Reply
  3. gforce Avatar
    gforce

    I love lobster – although about two is my effective limit at a time. Not sure if the brain thing is effective – I read this on Wikipedia: “However, a lobster’s brain operates from not one but several ganglia and disabling only the frontal ganglion does not usually result in death or unconsciousness.” So, not only is he being boiled alive, but also just had a knife rammed through his head. Ouch! Might be effective for one of those zombie lobsters, though.

    Anyway, those meals looks pretty good – so many in so few days! I don’t know how you do it. That Cracker Jack Sundae in particular looks… sweet.

    Great dog pics and I’m sure they’ll miss you terribly. 🙂

    “Underground” is all watched and ready for commenting! Have a great trip back!

    Reply
  4. Airelle Avatar
    Airelle

    Hope you had a safe uneventful journey back home and are getting puppy kisses by now.

    Reply
  5. PBMom Avatar
    PBMom

    Everyone will miss you! But how wonderful you were able to be there and spend time with your family on this very wonderful milestone in your mom’s life. And may she have many, many more. I think the Montreal dogs will sob for you after you leave. They look like the type that don’t like to visibly show their tears. Or perhaps they’ll be comforting your family who will be shedding some tears after your departure.

    Reply
  6. Tam Dixon Avatar
    Tam Dixon

    Well done on the humane treatment of the lobsters. Do you pre-treat crabs the same way?

    Fernando does look like he can see shapes or something. Kudos on your Sis for adopting this beautiful boy. Once again, Ralphie is dressed better than I am. I’m sure your Sis and Mum will give the dogs extra love until they recover. 😀

    Deni: Big Wave!

    Reply
  7. Line Noise Avatar
    Line Noise

    I voted for Skylight. I enjoy a good post-apocalyptic story. For that reason, Annihilation is a close second on my list. Looks like a close poll!

    Reply
  8. arcticgoddess Avatar
    arcticgoddess

    I support you in your humane campaign to dispatch lobsters instead of boiling them alive. Up the sea life!

    Reply
  9. arcticgoddess Avatar
    arcticgoddess

    @JeffW – “Didn’t just about every woman in the 70′s have big hair? Heck, the men did too! The Bee Gees, Tom Selleck, Leif Garrett, all the members of Kiss, and Fabio, just to name a few. Now I’m just waiting for the cue-ball, follically challenged look to come in to fashion.

    And I’m still waiting…”

    That style was mid ’90’s to mid ’00’s – so you missed it.

    Reply
  10. Shana Avatar
    Shana

    I voted Skyline. Happily the two books I was interested in made the top two, Annihilation and Skylight. Very excited for the book club. Not sure how much I will be inputting as I always feel awkward with these kind of things. Mostly my comments consist of it was good. I like it. But I like reading and hear what others thought, it usually helps to spark something in my brain.
    Shana

    Reply
  11. Deni Avatar
    Deni

    @Tammy: Big wave back! 🙂

    Reply
  12. archersangel Avatar
    archersangel

    the cracker jack sundae looks good.

    Reply
  13. Sparrow_hawk Avatar
    Sparrow_hawk

    I can’t decide! I’ll read whatever the final selection happens to be.

    Reply
  14. dasndanger Avatar
    dasndanger

    Murderer.

    das

    Reply
  15. dasndanger Avatar
    dasndanger

    @ Deni – That food truck is a lot different from Joey’s food trucks. (The ‘driver’ is adorable, btw! 🙂 )

    das

    Reply
  16. Alexis Avatar
    Alexis

    @Deni: Very cute food trucks 😀

    Ralphie looks like he’s begging somebody to take that coat off. Felix and Fernando are looking adorable as usual.

    Poor lobsters.

    Thanks to mom for letting you share her birthday with us. Here’s to many more. Have a safe flight home. 🙂

    Reply
  17. thornyrose01 Avatar
    thornyrose01

    wow. glancing at the pictures, I literally began salivating when I saw that prime rib. Grilled chicken sandwich didn’t cut it for dinner I guess. The lobster was mighty good looking too. Safe flight back, and homework assignment duly noted.

    Reply
  18. 2cats Avatar
    2cats

    Eh-h? Pork ribs with shrimp?! Odd combination. It doesn’t appeal. That photo of the prime rib is exactly why I won’t eat it until they finish cooking it. I do enjoy lobster however, broiled.
    Sorry, just not an adventurous eater. I have, in fact, had nightmares about being seated in a swanky restaurant, having some plate of unknown contents placed before me and panic at not being able to eat it.
    I’m sure this has deeper meaning… somehow…

    2cats!

    Reply
  19. JeffW Avatar
    JeffW

    @Deni:

    I might have to pass on that food truck…I don’t like broccoli 😉

    But if Anakin starts stocking bacon, I’m in!

    @arcticgoddess:

    I still had some hair then, so I didn’t notice the style!

    @Joe:

    I hope you had safe travels today. I made it back to Chicagoland without incident (unless you consider -2F to be an incident), so all fine on my front.

    That prime rib got Barb thinking steak for Valentine’s day, so I’ll probably try to fit in a steak joint this Friday. I’d better be making my reservations soon though.

    You did get me thinking about how to dispatch seafood humanely, and with some sea-life, I’m running into issues. Take Blue Crabs for instance. I’ve long understood that you can’t cook them once they’re dead; the toxins in the gills (aka “Dead Man’s Fingers”) spoil the meat. So I’ve always cooked Blue Crab by steaming them live (the clanking against the pot stops after a couple of minutes or so).

    I’ve never really had a problem doing this, though, since crabs themselves are pretty mean and hostile, even to other crabs. When pulling up crab pots, it’s not uncommon to find crabs that have lost claws while fighting each other in the pot. Still, if there was a more humane way of cooking them, I’d do it.

    Reply
  20. shinyhula Avatar
    shinyhula

    Yeesh. Can’t think of the last time I dispatched anything. Forget Teyla and Ronon, I want to be on Joe’s school bus in case of a zombie apocalypse. I’m pretty good with a plastic light saber so I think I could handle a katana.

    I think I’ve finally perfected my Morrocan Carrot Salad experiment; steamed carrots simmered in a little olive oil, paprika, basil, garlic, chimichurri, dijon mustard, salt and crushed pinapple. Fast and tasty.

    Reply
  21. Carol Avatar
    Carol

    Ooo I like The Kegs – they do a great steak…might not be haute cuisine but it fills a spot when hunger strikes! 🙂

    Reply
  22. Tam Dixon Avatar
    Tam Dixon

    I looked up how to humanely kill a crab: http://wizzley.com/how-to-kill-a-crab-humanely/ This article on lobsters is pretty interesting: http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2009/07/how-to-kill-a-lobster-humanely/21339/ Who knew but it states that New Zealand has already included crustaceans in its animal protection laws, and that in 2005, the Italian town of Reggio Emilia banned the boiling of lobsters. Amazing that people are protecting lobsters but still are butchering dolphins.

    Deni: He is so cute!!!!!!

    Which book is winning?

    I finally read “The Forever War” and loved it!!!! My iPad is still turning pages for me and now it’s in my kindle app. I reinstalled the app and checked for iTune patches. Anyone else having this problem with their iPad?

    Reply
  23. Bella&Kasper Avatar
    Bella&Kasper

    On a side note, here is a list for eating in Edmonton next time you feel the urge to visit: http://thetomato.ca/%20march-april-2013/%20the-top-100-best-things-to-eat-or-drink-in-edmonton

    Reply
  24. Randomness Avatar
    Randomness

    If the circumstances were different(As in the Wraith not being around) do you think the SGC(Earth) + Team Atlantis would have established better relations with the Genii? While the Genii went about things in a poor manner, an almost questionable manner even, they clearly were desperate and saw a chance when the Atlantis team visited their world.

    Don’t get me wrong I’m not excusing their behavior and from a technological standpoint they were more advanced than most settlements in the Pegasus Galaxy, but they were still just as viable to an attack as any other world in the galaxy.

    Reply
  25. archersangel Avatar
    archersangel

    to 2cats;
    That photo of the prime rib is exactly why I won’t eat it until they finish cooking it.

    same here.

    Reply
  26. dasndanger Avatar
    dasndanger

    Hey, Joey…let’s see you dispatch this huge sucker (the lobster, not me…) :

    http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/dasNdanger/8c5b8fb1-6f6c-4ece-8cc4-859986404cd9_zpsd8f63024.jpg

    Think you could handle it? I mean, if it wasn’t already dead and stuff. 😛 (It was 37+ pounds, btw.)

    das

    Reply
    1. PBMom Avatar
      PBMom

      Whoa @Das That is SOME lobster!!

      Reply
  27. dasndanger Avatar
    dasndanger

    Wot? No smartarse response? I am…disappointed. 🙁

    das

    Reply
    1. Joseph Mallozzi Avatar
      Joseph Mallozzi

      I dispatched of two of his smaller cousins tonight.

      Reply
  28. dasndanger Avatar
    dasndanger

    Remind me to never get on your bad side. 😛

    Wait. I’m not on your bad side already, am I? If so, then remind me not to wear my favorite red shirt if ever we meet:

    http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/dasNdanger/ultimateredshirt_zpsa746aee0.jpg

    😉

    das

    Reply
  29. dasndanger Avatar
    dasndanger

    It sure is! The largest lobster caught (as far as wiki knows) was over 44 lbs, and this one is just a few pounds less at 37+ lbs. Pretty sure you’d lose a toe or two to that one if you stumbled upon him while wading in the shallows.

    das

    Reply

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