Wednesday, May 14, 2003, 5:30-7:00 pm, at The White Elephant.

Celebrated chef and author Chris Schlesinger of the East Coast Grill in Cambridge, Massachusetts’s cooked three fabulous courses of New England lobster. Chris explained cooking tips for lobster and demonstrated techniques creating all the lobster dishes he created. Chris grilled a lobster and served with sweet aromatic Asian slaw for the first course. The second course was a lobster taco with shredded arugula, hearts of palm, mango, avocado, and orange chipolte on a soft shell corn tortilla. The third course and my favorite was lobster with corn, lima beans and chervil on a toasted slice of baguette topped with a cream sauce.

Accompanying the different preparations of lobster were the wines of Domain Chandon represented by Wayne Donaldson. A native of Australia, Wayne is now based in California and is responsible for all Chandon Estates sparkling and still wine production. He had a great sense of humor explaining wine production and details of the pairing with Chris's dishes as well as telling some great jokes.

Jelle Atema, Professor of Biology and Director of Boston University Marine Program in Woods Hole, exchanged culinary and scientific perspectives on New England's favorite seafood—lobster. Jelle was very funny and had a great sense of humor when explaining the life of the lobster, mating rituals, egg carrying, molting and the general life of a New England lobster. He topped off the meal with a performance playing a lobster claw like a flute that had to be seen and heard to be believed.

Annie Copps, food editor for Boston Magazine, and Denis Toner, president of the Nantucket Wine festival, hosted the event. The event was informative, educational and entertaining. Wayne and Jelle both played off each other well with the jokes, and the highlight of the event besides the food and wine had to be Jelle’s playing of the lobster claw.

Check out the courses and accompanying wines on the next page.
Chris Schlesinger of the East Coast Grill in Cambridge, Massachusetts’s
Chris prepares lobster dishes and explains the best way to cook.
Speakers Wayne Donaldson, Denis Toner, Jelle Atema and Annie Copps.
Jelle Atema plays a lobster claw like a flute.