Ingredients:

2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon Asian fi sh sauce
8 (8-inch) rice-paper rounds
2 cups lightly packed thinly sliced romaine lettuce
1/3 cup lightly packed fresh mint leaves
1/3 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves
1/3 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves
½ pound cooked lobster meat, cut into
½-inch pieces

Directions:

To make dipping sauce, whisk together vinegar, lime juice, hoisin sauce, ginger, and fi sh sauce in small bowl.

Soak rice-paper rounds, 1 at a time, in large bowl of hot water just until softened, 10–30 seconds. Drain on paper towels.

Toss together lettuce, mint, cilantro, and basil in medium bowl.

Place 4 softened rice-paper rounds on work surface. Put about ¼ cup of lobster meat along center of each wrapper; top each with ½ cup of lettuce mixture. Fold in sides of each wrapper and roll up tightly to enclose filling. Cut each roll in half on diagonal. Serve with dipping sauce.

The species of lobster found along the Chinese coast is the spiny lobster or crayfish and, significantly, the Chinese name for it is dragon prawn. The meat, compared to that of the true lobster, is slightly coarser, but cooking methods and recipes are the same for both. Only fresh lobsters are fit for consumption; they can be kept alive up to 3 days in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator.

You can’t drive far in New England without coming across a sign advertising lobster rolls. They are sold at beachside shacks as well as white tablecloth restaurants. To call this specialty a sandwich gives the wrong impression. It’s really a toasted hot dog roll that all but disappears under a mound of chunky lobster salad, made with just a little mayonnaise and seasonings. A leaf or two of lettuce usually lines the bun. This version is easy to prepare at home for your friends as a kickoff to the summer.

This soup really captures the essence of autumn in New England. It has become a signature on our Thanksgiving menu because it makes such a distinctive first course. Sweet and creamy pumpkin simmered in lobster stock gives the soup its strength and body. Fresh ginger and crème fraîche spark it up. Sweet nuggets of fresh lobster—a treat in any season—are dispersed throughout. I first served this soup at a luncheon for 300 at a national Women Chefs and Restaurateurs conference held in Boston.We garnished each little bowl with toasted pumpkin seeds, fresh chives, and a drizzle of crème fraîche and received rave reviews from a highly critical audience!

Clam chowder is undoubtedly the signature soup of New England, but lobster bisque is a close second. The early Yankees, ever frugal, used leftover lobster shells to make the stock.We finish our version with a few dashes of Tabasco sauce—just enough to give it some spark without overpowering the lobster flavor. Even though lobster bisque is always served hot, it seems to be most popular during the summer in Boston. At the nearby beaches, where the water is so cold your ankles shiver while your scalp sweats, there is nothing like a mug of hot bisque while you wrap yourself up in a towel to watch the sunset. All summer we pack many quarts of it for people to take to their cottages and boats. Tourists like it, too.

Lobster stock is one of my favorite ingredients because it’s so potent and adds the distinct flavor of lobster to seafood soups. Once you boil the lobsters and separate the meat from the shells, the stock comes together easily. For once, you don’t have to discard the shells.