Oh so crabby...and a large dose of lobster too

E out did himself last night for our weekly dinner with Bill and Jo.  He made a chunk crab and lobster with shiitake mushroom bisque and lobster tail thermidor on bib lettuce and assorted greens (Rachel Ray's recipe).  It was rich and luscious and I'll be walking forever to get this off.  It was worth every calorie.  And Jo, keeping in the spirit of buying locally and  with our waist lines in mind, got us two cannoli to split.

The cannoli tradiiton goes back a couple of years to a cruise the four of us took to the Med.  Jo arranged for private tour guides at each of our stops and at one, our tour guide took us to the top of the mountain across from Mt. Etna to a small town , Castlemore.  It is above Taomina and not accessible by bus.  It was a rainy day and Etna was clouded at the very top.  We roamed the tiny town, exploring and investigating when a man in an apron called to us from the balcony of a little restaurant clinging to the mountain side.  "Come! Come!", he said.  " I make the best cannoli in Italia!" and he did.  He gave us sweet wine to drink while we waited and we had The Best Cannoli in Italia with cappuccinos.  He told us he wanted a wife soon but she had to be deaf and blind.  When we asked why, he replied with a straight face, "why to get along with Mama, of course!".  So, to honor Ricardo who made a rainy day bright, we share a cannoli and think of him.