You dip your lobster in butter and what?

According to Captain Zoe, the best way to eat lobster is, "Outdoors, you can get messy and let the butter drool down your chin."

Before cooking, snip the rubber bands off the lobster claws she says. That way, they won't "taste like old rubber boots." As for cooking, she prefers steaming to boiling so the lobsters don't get waterlogged: Bring 2 inches of water to a boil in a large pot, drop lobsters into pot, and let steam for 12 to13 minutes.

To tell the difference between a male and female lobster, look at the "swimmerets," or flippers on the underside. The last pair before the body will be hard and stiff if it's a male or soft and feathery if it's a female. Some people prefer males because they don't have to "deal with the eggs [roe]." But, "they can be quite sweet and tasty," she says. Another favorite part is the green tamale, or liver.

Zoe serves lobster with melted butter and white vinegar. First dip the meat into the butter, then vinegar. "There's nothing better," she says."

(c) Copyright 1999. The Christian Science Publishing Society