Paradise? Paradise.

Sunday was one of those edge-of-the-volcano days wherein you simply cannot believe that nature is capable of survival under such conditions. Had we stayed in the house, our fate would have been sealed: steam, sulfur, doldrums.

So we went to the beach. Central Pennsylvania lies entirely upon carved-out limestone, so the region is rife with swimming-holes, lakes, and springs. With some dear friends we drove to Black Moshannon, a park up in them thar hills with tea-dark water and a cool breeze. We passed a fine morning there, with the kids splashing in the water and the grown-ups standing, as grown-ups do, knee-deep in the lake, like watchful herons.

And then we started planning dinner.

"Let's make lobster rolls," I offered.

"No," X. replied. "Let's make them au naturel. Why make lobster salad when you can have lobster."

"Tell you what," I said, to complete the syllogism. "Let's cook the lobsters on the grill."

And this is what we did. And-- in the words of Hemingway-- it was good.

But first, there was grilled squid. The tentacles were better than the heads, but it was mostly heads: seared simply, with a little splash of olive oil before and after, a squeeze of lemon juice, and a healthy salting.

Then, later, with the kids bathed and put to bed after another round of splashing and frolicking in the yard, the next act. X. grilled some marinated shrimp, which he let cool and then added to a salad prepared by Y. The salad-- overwhelmingly avocado-based-- was a marvelous emulsion of garden lettuce, lime-juice dressing, and shrimp.

We served it with the lobsters, which had been split down the middle and seared, cut side down, for 6 minutes, and then turned over for another 6 minutes. I seasoned each lobster half with some butter, lemon juice, salt, and pepper as they cooked.

Without a doubt this is how we prefer to eat lobsters, since the quick-kill slicing method effectively doubles the experience-- if not the amount-- of lobster meat consumed. You feel as though you've eaten two lobsters: magic? or miracle? Plus the meat has a smokiness unavailable through steaming-- and thus a more pronounced lobstery flavor as well. The only down side is that you pretty much lose the roe, and the other innards-- the tomally. It's worth it, though, I'd say. Although I'd never turn down a steamed lobster, or, for that matter, any occasion for a clambake.

And then H. made her delightful berry fool for dessert. It's adapted from Bittman: blend a cup of frozen berries-- blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, currants, or a mixture-- with a 1/4 of superfine sugar, and pass the mixture through a sieve to remove the seeds. Meanwhile, toss another 2 cups of the berries with another 1/4 cup of superfine sugar. In a mixer, whip a pint of heavy cream with a pinch of the superfine sugar. Add the purée to the mixer and blend for a pulse or two, and fold in the remaining berries. Garnish with fresh blackberries and sprigs of mint. This makes four servings, which is hardly enough, so if you really crave satisfaction, double the recipe.

And then go to sleep in an air-conditioned room. Feel just a little guilty. But sleep well.