If you are lucky enough to live near a beach, you may have attended or even hosted a genuine clambake. Traditionally a pit is dug at the beach about 2’X2’X3’and the food is cooked for a few hours over hot coals. If you do not live near the beach but would like to experience a good old fashioned clambake, you can still pull it off. Add in fun drinks, decorations and dessert and call a few friends over!

Preparation and Cooking

You will want to wash the clams very well. Clams should be closed and will open when they are cooked. Unopened clams should be discarded. Just before cooking, soak your clams for about 20 minutes in fresh water. Don’t drain them in a strainer, pull them out of the water to avoid getting the sand back in your clams. Use a firm brush to scrub any additional sand or barnacle from the shell.

At the beach you’d cook your food in a well dug pit over coals with seaweed on top to lock in the flavor and moisture. But if you don’t want to dig a pit in the backyard you can either cook your clams on the grill in pouches or in a pot over an open flame. If you have access to it, throw some seaweed in with the food to authenticate the flavor.

There are many different ways to pull off the cooking without a pit. Try this Clambake recipe from Emeril Lagasse for a tasty and easy way to serve up your clams. I like cooking in foil packets because it means easy clean up!

You can serve your guests rolls and salad on the side if desired. Don’t forget the dessert. Blueberry pie is a perfect ending to a summertime feast.

Make it a Party!

You might not be able to recreate the beach in your backyard but make your clambake festive by using decorations and fun summer beverages. You can find some really cute nautical themed serving ware and accessories at stores like Target. Hang lights or use paper lanterns to light up your party at night. Decorate your table with sand pails decorated with balloons and filled with sand to anchor them or use sand pails to hold utensils. Try making some summertime adult beverages like Sex on the Beach or Tequila Sunrise (recipes below). And if you want to be authentic, don’t forget the beer!

Luckily cleaning up after a clam bake is pretty easy. If you cover your table in brown paper and tape it down you can untape the paper and wrap up the mess and throw it right in the garbage. Having kids at your clambake? Give them some crayons and let them be the decorators for your tablescape. It will keep them busy and is pretty cheap!

Because eating all this yummy food can be messy, dip finger towels or washcloths in water, roll and refrigerate. Bring them out at the end of the meal for your guests to feel like they are being pampered.

A Clam By Any Other Name

Have you ever gotten to the seafood counter and been totally thrown by all the different types of clams? There are over 2000 varieties though most are not available in stores. Here are a few of the more common types and how to enjoy them:

Quahogs (or Quahaugs) are a hard shell clam and popular on the East Coast where they are abundant between New Jersey and Cape Cod. These are used mainly in chowders and eaten raw. If you live in New England, chances are you’ve at least seen a stuffed Quahog.

Littlenecks are just smaller Quahogs. These are good for chowders and eating raw. The native littlenecks are very popular and also known as steamer clams.

Cherrystones are usually up to 3 inches long and named for Cherrystone Creek in Virginia. If you order clams on the half shell, this is what you are most likely eating. They are one of the more versatile clams good for steaming, grilling and eating raw.

Longnecks are usually found in the colder waters of the Arctic Ocean and north of the San Francisco area in the Pacific. These clams are recommended for steaming, frying and chowder.

Manila clams are generally found in the Northwest states. They are recommended to be eaten cooked.

Butter clams are found from Alaska to California. These are small and sweet and often eaten raw.

Drink Recipes:

Sex on the Beach

• 2 parts Vodka
• 1 parts Peach Schnapps
• 2 parts Orange juice
• 2 parts Cranberry juice

Combine ingredients and serve over ice.

Tequila Sunrise

• 4 cups orange juice, preferably fresh (from about 8 oranges)
• 2 cups tequila
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons pomegranate juice

Combine oj and tequila. In each of six glasses, place 3 tablespoons pomegranate juice, then ice and then tequila mixture. Serve, stirring just before drinking.

If you decide to throw a clambake this Fourth of July or anytime this summer,let us know how it turns out!

Tags: Backyard Cooking, Clambake, Clams, Grilling, Summer Entertaining, Summer Recipes
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If your favorite way to enjoy summer is grilling on the BBQ, don’t fret! You’re not relegated to endless nights of hamburgers and hot dogs because meat prices have gone crazy. In fact, there are all kinds of great deals out there to keep your grocery budget in line while enjoying gourmet delights on the grill.

Shop Early: Most stores have a policy about moving meat products quickly. Many butchers will immediately mark down yesterday’s meat before they start packaging for the day. The savings can be as high as 50 percent off the last marked price. If the meat was already on sale, the daily markdown savings can be as high as 75 percent off full retail!

Shop Late: Those morning markdowns are great, but most butchers would love to sell everything before going home at night. If there’s lots of meat in the case, I will routinely ask for a discount for taking large quantities home where I’ll further cut and wrap it myself. This is particularly true for bulk ground beef, which I’ve picked up for under 99 cents per pound as a reward for wiping out the entire case.

Buy bulk: Most meat departments have a cut/wrap free policy. If you buy the whole pork shoulder or rib roast rack, the store will cut it into the size and cut type you’d like. The savings can be as high as 40 to 60 percent higher than buying the smaller pack of the same item. Pre-marinate and freeze in zip-seal bags for later use.

Use a coupon: If your area stores offer coupons for $5 or $10 off a specific purchase amount, use them for buying meat, spending only up to the value required on the coupon. This gives you an additional 10 to 20 percent off your purchase.

Keep freezer supplies and a good knife on hand: You’d be amazed what you can do with a London broil on sale for $1.99 per pound. A four-pound piece can be easily turned into stir fry or fajita strips and stretch across five meals. Pork rib chops for $1.49 per pound can be braised, stuffed or sauced for a quick dinner. And beef ribs for 79 cents per pound can be served up with coleslaw, corn and watermelon for the perfect summer meal outside. And of course, there’s nothing wrong with the occasional burger or dog!

Any way you grill it, summer is a great time to cook outside, but it doesn’t have to bust your grocery budget.

Tags: Barbeque, BBQ, Bulk Shopping, Grilling, Shopping Tips, Summer, Summer Grilling
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