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Things Are Getting Steamy!
Back when I played sports in high school, I think I would have been thought of as a "coachable kid." If Coach Flynn said to try it his way, I tried it his way. He spent a lot of time and yelling, trying to get me, the lefty, to move to my right in basketball. It finally paid off and I had a fun senior year.
So, it shouldn't surprise you if I say that I listen to my elders. And, when it comes to cooking clams, I've listened to my elders, the honorable Blogoteers Skip and The Old-Timer. Even last Friday night they were reminding me that they know best when it comes to Littlenecks over mahoganies, and steaming them, not boiling them.
A week ago I even went so far as to actually spend fifty bucks on a stainless steel steamer. I mean, it's a beauty! All shiny and with a glass lid. It didn't take long for me to hurry over to the local seafood department and pick up a bag of the much-ballyhooed Littlenecks.
And to sort of top it off, I grabbed a bag of shrimp. I said to the girl working at the seafood counter, "What's this thing about shrimp? Can you steam shrimp?" She showed me the company flyer where right there at the seafood counter they steam the shrimp for you.
"But I've got my own steamer!" I exclaimed.
I walked out of the store with a bag of Littleneck clams in one hand and a bag of shrimp in the other. Since then I've enjoyed these treats not once, not twice, but almost daily! It's a problem!
Is there any health issue in eating too many clams and shrimp? Those Littlenecks open up in that stainless steel steamer like they can't wait to be eaten. Those shrimp turn a delicious pink in a matter of minutes. All you do is boil the water in the lower compartment and let the steam do its work.
And next on my list is steamed broccoli and steamed cauliflower, recommendations from a certain someone. What else can I use this steamer for?
Things are so steamy around my kitchen that the wallpaper is wilting off the walls. Things are so steamy around my kitchen that my cat Lilly looks like a drenched rat. But I don't care. I've got the best-tasting treats I've ever had.
Who needs greasy burgers and french fries when you can have clams and shrimp for lunch? Who needs to go to all the trouble of cooking potatoes and grilling a steak when you can steam up some clams and shrimp for dinner? And, for my nine o'clock snack, no more popcorn and soda. It's shrimp! Shrimp cocktail, shrimp kabobs, shrimp with rice, shrimp with butter, shrimp with peanut butter! Whatever! I'm enjoying clams and shrimp more than Bubba Gump himself.
Oh, I'm so happy I listened to Skip and The Old-Timer. What great clam coaches they are! Now I guess the next step is to sit with them in the summer of 2008 and try one of those raw clams they keep telling me about.
Maybe you've heard those rumors that things can get pretty steamy over at Foxy's place.
Until I get into those raw clams, you can bet that Foxy's got the steamiest place in the North Country!
Comments
Fox,
I'm glad you are such an adept learner about clam cuisine. It would be my pleasure and I'm sure, Old Timer, to introduce you to raw clams next summer. It would have to be on a paper covered picnic table, as the opening of clams can be a little juicy. Rumor has it that after eating enough raw clams you may have to throw away all those male enhacement pills (albeit, you couldn't tell from my experience, alas.)
Piss clams may be the next delight to try, but we will talk about that later.
Meanwhile, enjoy your new steamer. It's possible to teach an old fox new tricks.
Posted by: skip zatonski | December 12, 2007 9:25 AM
Foxy; Put a little lemon juice in your water, it takes all shrimp odor away. I steam all my veggies its very healthy. I am also Billy Mcneils brother in law you used to klnow him. an old student from o.l.v.a. I went to the old stone building there like the church. lived on south peru st, retired from goverment service 34 years, miss Nitzi's and Clare and Carls. left there after working on Atlas program.
(Foxy's note: Nice to hear from you, Ken ... I like all the tips I'm getting on steaming!)
Posted by: kenneth monette | December 11, 2007 10:10 PM
foxy..now it is time to go for the crab legs...
Posted by: bill glasscock | December 11, 2007 6:38 PM
Hmmmm: Bubba Gagnon. It has a nice ring to it..........
Posted by: Fred Forkey | December 11, 2007 5:57 PM