Rhode Island Stuffies

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            FOOD FUNNY
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Here's a good one from Rosemary Zwick in Cape Town, South Africa:

A man asked his wife what she'd like for her birthday. "I'd love to be
eight again." she replied. On the morning of her birthday, he arose
early, made her a nice big bowl of Coco Pops, and then took her off
to the local theme park. What a day! He put her on every ride in the
park: the Death Slide, the Wall of Fear, the Screaming Monster Roller
Coaster, everything there was.

Five hours later she staggered out of the theme park. Her head was
reeling and her stomach felt upside down. Right away, they journeyed
to a McDonald's where her loving husband ordered her a Happy Meal
with extra fries and a refreshing chocolate shake.

Then it was off to the movies: the latest Star Wars epic, a hot dog,
popcorn, all the Coke she could drink, and her favorite lolly and M&M's.
What a fabulous adventure! Finally she wobbled home with her husband
and collapsed into bed exhausted.

He leaned over his precious wife with a big smile and lovingly asked,
"Well, Dear, what was it like being eight again?" Her eyes slowly
opened and her expression suddenly changed. "I meant my dress size!

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            TODAY'S RECIPE
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You knew I wouldn't spend four weeks driving around New England
without coming home with some traditional New England recipes
to share with you, didn't you? Here they are:

(Recipes in brackets are in the PLUS Edition only.)

Monday's Starter
Rhode Island Stuffies
[Classic Steamers]

Tuesday's Soup or Salad
Portuguese Kale Soup
[Rhode Island Clam Chowder]

Wednesday's Side Dish
Pickled Coleslaw
[Ladies' Cabbage]

Thursday's Entree
Steamed Lobster
[Greek-Style Halibut]

Friday's Dessert
Blueberry Pie
[Whoopie Pies]

In Rhode Island they call their baked stuffed clams "stuffies," and
they're on the menu of every clam shack in the state. They are
notorious for their frugal use of clams and being composed primarily
of bread crumbs, but you can up the clam content when making them
at home. If you can't buy clam shells from your fish monger, then
buy the whole clams, steam them open, and scoop out the clams
for the filling. Use the shells to make your stuffies (shells 2 to 3 inches
wide are best), and be sure to save them for future use.

Rhode Island Stuffies

3 Tbs (45 ml) olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper (capsicum), cored, seeded, and chopped
2-4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 1/2 cups (625 ml) chopped clams
2 cups (500 ml) fresh bread crumbs
1/4 cup (60 ml) chopped parsley
2 Tbs (30 ml) chopped fresh sage, or 2 tsp (10 ml) dried
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Red pepper flakes to taste
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup (125 ml) reserved clam liquor
24 clean cherrystone or quahog shells
3-4 Tbs (45-60 ml) butter
Lemon wedges for garnish

Heat the olive oil on a large skillet and saute the onion, green pepper,
and garlic until tender but not brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from
the heat and stir in the clams, bread crumbs, seasonings, egg, and
clam liquor. Fill the clam shells with the stuffing, dot with butter, and
place on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 400F (200C) oven until
golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges. Serves
4 to 6.
Received on Mon Jan 23 06:04:42 2006