Rochetser, NY

We are going to be baked in an hour or so. We have 50 dozen clams, a 75 degree and sunny evening, a lake wave chorus, and the remnants of a 4th of July barrel of Labbatt Blue Light. I am a big fan of tradition. Whether it be a college football rivalry, Sunday night feasts, a holiday ritual traditions are a good thing. We have our 4th of July tradition. We now seem to have formed the tradition of having a clam bake once per summer.

For my friends down South, a clam bake is very similar to a crawfish boil. The number of people is normally not as big for a clam bake, but the same things go into it. Our food of choice is a littleneck clam. You steam them until they open up. You cook chicken or steak or whatever you like with it. Then you chow down. I have 6 dozen clams reserved for me. That is a pretty good amount. 72 clams in a sitting is pretty strong. You dip them in butter or even better, in the broth that forms as they steam. Our family loves the broth. It tastes like chicken soup broth, but different. There are chicken wings, carrots, and potatoes in there, like a soup. But the pot you cook it in has a spicket for the broth to come out. Tasty, albeit a bit fishy sometimes.

My cousin Kyle and I restarted the clam bake. It now seems to live on. He and I will battle with 6 dozen each. I may be sick after, but it will be worth it. If that makes any sense at all, I guess it could be like going out and knowing you’ll drink too much and feel like junk the next day. I will feel the results immediately.

We had a good day today. Brad, Uncle Bill, Dad and I played golf at 7 AM today. It was gorgeous out there and the golf was OK. I fired a 78 and had 3 birdies. My 78 today does not compare to the 78 at Colonial, so I won’t break it down hole by hole. The course, Durand, is right on the lake and you have some beautiful elevation changes. I know some of you don’t golf, but being out with nature trying to accomplish a difficult task with your friends is fun, at least for me.

So the bake tradition lives on. We may have a bonfire afterwards. I know I will smoke a cigar tonight with my Uncle. That will be good: Fat belly, fire, and cigar.

Family and tradition are things I need to have. Some people laugh at the thought of living next door to your brother. My mom does it and I could do it too. Our family is pretty tight. A vacation spent together or a summer spent together makes sense here. I rave on to eat, drink, and be merry today. If you’ve never enjoyed a clam bake, you’re missing out. I’ll try to eat some clams for you.