Seafood Recipe With Adventures In The Gritty City

There is a scene from one of my favorite movies, "The Way We Were" that captures my own feelings toward New York City. Hubbell (Robert Redford) has moved to glitzy Hollywood with his wife, Katie (Barbra Streisand), where he is a successful writer. When his former lover states she is moving back to New York, Redford closes his eyes and painfully says, "New York"...as if the very thought of the city brings unbelievable longing. Thank you, Redford, for perfectly portraying how I feel when I'm away from the Island of Manhattan for too long!

New York has a kinetic energy that, to me, compares to no other city. During work hours, you must skillfully blend in with the walls of people bolting ahead of the "Do Not Walk" signs! You better know what you're ordering from those gourmet deli's, or you may lose your spot in line. And be quick about clicking in your seat belt, cause you'll get the ride of your life from the taxi driver with the exotic accent!

This summer, I once again catapulted myself from sunny Florida, to the gritty streets of midtown Manhattan, to soak up some of that Hudson River Edge! Although the trip was a hit, I do have some unusual mishaps to share!

First off, how could New York be hotter than Florida? Temps in Central Park hit 101 degrees in the shade! The humidity peaked midday, and continued to steam off the streets by the late night news!

Having arrived in the evening, I ventured off to one of my favorite bars in the Novotel Hotel. It's a favorite because the walls are all glass, and you could gaze at the soft lights of the city while sipping the martini of your taste!

As I was walking, I spotted the most unusual sight. There was a part human, part creature "thing" standing on the corner, with a chalk white complexion, glaring red eyes, and pure black lips. Make no mistake, this was no Edward! But it was a Twilight Creature!

I usually don't stare, but I couldn't help sizing this creature up! Unexpectedly, our eyes locked. I tried to quickly and casually look away, but its gaze continued. Twilight Creature turned toward me slowly. I felt the cast from those red eyes burning through the moist hairs on my neck, and my insides panicked. In all the years I had been to New York, I had never been attacked! I hastened my step, and crossed the street through the stream of traffic. Having made it to the other side, I glanced back, and saw Twilight Creature watching me, as I continued to venture into a safe distance!

Sitting in the bar in Novotel, I bit into my blue cheese olive, and sucked down my Dirty Martini. I might have enjoyed my encounter with the Twilight Creature, if it resembled Edward. Instead, I was left feeling a bit uneasy, and later walked, New York City style, back to my hotel. In other words, I moved my ass so fast, I made it home in record time!

The following day, I decided to go to the TKTS booth to obtain half price Broadway tickets! Preparing to stand at least an hour in the sun, I gathered my umbrella, and a big, bottled water, and off I went!

At 2:00 sharp, the ticket line thankfully began to move. We actually made our way close to the ticket window very quickly. With only four people ahead of me, I had high hopes of buying tickets for La Cage Aux Folles! Oddly, however, the line came to an abrupt halt. The surrounding lines continued to move. It was then that I heard the raucous sounds coming from the front. The woman at the head was demanding an apology from the ticket person, because he laughed at her! Then she demanded to see his supervisor, who she wanted an apology from, too! The chaos continued for ten minutes until they SHUT DOWN THE WINDOW!

I looked ahead in disbelief, as the sweat beaded on my face! This could not be happening. As the shock dissolved, all of us in line started rumbling, until the thoughtless lady at the front finally began walking away.

Whether it was the heat of the day...or the heat of the moment...I couldn't hold my tongue. I asked the disgruntled woman, as she passed by, if she had obtained her tickets. She stopped, looked me up and down, and blurted that she had. I responded, "Well I'm glad you got your tickets!" She then proceeded to demand an apology from me! I refused to acknowledge her, and she quickly called all of us a bunch of jerks, before she dissolved onto the streets!

Miraculously, the ticket window opened, and I obtained great seats to La Cage Aux Folles! The show was truly a wild and gaudy, mad extravaganza, with every minute delivering pure entertainment! As I left the theatre, one of the drag queens looked me in the eyes, shifted her eyebrows and whispered, "Come again!"

Having encountered the heat wave, Twilight Creature, and chaos at the TKTS Booth, this year's vacation was a little unusual. But I still close my eyes and breathe, "New York", and know that I will always welcome more adventures in the Gritty City!

For your dining pleasure, we give you a recipe totally free of grit...Mama Melisi's Mussels and Clams! Follow it closely, and she'll show you how to clean out every speck of grit! Again, we offer it to you with love!

From Mama Melisi and Me

Mussels and Clams

Ingredients:

2 dozen little neck clams
2 lbs mussels
1 bottle clam juice
1 cup chopped parsley
Black pepper
1 cup white wine of your liking
6 cloves garlic
1/2 cup olive oil

Preparation:

Clams and mussels are gritty...do the following to remove all grit:
Fill the sink with cold water
Place both of the shell fish in the cold water
Add ice cubes
Throw out any clams or mussels which are open
(To ensure they are fresh, they must be tightly closed)
Use a scrub brush, and brush each outer shell clean
(Mussels sometimes have seaweed sticking out; pull out and scrub mussels extra good)
Change water a few times during the process to ensure no gritty sand
You can place some cornmeal in the water
(It is said that shell fish open and close; this is actually a cleaning process)
After all the fish is clean, it is ready to cook

Cooking Directions:

Get a large pan, and heat with olive oil
Add the cloves of garlic
Saute until golden brown
Add the clams and mussels, clam juice and pepper
Cover and bring to a boil until all the fish shells open
Add the wine and parsley, and bring to a quick boil
Serve with crusty Italian bread or over angel hair pasta
Truly delicious!

Please note: DO NOT USE ANY OF THE SHELL FISH WHICH DID NOT OPEN; JUST DISCARD!