Smooching Clams

Ever had a bowl of graveyard stew or smooched a clam ? I've had both and will have them again. These are just two items I ate when growing up. Others, with not so colorful names included, Long Island hurry up, fritters ( clam and oyster ) and samp.

I had almost forgotten about the first two items. Been a good while since I had either. Graveyard stew, in case you are not familiar with that, is a food item for sick people. Got a sour stomache ? Make a batch of graveyard stew. Toast a big slice of bread ( preferably homemade) and then butter it liberally. Real butter please, none of this margarine stuff or substitutes. Place in a bowl and pour boiled milk over the toast. Bam ! Graveyard stew. As the old folks would say, " it's good for what ails you."  Does it work ? Absolutely. It'll cure just about anything given the chance.

Now smooching a clam is a different matter altogether. Clams are notoriously tight lipped. ( drum roll ). Seriously though, smooched clams are nothing more than fried clams. The thing is you fry them along with some salt pork. Adds a little flavor. Also makes the meal a little more filling. One warning though, eat too many smooched clams and you will need graveyard stew.

As for Long Island hurry up, that is just another name for a regular stew. Meat and vegetables. Fritters are just whatever fried in a batter. Samp is hominy.

I love the regional names for different food items. For the uninitiated they can leave you wondering. The first time I went south the waitress asked me if I wanted hush puppies ? I thought the shoes I had on were just fine. Ya'll want grits ? Uh, I don't think so. Canadian bacon ? What's that, imported ? 

The foods we grew up with are the comfort foods we love, by whatever name you call them. They may have medicinal powers or just taste good. It is true they never taste quite the way you remember them. This is especially true if a long time has passed since the last serving. I'm convinced it is the quality of the ingredients.  

Homemade bread,real butter,milk than actually contains milk fat and some cream. I'm convinced we have homogenized,pasteurized and processed our food so much it no longer tastes the same. The nutritional value and healing properties have been taken out. Or it could be that no one can cook it the way Mom did. Not even you ! Let me tell you Mom made a mean blow fish salad. The poor mans lobster. And periwinkles are delicious in a salad as well. Ah, for the foods of our youth. I've got Mom's recipes but the execution of them is another matter altogether.