Respect the Cockles

From New Zealand.  Pretty simple prep.  Shallot sauteed in a generous pat of butter, the addition of a healthy pour of beer, and when the beer was boiling in the went the cockles and a cover went on the pan.  A little shake or two and in around 3 minutes they opened.  Every single one.

Really, really good.  Better than any clams I've ever had.  Not exactly harvested on the shores of Lake Erie, but what are you going to do?

If I had my head on straight I would have sauteed up some chorizo that's hanging in the basement along with the shallot.  Still, at around $7 a pound at Kate's, these things are hard to beat.

And the winner from that contest a few days back:

True Random Number Generator

Min: 1


Max: 13


Result: 12

Ben, that's you.  I think I have your e-mail and will be in touch.  Congratulations.

There were a lot of comments about rice cookers.  I'm not a gadget freak, but for me it was $30 well spent.  Bittman says otherwise, but, without looking for a cite, I'm pretty sure these are the most owned kitchen applicances in the world (NYT always be hatin').  The man formerly known as The Minimalist says only if you cook rice 2X a day.  I say why's it gotta be rice--this thing is good for all sorts of stuff?  And yes, the stove works.  But the stove doesn't have hot and absolutely perfect steel cut oats ready for me when I wake up.  Plus minimal cleanup polenta, no brainer rice and quinoa that can be held for hours, and who knows what else.  Definitely not absolutly necessary by any means, but there are plenty of worse ways to spend money in the kitchen.