The Melting Teapot

There is one food adventure that I have been longing to experience, and it is one that has sadly eluded me.  In spite of living so close to some of the best harvesting spots around, I’ve never gone searching for oysters or dug for clams on a beach.

This seems like a big empty page in my book of life experiences.  I’ve read several essays and books by chefs who rave about the transcendent experiences of eating oysters the instant they’re harvested.  I’ve also seen plenty of TV food shows that have showcased oyster hunts.  From Eric Ripert to Anthony Bourdain, from Martha Stewart to Rachael Ray  –- each of them has devoted time to the joy of slurping down the freshest-of-fresh oysters.  For some, it has even been an event that molded their choice of career. 

Last week on PBS, I caught a Seattle-centered episode of the new Gourmet’s Adventures with Ruth.  Ruth Reichl rounded up actor Tom Skeritt and headed north to Totten Inlet with seafood guru Jon Rowley.  There they all enjoyed a glorious day of foraging for clams, oysters, and wild greens. I turned to my husband and sighed, ". . . wish I had the right connections to do something as wonderful as that."

A few hours later, while catching up with news stories and skimming a few of my favorite blogs, I spied this news bit from Frantic Foodie:

"Special Event for Oyster Lovers

The first two days are sold out and there are just a few seats for January 27th if you are interested. . . "

Am I interested?! Eyes boggling, I reread the message, looking for contact information.

"The object is to provide a benchmark oyster eating experience, an experience by which all subsequent oyster experiences will be judged. The winter temperatures are perfect for the oysters as well as the wines. Lantern light, freezing weather, plump oysters just rousted from their beds and opened on the spot, "oyster wines" chilled to the crisp drunk out of Reidel stemware, bonfire, just the right mix of magic and madness. And when the tide starts coming in and it is time to get back on the bus, a cup of hot Xinh's Oyster Stew.

The cost of $20 per person, which defrays the bus, includes round trip to Totten Inlet, entertainment, low-tide conviviality, all the oysters you can eat (four species), shucking lessons, award-winning oyster wines, Taylor resource people to answer questions and oyster stew . . . Reserve a seat on the bus by email to Jon . . ."

http://blog.seattlepi.com/franticfoodie/archives/189609.asp

I hastily composed an e-mail message requesting two tickets. It wasn’t until sending that e-mail that I fully realized just who was on the receiving end of my message – Jon Rowley.  Yup, the man who guided Ruth Reichl through her visit to the very same Totten Inlet (the man Julia Child called the "fish missionary").  Wow!

The next morning, I woke up to the best New Year's Eve present ever -- confirmation that I had gotten the last two tickets on the bus! This time let me quote Carroll’s Jabberwocky:

O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'

All the oysters I can eat, shucking lessons, wine, a cold beach after dark, and a big bonfire –- do food adventures get much better than this?    I’ll let you know in a few weeks, when I post plenty of details and hopefully a few photos.


Now, where do I find heavy-duty boots that are suitable for an oyster outing after dark?