初冬，天陰又常下雨，貝類海產的旺季，我的至愛，算是補償。
約鄰居到來吃飯，說明有蠔、蝦、蛤和魚，問清楚樣樣都吃，又肯動手剝殼等，才安心邀請。
他是一間大藥廠的總管，認識的愛爾蘭人中少數什麼都吃的，尤其是海鮮，如蠔，很少本地人愛吃、肯試吃。又如蝦，他從未吃過要自己剝殼的鮮蝦。都樂於嘗試，且絕不手慢。
工作壓力大，太太亦如是，又常出差，請保姆照顧兩名年幼女兒，陪伴兼接送上學，但並不包括煮食，即是他們仍然要負責三餐。
他坦白說，女兒們的早餐尚且容易安排，午餐在學校吃，晚餐，他常順手取公司飯堂午餐吃剩的食物，打包回家，翻熱求其吃飽就算數。
夫妻倆都事業有成，收入豐厚，女兒是心中寶貝，但愛爾蘭人，沒有美食的傳統，吃得好、吃得健康從來不是重點，嗚呼哀哉！
Surf clam light soup
The clam has been purged for a day before being sold, but still clean the shell and soak in salted water to remove last bit of grit.
In a small pot of boiling water, add a few clams each time, pick them out once opened, repeat until finish. This ensure clams are just cooked, remove any unopened ones, and any possible grit in the soup, keep this broth.
Sear onion, garlic and carrot, deglace with rice wine, add broth and finely cut potato for thickening the soup, simmer until soft, adjust seasoning. Cut up fresh parsley or coriander.
Before serving, arrange clams in wide shallow bowls, bring soup to boil, add herbs and pour on to clams.
The clam has been purged for a day before being sold, but still clean the shell and soak in salted water to remove last bit of grit.
In a small pot of boiling water, add a few clams each time, pick them out once opened, repeat until finish. This ensure clams are just cooked, remove any unopened ones, and any possible grit in the soup, keep this broth.
Sear onion, garlic and carrot, deglace with rice wine, add broth and finely cut potato for thickening the soup, simmer until soft, adjust seasoning. Cut up fresh parsley or coriander.
Before serving, arrange clams in wide shallow bowls, bring soup to boil, add herbs and pour on to clams.
