Clamoring for Clams

• Not every clam is suitable for a clam bake. The larger the clam, usually the tougher it is. Quahog clams are best when small. Little necks are the smallest quahogs, next comes cherrystone clams. Any quahog larger than 4 inches across shouldn't be used for a clam bake as the flesh is very chewy. These are best used in clam chowder. Ipswich clams, also called soft-shell clams, are another variety of clam that takes well to baking or steaming. Soak the clams in salted water for an hour or so before steaming so the clam gets rid of the grit in its stomach. Throw out any clams that won't close.

Questions About Corn

• The fresher the sweet corn, the better. Ideally, you'd stop at a farmers market to buy corn that was picked no more than a few hours ago, but that isn't usually possible. Both yellow and white corn steam well. Yellow has a deeper corn flavor, while white is a bit sweeter. Several corn varieties such as serendipity, revelation and honey n' pearl have the best of both worlds with both white and yellow kernels on the same cob. Keep the husks on the corn but remove the silks. Bend the husk back and rub the silks off under running water, then fold the husks back up and around the corn.

At the Beach

• At the beach, the seaweed, rocks and perhaps even the wood are at the ready for a clambake. Dig a hole in the sand that's about a foot deep. Cover the bottom of the pit with rocks. Fill with wood and light. Wait until the fire burns down and only the embers are left. The rocks lining the pit will be very hot and that's what cooks the clams and corn. Lay on 6 inches of rinsed seaweed.You can probably find it washed up on the shore. Rinsing it in ocean water is fine. The seaweed should immediately start to steam.

Boxed or Bagged

• You have your choice of cooking the clams, corn and other ingredients in wire boxes or cheesecloth bags. Make the boxes yourself by wiring together narrow mesh or buy the boxes. The other alternative is tying up each serving of the ingredients in a double-strength bag of cheesecloth. The bags or boxes are laid on top of the seaweed. Another layer of seaweed goes on top of the boxes or bags of clams and corn. Top with a tarp to hold in the steam.

Go Grilling

• Digging a pit, lining it with rocks, building the fire and waiting for it to burn takes time and quite a bit of effort. Put your grill to work instead. Seaweed is available commercially if you don't have access to it locally. Try online sites that ship clambake supplies, clams and live lobsters. Build a fire in the grill. Let it burn down to embers. Lay the seaweed on top of the grill grate. In this case you can lay the clams and corn directly on the seaweed or put them in cheesecloth bags. Cover with more seaweed. Close the lid and let those steamers steam.