Clambakes are classic summertime fare. First introduced to the Provincetown Pilgrims by Native Americans in the 1600s, they have grown in popularity and size. All you need to do is dig a shallow hole in the ground, line the hole with oval shaped rocks, build a fire, find more rocks, get some seaweed and spend every bit of your last paycheck on clams, lobsters, mussels, corn, potatoes, chicken and beer.

Sound like a little more work and money than you are up for?

New England clambakes are great for large groups of people, but when you're cooking for only two or four people the idea of digging a primitive pit is silly.

First thing I recommend is paring down your menu. It won't be the classic “clambake,” meal but we can pretend and still use wet naps and plastic utensils and eat outside unless the mosquitoes are in full force.

Pick one type of mollusk/crustacean that is in season and is being sold at a fair price at the local grocery store or fish market.

Lobster, oysters and whole crabs are best left to the professionals unless you are familiar with cooking, shucking or cracking them.

Clams and mussels are good alternatives and are normally lower in price. After you have chosen your primary protein, then the next step is to decide how you want to prepare it.

Themes are a great way to decide on the flavors you want to taste and the side dishes you want to prepare.

A traditional meal is flavored with little more than lemon, salt, pepper and butter. Clams are steamed in a large pot until the shells open (about five to 10 minutes) and are served in large bowls with melted butter on the side for dipping.

Hard shell cherrystones, medium-sized clams and Atlantic soft shell steamers are good as long as they aren't overcooked.

Atlantic littlenecks cost more but are sweeter and more tender. Most species are sold year round but they have a shorter shelf life in the summer when they spawn.

When purchasing mollusks make sure the shell is tightly closed; if it is slightly open, tap it and it should close. The clam or mussel is most likely dead if it doesn't shut and should not be eaten unless you want to end up sick.

Clams and mussels are usually purged, sand removed from inside, before they make it to the market so all they need is a good scrub under cool running water.

Never store clams or mussels in an air-tight container or on ice, damp paper towels work fine to keep them alive.

Salt potatoes and corn on the cob are good side dishes. Cooking the corn in the same water after the potatoes have cooked reduces the number of pots being dirtied and also flavors the corn with a touch of salt.

Cooking everything in the same large pot rarely works because the clams are overcooked by the time the potatoes finish.

Some cookbooks also recommend using bamboo steamers, but, unless you plan on using them for other meal preparations, don't waste your money.

Blue mussels are great when steamed in a white wine, garlic and lemon broth (a la mariniere).

Saute one small finely chopped onion and three cloves minced garlic until translucent in a quarter cup of oil, add a half cup of clam juice and half cup of dry white wine, simmer, add mussels and reduce heat.

Then add two-thirds cup of chopped herbs (parsley, mint, thyme and/or sage), juice of one lemon, four tablespoons of butter, cover, shake every couple of minutes and cook until mussels open.

Serve with crusty bread to sop up juices or save to toss with pasta the next day. A nice salad of crisp greens with a light vinaigrette adds to the French bistro feel.

Most commercially sold mussels have been farm raised and will only need to be rinsed and debearded (removing the fuzzy hairlike filament) before cooking.

Some Web sites have instructed that if the mussels float in water then they are dead and others say that mussels that float have air trapped inside, I have eaten floaters and non-floaters alike and am still alive to write this column, but if there is ANY concern don't eat the floaters.

Clams can be steamed with the addition of sauteed chorizo sausage and sherry to give it a Spanish spice.

They can be served with jalapeno cornbread or fritters. A side of sauteed greens or a salsa will round out the menu.

Clams with tomato and fennel, mussels with sesame and ginger or coconut milk and fish sauce; there are an infinite amount of possibilities other than the traditional.

A few things to remember when steaming mollusks: they cook quickly so be prepared with bowls, utensils and sides; don't crowd the pan or they won't cook evenly; and if it doesn't smell or look good then don't eat it.

As long as you buy from a trusted grocer then you will enjoy a fun meal without the hassle or the cost of traveling to New England.

Valerie Usowski, an Auburn native, is the banquet manager

at the Auburn Holiday Inn

and a Culinary Institute of

America graduate