I adore oysters, and while we’re coming up on the mythical non-oyster season (months without the letter “R” in it), I tend to still gravitate to them in the warm weather months regardless. There’s just something about sitting by the sea with a pint or a crisp white wine while slurping down a few tastes of the sea. Mmm… perfection!

I know I’m not alone, as the flocks of tourists to New England will be on the hunt for great fish, lobster, clams and, yes, oysters. Tourists don’t pay attention to seasonality. They want perfect seafood during their New England vacation week, whether it’s fresh and local or not. I can’t blame them, so thought it’d be helpful if I share my favorite places for oysters (regardless of season), and encourage them (and you) to pick up your own bivalves for your next party.

My favorite oyster spots in Boston:

• B&G Oysters – A delicious spot by local celebrity chef Barbara Lynch. While you’re there, also try the lobster B.L.T.
• Neptune Oyster – A touch off the beaten path in Boston’s famous Italian section, the North End. This place feels very intimate and luxurious, especially if you go for one of the raw bar “plateau” dishes, a towering sculpture of ice and seafood.
• East Coast Grill – Make your own Bloody Mary bar served alongside a raw bar. Enough said.

While I love to eat out, I much prefer to have friends over for dinner. And nowadays, I tend to always serve luscious local oysters because they’re easy and always impressive. Once you get the hang of prying them open, or have a sturdy partner who will do that for you, half the work is done! At a dollar a piece, there really is no better deal or no reason not to try it just once.

I typically make a cucumber mignonette to serve alongside. I like the cool cucumber, tart vinegar and fresh herbs against the briny ocean taste. This recipe can be altered as you see fit, omitting the ginger or switching out the herbs for whatever you have on hand.

Cucumber Mignonette

Ingredients

• 1 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 1/2 hothouse cucumber, peeled, cored and minced
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons, chopped fresh herbs (cilantro or basil work well)
• Several turns freshly ground black pepper

Mix all these items together in a bowl. Encourage guests to spoon a little into their oyster just before they toss them back. I also always put out a little horseradish and homemade cocktail sauce. The spicier the better!

This Proscuitto Roll-Up Appetizer is so easy, even non-cooks will feel like serious chefs.

I set all the ingredients for this dish in front of two wonderful dudes who had indulged in a fair amount of booze, guys who may be fabulous cooks under normal conditions but perhaps slightly sloppy after a lot of tequila. (Now don’t think their wives weren’t equally sloppy; we were. But this is about the dish assigned to them. I’ll do a follow-up on our dishes – promise!)

Our husbands assembled these treats so quickly and thank goodness, as they were quite the remedy we needed, a little bit of protein to tame our mild tequila buzz. I’m not quite sure if Mark Bittman intended for his Asparagus and Proscuitto Roll-Ups (video to pop open) to morph into a sort of tequila chaser, but with a few edits they fit nicely into our Latin-themed feast and squelched our hunger pains while our freshly-fried nachos, paella and chocolate tamales were coming together.

Mark’s recipe calls for asparagus, but the markets just didn’t produce any truly fresh specimens. I did, however, find some pretty green beans which provided enough heft to the appetizer after a quick blanch. The other ingredients are easy to find: proscuitto slices (of course), arugula, cilantro, salt and pepper. Simply place a small portion of arugula and green beans at one end of a proscuitto slice. Add a few cilantro leaves and a light pinch of salt and pepper and roll.

These Proscuitto Roll-Up Appetizers are great with a glass of champagne, a cold beer or, as in our case, with a little tequilla and fresh fruit puree.

I needed some nourishment while planning holiday menus. The first two glasses of champagne helped, nourishing my soul but not my belly. I had a tub of hummus in the fridge but thought better of simply eating it straight from the tub. No fancy glass of champagne would permit eating directly from a plastic container.

I placed a few dollops of the organic hummus in a bowl, doused it with olive and fresh ground pepper, almost calling it a day. I remembered the smoked pimento spice I had acquired recently and started dabbing it all over the slickened mush. Added a few rye toasts and felt pretty good that my glasses, or now bottle, of champagne would approve!

I found this recipe via The Splendid Table recipe box last year and now make them for every cocktail party. I’ve switched out the original tabasco sauce for Sriracha, a thai-style hot sauce. These wings always disappear before any other dish.

Ingredients

• 2-3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 generous cup apricot jam
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup dry white wine (optional)
• 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce
• 5 large cloves garlic, minced
• 3-4 pounds chicken wings, rinsed
• Lemon halves

Combine all ingredients, except the wings, in a bowl. Taste for sweet/hot/sour/salt balance and adjust to your preference. It should be very strong, so I added another tablespoon of Sriracha. Place wings in heavy plastic bag(s) and cover with the marinade. Seal and refrigerate for two days, turning the bag(s) occasionally to ensure even marinating. (Yes, this requires some planning but it’s worth it.)

When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spread foil over two shallow pans and top with racks (cake or roasting racks work well). Spread wings out on racks, saving their marinade. Roast for 1 3/4 hours in the middle or bottom of the oven, switching pans occasionally. Every so often, turn wings, basting with marinade and piercing with a fork during the first hour of roasting.

Wings are done when they can be easily pierced with the tip of a sharp knife. If they are not crisp enough for you, flip on the broiler or turn the oven to 500 degrees for a few minutes. Watch carefully – they can easily burn. Serve hot, warm or cold. Squeeze fresh lemon over them at the table. Serves 4-6.