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A little known fact: Cleveland is the clambake capital of the country. I don’t know why this is, but my fish purveyors tell me that from August through September they sell more clams to Cleveland than to any other city in the country.

My interpretation of the clambake is not traditional; it’s done more in the style of a crab boil, with sausage, corn, clams, and shrimp all layered in a pot and cooked together. To serve this, I dump the whole pot out onto a table lined with newspaper or a plastic tablecloth. You can put it in a big serving bowl, but the effect of dumping it out onto a table is stunning. I learned the service trick from Susie Heller, former Clevelander and a coauthor on numerous wonderful books, and I prepared this clambake on Dinner Impossible; we made six huge vats to serve four hundred people. But it’s a no-brainer, and it’s one of the best, most dramatic one-pot family meals there is.

Serves 8

1 pound smoked kielbasa, sliced in ½-inch disks

2 ears of corn, cut into 8 pieces

3½ pounds littleneck clams

1 pound shell-on medium (16- to 20-count) shrimp

2 tablespoons coriander seeds, toasted (see Symon Says)

1 tablespoon cumin seeds, toasted (see Symon Says)

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1 head of garlic, cloves peeled and thinly sliced

2 fresno chilies, thinly sliced into rings

1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 bay leaf

1 lemon, cut in thirds

1 750-ml bottle dry white wine

1 cup fresh cilantro leaves

In a large pot with a lid, add the food in layers—the sausage first, followed by the corn, clams, and shrimp. Distribute the coriander, cumin, salt, onion, garlic, chilies, red pepper flakes, bay leaf, and lemon over the top. Pour in the wine, cover, and cook over high heat until the clams open, 20 to 25 minutes. Discard the bay leaf and any clams that do not open. Sprinkle with cilantro before serving.

LIZZIE’S ROASTED CHICKEN WITH SALSA VERDE

You didn’t hear it from me, but when Liz and I started dating she wasn’t the greatest of cooks. She almost took me out twice—once with some not-so-fresh crayfish and the other time with some medium-rare chicken. Now she is a whiz in the kitchen and makes a mean roasted chicken. People will always say: Of course she can cook; she’s married to a chef! (But as any husband knows, she would have to listen to me to learn from me!) Liz learned all on her own mainly because she is not afraid to make mistakes and will try anything. This is a great lesson for anyone who is learning to cook. You will definitely make mistakes along the way, but if you keep at it eventually you’ll figure it out. Just make sure not to take anyone out on the way!

Serves 4

1 3- to 4-pound chicken

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 lemon, thinly sliced and seeded

2 fresh bay leaves

1 small onion, peeled

3 garlic cloves

1 small bunch of fresh thyme

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salsa Verde

A day before cooking, rinse the chicken inside and out under cold water and pat dry. Salt it liberally, cover, and refrigerate.

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator an hour before cooking it.

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Lift the skin off each chicken breast and wedge 3 lemon slices and a bay leaf between the skin and each breast. Put the onion, garlic, thyme, and remaining lemon in the cavity of the chicken. Rub the entire chicken liberally with the olive oil. Put the chicken in an ovenproof sauté pan or in a roasting pan breast side up, slide it into the oven, and roast it until the thigh reaches 160°F or until the cavity juices run clear, about 1 hour.

Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 to 20 minutes. Cut the chicken into 8 pieces and serve with the salsa verde.

SALSA VERDE

Makes 1¼ cups

¼ cup thinly sliced fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh mint

2 salt-packed anchovy fillets, rinsed and minced 1 garlic clove, minced

1 shallot, minced

Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons salt-packed capers, rinsed and chopped

1 jalape