Thus Spake the Walrus

I am the walrus

Goo goo g'joob

Nope, not that one, more like the Lewis Carroll Variety:

     The time has come, the Walrus said,

       To talk of many things:

       Of shoes — and ships — and sealing-wax —

      Of cabbages — and kings — [and Oyster Festivals!]

    And why the sea is boiling hot —

      And whether pigs have wings.'

     O Oysters, come and walk with us!'

      The Walrus did beseech.

Well, they did somehow and didn’t turn out so well for the Oysters

O Oysters,' said the Carpenter,

      You've had a pleasant run!

Shall we be trotting home again?'

      But answer came there none —

And this was scarcely odd, because

      They'd eaten every one."

I have never quite understood Mr. Carroll’s 18 verse poem, I suppose literature majors would get the deeper meaning and metaphor, but to a slug engineer it just talks about a Walrus, a Carpenter, and some apparently gullible (legless?) bivalves strolling along a beach eventually ending up the belly of said Walrus (how did he open them?) and his Carpenter friend.

Not so at the 53^rd US National Oyster Festival and Cook-Off, where many, many luckless oysters were consumed “any way you like ‘em”.  Saturday was a banner day, with thousands of visitors, but the rains of Sunday saw brought out less than two hundred stalwarts that came through the gates!  Why we buy rain insurance.

Friday night before the competition was our annual “welcome reception for cookers and shuckers”,  Presided over by the annual "host: David Taylor

With assistance from Viet and guidance from Jane Sypher

There was a special appearance of King Oyster

But mostly people just enjoyed themselves

The next day, Saturday, I oversaw the actual 40^th annual US National Oyster Cook-Off which pitts the top three chefs and their recipes for Hors d’Oeuvres, Soups and Stews, and Main dishes.  All of course had to feature the humble bivalve. 

Our able Emcee was again Ron Buckhalt

And while there were some familiar competitors from past competitions such as (the indefatigable) Tom Faglon (in his traditional shirt)

And the tireless Ronna Farley

There were also some “first timers” such as Will Milton

And Kristin-Page Kirby

Overall, we had some wonderful final recipes such as “Crispy Buffalo Oysters on Blue Cheese Grits”, created by returning two-time champion Marty Hyson of Millersville, Maryland. 

During lulls in action I always like to chat with the cookers to learn more about them, so in one small break, I talked with newbie Will .. 

“Will, what do you do in Charleston?” .. 

I work in a restaurant; 

“Oh, what one?” 

A place called FIG!

I should not have to remind the alert readership that FIG is one of the highest rated restaurants in one of the premier Foodie Meccas of America.

Anyway, after dishes are prepared for the Judging, there is the obligatory interview with the chef offering details about their dish and it's preparation, while the "paparazzi" look on

Then the dishes are whisked off to the judging area, and samples are passed out to the throngs (free food always brings them in)

Our next volume will talk about those judges, and what you find out about them that is very interesting

Meanwhile,

DFD and go can something with the MJ

Editor's note: you may have noticed the lapse between the festival and the reporting same.  This was due to a nightmare situation with Lightroom..