DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am lucky enough to be living in a coastal area with abundant seafood. Mussels are inexpensive and fun to cook with, plus they show up on the menu of several local restaurants.
But how does one eat mussels in the shell -- in, say, a soup or sauce-laden dish -- without making a mess of it?
GENTLE READER: Mussels are considerate little creatures, in that they provide you with a tool with which to enjoy them.
That is, Miss Manners has never seen one actually hand over a seafood fork, which is what you would use to pry them from their shells. But after that, they provide the spoon-shaped shell with which you can properly enjoy the sauce.