Raw oysters are a summertime delicacy. You can shuck them on your own with just a few tools and a flick of the wrist.

Use a kitchen towel to hold your oyster. "It's the safest way to be," Kolender says. Put the kitchen towel flat on a surface.

They’re famed for making us frisky. Yet far from being seductive, whenever I’ve had oysters I’ve felt ungainly and gauche.