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Lisbon, Portugal. The Portuguese are champions at eating well. Snacking on cakes and pastries is a national pastime. Scarcely a street corner lacks a 'pasteleria,' where a dozen different egg and almond sugar cakes are offered with tea, coffee, a glass of port wine or sticky cherry liqueur called 'ginginha.' Red wine with 7 Up is a favorite.

The bistros which line the streets of downtown Lisbon epitomize the original meaning of the expression "restaurant" as a place which restores body and spirit. A chattering crowd, mainly men but some women too, line tightly-packed long tables. We squeeze into three surprisingly comfortable chairs. Wine arrives in a water bottle, the famous 'vinho verde' or light green wine of Portugal which is vinified early to retain fresh flavor and low alcohol. I eyeball plates while the waiter spreads a white paper cloth and deposits upon it dishes of olives, little pots of tuna, sardine and cheese spread, and slices of dark, chewy bread. My neighbor is tucking into the dish of the day, fried salt cod with deep fried baby potatoes, so I have the same. My husband opts for grilled fresh fish. Our son, ever adventurous, orders a mystery dish which turns out to be a scrumptious kind of cassoulet of green fava beans with bits of pork and smoked sausage.

As we relax over dessert -- creamy rice pudding with cinnamon, the rich caramel custard called 'flan', or chocolate mousse -- I look around the room. From the l0 foot square kitchen, three busy women provide dishes for upwards of 60 customers. The cheerful servers are all male. The atmosphere
is club-like, drinkers line the bar, football scores are chalked on a blackboard, a vendor tours the room selling not flowers, but lottery tickets. As throughout Portugal, the coffee is top notch. This first meal in Portugal turns out to be an archetype. Hors d'oeuvres are universal, we discover, offered with bread for a small cover charge. They may include slivers of Portuguese dry smoked ham cured in paprika, slices of little dry sheep or cow cheeses, and sardines pickled with onion, peppers and orange.

Main courses emphasise pork and the game which is in season, partridge, wild boar and hare. They come in dark, powerful sauces that are rich with wine and pungent with garlic, onion, bay leaf, smoked bacon, paprika, and sometimes Tabasco. The pork dishes vary from region to region. My favorite was 'porco con ameijoas,' piquant pork with the little Venus clams familiar in Italian 'spaghetti alla vongole'.

Portugal rejoices in 500 miles of Atlantic coastline. No town is more than l50 miles from the shore, so no wonder fish features large on every table. At a seaside version of the Lisbon bistro, a dozen fish and shellfish are on display, landed that morning at the little port up the road. We choose fish soup, a rich bisque studded with shrimp, then whole sea bass baked in a salt crust. The waiter chips off the crust, lifts the lid, then peels the skin without letting a grain of salt contaminate the flesh. Served with warm olive oil, lemon and fresh coriander, the fish embodies the taste of the sea.

The pleasures of good food permeate all aspects of life in Portugal. As we tour the magnificent abbeys and monasteries which date from the days of Vasco da Gama and Magellan, I'm amused to find constant reminders of cooking. A little pig peers down in the form of a gargoyle. In a hall overshadowed by statues of kings, the only furniture is a giant bronze cauldron captured in some long-forgotten battle. Cloister gardens are shaded with orange trees and planted with thyme and rosemary, their arched colonnades decorated with cardoons, poppies and artichokes carved in stone.

At Alcobaa, north of Lisbon, over l000 monks were nourished from an astonishing kitchen, the walls tiled more than 60 feet up to the vaulted ceiling. The central fireplace, one of three, vents to double that height, while around the walls eight tanks and sinks of marble were fed by a branch of the river Alcoa, diverted for that purpose. Such installation made it the award-winning restaurant of the day. In the late l8th century, writer William Beckford reported on Persian rugs, silver jugs and saucers on the tables, mountains of game, mounts of white flour, and heaped-up sugar cones. For his dinner he was given excellent sausages, lampreys, and foods from Asia and Brazil including swallows' nest soup and sharks' fins prepared by a Chinese lay brother. The details may be different in today's Portugal, but the same relish for good living is very much alive.

Pork with Clams (Porco con Ameijoas)
Serves 4
I find our littleneck or cherrystone clams an excellent alternative to European clams in this recipe. If you like food hot, sprinkle a few drops of Tabasco on top just before serving.

30 small clams such as littleneck or cherrystone
l l/2 lb pork tenderloin
l tablespoon paprika
l tablespoon flour
salt and pepper
l/4 cup olive oil
l onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons tomato puree (optional)

Wash clams, discarding any which do not close when tapped on work surface. Trim any sinew or fat from tenderloin and cut it in l-inch cubes. Mix paprika, flour, and pepper and toss pork cubes until well coated. Do not season with salt as the clams may be salty.

In a large frying pan heat half the olive oil, add pork and saute over medium heat until browned on all sides, stirring often, 5-7 minutes. do not crowd the pan and brown pork in two batches if necessary. Reduce heat, cover the pan and continue cooking until tender, 8-l0 minutes.

Meanwhile heat remaining oil in a shallow casserole and fry onion until starting to brown. Stir in garlic, bay leaf, tomato puree if using, and pepper and set clams on top. Cover pan and cook gently until clams just open, 5-7 minutes. Discard any which do not open.
Note: do not overcook clams or they will be tough.

Stir pork into clams and heat l-2 minutes. Discard bay leaves and taste for seasoning. Serve in the casserole.

Anne Willan is the founder of the famous French cooking school, LaVarenne, and has also served as president of the International Association of Culinary Professionals. She is the author of over a dozen internationally published cookbooks.