Instructions: Slice the kielbasa diagonally into 1-inch-thick slices; set aside. In a heavy-bottomed 16- to 20-quart stockpot, saute the onions and leeks in the olive oil on medium heat until the onions start to brown, about 15 minutes.

Layer the ingredients on top of the onions in the stockpot in the following order: potatoes, salt and pepper, kielbasa, littleneck clams, steamer clams, mussels, shrimp, and lobsters. Pour in the wine. Cover the pot tightly, and cook over medium-high heat until steam just begins to escape from the lid, about 15 minutes. Lower the heat to medium, and cook 15 minutes more. At this point, the clambake should be done, but test to make sure the potatoes are tender, the lobsters are cooked, and the clams and mussels are open.

Transfer the lobsters to a wooden board, cut them up, and crack the claws. Using large slotted spoons, transfer the seafood, potatoes, and sausages to a large bowl, and top with the lobsters. Strain the broth through a fine sieve, discarding solids. Season the broth to taste, and serve immediately in mugs alongside the clambake.

To serve, serve with some corn and a tomato salad on the side. Use firm, ripe tomatoes for the tomato salad, and sprinkle them with plenty of coarse salt and some pepper. Cut basil leaves into slivers to make a chiffonade, and layer them over the tomatoes. Accent the plate with a large sprig of basil, and drizzle the whole dish with best-quality olive oil. Cook the corn in boiling, salted water for 5 to 7 minutes.

This recipe yields 6 to 8 servings.

Comments: Ina sets an informal tone for this family-style meal by substituting newspaper for a tablecloth and using giant napkins affixed with clothespins as lobster bibs. She ladles the clambake into one giant serving dish, which she sets right in the center of the table so that everybody can reach over and dig in. Porcelain-lined saucepans hold empty mussel and clam shells; nutcrackers serve as lobster crackers; and every setting gets a cup of broth - the prize at the bottom of the pot - which is delicious when soaked up with crusty bread. For dessert, theres the first watermelon of the season, cut into wedges that are lined up in a long, spiky row.

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