>Another stupid question--what does "slopping" mean? Based on my recent experience, I would guess this means the process of separating the conch from its shell. "Slopping" is the perfect word to describe this. Actually, the process is more detailed than that. You hammer a hole in the shell, cut some muscle (adductor?), pull the animal out, cut off half a dozen things, slit open a couple of more things, and skin part of it. Good eating, though. Peter