Zuppa di Mussels

I had a friend come over yesterday and asked the question, "What am I doing wrong"? My husband loves Zuppa di Mussels but every time I make them, its' just awful. So I asked back, "well, tell me how you make them, and i'll let you know what you are doing wrong!" Immediately when she told me, First I make the sauce... I stopped her! That's what you are doing wrong. With Zuppa di Mussels, you don't cook the sauce first, you cook the mussels first... ok, so getting past that exchange.. let's start cooking.
This dish will serve at least 4 adults and don't forget, tossing this with Linguine or Sphagetti is simply delish. Or pair it with Crostini's to make it an appetizer!

What you will need:
3lbs mussels
Olive Oil
Deep Sauce Pan
Garlic
Onions
Basil
1 can of Peeled Whole Tomatoes (Tuttorusso or Sclafani brand, or any other)
Salt & Pepper

Ok, Let's get cooking!
Wash the mussels and scrub any debris off of the shells, put them to the side on ice so that they don't open and spoil. Any mussels that are already open, discard immediately, do not use. Add Olive Oil to your sauce pan, and turn your heat to Med-High. Chop or slice 4 cloves of garlic and 1/2 of a medium sized onion, add to your sauce pan. Once they turn a light golden brown, add your mussels in. Cover for 7 minutes, your mussels should begin to open. Those that do not open, discard. It should take approximately 12 minutes for all to open. At this point you are ready to add in your tomatoes. Make sure you squeeze your tomatoes or coarsely chop them, to release the juice within.. Add Salt/Pepper to your liking. Cover for 20 minutes. Once you are ready to serve add in your fresh basil, chiffon it or chop it.

Buon Appetito!

Wine Recommendation: Castlebank Giulia's Vineyard Dry Creek Valley Old Vine Zinfandel 2009 

Pasta e Fagioli

I make this dish a couple of different ways, but since it's summer and you should have tomatoes growing in your yard or your neighbors yard, I'll go with the Fresh Tomato recipe.
This is a one pot wonder dish that will be ready in 40 minutes.
What you will need:

Medium size pot
4 cloves of garlic
4 plum tomatoes
1 can of cannelini beans ( I prefer Goya)
Olive oil
3 fresh basil leaves
Salt & Pepper
1 lb of ditalini, elbows or any small variety of pasta
4-6 quarts of water
Grated cheese

Let's get cooking....

In your pot, add olive oil, enough to line the entire bottom. Turn your heat to medium/high and let it get hot. Throw in your garlic ( slicing it first). Start chopping your tomatoes in quarter inch chunks. Once the garlic is turning a light golden brown, you can add in your tomatoes. Stir once and let sit for ten minutes with your heat on medium. Stir occasionally. Open your can of beans and add to the pot. Stir and cover for 5 minutes. Depending on how much pasta you are making will depend on how much water you will add. To feed 4, one pound should suffice. If you are making this as a side dish, go for 3/4 lb.
For that amount of pasta (1 lb.) add in 4 quarts of water. Cover and let boil. Once it is boiling, add in your pasta, leave the cover off stir it occasionally, pasta should be cooked after 10 minutes. Place the cover back on and let it sit for 3 minutes. It should be a pasty consistency. When you are ready to serve, tear your basil in pieces and add to the pot, add in salt and pepper as you like it, stir and serve.
Add grated cheese for extra flavor.

Pair this with any red wine, we just tried a fabulous Spanish wine called recollettas.

Homemade Pizza

Serves: 4-5

Ingredients: 1 large pizza dough. 1 tablespoon of flour. 1 small can of tomato sauce. Pizza Stone or Pizza Pan. Shredded Mozzarella Cheese (one package). 2 cloves of garlic. 1 table spoon grated cheese. 1 table spoon of olive oil.

Let’s Get Cooking:

Start off by Pre-heating your oven at 375F

The hardest part of this dish is creating the circular pattern for the dough, so it actually looks like a pizza! But really, its not that hard if you can get the motion re-occurring. First thing you do is make sure your dough is powdered with flour. You shouldn’t be able to stick to your dough at all, so if it requires you to put more than what I have suggested as the amount of flour needed above, please, use more. Place your dough in the center of your pan, making sure there is a bit of flour on the pan and that your dough has flour on both sides, pat the dough on each side. If you want to use a dough roller you can, or you can do it by hand. Stretch the dough so that it gets larger and stays in a circular pattern. Once it’s large enough, that it covers the entire Pan, you can drizzle your olive oil on the dough and open your tomato sauce can. Pour the can right in the middle. Using a spoon, start spreading the sauce by using a circular motion that starts small and gets larger and larger, until the sauce extends to the crust part of the dough, should be about ½ inch. Spread your grated cheese around the sauce as well.

Press your garlic, or slice your garlic and spread it around on top of your sauce. At this point your oven should be pre-heated. Put your pizza pan in the oven. After 20 minutes, check on your pizza, if you see any bubbles; use a fork to poke a hole in the bubble so that it deflates. After 30 minutes, and once it is a golden brown, you can take it out of the oven and add your Mozzarella on top, as much as you like. Place back in the oven, after about 5 minutes, your cheese should be melted, and it’s ready to take out and enjoy! It’s going to be really hot, so let it stand for about 5-7 minutes before you cut into it, otherwise the cheese will go everywhere!

          

Eggplant with Grape Tomatoes

Serves: 4

Ingredients: 1package of Grape Tomatoes, 1 Large Eggplant, 4 cloves of garlic, Salt/Pepper, Olive Oil, 5 leaves of Fresh Basil and 1 cup of water.

What you will need: Sauté Pan, Large Spoon, or Flat Wooden Spoon, Cutting Board

Let’s Get Cooking:

Take out your cutting board and let’s begin with slicing the eggplant. Cut off the top and the ”butt” of the eggplant. Next, slice in half and then cut to create medium sized cubes. Put to the side. Next slice your grape tomatoes long ways, put to the side. Add about 3 tablespoons of olive oil to the sauté pan and put the garlic through the garlic press or slice the garlic long ways so that it looks like a thin almond. Heat your pan, add in your garlic, have it semi-golden brown, then add in your eggplant. Cover for about 3 minutes. Now add in your cup of water. Cover again for 5 minutes or until your eggplant has wilted enough so that you can fit your tomatoes comfortably in the pan. Cover again for 10 minutes, stir the ingredients every so often. Add in Salt and Pepper. It is fully cooked when the eggplant and the tomatoes are completely in the pan together. Serve and add your fresh basil, slicing it chiffon style or a casual chop.