Mussels

I grew up with hamburger helper meals and Americanized Austrian cuisine. When I thought about “comfort foods” growing up and even through college I conjured up the smells of Goulash and Schnitzels and Beef Stroganoff. Today when I think of comfort food it is a dutch oven pot full of vegetable soup or a large bowl of steaming mussels. 

Mussels take only minutes to cook and I wish more than a few minutes to eat! I prefer my mussels cooked in a beer broth instead of a sometimes more popular white wine broth. I have a little ritual where I use my fingers to take one of the mussels from the shell and eat it right up and then use that shell as my ‘tongs’ to pull out each and every mussel after that, even using the mussel shell as a small spoon for the broth. Using a shell actually slows down the scrumptious mussel eating process and allows me to savor them just a little bit more. The best part of the whole meal though is the freshly cut levain bread with charred grill marks that can be dipped and dredged in the warm tangy rich broth.

Mussels used to intimidate me because they need “cleaning”. I quickly learned this is as simple as grabbing the fuzzy ‘beard’ of the mussel and ripping it down towards the hinge of the mussel. A light rinse under cool water before going in the pot and the job is done. 

Mussels in Beer with Italian Sausage

¼ Lb. mild Italian Sausage

2 Tbs. Butter

1 Shallot sliced thinly

3 cloves garlic sliced thinly

1 bottle Beer* ( I used a German Pils)

1.5 Lbs. cleaned Mussels

2 Tbs chopped Parsley

Grilled and Sliced crusty bread

In a deep sided pan over medium high heat, drop Italian Sausage in small pieces. Brown completely and then remove to a plate and set aside. Melt butter in the pan and add shallots and garlic. Allow to cook for 1-2 minutes without obtaining too much color. Pour in beer and then drop in mussels top with the pans lid. Cook for 10-12 minutes or until all the mussels have popped open. If any mussels do not open toss them because they may not have been alive when placed in the beer. Sprinkle with parsley.  

  I usually toast my bread over a grated grill plate until grill marks appear.

* A note on beer: I would recommend any beer except for porters and stouts. I used a German Pils and have used hefeweizen and even a pumpkin ale in the past. IPAs would be great as well if you like the bitter taste.

Molly and her Banana Bread

A lot of books are coming out with compellations of the authors recipes. When I first started reading on my kindle I found myself frequently downloading a book and realizing that it was a “recipes included” story and I would give up reading it on my kindle because I wanted to find it in hardback. This has happened with David Lebovitz’s The Sweet Life in Paris, My Berlin Kitchen by Luisa Weiss, and A Homemade Life from Molly Wizenberg among many others. When I was reading A Homemade Life, I remembered really loving the recipes, as in each one I came to I said to myself “I want to make that! Tonight!” But I quickly gave the book up hoping to catch it again in hardback for my collection. 

One of my closest friends lives in the Ballard area of Seattle and I like to go up whenever I can sneak away to visit her. She is a self-described foodie. When I come up to visit she usually sends me 3 or 4 restaurant ideas and then lets me chose the winner.  On one occasion I was coming up to attend her bridal shower the next morning. Her mom was in town for the shower as well and had been reading a book by an author from Seattle who happened to have a restaurant and that is where mom wanted to eat dinner. My friend approached this delicately with me because this restaurant was a pizza restaurant and given that I currently work in a pizza restaurant I have publically vowed to not eat pizza while I work at a pizza joint because life is too short to eat that much pizza…. I thought this place sounded special though. Let’s check it out!? My friend continued to tell me that the restaurant also boasts a book of its same name and that I should check it out. Delancey. 

This same day that I was talking with my friend I ran into a neighbor and while we were talking I mentioned that I would be headed up to Seattle for the weekend. My neighbor said to me with much enthusiasm – “You must go to this restaurant I heard about, it’s called … oh shoot I forget… Oh man, the lady also has a blog, which reminds me of you… let’s see the blog is called… Orangette! Oh yes, Delancey.“ Well that’s funny, I say, because that is where we are going! 

When it rains it pours. It was funny to me how this chosen restaurant choice would lead to me reading her books and blogs and how such close influential people both brought Molly up to me and they just knew I would relate and love and cherish what she has done.

This post isn’t about my Delancey visit though because that occasion deserves its own post. But while we were at this restaurant my friend brought up that the lady who wrote Delancey is the one who wrote A Homemade Life. Why does that sound so familiar? Oh wait! I own it. I should probably read it again.

Sure enough as I started reading I came across recipe after recipe thinking to myself “I want to make this! Tonight!” So I did. Molly and I agree on the dislike for eating a banana but baking with bananas is glorious. So I purchased bananas to purposefully leave on my counter and let brown. And then I made her fabulous banana bread with chocolate and crystallized ginger. It was suggested to me to make this cake in a round instead of the traditional loaf and this made me so happy. I used a spring form pan for easy removal. 
This just might be my favorite way to make quick breads now!!

Banana Bread with Chocolate and Crystallized Ginger
Makes 1 loaf or 1 8-inch round cake

Molly Wizenberg

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
2 large eggs
3 large ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup well-stirred whole-milk plain yogurt (not low or nonfat)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Set a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 350F. Grease a 9- by 5-inch loaf pan or an 8-inch round spring form pan with butter.
2. Melt the butter on the stove or in a microwave and set aside to cool slightly.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Add the chocolate chips and crystallized ginger and whisk well to combine. Set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, lightly beat the eggs with a fork. Add the mashed banana, yogurt, melted butter, and vanilla and stir to mix well. Pour the banana mixture into the dry ingredients, and stir gently with a rubber spatula, scraping down the sides as needed, until just combined. Do not over mix. The batter with be thick and somewhat lumpy, just make sure all the flour has been incorporated. Scrape the batter into the loaf pan and smooth the top.
5. Bake into the loaf is a deep shade of golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 50 minutes to an hour. If the loaf seems to be browning too quickly, tent with foil.
6. Cool the bread  in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Then take bread from the spring form pan and let it cool completely before slicing. The bread freezes well wrapped in plastic wrap and again in foil to protect from freezer burn

Potato Salad

In the Burgandy region of France there is an abundance of mustard plants growing like wildflowers. The story goes that in the 1700's the people in Dijon decided to grind up the mustard seeds with verjuice (premature wine) and made dijon style mustard. Today is most commonly made with white wine and the name is not protected so anyone can make a batch and call it dijon, unlike champagne which can only come from the champagne region. 

Dijon is a wonder condiment. It can transform an ordinary hot dog, be added to dishes for sharpness and added salad dressings for emulsification.

When I buy dijon I purposefully buy a small jar because one of my favorite things is when the dijon is almost gone and I can make my salad dressing right in the container so as to get every last smidge of it. 

I took a chance this weekend and visited the farmers market a little farther from me on Saturday. I went out there for one thing and one thing only.... a Pierogi from this wonderful Polish family that is always there... except this day. I paced back and forth up and down the food tents looking for the lovely ladies in homemade dresses and kerchiefs on their heads but to avail. I thought this was strange so I walked around the rather large farmers market area just to make sure I wasn't missing them. Not there. Then I remembered that the yearly Polish Festival was happening in this weekend in another part of town. They must be celebrating there.

Since I made the journey I decided to pick up some veggies. I passed a potato stand that had beautiful fingerlings in gold, red and purple. I had to have them but what to do with them. Then I saw a booth that some wonderful green beans. Well now we're talking... 

Potato salad is something that every family has their own take on. My mom's is boiled baking potatoes with hard boiled eggs, diced pickles, and half a jar of miracle whip, paprika sprinkled on top. German potato salad is usually warm and made with whole grain mustard. On the 4th of July I tried a Red, White, and Bleu recipe. When I think of potato salad - I think of the French style. Here is my take;


 

French Potato Salad
30 minutes

2 lbs. Fingerling Potatoes, halved or quartered
1/4 lb Green Beans, trimmed
Coarse Salt and Black Pepper
1/4 Olive Oil
3 Tbs. Dijon Mustard
2 Tbs. Sherry Vinegar
1/4 cup drained and halved Green Olives
3 Tbs. Parsley, chopped
1/4 small Red Onion, sliced thinly in half moons
3 strips Applewood Smoked Bacon, diced small

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to boil on the stove. Add in cut potatoes, cook for 10 minutes. 
In a small pan, slowly crisp up diced bacon so that all of the fat is rendered out. Drain on a paper towel. 

Slice up onion and olives and add to a large bowl for tossing. Add in parsley and bacon.
Add green beans to the boiling potatoes, cook 5 minutes longer. Strain potatoes and green beans in a colander and run cool water over the vegetables to stop the cooking process for about 2 minutes. 

In a small jar combine olive oil, dijon, sherry vinegar (cider or red wine vinegar work great too), about 6 good grinds of black pepper and about 1 teaspoon of salt. Lid the jar and shake shake shake. Taste the dressing - if it is too acidic tasting add a little more salt and if it is a little too fatty tasting add a smidge more vinegar. 

Place potatoes and green beans to the tossing bowl, pour on the dressing, and toss gently with a large spoon. This can be served at room temperature or refrigerated up to overnight. Voila. 

Maybe the green olives and bacon doesn't make it French per se but it is delicious anyway. You could use any olive you like; nicoise, castrelvetrano but I like the little green ones with pimento.

Browned Butter

A small pan on the stove, 2 sticks of butter, medium high heat. It happens pretty quickly. The butter melts into a golden juice, it foams in small thick bubbles that look solid. Leave it just for a moment and then start swirling the pan gently. The foam subsides slowly allowing the pool of nutmeg brown to rise through looking like a whirlpool. The fat solids are toasting making a rich nutty smell. As the last of the foam disappears, its time. 

Fall is here. I always tell myself that summer if my favorite but I would be lying. I think its because growing up in Alaska we had spring and fall for two weeks each. Summer for 2 months and then 9 months of winter. Maybe it is because I am attracted to oranges, coppers, and burnt reds and in the fall the trees are adorned with these colors. I can't wait for the leaves to change although they never hang long enough.

The sun is still shining, the temperature is projected to be in the 70s but I want nothing more than a cup of green tea with honey and a Twilight movie marathon (I'm praying for rain on my weekend so I can fulfill the fantasy).

I threw the ball for Paisley today and lost it in the leaves. I should probably get a brighter colored ball! 

Speaking of copper; It is also pumpkin season. I hate pumpkin. I don't understand the peoples fascination with this flavor. I can understand cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom.... but pumpkin? 

I feel obliged to create something for those pumpkin lovers. I make them every year and I will eat some too but it's because of the browned butter frosting top. I thought about drawing the curtains to eat the frosting with a spoon. 

Pumpkin Cookies with Brown Butter Icing

2 ¾ C Flour

1 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Baking Soda

1 ¼ tsp Salt

1 ¼ tsp ground Ginger

1 ½ tsp Cinnamon

¾ tsp ground Nutmeg

¾ C Butter, room temp

2 ¼ C Brown Sugar

2 Eggs

1 ½ C Canned Pumpkin

¾ C Evaporated Milk

1 tsp Vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In medium bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients.

In electric mixer, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, pumpkin, milk, and vanilla.

Gradually add in flour. Scoop cookies. Bake 12 minutes. Cool completely.

Browned Butter Icing:

4 C Powdered Sugar

10 Tbs Butter

¼ C + 1Tbs Evaporated Milk

2 tsp Vanilla

In small saucepan, melt butter until browned and foam subsides.

 Off heat add powdered sugar, milk and vanilla. Stir together until smooth.

Spread onto cookies.