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Treats

Breakfast

The Simplest Things Make for Just Desserts

October 18, 2020

I had a wicked hankering for something rich, sweet, fulfilling, but also healthy.


In the fridge, I found Goat Milk Yogurt, unsweetened and as far as taste goes, indistinguishable from cow’s mild yogurt. I grabbed and halved some fresh blackberries, tossed in a packet of stevia. Then I sliced up a fat leaf of fresh basil and topped it all off with a sprinkle of lemon zest.
It was, gluten-free, low-carb, low-fat and… Delicious!

Main Dishes

“Wicked Good” Mussels in Wine & Pernod

July 31, 2017

I grew up in New England. I know, I know…Greenwich, CT is on the edge of New York but still, it îs New England. I’m never, ever late for anything. You won’t find me on your doorstep without first calling you, and I refer to those big, long a submarine or hoagie sandwiches as a “grinder” which is very Connecticut.

I spent summer holidays eating oysters and clams raw, sans the cocktail sauce, picked fresh that morning by my dad, straight from the bay in Wellfleet, MA. The first home I ever purchased was in Norwalk, CT, famous for mussels. I also make a wicked, creamy fish chowder.

I love mussels. They are beautiful  as the subject of a painting and they are even better to eat. I only eat them steamed. But once, at the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, I had some unbelievably tasty mussels on a stick, swathed in a creamy garlic sauce.

My favorite way to steam mussels is with white wine and a touch of Pernod. I was first introduced to steamed mussels by Tom Nye,  a chef  who cooked for a little restaurant in Greenwich called The Chowder House, where I waitressed as a teenager. It was located on Lewis Street, now long gone, it served only a handful of tables and  Tom Nye made the most delicious chowders and shellfish I have ever tasted.  Ever.

Tom taught me that when mussels are harvested on the full moon, they are extra plump and he showed me so with each full moon catch. Somewhere, tucked away in storage, I have a tiny box full of teensy pink and gray mussel pearls I gathered from my many Tom Nye mussel meals.

Tom steamed his mussels in the most delicious broth, good enough to eat with a spoon. He used only white wine, fresh rosemary, garlic and  shallots. Over the years, I’ve added the Pernod flavor and the tomatoes, substituted a bit of fennel for the rosemary, borrowing here and there from the best of  various restaurants where I have dined on mussels.

Here is how I prepared my mussels in the photo.

By the way, I ate all two pounds by myself.
Enjoy!
From me to you, with love and butter.

MUSSELS IN WHITE WINE WITH PERNOD

What you will need to have ready:

  1. 2 pounds fresh mussels, cleaned, Norwalk or Prince Edward Island mussels (or whatever your fish supplier has fresh).Toss out any that have begun to open. Ick…they’re dead.
  2. 2 cups of any dryish, white wine. Try any Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc
    Do not use a sweet wine such as Zinfandel or Riesling.
  3. 3/4 Shot of Pernod, or Ricard, Anise or Ouzo.
  4. 1 Tooth of minced garlic
  5. 1/8 Tsp ground fennel seed (Optional). Grind in a coffee grinder or a mortar & pestle.
  6. 2 Stalks green onion, chopped into small rounds.
  7. 1/2 Cup of grape tomatoes, whole. Or 1/2 cup chunked fresh tomato
  8. 2 Tablespoons of melted butter, in a separate dish, for dipping.
  9. A wedge of lemon

Now do this:
Set your cleaned mussels aside 2 pounds

In a large soup pot, with the flame on medium, sauté together:

  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 Tooth minced garlic
  • 1/8 Tsp ground fennel seed (again, optional)
  • 1 or 2 stems of green onion, chopped

After you have sautéed these in ingredients for a few minutes, add:

  • 2 Cups of any dry white wine of your choice.
  • 3/4 Ounce of Pernod, Ricard, Ouzo, or any Anise flavored liquor you have handy.
  • When the wine has been brought to a simmer, dump all the mussels in and cover the pot tightly.
  • Just before covering the pot, add the tomatoes and the sliced green onion.
    If you don’t have grape tomatoes, don’t worry. Just cut up a medium tomato into small bites.
  • Allow the pot to steam for three – five minutes, checking after three or four.
    Your mussels should have gently opened.
    As soon you see nearly all are open, turn off the flame! You do not want to overcook them.
  • Pour out the entire contents into two large bowls  and place the lemon wedge (missing from my picture) and the melted butter within reach.

    IMPORTANT NOTE: If a now-cooked mussel refuses to open, toss it.
    You want to eat only the mussels that are open.
  • Serve with your favorite dipping bread so you can soak up the broth.

ALTERNATE RECIPE

Use ONLY Wine, a Tablespoon of fresh rosemary, shallots, a pinch of salt, a little butter.

 

 

My Daily Kitchen

Decadent Pesto Pâté

September 13, 2015

I could eat Pesto sauce all day long, but I tire of having it on wheaty, fattening pasta. So I am always trying to come up with other ways to give my food the delicious taste of pesto sauce, such as tossing it with vegetables (try cauliflower or zucchini) or using it as a sandwich spread on wraps or break. But as I said, this gets boring.

I am a hedonist; I do not do well with deprivation.  I wanted be able to eat something rich and smooth, something I could enjoy in the same way I used to savor a silky liver pâté, or dig a petite knife into a ripened, warm, gooey, pungent  Brie, but without the meat or dairy.  In other words, I want a low-carb Pesto decadence and I found a way to have it!

I came up with this delicious and satisfying Pesto Pâté, good enough to serve to company.

Here is how I prepare it.

Dedadent Pesto Pâté

In a food processor (mine is only a tine $10 food chopper) add:

  • 2 Cups fresh basil, tightly packed (or 3 cups loose leaves)
  • 1/2 Cup extra virgin olive oil, best quality
  • 3 Garlic teeth/cloves (or 3, 1/2 tsp crushed garlic from the jar)
  • 1  Tsp freshly squeezed lemon or citrus
  • 1/4 Tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/8 Tsp salt

Process the above by pulsing until reduced … but not puréed!
Fancy food processors might mince too finely, so go bit by bit.  You do not want this to be soupy, but rather you want it chunky while still spreadable. Think about cutting hair; once cut, you can’t put it back,  but you can always cut more. So take your time and before you think your are there…
… This is when you want to add:

1 Cup whole, salted cashew nuts (if using unsalted, you’ll need to add more sale to the mix)
1 Cup grated Parmesan cheese (Vegan? Use a cheese substitute).

  • Process until the mixture is chunky but still spreadable. 
  • Taste it. If you want a tad more lemon, or cheese, or salt, just adjust until your taste buds are dancing.
  • Now, pack your mixture into any container and either freeze this…  or chill.

SERVING:
If frozen, just set the container on the counter for a few hours counter until you can tip it, intact, onto your platter.

If refrigerated, tip & scoop onto your serving platter. Don’t worry if the shape comes out goofy because this mix is malleable and easily sculpted after it is on the plate.
Keep refrigerated on the platter until you are ready to serve. Then place your crackers at the last minute.

TIPS:

  • If you are Vegan, omit the Parmesan and replace with a vegan option.
  • Gluten Free? Just find a good rice cracker in place of wheat.
  • Slice large pieces of tomato or zucchini and use these in place of crackers for spreading.

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