On a beautiful day last summer, I suggested to one my peers we give ourselves permission to actually leave the office and go out for a well-deserved lunch. I had been eating either Yogurt or Balance Bars at my desk for weeks and desperately needed to get out to breathe in some fresh air. Initially the plan was to just go somewhere local, however, we ended up driving over two bridges to Trattoria Simpatico, an Italian restaurant, in Jamestown. It would be the first time, but not the last time, I would eat at this restaurant. My co-worker had been a regular there and knew his way around the menu. Having relocated from the midwest (aka land of red meat) to the east coast just a couple months earlier, I scanned the menu to see what kind of seafood they had. As we looked at the menu, I saw they had lobster rolls, but he said their mussels were phenomenal. Not ever having gone to lunch with him before, I said 'do you want to share the mussels and the lobster roll?'. Thank goodness he said yes, as I wanted to taste both menu options and not have to choose.
The bowl of mussels came to the table first. After eating a few of the mussels and dipping some bread into the sauce, I realized that Mark's description of the mussels as being phenomenal didn't do them justice. Perfectly steamed and bathed in a garlic wine cream sauce they were over the top incredible. I suddenly thought that sharing wasn't such a great idea after all as I could have eaten the entire bowl myself!
I had gone back to that restaurant several times after that lunch and always ordered the mussels. They were consistently as delicious as the first time. I have ordered mussels in a restaurant, but I had never made them before. And the reason for this? Living in the midwest there was not the same availability and access to them as there is out east along the coast. This was really just the excuse I used because I had actually convinced myself they were difficult to make. So a year after that lunch, I finally, yes finally, ventured into the making of mussels arena and got over the 'this is too difficult' way of thinking.
Fresh mussels are pretty inexpensive and incredibly accessible out here. They are probably equally inexpensive and accessible in the midwest, but I wasn't looking. When buying mussels you want to be certain that none of them are opened or cracked. Those are the ones you want to throw away as they would be dead and most likely spoiled mussels.
I love garlic either raw and cooked. When garlic is roasted its flavor is even further enhanced and transformed. There is a subtle sweetness to roasted garlic. For the garlic cream sauce, two heads of garlic are roasted at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. You begin by peeling away as much as the white paper while leaving the head intact, then cutting about a quarter off the top, just enough to expose the cloves. The garlic heads are drizzled in extra virgin olive oil and then wrapped in aluminum foil. Once roasted, you let them cool for about 15-20 minutes before removing the soft, creamy cloves.
Once the shallots are sauted in extra virgin oil, the lemon juice and wine are added and cooked until the wine is reduced by half. Once the wine is reduced, the heavy cream, salt, pepper and roasted garlic is added. The sauce is simmered for about five to seven minutes or until slightly thickened. The consistency of this sauce is more like a not too thick cream soup and still very pourable. This is one extraordinary sauce.
Cook only with wine you are willing to drink or serve to others. In looking at steamed mussel recipes, I was equally interested in knowing which 'white' wine was most often recommended. And the answer is Pinot Grigio. The wine is used in both in the roasted garlic cream sauce and in steaming the mussels. But not to worry, you will still have enough left in the bottle for at least two to three glasses to serve with the mussels.
The mussels are steamed in a combination of water and wine (aka Pinot Grigio). It literally takes only four minutes to cook them. So it is important that you make the sauce before you make the mussels. The original recipe called for using four pounds of mussels. I cut that in half but did not change any of the ingredient proportions.
The steamed mussels are plated and then then the roasted garlic sauce is poured over them. Chives and chopped flat parsley are the herb garnishes. These herbs are the perfect finishing touch and definitely complete the dish. Don't even think of omitting them.
Mussels in Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce (slight adaptation of the recipe posted on the Disney Parks blog)
Ingredients
Roasted Garlic Puree
2 large heads garlic
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 medium sized or 1 large shallot minced (about 4 tablespoons)
1/2 cup Pinot Grigio
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 cups heavy cream
3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Mussels
4 pounds fresh mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded (I used 2 pounds of mussels but did change the proportions of wine and water when steaming them.)
1 cup Pinot Grigio
1 cup water
2 Tablespoons each of chopped chives and flat leaf parsley
1 baguette or loaf of sourdough bread
Directions
For the roasted garlic puree:
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Remove excess
papery skin from garlic, keeping head intact. Cut top 1/4 off of garlic head,
exposing the cloves.
2. Place each head of garlic cut side up
on an individual square of aluminum foil. Drizzle each with oil. Wrap in foil,
sealing edges.
3. Place pouch in oven, and roast for 45
minutes. Cool for 15 to 20 minutes, or until cool enough to handle.
4. Squeeze garlic from skins into a small
bowl. Discard skins. Mash garlic with a fork until smooth.
For the roasted
garlic cream sauce:
1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over
medium heat. Add shallot, and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add wine
and lemon juice, stirring to combine. Cook until reduced by half, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
2. Add cream, Roasted Garlic Puree, salt,
and pepper, whisking to combine. Simmer (do not boil) until sauce is slightly
thickened, about 5 to 7 minutes. Set aside.
For the
mussels:
1. Place mussels, wine, and water in a
large heavy dutch oven or stock pot. Turn heat to high, cover and bring to a boil.
2. Cook until mussels open, about 4
minutes. Remove and discard any mussels that do not open. Strain cooking liquid
from mussels and discard liquid.
3. Place mussels
in a large serving bowl, or in individual shallow bowls.
4. Pour Roasted Garlic
Cream Sauce over mussels, and garnish with chopped flat leaf parsley and chives. Serve
immediately.
This morning I attended a conference where one of the speakers more than strongly suggested that the use of the word 'can't' is sometimes nothing more than an excuse for not dealing with conflicts, professionally and personally. As I listened to him this morning, I thought about what it feels like to be on the receiving end of that word as well as how it feels when I use that word with myself. The short answer to my musings and reflections was: not good.
There are so many more possibilities and opportunities for us to grow or to just be happy when we spend time looking to find a way to make something work rather than on spending time and energy digging in or putting up the I can't roadblocks. When I haven't been able to push myself, I have genuinely been grateful to all of those in my life who pushed me when I said I couldn't do something. My sister who pushed me to run; a co-worker who pushed me to get my doctorate; and my friends who pushed me to finish my doctorate are just a few examples of those in my life who cared enough about me to not let me retreat into the world of I can't.
For me when I use or hear the word can't, what I mean or what I hear is I don't want to (try). Can't do it are words that may cause your heart and brain to temporarily freeze, don't want to are words that permanently turn off your heart and brain. So if you have someone in your life you really care about, either push them (yes you can) or be honest with them (don't want to). And don't forget it's just as important to push or be honest with yourself. Can't is merely a word that either keeps you from realizing your potential or experiencing happiness.
