[RPMcMurphy]

mussels were horrible.

Just steamed them in a white wine garlic (a little shallot) and bleh.




faux au vin was excellent.



ready for some flaming crepes...

substituted grand marinier with cointreau. my orange butter on the right.

don't have a crepe pan, but.....I think I can make pretty **** good crepes (and I've had them from the best) in my silly little nonstick and a few cauloused fingers for flipping.

always takes me at least 3 before I get the feel.



so then I have a little wine....


do a little dance....



and get down...





then I melt the orange butter and drag the crepes through...



and bam...a little cognac and some cointreau, a scoop of vanilla, the 80's never looked so good.


and another....









not sure why my mussels sucked so bad, perhaps bad mussels. ah well, everything else was good.


Off to LA....see you guys in a week.



Oh yeah....wine picture....very good bottle BTW, and pretty dang cheap!

[bluedogz]

RP:

the 80's never looked so good

If I may...


THAT was amusing at 1AM.

[French Fries]

Hey RPM, I'm French, born and raised there. We used to make Moules Marinieres all the time, it's pretty easy and it tastes amazing. I have no idea whether or not this recipe is considered "acurate", but it's the one I've always used.

I think steaming the mussels is not the way to go. I'll share my way, which I learned from my family or my wife's family, I can't even remember. Probably just a mix of both!


The longest part is the first one: cleaning the mussels.
Try to get live mussels (have the store employee leave a lot of air in the bag when he closes it). Add a little salt to the water in your sink and put the mussels in. Clean them by rubbing them with the back of a knife to get the corails off and pull the "moustache" as we call it, the thin hairy strand. Don't just cut it off! Pull it toward the pointy tip of the mussels until it breaks inside the mussel. That doesn't work on all the mussels but try your best.

From then on it's very easy and fast!
Chop a ton of garlic and parsley. Well it depends on how much mussel you have of course, I like to make 4lbs at a time (which is a lot). Keep it ready for later.

Heat a big stainless steel pot on medium-high heat, then cover the bottom with olive oil (maybe 2 Tbsp). When it's hot, delicately pour the mussels a little at a time. They should sizzle (of course, only the shells are touching the bottom of the pan) and start to open in a minute or two. Some mussels may not open, but you should have about 80% of your mussels wide open.

Add salt to taste. If you like pepper it's okay, just a touch then.

Slowly pour in the white wine and steer so all the mussles get too cook evenly. Continue cooking for a few minutes (no more than 5o to 10 mn I would say, but it's a feeling and a taste thing - maybe try one of them!). Don't cover the mussles with white wine. There should be enough wine to give a decent plate of broth for each guest, but in their plates the broth should be only at the bottom.

I usually add the garlic 2mnn before the end, the parsley just at the end, and serve right away.

The burner is pretty much always on medium high.

Don't cover, don't simmer, don't overcook, and always serve right away, no waiting. Tell your guests the broth is piping hot so nobody screams at you. It will be cold within minutes.

Enjoy!!

[ED BUCHANAN]

Pettite Marmite Henry 5th. Au Marrow

Salade Root Vegetables A La Greque

Filet Of Dover Sole Bonne Femme

Pommes Parissienne

Trilogy Champinione Pettite Poise


Poached Anjoe Pear Belle Helene Chantilly