Mussles à la Jeff and Ruffino Orvieto Classico

Combining a little bit of French, Spanish and Italian influences this evening worked out quite well for a new recipe. I'd been wanting to cook mussels and when our Valentine's Day plans fell through due to a sick two year old, the opportunity presented itself.

Shopping at Binny's for wine and cheese, I picked up more than a few nice bottles of wine, including the Ruffino Orvieto Classico. It's not anything to write home about (although worthy of a mention in the blog), but it is very food friendly and quite affordable. Some Orvieto wines can veer to the sweet side, but this was not overly sweet and paired well with the spicy and smokey mussels I prepared for dinner. As a side note, Orvieto is a beautiful Umbrian hill town that was a stop on my honeymoon. It rises out of the central Italian landscape, perched majestically on a plateau of tufa. The cathedral is stunning and the food is as good as the wine. It's an easy day-trip from Rome or Florence or a great over-night stop between the two.

Anyway, on to the mussels. I wanted to incorporate some La Quercia pancetta I also bought at Binny's. The recipe follows:

• 1 and a half pounds of cleaned, scrubbed, debearded mussels (in this case from Fresh Market)
• Quarter pound diced La Quercia pancetta
• Small sweet onion finely diced
• Two tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Three cloves garlic finely diced
• Two tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 and a half teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• Pinch of saffron threads
• Half a cup to three-quarters cup of white wine (Orvieto Classico in this case)
• salt and pepper to taste

Bring olive oil to temp over medium-high heat. Add pancetta and cook for two minutes. Add onion and cook until nearly translucent. Add garlic and cook until fragrant (about two minutes). Make a clear spot and add tomato paste, saffron, smoked paprika, red pepper, salt and black pepper. Cook for a few minutes more, then stir to mix together. Add wine and bring to a boil. Add mussels and cover. Cook for 4 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally. Stir after four minutes, recover and cook for another 2 to 4 minutes or until all the mussels have opened. Discard any that have not opened.

Served over toasted sourdough planks rubbed with garlic.

Limoncello Margaritas

We discovered a new, tasty application for the most recent batch of homemade limoncello this evening … limoncello margaritas. As is often the case, necessity is the mother of invention. Planning on tacos for dinner and not having the requisite limes to make margaritas, tonight we experimented and found an innovative way to combine the best of Mexico and Italy.

For one drink, combine:
• Two shots tequila
• One shot limoncello
• One to one and half teaspoons sugar
• Half a lemon, juiced
• Zest from one half lemon

Add ice to a cocktail shaker and strain into a crushed ice tumbler. Nice!

Asian Cilantro Chicken Bites - Our Version

After Jeff initially found this recipe on epicurious.com, we both decided that it sounded good but that the reviews weren't so hot. After a few suggestions, I came up with a version that turned out very good. We served it as an entree with jasmine rice and Jeff made a dipping (or drizzling) sauce out of hoison, honey, rice wine vinegar and soy sauce. The bites would also be great on toothpicks as an appetizers or served in bibb lettuce wraps.

Better Asian Cilantro Chicken Bites
* 1/2 T soy sauce
* 1/2 T rice vinegar (not seasoned)
* 1 lb ground chicken
* 1 large egg
* 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
* 2 scallions, finely chopped
* 3 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
* 1/4 teaspoon ginger (use less if fresh)
* 1/2 cup of plain breadcrumbs or panko breadcrumbs
* 3/4 cup cornstarch
* 1/2 cup vegetable oil

Directions:
Stir together chicken, egg, cilantro, scallions, sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic powder, breadcrumbs and salt with a fork until just blended. Add more breadcrumbs if mixture is too wet.

Spread cornstarch in a shallow pan. Form chicken mixture into 1-inch balls, transferring them to baking pan as formed. Gently roll balls in cornstarch until coated. The chicken balls will be soft. (I made mine a little bigger and cooked them longer because we were't serving them as appetizers.)

Heat 1/4 cup vegetable oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then cook half of balls, turning occasionally, until firm and golden (they will flatten slightly), 2 to 3 minutes (3+ if yours are larger). Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Add remaining 1/4 cup oil to skillet and cook remaining balls in same manner. Serve meatballs with dipping sauce.

Limoncello Tiramisu

One of the best reasons to make limoncello (the recipe of which is by far the most popular post on our blog) is to use it in Lidia Bastianich's wonderful limoncello tiramisu recipe. This can be found in her book, Lidia's Italy or online at epicurious.

It is quickly becoming a holiday tradition to make for New Year's Eve dinner as I did last year. Memories of the lemon-y goodness spurred me to finish the latest batch of limoncello (straining, making the sugar syrup and bottling).

The limoncello was only the capstone to a crazy Italian dinner that included old favorites like the Tuscan bean puree crostini and saltimbocca alla romana, as well as some new experiments like a sformato di carote and pappa al pomodoro. I didn't love the new recipes and will probably turn to the cucchiaio argento next time.

Anyway. Happy New Year. Try the limoncello tiramisu the next time you have an Italian-themed dinner party. It works in the dead of winter just as well as in the summertime. Ciao!

Christmas Duck

Branching out a bit from the standard turkey or ham Christmas dinner, this year we decided to roast a duck. Natalie made a simple salt, pepper and paprika rub for duck and roasted it at 350 degrees for about 2 and a half hours. Meanwhile, I made my much beloved biscuit and cornbread dressing to go with it and asparagus with hollandaise sauce.

The dressing, which seems to have become a new holiday favorite in our household, is fairly simple:

• Make a skillet-sized cornbread and about nine good sized biscuits and crumble. This can be done the night before.
• Saute two to three medium sized diced sweet onions with one and a half to two cups of chopped celery in five to eight tablespoons of butter.
• When the onion and celery are softened, turn off the heat and let cool.
• Meanwhile, combine the cornbread and biscuit crumbs with five beaten eggs, two to four tablespoons of chopped fresh sage, salt and pepper.
• Add the cooled vegetables and finish with cool chicken stock to moisten.
• Cook in a 350 degree oven for 40 to 55 minutes, or golden brown.

Hope everyone had a great Christmas with their families and loved ones.

Hustling for Mango Guacamole & Grilled Pineapple Tacos

If Jeff liked this combination you know it has to be good. Known for his dislike of coconut, oranges and most things tropical, I was pleased to find Jeff loved our dinner at Bien Trucha Saturday night in Geneva, IL. He always loves Bien Trucha, but when he say the Guacamole of the Day included Mango, he wasn't so sure. After a successful appetizer, we had our favorite fish tacos and a new item to try -- pork tacos with grilled pineapple. Excellently prepare pork with subtle seasoning and a delectable think strip of fresh grilled pineapple down the middle made for a terrific pairing. We both thought it was fantastic, and worth the stress that trying to eat at Bien Trucha can cause. Those in the know realize that running is an appropriate action if you see other patrons getting close to the door. That is because the restaurant is so popular, and doesn't take reservations, so it is imperative to get your name on the list. We usually walk down the block and have a drink while we wait the 30+ minutes for a table to open up. Bien Trucha takes your cell phone number and will ring you when the table is free. But, spotty coverage can create anxiety for hungry diners like us, as was the case this time. We had been bumped down the list by patrons running for the door ahead of us and we weren't about to lose our spot this time. So, we ran from the bar and headed back to Bien Trucha, where luckily our spot was still held. Despite the drama, we both agreed the meal was more than worth it.

Arby's Mac and Cheezers

Being the adventurous foodies we are, I didn't turn my nose up at the new Arby's concoction, Mac and Cheezers. This very easily could have been awesome. It combines two of my favorite food groups — mac and cheese and fried. Unfortunately, it kind of tasted like fried nothing. The outer crust is way too thick, a necessity probably with a gooey, non-solid interior. The inside was molten hot and super bland. Overall disappointing. But nothing ventured, nothing gained, right? Graham Eliot and Homaro Cantu don't have to worry about the good folks at Arby's stealing their market share anytime soon.