Kitchen Hint of the Day!

Cleaning Mussels and Clams........


Soak mussels and clams in water with a few tablespoons of flour. They will open up to ingest the flour, and in doing so will expel any sand or grit still inside. Leave them in for 30 minutes to get the best possible results before cooking.

Wild Idea Buffalo Recipe of the Week – MUSSELS IN TOMATO BROTH WITH BUFFALO CHORIZO

For this week’s Wild Idea Buffalo Recipe of the Week its MUSSELS IN TOMATO BROTH WITH BUFFALO CHORIZO. Made using Wild Idea Buffalo Chorizo. You can purchase the Buffalo Chorizo or any of the other Wild Idea Products at the Wild Idea Buffalo website and don’t forget to check out all their delicious and healthy recipes. Enjoy and Eat Healthy in 2018! https://wildideabuffalo.com/

MUSSELS IN TOMATO BROTH WITH BUFFALO CHORIZO
The flavors in this dish complement each other nicely and the chorizo adds a nice spice! The sauce can be made in advance, leaving the steaming of the mussels for the last minute.

Ingredients: (For two servings.)

1 – teaspoon olive oil +
4oz. – Wild Idea Buffalo Chorizo
½ – cup yellow onion, diced
1 – clove garlic, chopped
½ – teaspoon each salt & pepper
1 – teaspoon crushed fennel seeds
1 – teaspoon chili flake *optional
1 – 15oz. can, diced tomatoes
1 – cup white wine
12 to 16 mussels, washed and de-bearded

*Store mussels in the coldest spot in your refrigerator. Place on a damp paper towel in a dish and cover loosely with a damp paper towel. Do not seal in plastic as they will suffocate. Discard any mussels that when pushed shut do not stay shut, or any open or cracked mussels.

Preparation:

1 – In a heavy sauté pan over medium high heat, heat 1-teaspoon olive oil. Crumble sausage into pan and cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Remove sausage from pan, place in bowl and cover with saran. Set aside.
2 – Return pan to heat and add additional oil if needed. Add onion and garlic, sautéing until tender,

about 5 minutes.
3 – Add seasonings, tomatoes and wine. Stir to incorporate and bring to a boil. *At this point you could remove from heat, cover and reheat when ready to serve.
4 – Add prepared mussels, cover and allow mussels to steam for 4 minutes. Most all of the shells should have popped open. Discard un-open shells.
5 – Add chorizo back to pan and stir to incorporate and heat.
6 – Serve direct from pan or spoon into serving bowls.
* Garnish with cilantro and lemon wedge. Serve with warm artisan bread.
https://wildideabuffalo.com/blogs/recipes/mussels-in-tomato-broth-with-buffalo-chorizo



Wild Idea Buffalo CHORIZO SAUSAGE

Our Mexican-style Chorizo makes any dish taste delicious! Wild Idea Buffalo Chorizo has a flavor

that is every bit traditional Chorizo, seasoned with just the right spices, but our 100% grass-fed bison meat adds a lighter twist with powerful health benefits.

1 lb. package

Ingredients: 100% Grass-fed Buffalo, Organic Spices [Black Pepper, Chili Pepper, Coriander, Cumin, Oregano, Paprika, Red Pepper], Organic Red Wine Vinegar, and Salt

https://wildideabuffalo.com/collections/brats-sausages-hot-dogs/products/1-lb-chorizo-sausage

Kitchen Hint of the Day!

When purchasing Mussels.........


Choose to purchase mussels that are alive. Pick mussels that have securely closed shells. Bypass mussels that have their shells open and that will not close. An open shell itself does not mean the mussel is automatically bad. Mussels left undisturbed will open their shells slightly. If a shell is open, tap it. If the mussel closes the shell, it is still alive. If the mussel does not close its shell, throw the mussel away. Buy and Enjoy that Seafood!

Healthy Shellfish Recipes

From the EatingWell website and Magazine its Healthy Shellfish Recipes. Delicious and Healthy Shellfish Recipes like; Lobster and Corn Chowder, Angry Lobster, and Scallops with Radicchio-Apple Slaw. Find these and more recipes at the EatingWell website. Don't forget to subscribe to the EatingWell Magazine, one of my favorites. Enjoy and Eat Healthy in 2018!  http://www.eatingwell.com/

Healthy Shellfish Recipes
Find healthy, delicious shellfish recipes including crab, shrimp and lobster. Healthier recipes, from

the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell.


Lobster and Corn Chowder
The trick to making this healthy lobster chowder recipe have tons of rich flavor is to start with great fish stock. (The best is often in the freezer case at the supermarket.) Then cook the lobsters in the stock to intensify its flavor. There is no flour added in this healthy soup, so it's lighter than a typical creamy chowder—plus it's gluten-free.............


Angry Lobster
In this lobster recipe, pieces of lobster are roasted in a very hot oven with white wine, herbs and crushed red pepper to make a spicy sauce. The angry in the name most likely comes from the hot pepper, but some say cutting up the lobsters sets the tone for this dish. Serve with crusty bread to sop up the sauce and plenty of fresh napkins.............


Scallops with Radicchio-Apple Slaw
The secret to getting a nice golden-brown sear on your scallops is to buy ones that are labeled dry. That means they haven't been treated with sodium tripolyphosphate (STP), a preservative that helps them retain water, which prevents them from browning well. Serve with roasted potatoes for a complete meal........



* Click the link below to get all the Healthy Shellfish Recipes
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/22780/ingredients/fish-seafood/shellfish/

Wild Idea Buffalo Recipe of the Week - MUSSELS IN TOMATO BROTH WITH BUFFALO CHORIZO

For this week's Wild Idea Buffalo Recipe of the Week its MUSSELS IN TOMATO BROTH WITH BUFFALO CHORIZO. Made using Wild Idea Buffalo Chorizo. You can purchase the Buffalo Chorizo or any of the other Wild Idea Products at the Wild Idea Buffalo website and don't forget to check out all their delicious and healthy recipes. Enjoy and Eat Healthy in 2018!  https://wildideabuffalo.com/

MUSSELS IN TOMATO BROTH WITH BUFFALO CHORIZO
The flavors in this dish complement each other nicely and the chorizo adds a nice spice! The sauce can be made in advance, leaving the steaming of the mussels for the last minute.

Ingredients: (For two servings.)
1 - teaspoon olive oil +
4oz. - Wild Idea Buffalo Chorizo
½ - cup yellow onion, diced
1 - clove garlic, chopped
½ - teaspoon each salt & pepper
1 - teaspoon crushed fennel seeds
1 - teaspoon chili flake *optional
1 - 15oz. can, diced tomatoes
1 - cup white wine
12 to 16 mussels, washed and de-bearded

*Store mussels in the coldest spot in your refrigerator. Place on a damp paper towel in a dish and cover loosely with a damp paper towel. Do not seal in plastic as they will suffocate. Discard any mussels that when pushed shut do not stay shut, or any open or cracked mussels.

Preparation:

1 - In a heavy sauté pan over medium high heat, heat 1-teaspoon olive oil. Crumble sausage into pan

and cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Remove sausage from pan, place in bowl and cover with saran. Set aside.
2 - Return pan to heat and add additional oil if needed. Add onion and garlic, sautéing until tender, about 5 minutes.
3 - Add seasonings, tomatoes and wine. Stir to incorporate and bring to a boil. *At this point you could remove from heat, cover and reheat when ready to serve.
4 - Add prepared mussels, cover and allow mussels to steam for 4 minutes. Most all of the shells should have popped open. Discard un-open shells.
5 - Add chorizo back to pan and stir to incorporate and heat.
6 - Serve direct from pan or spoon into serving bowls.
* Garnish with cilantro and lemon wedge. Serve with warm artisan bread.

https://wildideabuffalo.com/blogs/recipes/mussels-in-tomato-broth-with-buffalo-chorizo



Wild Idea Buffalo CHORIZO SAUSAGE
Our Mexican-style Chorizo makes any dish taste delicious!  Wild Idea Buffalo Chorizo has a flavor

that is every bit traditional Chorizo, seasoned with just the right spices, but our 100% grass-fed bison meat adds a lighter twist with powerful health benefits.

1 lb. package

Ingredients: 100% Grass-fed Buffalo, Organic Spices [Black Pepper, Chili Pepper, Coriander, Cumin, Oregano, Paprika, Red Pepper], Organic Red Wine Vinegar, and Salt

https://wildideabuffalo.com/collections/brats-sausages-hot-dogs/products/1-lb-chorizo-sausage

Kitchen Hint of the Day!

Buying Shellfish.........


When buying live mussels or clams, choose those with tightly closed shells. Avoid any that will not close if tapped, and those with broken shells, since they may be dead and could therefore cause food poisoning if eaten.

One of America's Favorites - Cioppino

Cioppino

Cioppino is a fish stew originating in San Francisco, California. It is considered an Italian-American dish, and is related to various regional fish soups and stews of Italian cuisine.









Cioppino is traditionally made from the catch of the day, which in San Francisco is typically a

Cioppino with bread

combination of Dungeness crab, clams, shrimp, scallops, squid, mussels, and fish all sourced from salt-water ocean; in this case the Pacific. The seafood is then combined with fresh tomatoes in a wine sauce.

The dish can be served with toasted bread, either local sourdough or French bread. In the dish, the bread is as a starch, similar to a pasta. It is freely dipped into the ample quantity of sauce. The bread then absorbs, holds, and modulates the flavorful yet slender (watery) sauce; that is to be freely "sopped up" by the heavy, full bodied breads. The bread's consumption, after dipping into the sauce, prolongs the flavors on the palate when eating the dish.








Cioppino was developed in the late 1800s primarily by Italian immigrants who settled in the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco, many from the port city of Genoa. When a fisherman came back empty handed, they would walk around with a pot to the other fishermen asking them to chip in whatever they could. What ever ended up in the pot became their Cioppino. The fishermen that chipped in expected the same treatment if they came back empty handed in the future. It later became a staple as Italian restaurants proliferated in San Francisco.

The name comes from ciuppin which is the name of a classic soup from the Italian region Liguria, similar in flavor to cioppino but with less tomato and using Mediterranean seafood cooked to the point that it falls apart.

The dish also shares its origin with other regional Italian variations of seafood stew similar to ciuppin, including cacciucco from Tuscany, brodetto di pesce from Abruzzo, and others. Similar dishes can be found in coastal regions throughout the Mediterranean, from Portugal to Greece. Examples of these include suquet de peix from Catalan-speaking regions and bouillabaisse from Provence.

Cioppino classique

Generally the seafood is cooked in broth and served in the shell, including the crab, which is often served halved or quartered. It therefore requires special utensils, typically a crab fork and cracker. Depending on the restaurant, it may be accompanied by a bib to prevent food stains on clothing, a damp napkin, and a second bowl for the shells. A variation, commonly called "lazy man's cioppino," is served with shells pre-cracked or removed.

Soup Special of the Day!...........Bouillabaisse

This week's Soup Special of the Day is - Bouillabaisse. Mussels, Shrimp, Cod, and more make up this week's recipe! It's from the Diabetic Gourmet Magazine website. The Diabetic Gourmet site is loaded with Diabetic Friendly recipes and also if you're looking for a good Diabetic Recipe Magazine the Diabetic Gourmet Magazine is an excellent magazine! Enjoy and Eat Healthy!     http://diabeticgourmet.com/

Bouillabaisse
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

1/2 pound mussels (optional)

1/2 pound medium-size shrimp
1/2 pound halibut or cod fillets
1 teaspoon virgin olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2-1/2 cups canned Italian plum tomatoes
2 cups clam juice or fish stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon dried leaf basil
1/4 teaspoon dried leaf thyme
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
1/2 pound bay scallops
Directions

1 - Scrub mussels well to rid them of beards and sand. Discard any open ones. Peel and devein shrimp. Cut halibut into bite-size pieces.
2 - In a large non-stick saucepan, heat oil. Add shallots and cook until soft. Add garlic and tomatoes, cook, stirring 1 minute.
3 - Add clam juice, wine, basil, thyme, pepper flakes, pepper and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.
4 - Add halibut and simmer 5 minutes. Add shrimp and scallops and cook 5 minutes more. Add mussels, cover pan and simmer about 5 minutes until mussels open, discarding any that do not open.
5 - Discard bay leaf.
Nutritional Information (Per Serving)
Calories: 203
Protein: 28g
Sodium: 584 mg
Cholesterol: 108 mg
Fat: 3g
Carbohydrates: 12g
http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/898.shtml

Kitchen Hint of the Day!

Grilling Seafood........


To grill shellfish in the shell, such as oysters, mussels and clams, place them directly on the hottest part of the grill. They're done when the shell opens. Discard those that don't open after about 5 minutes.

Kitchen Hint of the Day!

Here's a good tip for all you Seafood Lovers out there. Before cooking mussels or clams, soak them in water with a few tablespoons of flour for 30 minutes. As they open to ingest the flour, they'll expel any sand or grit they contain.

Wild Idea Buffalo Recipe of the Week - Course II: Mussels in Tomato Broth with Buffalo...

Mussels and Buffalo Chorizo, seems like a winning pair to me! It's this weeks Wild Idea Buffalo recipe of the Week -Course II: Mussels in Tomato Broth with Buffalo Chorizo. It's all from Jill O'Brien of Wild Idea Buffalo.







Course II: Mussels in Tomato Broth with Buffalo Chorizo

By: Jill O'Brien




(serves 2)

Note: You might be thinking that this will be too heavy for a second course, but it is light dish (as long as you don’t dip too much bread into the delicious broth). The flavors complement each other nicely and the chorizo adds a nice spice! The sauce can be made in advance, leaving the steaming of mussels for the last minute.

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon olive oil +
4oz. Wild Idea Buffalo Chorizo
½ cup yellow onion, diced
1 clove garlic, chopped
½ teaspoon each salt & pepper
1 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds
1 teaspoon chili flake *optional
1 15oz. can, diced tomatoes
1 cup white wine
12 to 16 mussels, washed and de-bearded



Preparation:

1 - In a heavy sauté pan over medium high heat, heat 1-teaspoon olive oil. Crumble sausage into pan and cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Remove sausage from pan, place in bowl and cover with saran. Set aside.
2 - Return pan to heat and add additional oil if needed. Add onion and garlic, sautéing until tender, about 5 minutes.
3 - Add seasonings, tomatoes and wine. Stir to incorporate and bring to a boil.  *At this point you could remove from heat, cover and reheat when ready to serve.
4 - Add prepared mussels, cover and allow mussels to steam for 4 minutes. Most all of the shells should have popped open. Discard un-open shells.
5 - Add chorizo back to pan and stir to incorporate and heat.
6 - Serve direct from pan or spoon into serving bowls.
Garnish with green leek ringlets and lemon wedge. Serve with warm artisan bread.

Wine Pairing: You could stay with a dry Prosseco for this course or switch to a Dry Riesling or light red.



http://wildideabuffalo.com/2013/course-ii-mussels-in-tomato-broth-with-buffalo-chorizo/






Wild Idea Buffalo - 1 lb. Chorizo Sausage

Our Mexican style Chorizo makes any dish more delicious! You will love our take on it, with a flavor profile that is every bit chorizo; seasoned with just the right spices, while our grassy bison meat adds a lighter nuance and powerful health benefits. One pound package of ground chorizo, not in links. 1 lb. Package

Ingredients: Buffalo, Organic Spices:[Black Pepper, Chili Pepper, Coriander, Cumin, Oregano, Paprika, Pimento, Red Pepper] Red Wine Vinegar, Salt



http://buy.wildideabuffalo.com/collections/a-la-carte/products/1-lb-chorizo-sausage

Seafood of the Week - Mussels

A bed of blue mussels

Mussel is the common name used for members of several families of clams or bivalvia mollusca, from saltwater and freshwater habitats. These groups have in common a shell whose outline is elongated and asymmetrical compared with other edible clams, which are often more or less rounded or oval.
The word "mussel" is most frequently used to mean the edible bivalves of the marine family Mytilidae, most of which live on exposed shores in the intertidal zone, attached by means of their strong byssal threads ("beard") to a firm substrate. A few species (in the genus Bathymodiolus) have colonised hydrothermal vents associated with deep ocean ridges.
In most marine mussels the shell is longer than it is wide, being wedge-shaped or asymmetrical. The external colour of the shell is often dark blue, blackish, or brown, while the interior is silvery and somewhat nacreous.
The common name "mussel" is also used for many freshwater bivalves, including the freshwater pearl mussels. Freshwater mussel species inhabit lakes, ponds, rivers, creeks, canals, and they are classified in a different subclass of bivalves, despite some very superficial similarities in appearance.
Freshwater Zebra mussels and their relatives in the family Dreissenidae are not related to previously mentioned groups, even though they resemble many Mytilus species in shape, and live attached to rocks and other hard surfaces in a similar manner, using a byssus. They are classified with the Heterodonta, the taxonomic group which includes most of the bivalves commonly referred to as "clams".





The mussel's external shell is composed of two hinged halves or "valves". The valves are joined together on the outside by a ligament, and are closed when necessary by strong internal muscles. Mussel shells carry out a variety of functions, including support for soft tissues, protection from predators and protection against desiccation.

The Asian green mussel

The shell has three layers. In the pearly mussels there is an inner iridescent layer of nacre (mother-of-pearl) composed of calcium carbonate, which is continuously secreted by the mantle; the prismatic layer, a middle layer of chalky white crystals of calcium carbonate in a protein matrix; and the periostracum, an outer pigmented layer resembling a skin. The periostracum is composed of a protein called conchin, and its function is to protect the prismatic layer from abrasion and dissolution by acids (especially important in freshwater forms where the decay of leaf materials produces acids).
Like most bivalves, mussels have a large organ called a foot. In freshwater mussels, the foot is large, muscular, and generally hatchet-shaped. It is used to pull the animal through the substrate (typically sand, gravel, or silt) in which it lies partially buried. It does this by repeatedly advancing the foot through the substrate, expanding the end so it serves as an anchor, and then pulling the rest of the animal with its shell forward. It also serves as a fleshy anchor when the animal is stationary.
In marine mussels, the foot is smaller, tongue-like in shape, with a groove on the ventral surface which is continuous with the byssus pit. In this pit, a viscous secretion is exuded, entering the groove and hardening gradually upon contact with sea water. This forms extremely tough, strong, elastic, byssus threads that secure the mussel to its substrate. The byssus thread is also sometimes used by mussels as a defensive measure, to tether predatory molluscs, such as dog whelks, that invade mussel beds, immobilising them and thus starving them to death.
In cooking, the byssus of the mussel is known as the "beard" and is removed before the mussels are prepared.






Marine mussels are abundant in the low and mid intertidal zone in temperate seas globally. Other species of marine mussel live in tropical intertidal areas, but not in the same huge numbers as in temperate zones.

Bouchots are marine pilings for growing mussels

Certain species of marine mussels prefer salt marshes or quiet bays, while others thrive in pounding surf, completely covering wave-washed rocks. Some species have colonized abyssal depths near hydrothermal vents. The South African white mussel exceptionally doesn't bind itself to rocks but burrows into sandy beaches extending two tubes above the sand surface for ingestion of food and water and exhausting wastes.
Freshwater mussels inhabit permanent lakes, rivers, canals and streams throughout the world except in the polar regions. They require a constant source of cool, clean water. They prefer water with a substantial mineral content, using calcium carbonate to build their shells.






 Freshwater mussels are used as host animals for the cultivation of freshwater pearls. Some species of marine mussel, including the Blue Mussel (Mytilus edulis) and the New Zealand green-lipped mussel (Perna canaliculus), are also cultivated as a source of food.
In some areas of the world, mussel farmers collect naturally occurring marine mussel seed for transfer to more appropriate growing areas, however, most North American mussel farmers rely on hatchery-produced seed. Growers typically purchase seed after it has set (about 1mm in size) or after it has been nursed in upwellers for 3-6 additional weeks and is 2-3mm. The seed is then typically reared in a nursery environment, where it is transferred to a material with a suitable surface for later relocation to the growing area. After about three months in the nursery, mussel seed is “socked” (placed in a tube-like mesh material) and hung on longlines or rafts for grow-out. Within a few days, the mussels migrate to the outside of the sock for better access food sources in the water column. Mussels grow quickly and are usually ready for harvest in less than two years. Unlike other cultured bivalves, mussels use byssus threads (beard) to attach themselves to any firm substrate, which makes them suitable for a number of culture methods. There are a variety of techniques for growing mussels.

 In roughly 12-15 months, mussels reach marketable size (40mm) and are ready for harvest (FAO). Harvesting methods depend on the grow-out area and the rearing method being used. Dredges are currently used for on-bottom culture. Mussels grown on wooden poles can be harvested by hand or with a hydraulic powered system (FAO). For raft and longline culture, a platform is typically lowered under the mussel lines, which are then cut from the system and brought to the surface and dumped into containers on a nearby vessel. After harvest, mussels are typically placed in seawater tanks for depuration before marketing.






Humans have used mussels as food for thousands of years and continue to do so. About 17 species are edible, of which the most commonly eaten are Mytilus edulis, M. galloprovincialis, M. trossellus and Perna canaliculus.

Mussel Stew

Freshwater mussels nowadays are generally considered to be unpalatable, though the native peoples in North America ate them extensively. During the second World War in the United States, mussels were commonly served in diners. This was due to the unavailability of red meat related to wartime rationing.
In Belgium, the Netherlands, and France, mussels are consumed with french fries ("mosselen met friet" or "moules-frites") or bread. In Belgium, mussels are sometimes served with fresh herbs and flavorful vegetables in a stock of butter and white wine. Frites/Frieten and Belgian beer sometimes are accompaniments. In the Netherlands, mussels are sometimes served fried in batter or breadcrumbs, particularly at take-out food outlets or informal settings. In France, the Éclade des Moules is a mussel bake that can be found along the beaches of the Bay of Biscay.
In Italy, mussels are mixed with other sea food, they are consumed often steam cooked (most popular), sometimes with white wine, herbs, and served with the remaining water and some lemon. In Spain, they are consumed mostly steam cooked, sometimes boiling white wine, onion and herbs, and served with the remaining water and some lemon. They can also be eaten as "tigres", a sort of croquette using the mussel meat, shrimps and other pieces of fish in a thick bechamel then breaded and fried in the clean mussel shell. They are used in other sort of dishes such as rices or soups or commonly eaten canned in a pickling brine made of oil, vinegar, peppercorns, bay leaves and paprika. In Turkey, mussels are either covered with flour and fried on shishs ('midye tava'), or filled with rice and served cold ('midye dolma') and are usually consumed after alcohol (mostly raki or beer). They are used in Ireland boiled and seasoned with vinegar, with the "bray" or boiling water as a supplementary hot drink. In Cantonese cuisine, mussels are cooked in a broth of garlic and fermented black bean. In New Zealand, they are served in a chili or garlic-based vinaigrette, processed into fritters and fried, or used as the base for a chowder. In India, mussels are popular in Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka-Bhatkal, and Goa. They are either prepared with drumsticks, breadfruit or other vegetables, or filled with rice and coconut paste with spices and served hot. Fried mussels ('Kadukka' in Malayalam) of north Kerala are a spicy, favored delicacy.

Mussel Dish

Mussels can be smoked, boiled, steamed, roasted, barbecued or fried in butter or vegetable oil. As with all shellfish, except shrimp, mussels should be checked to ensure they are still alive just before they are cooked; enzymes quickly break down the meat and make them unpalatable or poisonous after dying or un cooked.[citation needed]Some mussels might contain toxins. A simple criterion is that live mussels, when in the air, will shut tightly when disturbed. Open, unresponsive mussels are dead, and must be discarded. Unusually heavy, wild caught, closed mussels may be discarded as they may contain only mud or sand. (They can be tested by slightly opening the shell halves.) A thorough rinse in water and removal of "the beard" is suggested. Mussel shells usually open when cooked, revealing the cooked soft parts.
Although mussels are valued as food, mussel poisoning due to toxic planktonic organisms can be a danger along some coastlines. For instance, mussels should be avoided along the west coast of the United States during the warmer months. This poisoning is usually due to a bloom of dinoflagellates (red tides), which contain toxins. The dinoflagellates and their toxin are harmless to mussels, even when concentrated by the mussel's filter feeding, but if the mussels are consumed by humans, the concentrated toxins cause serious illness, such as paralytic shellfish poisoning.

Kitchen Hint of the Day!

Mussel Tips

* When purchasing, make sure they're alive by tapping their shells, which will snap closed. Any mussels that don't close are probably dead and shouldn't be eaten.


* Live mussels will keep in the refrigerator for two to three days if placed on a tray and covered with a damp towel. Spread them out; never pile the mussels on top of one another.


* Clean them with a brush under cold running water, and discard any than have a non-clear liquid coming out of them. If they have a visible"beard", brush it off just before cooking, as removing it will kill the mussel.


* To cook them all you have to do is boil them in a pot. Mussels are ready when their shells open, and any mussels that aren't open should be discarded. Serve over pasta or with French Fries, and enjoy!