YUMMY IN MY TUMMY...

So I mentioned in my last post how I'm becoming passionate about cooking, well last night I made an incredible pasta with mussels. Here's a picture or two to help you drool:



I thought the recipe sounded amazing and simple too, so I gave it a try, and man was it amazing! You basically make a basil flavored oil using fresh basil leaves, some anchovy fillets or paste, and some olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. You put the basil and anchovy in a small processor or use a mortar and pestle to just bash it up right, and then add the rest of the ingredients and blend it together. After that, you cook the pasta as normal, and at the same time get a big pan (I used a pan that's also kind of like a pot... there's probably a name for it, but anyway, it worked great!), and get it screaming hot without anything in it yet, then you toss in the mussels and a glass of white wine and cover it, bringing down the temp to low. It steams and cooks in minutes. Then when the pasta is done, you drain it and toss it into the pot with the mussels, wine, and brilliant juices from the mussels, and then add in the basil oil, with some chopped up chili peppers and tiny basil leaves for garnish and flavor. It just tasted incredible, like pasta I've had at very fine restaurants, just brilliant. I can't wait to try another recipe out. The next one that I have my eye on is a bacon wrapped white fish, with asparagus and a lemon mayonnaise.