Cook Like a Rock Star by Anne Burrell

education.
When I’d go to a restaurant, the waiter would ask how many antipasti we wanted, three or four? I was in heaven! Antipasti are the beginning of the journey—they’re the first flavors you experience, they excite your taste buds, but they don’t fill you up; they’re just a few small bites to get your juices going before you move on to what’s next. Great appetizers are sometimes the most satisfying part of the meal. They’re small, there’s a huge variety, and they’re sexy!
As a chef I find that appetizers also offer a ton of room for creativity. In fact, when I go out to dinner I often order just two appetizers—one to start and one for my main—because they’re frequently the most interesting dishes on the menu. I think you’ll find these recipes will help you on your way to loving the first course as much as I do.

SERVES: 4 • TIME: ABOUT 30 MINUTES
    I’m always looking for new things to do with calamari. It’s inexpensive, and if you buy it already cleaned—which I HIGHLY recommend—it’s super Q&E (quick and easy) to use. This recipe is fun because it takes minimum effort and you get maximum kudos at the dinner table.
MISE EN PLACE
1 pound cleaned calamari, tubes and tentacles (or only tubes, if you prefer)
Extra virgin olive oil
3 or 4 cloves garlic, smashed, plus 1 whole clove
Pinch of crushed red pepper
4 fingerling potatoes, unpeeled and cut into ¼-inch rounds
Kosher salt
1 cup dry white wine
¼ cup kalamata or gaeta olives, slivered
4 thick slices of rustic Italian bread
2 cups baby arugula
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, for garnish
    1 Cut each calamari tube into ¼-inch strips lengthwise. If using the tentacles, cut into segments.
    2 Coat a large sauté pan generously with olive oil. Add the smashed garlic cloves and red pepper and bring to high heat. When the garlic is golden brown and very aromatic, 2 to 3 minutes, remove it from the pan and ditch it—it has fulfilled its garlic destiny!
    3 Add the potatoes to the garlic-infused oil and bring to medium-high heat; cook until brown on one side, about 5 minutes, then turn and brown the second side. Remove the potatoes from the pan and reserve.
    4 Add the calamari to the pan and toss it in the hot oil. Season with salt and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until it turns opaque. Add the wine and the olives and continue to cook until the wine has reduced by about half, 3 to 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
    5 While the calamari is cooking, toast or grill the bread until charred on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes total. Rub the bread with the remaining garlic clove and drizzle generously with olive oil.
    6 Divide the arugula between four serving bowls. Spoon the reserved potatoes, calamari, and the pan juices over the greens. Cut each piece of bread in half on the bias and lay it on top of the calamari; garnish with chives and serve.
    What a noodle!
When it comes to cooking with wine—use something you would feel comfy drinking.

SERVES: 4 • TIME: ABOUT 15 MINUTES
    Mussels are the unsung heroes of the shellfish world; they’re cheap, fast, and satisfying. (I wish more things in life were like this!) My favorite part of making a big pot of mussels is dipping a hunk of crusty bread in the broth. That’s why I add this lovely aïoli to the mix right before serving. This sexy sauce drips down into the mussel juice, giving it a spectacular flavor and the illusion that it’s a cream sauce. It’s super-dunkable!
MISE EN PLACE
FOR THE AÏOLI
2 egg yolks
2 cloves garlic, smashed
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1½ tablespoons pimentón (smoked paprika)
Kosher salt
1½ cups peanut or other neutral-flavored oil
FOR THE MUSSELS
Extra virgin olive oil
6 to 8 cloves garlic, smashed
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 pounds mussels, debearded and rinsed
4 or 5 sprigs of fresh oregano, leaves coarsely chopped
3 bay leaves
1 bottle dry white wine
1 baguette, cut into 1-inch slices on the bias
3 scallions, white and green parts, thinly