sliced on the bias
FOR THE AÏOLI
Put the egg yolks, garlic, vinegar, pimentón, and a sprinkle of salt in a food processor and purée until the mixture is homogeneous. Then, with the machine running, VERY slowly drizzle in some of the oil until the mixture is thick and smooth. When it starts to look like mayonnaise, the rest of the oil can be added in a thin, slow stream; season with salt. You want relatively thin aïoli here. If it’s too thick, add a few drops of water to thin it; or on the flip side, if it’s too thin, add more oil. TASTE for seasoning, adjust if needed, and refrigerate until ready to use.
FOR THE MUSSELS
1 Coat the bottom of a large pot (big enough to hold all the mussels) with olive oil. Add the garlic and red pepper and bring to medium-high heat; cook until the garlic is golden and very aromatic, 4 to 5 minutes.
2 Add the mussels, oregano, and bay leaves and stir to coat with the oil; add the wine and cover the pot. Steam the mussels for 5 to 6 minutes; if not all the shells are open, continue to cook them all a little longer. While the mussels are steaming, grill the bread.
3 Serve the mussels in bowls with lots of juice from the pot (as much as you like!). Generously drizzle each bowl with the aïoli, garnish with the scallions, and serve the toasted bread alongside.
Holy aïoli!
When it comes to cooking shellfish, the ones that don’t open are the freshest—continue to cook them until they give up!
When you buy mussels, or any shellfish for that matter, make sure you buy them in mesh bags—remember, these guys are alive and they need to breathe! They also need to stay cold, so don’t be afraid to ask your fishmonger for a bag of ice to toss in your shopping bag. Scrub the mussels well and refrigerate them until you’re ready to cook (but do not put them in a bowl of water!). If any shells are cracked or broken, toss them. The rule is: When in doubt, throw ’em out.
SERVES: 4 • TIME: ABOUT 1½ HOURS, MOSTLY UNATTENDED
My mom is a florist so I love flowers—especially big orange ones like zucchini blossoms! I make zucchini blossoms stuffed full of creamy ricotta cheese and then fry them until they’re golden and crispy. In my opinion, zucchini blossoms are nature’s perfect little packages. What’s better than a crispy, crunchy, cheesy flower? A crispy, crunchy, cheesy flower on a bread salad—a gorgeous mix of perfectly ripe tomatoes, basil, cucumber, red onion, and bread, which softens when it absorbs all the veggies’ wonderful juices.
MISE EN PLACE
FOR THE PANZANELLA
1¼ cups red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1½ teaspoons sugar
2 shots of Tabasco or other hot sauce
1 clove garlic, smashed
½ small red onion, thinly sliced
½ Kirby cucumber, sliced into ⅛-inch rounds
6 1-inch slices stale Italian bread, crusts removed, and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half
6 fresh basil leaves, cut into a chiffonade
2 to 3 tablespoons big fat finishing oil
FOR THE BLOSSOMS
8 zucchini blossoms
1½ cups ricotta cheese, goat cheese, mozzarella, or any other good melting cheese
½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano
1 bunch of fresh Italian parsley, leaves finely chopped
Kosher salt
Peanut or other neutral-flavored oil
1½ cups all-purpose flour
¾ to 1 cup dry white wine
FOR THE PANZANELLA
1 Combine the vinegar, 1 cup water, the salt, sugar, Tabasco, and garlic in a large jar or other container with a tight-fitting lid and shake, shake, shake to combine. Add the onion and cucumber, shake again, and let sit for at least 1 hour. (You’re making pickles here, and this step can totally be done ahead of time—like yesterday!)
2 Put the bread in a large bowl with ½ to 1 cup of water to soften. Squeeze and knead the bread with your hands, then let it sit for 30 minutes.
3 Squeeze out any excess water from the bread, put the bread back in the bowl, and crumble it through your fingers. Toss in the tomatoes, add the pickled onion and cucumber (strain these out and
FOR THE AÏOLI
Put the egg yolks, garlic, vinegar, pimentón, and a sprinkle of salt in a food processor and purée until the mixture is homogeneous. Then, with the machine running, VERY slowly drizzle in some of the oil until the mixture is thick and smooth. When it starts to look like mayonnaise, the rest of the oil can be added in a thin, slow stream; season with salt. You want relatively thin aïoli here. If it’s too thick, add a few drops of water to thin it; or on the flip side, if it’s too thin, add more oil. TASTE for seasoning, adjust if needed, and refrigerate until ready to use.
FOR THE MUSSELS
1 Coat the bottom of a large pot (big enough to hold all the mussels) with olive oil. Add the garlic and red pepper and bring to medium-high heat; cook until the garlic is golden and very aromatic, 4 to 5 minutes.
2 Add the mussels, oregano, and bay leaves and stir to coat with the oil; add the wine and cover the pot. Steam the mussels for 5 to 6 minutes; if not all the shells are open, continue to cook them all a little longer. While the mussels are steaming, grill the bread.
3 Serve the mussels in bowls with lots of juice from the pot (as much as you like!). Generously drizzle each bowl with the aïoli, garnish with the scallions, and serve the toasted bread alongside.
Holy aïoli!
When it comes to cooking shellfish, the ones that don’t open are the freshest—continue to cook them until they give up!
When you buy mussels, or any shellfish for that matter, make sure you buy them in mesh bags—remember, these guys are alive and they need to breathe! They also need to stay cold, so don’t be afraid to ask your fishmonger for a bag of ice to toss in your shopping bag. Scrub the mussels well and refrigerate them until you’re ready to cook (but do not put them in a bowl of water!). If any shells are cracked or broken, toss them. The rule is: When in doubt, throw ’em out.
SERVES: 4 • TIME: ABOUT 1½ HOURS, MOSTLY UNATTENDED
My mom is a florist so I love flowers—especially big orange ones like zucchini blossoms! I make zucchini blossoms stuffed full of creamy ricotta cheese and then fry them until they’re golden and crispy. In my opinion, zucchini blossoms are nature’s perfect little packages. What’s better than a crispy, crunchy, cheesy flower? A crispy, crunchy, cheesy flower on a bread salad—a gorgeous mix of perfectly ripe tomatoes, basil, cucumber, red onion, and bread, which softens when it absorbs all the veggies’ wonderful juices.
MISE EN PLACE
FOR THE PANZANELLA
1¼ cups red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1½ teaspoons sugar
2 shots of Tabasco or other hot sauce
1 clove garlic, smashed
½ small red onion, thinly sliced
½ Kirby cucumber, sliced into ⅛-inch rounds
6 1-inch slices stale Italian bread, crusts removed, and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half
6 fresh basil leaves, cut into a chiffonade
2 to 3 tablespoons big fat finishing oil
FOR THE BLOSSOMS
8 zucchini blossoms
1½ cups ricotta cheese, goat cheese, mozzarella, or any other good melting cheese
½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano
1 bunch of fresh Italian parsley, leaves finely chopped
Kosher salt
Peanut or other neutral-flavored oil
1½ cups all-purpose flour
¾ to 1 cup dry white wine
FOR THE PANZANELLA
1 Combine the vinegar, 1 cup water, the salt, sugar, Tabasco, and garlic in a large jar or other container with a tight-fitting lid and shake, shake, shake to combine. Add the onion and cucumber, shake again, and let sit for at least 1 hour. (You’re making pickles here, and this step can totally be done ahead of time—like yesterday!)
2 Put the bread in a large bowl with ½ to 1 cup of water to soften. Squeeze and knead the bread with your hands, then let it sit for 30 minutes.
3 Squeeze out any excess water from the bread, put the bread back in the bowl, and crumble it through your fingers. Toss in the tomatoes, add the pickled onion and cucumber (strain these out and
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