Comfort Won Out

I was looking forward to going to Pete's Frootique Five Year Celebration today...but then again, my Honey just got back from Toronto and I did pick up some fresh Indian Point Mussels at the market yesterday that would be perfect for a late lunch.

Not to mention that it's a perfect day for just lounging about in pjs and never getting dressed. So the mussels won. It was a group effort...okay, it was just me in the kitchen, but I did have inspirational help:
Chef Gui Gedda, author of The Provencal Cookbook I just wrote about - a great traditional Moules Provencal made with white wine, dried fennel stalks (which naturally I didn't have) garlic, white wine and cream and some other things that all sounded delish. It's just that it was a two-step process and I was too impatient - I'll save it for another day.

Chef Calvin Burt of The Shipwright's Cafe in Prince Edward Island. He whipped up steamed mussels with white wine, tons of garlic and fresh tomatoes from his garden when I was there for PEI's Fall Flavours Event back in September...and I'm still drooling.

Chef Michael Smith, who always inspires me, has a great "non-recipe" for mussels in The Best of Chef at Home.

So with a little of this, and a little of that....Steamed Mussels with White Wine & Fennel made its way to our table for lunch with a glass or two of Moselland ArsVitis Riesling (simply delightful) for me and some Stella Artois for my Honey, not to mention the crusty bread for sopping up all that delicious sauce.
And perhaps Marye Audet and her Everything Cookies & Brownies Cookbook will inspire some tasty treat for the rest of the afternoon. Update: the Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies were perfect!