I like mollusks. Raw or cooked.
Clams, mussels, oysters, scallops, snails, squid, and octopus. Strange that such slimy, rubbery creatures could be so appealing, organs and all.
As a tiny child I was amazed by the versatility of clams. They were good fried, raw, steamed, in chowder, and on pizza. Tramping about in tidal ponds in Maine I also discovered that they made entertaining pets...It was shortly after this finding that I became deathly allergic to clams--call it clam karma.
One of the appeals of mollusks in general is their adaptability in the kitchen. It's hard to find a flavor that would clash horribly with them, and they can be the part or the theme of a multitude of dishes from sushi to paella.
This brings me to my main topic: Mussels.
When I was small and somewhat of a sociopath I spent much of my summer vacations on the rocky beaches of Maine collecting stones and cracking open blue mussels just to see what was inside of them. There usually wasn't much. Bright orange flesh, a dark nubby heart, and occasionally a tiny black pearl. It was surprising that such a horrifying little creature could taste so decedent with a simple white wine cream sauce.
Over the summer I went to Brussels and ate mussels stewed in a light ale with mushrooms and potatos--A veritable symphony of flavors!
I was curious about the different colors of the mussels...Why were some orange colored and some flesh colored? And why did the orange ones have a softer texture? I thought it must have something to do with the cooking, but according to
this website it is actually due to the gender of the mussel. The orange ones are female and the white ones are male!
Aren't they pretty?
Anyway that's all for now. Hopefully now that I'm enjoying the sweet relief of winter vacation I will be able to make more frequent updates!
