L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2016 www.italoamericano.org 19 L'Italo-Americano ITALIAN SECTION | LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES I was in the Pacific Northwest recently visiting family and as usual, I was amazed at the a b u n d a n c e o f f r e s h l o c a l seafood available in the local markets. Beautiful locally raised black mussels for $5.99/lb is not something you'd ever see in L . A . , b u t l a r g e c h a i n s l i k e Costco as well as small seafood specialty stores around Seattle carry these and other seafood treasures on a regular basis. Part of our trip included time on Lopez Island, in the San Juan Islands archipelago that lies between Washington State and Canada. Lopez Island features w o n d e r f u l l o c a l s e a f o o d a t J o n e s F a m i l y F a r m s , w h e r e baby oysters are being grown in preparation for being placed in the cold waters of Lopez Sound to grow to maturity, and where a whole range of fresh seafood is offered at incredible prices. Best of all, during the season Dungeness crab can be crabbed in the local waters, and prepared for the whole family. This is also the way it is in Marche, Italy. Our six-week s t a y n e a r S e n i g a l l i a , o n t h e A d r i a t i c c o a s t o f M a r c h e , opened our eyes to a whole uni- verse of the sea's cornucopia we had never encountered here! We found seafood straight off the boat caught right there in the wide Adriatic Sea by fishermen apt to be part of a multi-genera- tional fishing family. Where JOSEPH BECCI American seafood markets may offer octopus and squid, the supermarket in Senigallia had five or six additional versions in the same range—cuttlefish, of course, but others with no obvi- ous English translation: and all delicious! We became so used to this extraordinary variety of options at the seafood counter that it was a shock, returning home, to see the more limited range of seafood here. Fortunately, whether in Italy, Seattle, or anywhere else in the United States, mussels are rela- tively easy to come by for most of us. We don't have to have fisherman bringing their daily c a t c h t o m a r k e t b y w a l k i n g from the shore to the seafood s t o r e w i t h i t , a s t h e y d o i n Senigallia, to find "cozze" of excellent quality. This simple and fast dish is unusual in its use of saffron. While saffron is grown and har- vested in Italy, today, it proba- b l y o r i g i n a t e d i n P e r s i a . Perhaps it ended up in Marche from the spice trade of nearby Venice. This recipe serves 4 as a first course. Directions and Ingredients: · 2 lbs. live black mussels · Salt and pepper · Extra virgin olive oil · 3 c l o v e s o f g a r l i c , 2 minced and 1 cut in half for the crostini · 1 baguette of crusty bread · 1 bunch parsley · 4 Roma tomatoes, diced, or a n y o f y o u r s u m m e r g a r d e n tomatoes · A big glass of white wine · 1 small lemon, juiced · 1 big pinch of saffron 1. Prepare a large bowl with cold water, ice and a big handful of salt; mix to dissolve. Clean the mussels by vigorously rins- ing and pulling out any beards. Place in the salt-water bath for about 1 hour to let the mussels expel any sand. 2. Make the crostini by slic- ing the bread ½-inch thick. Heat oven to 350-degrees. Place the bread slices on a sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 10-15 minutes, flipping them over once, until the bread is crusty on top. Remove from the oven, rub with the cut garlic clove and sprinkle with a little salt. 3. In a large pan with a lid, warm a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and chopped parsley and some salt and pepper. Stir until the garlic is lightly browned. 4. Add the diced tomatoes and stir. Cook until the tomatoes become soft but not too mushy. Add the white wine and cook for a minute more. 5. Add the mussels, saffron and lemon juice. Combine and cover with the lid. Cook until t h e m u s s e l s h a v e o p e n e d . Discard any mussels that don't open. 6. Serve in big bowls includ- ing lots of broth along with the crostini for dipping in the mus- sel broth. Joe and Michele Becci are a brother and sister team who love all things Italian. Together, from opposite coasts, they co- a u t h o r t h e b l o g O u r I t a l i a n Table.com. This simple and fast dish is unusual in its use of saffron Cozze alla marchigiana

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