Oil Your Mussels

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Q:With so many varieties of olive oil, I am confused. I understand most suggest a virgin olive oil, but still, I find this is little or no help. I once asked a 100 percent Italian what kind they buy. He said, "the cheapest."

There are light extra virgin olive oils, dark ones, you name it. Prices vary to a great degree, as well, Recently I purchased a bottle and after I opened it and gave a taste, it tasted just like castor oil, and I quickly returned it to the store. I have since forgotten which brand it was, for the sole purpose NEVER to buy it again. What can you suggest? --Cheri

A: Your Italian friend, in my opinion, was mostly correct. Just like balsamic vinegar, it is possible to pay fairly staggering amounts for the rarest extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), and true connoisseurs can easily tell the difference in such oil-intensive applications as salad dressings and bread dips.

However, I live in the real world where my truck payment is a little more important than getting that ultra-rare EVOO for $75 a pint.

In general, the brands sold in your local grocery store, such as Bertolli or Pompeii, are good-quality oils that will work for any application. If you truly want to spend big bucks, go to an Italian or Mediterranean market to find it.

A popular new product is "light" olive oil, which has few of the taste characteristics of traditional EVOO, but contains all the healthful monounsaturated fats of its greener cousin. It can also be heated to higher temperatures than EVOO and used for deep-frying applications.

Q: I just wanted to know how you clean mussels, and then what's the best way to cook them (ie: boil them).-- Enas M.

A: Before cleaning those mussels, make sure you've bought some worth the effort: make sure to buy only closed, unbroken shells that don't feel overly heavy (full of sand). Unwrap them as soon as you get them home so they can breathe.

Put your shellfish on to soak for a half-hour in fresh, clean water so they have a chance to expel any sediment from their systems.

The last major step is removing the "beard," the small tuft of cartilaginous flesh protruding from the shell on its straight flank. To do so, grasp the shell in one hand and, using a towel, get a firm grip on the beard. With a sharp motion, pull the beard out and then back toward the hinge of the shell. This will pull off the beard and its anchoring tendons.

If you have cats, they will be your best friends if a beard or two end up in their dishes.

After this step, just give the shells a quick swipe with a stiff brush and you're ready to cook!

As for that cooking, pick your favorite recipe. My preference is steamed with a white wine sauce, but there are as many ways to cook them as there are mussels in the sea.

Q:What's the secret to making an omelet? I always end up with scrambled eggs. Is there a certain heat that I should be using? olive oil or butter? etc. Thanks for the heads up! --Joy

A: A lot of omelet-making has to do with practice, but I can give you a few tips, partly picked up from Alton Brown at a recent cooking class, that will get you on the right track.

First, make sure you use the freshest eggs you can get hold of. The extra 20 cents a dozen you pay for the Grade AA eggs over the Grade A eggs will have results when you get to the plate.

Second, hold the milk! If you, like me, grew up in a household where milk was a regular addition to scrambled eggs, you've no doubt gotten into the habit of adding it to omelet eggs as well. Stop it. It affects the browning and setting characterics of the finished product. Speaking of browning, use unsalted butter in your pan.

And speaking of the pan, paying big money for a nonstick omelet pan may not be the right way to go. Expensive nonsticks like T-Fal are incredibly durable because their surface is not truly smooth. It's got millions of peaks and valleys that keep any damage from becoming widespread.

That's all well and nifty, but for proper omelet production you need a VERY smooth surface. Guru Brown is famous for his super-cheap aluminum nonstick omelet pan. It's the same sort of $10 pan you'll find on the rack at Kmart or Target. It's exactly what you want. Yes, it will be more prone to damage, but if all you use it for is omelets and you use good-quality nylon or plastic utensils, it should last you quite a while.

Finally, and this is going to be very hard to accept (it was for me), the traditional omelet is NOT a salad bar wrapped in eggs. Omelets are designed to feature the eggs in all their glory: browned and tasty on the outside and light and custardy in the middle. At most, add a handful of fresh herbs and maybe a little cheese.

This is omelet heresy to those of you raised on the Denver omelet, or my personal favorite the chorizo, bacon and jalapeno. I'll be honest: I still love my loaded omelets! However, make a vow to at least TRY the traditional omelet and you'll be amazed at the different textures and flavors you can get out of a simple cackleberry.

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