DelSo Wine Oh!

Here's how we do summer Sundays in the DelSo.

DelSo - the word, the blog, the map

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Normanskill Run

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If I were mayor - crosswalk etiquette

To me, living in a city means not always relying upon a car to get my errands done.  As a matter of fact, my favorite days are those when I don't have to even get in my car.   

I've noticed there are some problems when negotiating one's way around Albany on foot - namely cars and their drivers.  If I were mayor I would make it a priority to both educate the public, and enforce the existing laws regarding  pedestrians and crosswalks.  

 A couple of years ago when Delaware Avenue was improved, a number of crosswalks were included in the plan. These crosswalks are clearly marked on the pavement and are actually engineered from an alternative material from the rest of the road. some sort of faux brick outlined by white striping.

Now, you'd think that drivers would take note of this and perhaps abide by the law and allow pedestrians to cross the street safely.  Unfortunately, this is not the case and crossing Delaware Avenue continues to be a risky prospect.  I have to admit that sometimes I yell at drivers who refuse to yield to pedestrians.  Yep, that crazy woman shouting "Crosswalk!!!" and pointing at the previously described street markings was probably me. 

Is it possible that drivers are unaware of the status of the pedestrian?  Maybe the crosswalks need to be even more clearly defined?  Perhaps additional signage, or even lights, could be added to attract the attention of the drivers who do not seem to notice the crosswalks.  And, for those on foot, utilizing the crosswalks is the civilized way to get from one side of the street to the other.  Enough of this "crossing wherever I feel like it" nonsense.   

Pedestrians and cars - it's a two street.  Let's make it better for everyone, Albanians.  

Bridgeford Hardware

I will always remember the hardware store in my hometown, Greenwood Lake, N.Y. Despite the time of day, it always seemed like dusk inside and I can remember being fascinated by the uncountable bins filled with washers, nails, screws and other unnamed shiny metal things. On the hottest of summer days, the store emanated a mildly damp coolness that made walking the aisles a quiet treat and I don't remember ever complaining about it being my turn to run a hardware errand. 

That store is long gone, but in the DelSo we have Bridgeford Hardware, a throwback to those simpler times. Unlike the "big box" stores it is unnecessary to waste time searching for someone for assistance. Employees are readily available to help with practical suggestions and expert advice. Last week I finally decided to suck it up and replace the the screening in my sliding door to the deck. Now generally I'm not the worst person in the world in terms of home maintenance issues, but my hesitation was prompted by my experience the last time I replaced the screen a couple of years ago. On that particular day, the door was placed back on its slider and within an hour Cassidy Lilly (our family's sweet black lab) felt the need to open the door with her sharp claw creating a new puncture. A hole which naturally has been expanding ever since until it ultimately became an ad hoc doggie door. 

With the arrival of spring, and my desire to improve my homeowner maintenance capabilities, I called Bridgeford and asked what we could do to prevent another screen repair job from going awry. Was there plexiglass which could be screwed to the lower part of the door? Perhaps chicken wire (aesthetics are secondary to function in some instances) could be stapled over the screen to provide an extra layer of fortification from Cassidy's need to independently let herself out to the deck? It was explained that neither of these were an option as the plexiglass would crack when affixed by screws and chicken wire was not available. As an alternative, the patient man suggested using a flat sheet of metal, the type typically used when making covers for old school radiators. He did caution that they were expensive, probably close to $25, which would bring the cost of the repair up to about $50. I ended the call and considered my options. And then - I remembered that I already had one of those sheets of metal! I even knew where it was - bonus. I carried the door and the metal to my car and mere hours later, I was pleased to rehang the door that would let a breeze into my family room, yet keep the majority of pesky bugs out. 

Despite the additional labor and hardware involved with affixing the metal sheet, I wasn't charged anymore than the regular price for a screen repair of that size, $25. As for Cassidy, she hasn't even attempted to let herself out, so the solution has been a complete success. And my childhood love for hardware stores, like my sliding door's screen, remains intact.

Pink House Pottery

NOT Janine's real house!  image: http://www.atopdoll.com

When Janine and Matt had their DelSo residence painted last year I wondered if that shade of pink was reeaally what they were going for.  Once their daughter was born, however, I understood.  Paint your house pink and you will have a girl baby - even after two boy babies!  Apparently the fact that my house was white and red, wasn't quite enough to make pink. 

Prior to the birth of their third child, Janine, a certified art teacher, taught pottery at the Albany Art Room.  The closure (and anticipated eventual re-opening) of the Art Room coincided beautifully with the arrival of some pink in the DelSo neighborhood and it seems that Janine has been enjoying her time at home planning her next artistic endeavor - Pink House Pottery.  We've already established our neighborhood as a great place to live, eat and shop.  It only seems natural to begin developing our area as a place to explore the arts.  I mean, the Spectrum is already here as well as Davey Jones Locker and my wonderfully talented artist neighbors, why not a pottery place, too?

Janine is competing to  win an All Over Albany - Sunmark Credit Union Startup grant of $1500 to turn her dream of having a basement studio for sharing her love of clay into a reality.  Voting ends Friday so get yourselves involved by clicking here and supporting Pink House Pottery!

Dining Out for Life

image:http://blog.timesunion.com/tablehopping

After an inexcusable length of time, I finally got to Mingle last week. The stars aligned and I was unexpectedly free and there was a seat available at All Over Albany's table - perfect! I've been inside the restaurant since it became this more recent incarnation, but hadn't seen things going full throttle. It was busy! I found the variety of patrons to be refreshing, families, couples, groups of friends...a nice mix. The volume issues have been addressed with the addition of fabrics and rugs, but it is still a noisy place. Not really a complaint, just an observation.

This visit to Mingle was the second time I had been in a restaurant on this particular day and I was hoping for a better experience than I had suffered earlier in the day. That situation was truly bizarre, even for me. Essentially, I was driving with 3 other women, one of whom was hungry. When we pulled up to Chili's I was dismayed, but prepared to order a salad or something else equally healthy and light. Well...I sat down with that laminated menu and had a complete (internal) meltdown! There was absolutely nothing on that menu that I was willing to ingest. Everything I read screamed FAT or SODIUM or NOT FRESH. I just couldn't do it. Fortunately, I had a couple of oranges, some granola bars and yogurt pretzels in my car. And that is why I don't take road trips without packing rations.

My expectations of Mingle were much higher, and generally met. I had a salad that was a beautiful array of gorgeous fresh vegetables in a generous portion. My only complaint was the scantness of the blue cheese - for $12 I guess I just expected a little more. For my second course I had a half order of the lobster mac and cheese, influenced by Steve Barnes' endorsement.

Now, don't try to order a half portion of this super rich dish because it isn't really available. I was specifically told I would never get a half order of this pasta again and that an exception was made because of the evening's fundraising event. I guess I'm a bit confused by this, I mean, it's pasta and I can't imagine it is cooked to order so how much more difficult is it to serve half as much and charge $2 more than half the price? It is a lovely dish and I can almost imagine them selling more of it if it were available in a more petite portion. We all know how much fat is in mac and cheese and not everyone wants to reheat leftover lobster, so why not make it available in two sizes? Just a thought. This was my first time eating lobster mac and cheese so I obviously don't have a reference point, but I was surprised by the strong garlic flavor which overwhelmed the delicate taste of the shellfish. I was very pleasantly surprised that the lobster didn't suffer in terms of moistness by the time in the oven. A nice entree in a perfect for one portion.

I've heard really good things about the Korean tacos and those are next on my list to try.  Do you have any Mingle favorites to share?

P.S. I LOVE that they use DelSo on their homepage!!!

Rock n Run

Delmar Dash Day

I haven't really written too much about running lately...because I've been too damn busy running!  I ran a couple of races in March, including the Running of the Green (4 mi., 37:10) and the Ice Breaker Challenge 5k (26:25), while April's focus was the Delmar Dash (5 mi, 43:50).  You should know that I never imagined being able to bang out a 5k like it's nothing - when did that happen?  As far as running 5 MILES - well, I certainly didn't ever think I would be able to do that in my lifetime.  So, you know what that means, right?  Time to start pushing to 10k distances! 

I've been running with a couple of girlfriends and we're exploring the Normanskill, as well as the Pine Bush.  I love running down by the 'kill and would love to organize a couple of moonlit runs during the warmer months.  I think we could do a sweet 5 or 6 mile loop through the Normanskill area to the back nine at Capital Hills and then across New Scotland to Whitehall and back to the DelSo.  If you're interested let me know.  We'll probably have to be semi-stealth about it - shhhh.  As far as running in the Pine Bush - wow!  It is challenging and beautiful and kind of scary (ticks!), but it is also the perfect spot to meet my Niskayuna running friend, Chrissy.  And did I mention that it is stunningly beautiful?

May promises to be fun with the Rock and Run 5K, especially fun, in fact, if you're hitting Saratoga Saturday afternoon for a quick spin through the park's trails followed by a nice dinner and perhaps a cocktail.  Or two.  The run doesn't start until 10:30 Sunday morning so there are definite opportunities for fun!  Why don't you sign up, too?  Let's make it a real party.

It's All Good

I finally had a chance Saturday morning to get to All Good Bakers in their new DelSo location.  The space looks great - tidy, warm and inviting with the awesome aroma of baking bread. I poked around a little and was impressed with the variety of offerings - loaves of different shapes in varying shades of golden brown. I left with a couple of traditional white waxed bakery bags with bialys, cookies, rolls and a 2-day old loaf ($2!) of yummy bread that screamed French toast.  My overall impression was that this is staff of life bread - simple, wholesome, baked with care and quality ingredients, bread.  Not fussy or overwrought, but an essential, basic part of life.  Yeah, it's all good.

wholesome goodness

olive loaves

rolls, bialys, DelSo cookies

$2 deal of the day

French toast with All Good Bakers bread @chez Silvia

Delso cookies!

Sometimes I think I am a pretty lucky lady, other times I know I am a very lucky lady. Like Thursday evening when I got to participate in a Cookie Tasting. Yeah, I said Cookie Tasting. You may not know this, but I love cookies. If I had a choice between cookies, cake or pie, it would be cookies all the way for me, although I would eternally miss this pie.  Maybe it is their shape (I like circles) or the fact that I can eat many of them without feeling too guilty.  Or perhaps the way the pair so perfectly with a glass of cold milk.  And talk about varieties!  There are seemingly an infinite number of variations on these simple treats - and I'll try them all, holding a special place in my heart for New York City style black & whites, Linzer Tarts and good old fashioned chocolate chips.

You all know the exciting news about All Good Bakers relocating to the DelSo, yes? The owners of this terrific business already reside in the neighborhood and they, along with Linda Kindlon of Bake for You, decided that it would be appropriate to create a cookie that represented their new location - the DelSo cookie. Although I didn't officially submit a recipe, in my mind the winning cookie needed to be a combination of wholesome and indulgent, traditional yet with a surprise component, and definitely had to demonstrate an artistic flair without an iota of preciousness. That's kind of a lot to pack into 3 bites, isn't it?

The event was well organized with 6 varieties of cookies to be tasted. There were beverages, including Meadowbrook Farms milk, scorecards and plenty of cookies for those inclined to go back for seconds. Me? I was the annoying person who broke the cookies in half so as to not weigh myself down for my return run home. No worries - my hands were clean, I swear.

Of the six, I had two strong favorites but the cookie pictured was my ultimate number one - or number six since the scale was 1 to 6 with six being the best score. What set this cookie apart was the inclusion of popped corn,which added a completely unexpected airy crunch to the cookie. A close second was the Mexican chocolate cookie which had a wonderful chili pepper spice, making it very much a grown up cookie, which just might keep the children's hands out of the cookie jar.  Each of the different cookies, regardless of the ingredients (dried apples, orange zest, coconut...) was perfectly baked and there truly wasn't a bad one in the bunch.

It was a really fun way to spend an hour and I enjoyed chatting it up with the Fussy and the friendly. The winner has not yet been announced in the battle to be the DelSo cookie, but I know we, in the DelSo neighborhood, are certain that we are the ultimate winners with the upcoming arrival of All Good Bakers, complete with cookies from Bake for You,  in our little Best Up and Coming neighborhood.

DelSo Cookies!

Did you see this over on All Over Albany?  Geesh - leave town for a week and miss all kinds of exciting stuff!  You get excited about cookies, right?  There's a contest to come up with the perfect cookie to celebrate All Good Bakers' impending arrival in the DelSo.  I've been thinking about what would be the perfect representation of our neighborhood in a cookie form, and I've got some ideas...

Although the Wine n Diner didn't survive, something Mikey, the owner, said stuck with me.  I agree with his (co-opted) statement that Delaware Avenue is where Lark Street goes to grow up and believe the DelSo cookie needs to have some adult qualities...dark chocolate chunks,  Really dark chocolate with a bitter note. I'd say.  There's also the fact that Delaware Avenue was known as an Italian enclave so maybe toss in some toasted pignoli nuts to show proper respect to the family.  And then we'd need something to sweeten them up a bit - maybe some dark brown sugar?  Lastly - a little spiciness is present in our 'hood and I think a little ginger would add just the right touch.  

What do you think?  Get to Facebook and share your thoughts asap.  Contest is open until Monday only!!

Sunday Mornings in the DelSo

I've always loved Sundays - fat newspapers, leisurely breakfasts, a second cup of coffee... They're just relaxing. For the last couple of months, I've switched things up a bit, though, delaying my TU fix until a bit later in the morning to squeeze in a little yoga at the DelSo's own Yoga Loft. Although adding something to a day doesn't always equate with enhancing well being, yoga, perhaps exercise in general, scoffs at this notion. Making the time to stretch my body and calm down my brain is an addition to my schedule that starts the day off with balance and community - ommmmmmmmmmmm.

The Sunday morning Sadhana is more of a shared practice than a class designed to instruct. The mood is mellow with lots of constructive observations, countless adaptations, and a decidedly casual feel. If you're looking to be pushed, this is probably not going to be your thing. However, if you're interested in exploring and sharing your practice, as well as making a monetary donation to a local organization, you need to get yourself to 540 Delaware Avenue Sunday morning.

Here's the skinny: Sunday mornings from 9:30-11 (isn't that a nice civilized Sunday time?) the Yoga Loft offers a weekly class with a rotating schedule of teachers.  The price?  Pay what you will.  Now, don't be cheap because the money is donated, on a monthly basis, to charity.  January's recipient was the Humane Society.  See?  Feel good physically, spiritually, mentally and karmically.  And, yes, karmically is a word. It's in the free dictionary.

Sunday morning bliss is only going to get more...ah, blissful, when All Good Bakers hits the space right next door to the Yoga Loft.  Good thing I can walk there - that parking lot is going to be full!

All is Good in the Neighborhood!

The All Good Baker folks at The Wine and Dine for the Arts Festival

2012 had begun on a very high note in the DelSo...we're going to become the new home for Albany's only farm to baker, All Good Bakers.  Local, sustainable and fresh pretty much sums up their creed and the photos below offer a glimpse of how good those adjectives look when in the Fosters' capable hands. I can't wait to finally have an opportunity to get really familiar with all the good things created by All Good Bakers.  If that crazy delicious grilled cheese on their sourdough that I sampled at the Food and Wine Fest is any indication of what local, sustainable and fresh tastes like, well...I may want to hold on to some of my more generously cut jeans...

2 years of DelSo

Just about 2 years ago I started oversharing my life here. I had initially imagined a forum for multiple authors to contribute news, impressions and recommendations about our neighborhood, Delaware Avenue south. That's not quite how things went but, really, how often do we actually know the direction of our path from the very beginning?

So, 24 months later, what do you think? Complaints? Suggestions? Favorites?  Your turn to share.

Turkey Pot Pie, sort of

While my appreciation for Thanksgiving is boundless, I was at the end of the line with bountiful leftovers. Inventorying my fridge, I came up with a few chunks of sweet potatoes, some mashed potatoes, a small amount of sautéed mushrooms from Saturday's strip steak meal and some gravy. I thought I had some turkey, but other than a lonely drumstick, that had all been consumed by my "good eater" friend, Peter. Since I was mentally committed to preparing some comfort food, and I am master of the creative use of leftovers, I decided to make use of a couple of chicken breasts instead. The end result of my ridiculously easy efforts may have been the best pot pie ever!

Here's my technique: Unroll a crust and place it into a deep pie dish - or be all overachieving and make your own dough for a two-crust pie. Combine an assortment of vegetables, meat and liquid (more about this in a minute) and place in pie crust. The amount of liquid varies and unfortunately, I didn't make any attempt at measuring. I generally try to balance the liquid (gravy or broth) with the mashed potatoes to create a balance between moist, yet able to retain its form when cut into. In addition to using my gravy for inside the pot pie, I made use of it as a kind of "poaching" liquid, cooking a couple of chicken breasts in it due to my lack of turkey. I can't say how long I let them simmer in the gravy...maybe 20 minutes or so? Once they cooled off a little, I cut them up into bite-sized pieces and added them to the vegetables already in the crust, along with some par cooked some baby carrots. I checked my ratio of solid to liquid, thinking that the gravy should reach about the halfway point in the pie dish to ensure a steamy deliciousness when cut into. Check.

At this point, I showed my oldest son what I was making and he immediately dubbed it "Thanksgiving Pie." Fine. If that's what you want to call it, go right ahead. I topped the gorgeousness with the second crust and rolled the edges together and did my best to make it look presentable. I've mentioned before that crust is not my thing, right? I cut a couple of slits in the top to allow some steam to release during baking, and placed my pie in the oven at 375 degrees. I again remembered to place a baking sheet on the rack below my pie to catch any errant drips - yeah, me! After about 30 minutes, I increased the temperature to 400 and gave the pie another 15 or 20 minutes to finish getting all brown and pretty. I then called my neighbors and asked if they were hungry...

While I took a quick shower, I let the pot pie cool a bit and settle. Freshly washed, I grabbed my pie, some arugula and a lemon, and headed next door for an impromptu Sunday DelSo dinner with Ken and Lori. Their wine, my pot pie and salad, and another satisfying weekend drew to a close. Life, my friends, is good. Get some!

The Sound of Silence

My little corner of the DelSo is fairly quiet. The street I live on doesn't "feed" directly out to Delaware and the previously popular cut through to avoid the light on the corner of Whitehall and Delaware, was cut off prior to my moving into the neighborhood. Occasionally, there's some noise made when someone hosts a party (sorry!) but generally things are pretty tranquil in our little piece of heaven. Except, for in the summer, of course, when windows are thrown wide open. Then we hear the constant drone of traffic on the thruway.

My street is a couple of blocks from 87 and the sounds I generally hear are more a hum than a roar. I imagine living closer, though, might be a different story. I don't know if it is similar to living across the street from a firehouse, something my family did for a year when I was in elementary school. I recall becoming so used to the sounds of sirens and trucks that I no longer registered them as an interruption. Probably not ideal in case of emergency, right?

BIG crane!

Anyway, there's been some activity on the thruway for the past couple of months.  I initially assumed an additional lane was being built (which may still be in the cards) but it looks like it's going to sound a little different here in the DelSo..

Another lane?

...because we're getting these cool sound muffling walls. I think they look pretty good and I hope, for the sake of my neighbors who live ever so close to that busy road, that they sound even better.  It will be interesting to see what things sound like next summer.  And, let's hope these walls remain untagged, or at least graffitied by someone other than a Lilly boy and with some artistic talent. 

Productivity

photo from gearfire.net

What does it mean to you to be productive? It seems there are stages of productivity in life. My thirties were literally about producing babies and breast milk, in retrospect. I literally opened year 30 pregnant and was still nursing the little guy on my 40th birthday. I could show you the picture to prove it - holy D cup! The beginning of my 40s was transitional for me, but in a more private way than things now present themselves. I was beginning to produce some writing and photos that brought me pleasure, but there was nothing that I was prepared to share except on the smallest, most personal level. You know, like in a Christmas card or with immediate family. Certainly not out here in the virtual world of blogging.

And now? Now I feel myself being productive in an entirely new way, both public and intensely private. It's almost like what I'm producing is love, amor, agape, liebe and it is coming out of me in so many uncontainable ways. Always, words, words, words, but there's more than that. I have plants that are positively thriving under my attentions. It's like magic or kismet or the damnedest good karma. I can barely recall the day when I forced a decision with the boys' Dad: "The plants or the kids? I can't keep them all alive. Pick." But, somehow now I've got a good touch with my plants and I'm no longer afraid to accept the responsibility of taking care of them. A really, really good touch and that mostly dead fern my friend, Lisa, gave me last year is absolutely beautiful. I've never done anything but kill ferns in the past - in record time, as a matter of fact.  My boys are doing great, physically, emotionally and academically, and I'm enjoying them immensely.  There's been a marked expansion in my capacity to nurture, and no longer is there the question as to what has to give because I feel like I have so very much to give. And wouldn't you consider nurturing a type of productivity?

Over the weekend I thoroughly cleaned my house, prepared a delicious dinner of risotto and baked cookies. Despite opportunities to socialize and share a meal with friends in the DelSo, I opted to sit on my couch in my tidy home and enjoy the satisfaction of being alone and pleasantly tired. The efforts I invested over the course of my bonafide two day weekend paid off in aces for me, and I thoroughly appreciated the results of my work in the form of a bowl of greens and risotto with a glass of wine, followed by cookies and milk. Productivity looks and tastes pretty damn good.

An Albany evening

Last weekend I enjoyed what may have been the ideal early autumn Sunday afternoon in Albany. And it didn't even involve football or chicken wings. Instead, I got to wear something pretty and see people I originally met a couple of decades ago when I first worked for Donna and Yono Purnomo. I've celebrated quite a few milestones over the years with Albany's first family of restaurateurs - there have been graduations and birthdays and weddings and other anniversaries, but this event was to mark 25 years of Yono's, the restaurant. And the Purnomo family knows how to entertain, be it professionally or personally, believe me.

Naturally, there was food and wine in tasteful excess, along with faces I haven't encountered in many years. I felt a wonderful sense of family, and was struck by how many of the guests present had born witness to my life, as I have to theirs. It was a lovely party and I hope there will always be a place for me on the Purnomo guest list. If not, no worries - I'll just crash the party!

After spending a couple of hours chatting and having my appetite piqued with Bakmi Goreng and Babi Kecap, I headed over to Capriccio's cozy bar to enjoy a more substantial meal. I very much am an "eating at the bar" kind of girl because it is just so damn convivial.  This occasion was no exception to this life tenet and our party ebbed and flowed as we took over shared the bar with old, as well as new, friends.   

When I got in my car to drive home I was thrilled to listen to Hello, Pretty City on 97.7 WEXT. My drive seemed far too short but I arrived back in the DelSo smiling at Laura's voice, and feeling utterly at home and grounded in Albany, NY. The afternoon may have begun as an acknowledgement of a milestone in the hospitality business but it concluded, for me, as a celebration of my adopted city.  My professional and personal experiences with Donna and Yono over the past 20+ years are completely responsible for my introduction to Albany's finest restaurants.  The kindness and consistent support I received from them provided  the perfect foundation for me to expand my love for food, hospitality and the people who make both of those happen each day.  It may have been Donna and Yono's silver anniversary which we were celebrating, but to me, they truly are worth more than gold. 

Tomato Pie

Ah, late August, the season for earthquakes, hurricanes and tomatoes in upstate New York.  For the record, of the three, I prefer a glut of tomatoes over an excess of seismic activity or a deluge of rain accompanied by ridiculous winds.  

I took a bike ride Saturday to the Troy Farmer's Market to pick up a gallon (What? You don't buy your maple syrup by the gallon?!) of maple syrup.  Naturally, when you're riding a bike with saddlebags, as is true with many of life's experiences,  balance is important.  So, I picked up some gorgeous tomatoes, beautiful peaches and peppery arugula, in my quest to keep on an even keel as I rode back to the DelSo.  The maple syrup is for the impressive number of pancakes and/or waffles the Lilly boys can put away, as well as for adding a touch of sweetness to roasted squash and root vegetables as the season changes and I begin cooking autumnal style.  But, let's not rush things because there are still plenty of tomatoes to be eaten and I'm suggesting you enjoy some of them in a tomato pie.

Before baking

After

The basis of the recipe came from the August 2011 issue of Bon Appetit. Of course, I didn't really measure closely and I ignored the dill called for in the recipe and substituted basil and flat leaf parsley instead, with great results.  I also did not have Parmesan so I used some Asiago instead.  I found the buttermilk dough to be a bit onerous to work with.  Maybe I needed it to be colder to successfully roll it out?  A wider plastic wrap would probably have been helpful as the circumference of the dough exceeded the width of the plastic wrap making things challenging.  Or perhaps, I just suck at dealing with dough.  Anyway - it may not have been beautiful, but, it sure was tasty.  And, unlike Hurricane Tropical Storm Irene, this dish lived up to the hype.   

PS - I sincerely hope you all made it through the storm safely with minimal damage. 

Mussels!

Last week I picked up 2lbs of live mussels at Price Chopper for the incredible price of $2.99.  Yep - not a typo, less than $1.50 per pound!  This may be the cheapest least expensive meal I've ever cooked, macaroni with butter and onions and Parmesan aside.

Coincidentally, as I flipped around the television on the very same day, there was an episode of Secrets of a Restaurant Chef on and she, too, was cooking mussels.  Weird, huh?

I missed the beginning of her demo, but saw enough to know that I was on the right track with my own sensibilities regarding how to prepare these babies.  What follows is one of the easiest, low budget, delicious recipes eva!  Sweat some chopped onion and minced garlic in a combination of olive oil and butter - just enough fat to coat the pot and the vegetables.  Dump your mussels in the pot and pour in a couple of cups of white wine. Cover and cook over medium high heat for about 3 minutes.  Toss in a coarsely chopped plum tomato or two and a handful of fresh herbs - parsley, basil, rosemary, whatever you've got in any combination which you find pleasing.  Cover and cook 2 more minutes.  Transfer to a bowl and serve with grilled crusty bread.  Done.  My 2 lbs provided me with a satisfying light dinner with enough leftovers to treat my neighbors, recently returned to the DelSo following  some time spent with family, to a surprise appetizer.  Mussels - yummy to eat and fun to share.