Happy Easter! Joining my friends Mary Ann and Cindy with our five favorites this week and starting with a recipe for mussels with basil bread crumbs.
This week, we planned to visit the New York Botanical Gardens and then do some shopping on Arthur Avenue. We didn’t have reserved tickets for the NYBG (250 acres, we had no idea we would need a timed ticket in early April), so it turned out to be a trip to Arthur Avenue and then home in time for Brent to make dinner with what we bought! We decided on making Ina Garten’s Mussels and basil bread crumbs. Arthur Avenue was busier than usual, with everyone shopping for their holiday meals. Many of the restaurants had outdoor dining, and they were busy, which feels great. It was a warm spring day, and there was hope filling the air!
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I’m not sure how Brent came up with the idea of what to make, but it was easy to make it through our list at the shops along Arthur Avenue. We always go to Teitel Brothers for olive oil and Madonia Brothers Bakery for bread and cannoli.
Mussels with Basil Bread Crumbs
Ina Garten’s Mussels with Basil Bread Crumbs
We used Ina Garten’s recipe and added shallots.
Ingredients
2 shallots, diced
Instructions
- Combine the toasted bread cubes, garlic, 1/4 cup of olive oil, and lemon juice in a food processor and pulse a few times to make coarse crumbs. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, basil, salt, and pepper and pulse to combine. Add the pine nuts and pulse a few times to combine but not to chop the nuts. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil and cook the shallots until they are translucent in a pot like a Le Creuset. Add the wine and bring it to a boil. Add the mussels, cover, and cook over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes until the mussels have opened. Discard any mussels that don’t open. Add the basil bread crumbs and toss gently saving a little to sprinkle on top. Serve hot in shallow bowls with any pan juices and the remaining bread crumbs.
The Shopping List
1 1/2 pounds mussels
garlic
shallots
lemon
basil
sun-dried tomatoes
olive oil
pine nuts
white wine
bread
2. Spring Garden Focaccia Bread
I use this recipe from Christmas time because it is easy, and you can make it in less than two hours from start to finish. I used orange and yellow bell pepper for a spring garden look, chives for the grass, and scallions for the stems. I also slit the scallions open to cut leaves with a sharp knife. You could get even more creative, but I used what I had on hand, and I think it’s so pretty and fun! Kids just starting to cook and bake on their own would love something like this!
3. Serena & Lily
My favorite store is having an outdoor sale. I love how outdoor furniture no longer looks like it’s just for the patio. Serena & Lily has furniture that can get wet out by the pool, but it’s as comfortable as the coziest furniture you would put in your family room. I adore the new Blithdale Dining Table or the Wainscott. Both round and would work with a variety of chairs.
4. Is Granny Chic a thing?
Mary Ann is known for her before and afters, often using what people already have, but with a little refresh and Mary Ann’s eye for editing things in the room or in this case, the hutch! We’ve all heard that a little bit of “granny” is coming back. I’ve even heard the term granny chic. So out with farmhouse chic and in with granny chic. Mary Ann painted with the inside of her client’s existing hutch and then used a little back, brass, books, and some of the china, and wow! Read the post here!
5. Banana Republic
These finds from Banana Republic that I saw on Kim’s fashion Post. Wide leg jeans, an oversized black linen blazer, and this canvas tote. All on sale.
Yum!!! I love Mussels with a sauce that I can dip my bread into. Oh and Frites!!! I have not heard of granny chic but i’m all in for it. How did I miss it on Mary Anns post. Fun video!
Sandara! The bread dipped into the white wine sauce is the best part! And yes…frittes would make this even better!!!
Oh my gosh mussels sound great. Anything Ina makes is spectacular. I have never tried one of her recipes that was a bomb. That hutch that Mary Ann did was amazing. She took it from blah to WOW!! And I agree about Kim’s post so many good things! So sweet of you to feature both of them! I loved that tote too! And you are right there is hope in the air. We went to dinner outside in Paso Friday night and it was bustling with people dining alfresco!
Cindy, that’s so wonderful to hear that people were out and about dining al fresco in Paso! Hopefully soon indoor will return soon! NY is opening vaccinations to anyone 16 and over this week! Madeline was able to schedule hers for the 6th!! xx
Annie,
That bread sounds delicious and is so well decorated for the season…really any season. I truly enjoy the talented trio’s Sunday Finds.
Have a great week.
Karen
Karen! We are all so grateful that you come and check out our favorites each week! Hope you are enjoying a beautiful California spring! xx
Happy Post Easter,
The focaccia bread will be high on my list for a patio bridge lunch when the weather warms up here in the PNW. And, muscles will happen sooner.
We will be moving from our island to a retirement village about a year from now. Updated transitional will be the theme while layering our old goodies. I’m hoping for a corner banquette so love the wainscott table from Serena and Lily.
Still looking for a petite burberry trench on Ebay.
Hugs from Camano Island,
Diney