A couple of years ago I got a wicked cold/flu that laid me up for over a week. The head cold portion of my illness had prevented me from tasting anything in several days and I had a craving for flavor. During one of my marathon stints on the couch in front of the TV I surfed across That Famous home maker now X-con, Martha Stewart. Martha was making a dish that looked loaded with flavor, so much in fact that it had the potential of flavor delivery despite my head cold. She called her concoction "Mussels Sambal" and it looked so tasty I had to try it. So I scribbled down the recipe and set out to collect the necessary ingredients and in a few hours I was dipping some warm Italian bread into the hot spicy broth of "Mussels Sambal" Very spicy, very delicious. My wife and I have since gone on to make this little number many, many times and have even served it at dinner parties. There is always left over sauce and as my good friend Ken pointed out "this would be great on rice" Which it is! So if your looking to sweat a bit and want a meal with some intense flavor look no further. No guarantee it will cure the common cold but it sure can come close!!

Mussels Sambal

2 tbsp. chili garlic sauce

5 Medium cloves garlic peeled and coarsely chopped

1 inch of fresh ginger root - peeled and chopped

2 tsp. dried hot red pepper flakes

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. coarse salt

1/2 tsp. turmeric

2 Lbs. fresh mussels scrubbed

2 tbsp. canola oil

3 tbsp. fresh squeezed lime juice (1 big lime)

2 med. red onions sliced thin

14 ounce can coconut milk (don't forget to shake it before you open it)

2 tbsp. brown sugar, packed.

1. Make Sambal paste - in food processor (or blender) combine chili sauce, garlic, ginger, hot pepper flakes, cumin & turmeric and process until smooth.

2. In large pot heat oil over medium heat, add sambal paste and cook, stir occasionally, until fragrant, (about 2 or 3 minutes) Add onions and cook until soft (3-5 min) Stir in coconut milk, brown sugar and salt. Add mussels, cover and cook until mussels are open and cooked through (5-7 minutes) Remove from heat, transfer to serving dish, sprinkle with lime juice and serve immediately with a loaf of fresh crusty bread and a cold cold beer or a tall glass of ice water. (leftover sauce is fantastic on rice, throw in a few shrimp too, yum!!)