Quick and Easy Spain Inspired Dinner

Saturday night, I made a quick and light Spain inspired dinner: steamed clams in white wine and pan con tomate. This barely counts as a recipe, but I begrudgingly have to give credit to Gwyneth Paltrow, as I came across this recipe attributed to her in Mario Batali's Spain...A Culinary Road Trip. Despite Gwyneth's questionable presence in the book (she doesn't eat animals with four legs, including jamon iberico), I liked the book a lot; a combination travel guide and cookbook through the amazing culinary regions of Spain. I'll be trying out more recipes soon. Dinner served 2

Steamed Mussels in White Wine Recipe

• In a pot, combine 3 lbs of scrubbed clams, half bottle of white wine (I used a crisp South African Sauvignon Blanc and drank the rest with dinner), 3 bay leaves, chopped shallots, and a head of garlic, cut horizontally (no need to peel)
• Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for about 7-10 minutes, until all the clams open up
• Remove the clams to a serving bowl, add 2 TB of olive oil to the pot and simmer a bit to thicken, then strain the cooking liquid into the serving bowls

Pan Con Tomate

• Slice half a loaf of good bread into 1 inch slices. I use my favorite bread from Bay Cities. Brush with olive oil
• Grill the bread on a grill pan or outside on the grill on both sides until there are slight grill marks on the bread. The smoky charred flavor is the key. It's just not the same toasted in an oven.
• Meanwhile, grate 2 roma tomatoes, halved, on a box grater, discarding the skin
• When the bread is done, rub with garlic halves and spoon the tomato mixture onto the bread
• Sprinkle with coarse sea salt and olive oil (optional)