Since Eve ate apples, much depends on dinner (Lord Byron)

My husband tells me quite often that I have too much time on my hands - too much time to think about silly things! One silly thing that I thought about recently was - which meal would I request on my death bed? There's sooo much good food out there, what would I like to be the last taste to transport me from this world to the next? And I would have to answer moules frites (or steamed mussels with chips) - followed by some cheese and, of course, some chocolate for desert! Nothing gets my taste buds going more than moules frites.

I'll never forget the first time I had them. It was about 4 or 5 years ago and the company I work for was going through a re-branding process. There was a whole plethora of things to re-brand, from office stationary to brochures to the web to shops to name tags. You name it, it had to be re-branded - and there was looooots. One of the items that I was responsible for re-branding was boxes. So we asked our purchasing department to put out a tender and together with them would choose the best bidder. We chose a bidder from Rovinj, a lovely picturesque town on the Istrian coast of Croatia. I was to go there with our advertising agency in order to overlook the printing process and approve the first print-outs. There were over a dozen boxes to be printed and each one had to be approved. Now, if you know what the printing process consists of, you would know that this was going to be a very long day and night. We ended up working from 12pm until 7 am the next day, without a wink of sleep and only a break for dinner. As it was my first time in town I asked the guys from the printing house to choose something for me for dinner. I was too bloody tired to choose anything anyway! Well, we went for a walk to a nearby konoba (the simple explanation for konoba would be restaurant but the proper meaning is much more complicated than that. Croatians even write songs about their favourite konoba, they're sacred places!) and they chose moules frites. Now, I'd never had shellfish before, was always a bit too chicken to try it out really, and the first thought that went through my head was "They don't expect me to eat this, do they???" They did, and I didn't want to be a bad guest by refusing. Let's just say that after that first timid taste I was hooked for life and never looked back.

Maybe my husband is right - maybe I do have too much time on my hands to think about silly things! But when I think of moues frites, it reminds of lots of lovely times I've had. Like when I had some with my dearest friend Maro in a lovely French restaurant in Sydney (I think the restaurant was called "Sel et Poivre" - correct me if I'm wrong Maro!) or when Ivan and I went to Paris a few years back and had some at a little brasserie just off Notre Dame (where the waiter was soooo horribly rude) or when Davor and I had some in Saint Malo (totally disappointed with the city but the moules frites knocked our socks off allright!) Think it was one of, if not the, best meal we had on our recent trip.

So requesting moules frites as my last supper is more than a final, worldly taste experience, rather, a remembrance of wonderful times had with lots of very special people.

If you feel like giving it a whirl at home, it ain't hard at all to make. And tastes absolutely scrumdidiliumpcious (in the words of Willy Wonka!)

Moules frites (serves 4 - depends on your appetite!)

2 kg mussels - cleaned, scrubbed, beards removed
50g butter
1 large onion - thinly sliced
1 clove garlic - thinly sliced
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 glasses white wine
Salt, pepper
A bit of chopped parsley

Melt the butter in a large, heavy bottomed pot with a tight fitting lid. Add the onion and garlic and fry until translucent. Add the wine, herbs, salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Add the mussels, put the lid on and "steam" for 5 - 7 minutes.

In the meantime, make the chips (if you don't feel like eating or making chips, bread's a good way to go too!).

Place the mussels and liquid in large bowls (discard any mussels that haven't opened), sprinkle over the parsley and serve with chips or bread on the side for dipping into the liquid.

Here are a couple of photos of Saint Malo. I say we were a bit disappointed with it but it was only because it was almost completely devoid of life (i.e., people!). Looking back, I wouldn't mind going there again, but maybe when the weather's a bit nicer and during the day when there's a bit more hustle and bustle...