Edmundo proposed to Lisa on Valentine's Day 2009, being under the influence of unbelievable food awesomeness. She is certain that tasting these mmmmm good mussels made Edmundo fall to his knees and beg her to cook these for him the rest of his life. Lisa's finest experiment to date -- inspired by a lot of wine, Julia Child style.

Mussels with Brandy, White Wine Cream Sauce

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 to 4 cloves garlic diced
• 4 medium shallots, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
• fresh Rosemary
• 1/3 cup Brandy
• ½ Lemon
• 1 1/2 cups dry white wine
• 4 dozen mussels of choice
• 3/4 cup light cream or half-and-half
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Cilantro
• fresh Basil

Heat the oil in a large, deep saute pan over medium heat.

When hot, add the garlic, rosemary and shallots and cook until just beginning to soften, 2 to 3 minutes.

Off heat (to avoid a flare-up), pour in the lemon, brandy and wine.

Simmer over medium heat for 1 minute.

Add the mussels and cover. Increase the heat to high and steam, shaking the pan once or twice, until the mussels open, 5 to 7 minutes.

Discard any unopened mussels.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the mussels to a serving bowl and cover to keep warm.

Using a fine-mesh strainer, strain the cooking liquid into a medium bowl.

Rinse out the saute pan and pour the strained liquid back into the pan.

Boil over high heat until the liquid is reduced to about 1 cup, 5 to 7 minutes.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the cream or half-and-half, butter, cilantro, basil, salt, and pepper.

Drizzle the sauce over the mussels and serve.