I had my first taste of sweet, succulent mussels at a recent visit to Mario Batali’s & Nancy Silverton’s Osteria Mozza restaurant in Los Angeles. For antipasti, we ordered steamed mussels with passato di pomodoro, chilies & herbs, served with crusty bread for dipping. This recipe was inspired by our meal that night and is my take on mussels in a spicy tomato sauce. My secret ingredient is crispy pancetta, which adds a salty complexity and a wonderful texture. If you can’t find pancetta, unsmoked bacon is a fine substitute, but even that might be hard to find in your neighborhood grocery store. If you can’t find either of them, simply take regular bacon and blanch in boiling water first to reduce its smoky flavor.
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These little individual pastries are the perfect accompaniment to bring to a lazy Sunday brunch or to serve as dessert at a weeknight dinner party since they can be made ahead of time and their beautiful presentation always wows the audience. Your friends and family will definitely ‘ooo’ and ‘ahh’ over these sweet and flaky tartlets sweetened with Manuka honey from New Zealand. Each delectable bite offers a subtle hint of sweet almond flavor from a thin layer of almond paste. When everyone asks you for the name of the bakery, you can tell them these apple tartlets were actually homemade with love from your very own kitchen! 
This is the perfect drink for a cold wintery night and also serves as a home remedy for sore throats.
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