Ingredients:

• 2 lbs fresh blue mussels
• 1 ⅓ lbs fresh angel–hair pasta
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 3 clove garlic, minced
• ½ cup onion, minced
• 2 medium jalapeño peppers, de-seeded and finely chopped (use seeds if you are adventurous)
• 2 tsp fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 cup Chardonnay
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, or 1 cup Swiss cheese shredded.
• 1 Tbsp flour

1. Rinse the fresh blue mussels in tap water.
2. Cook angel-hair pasta. Drain, then toss with olive oil. Put pasta in large serving dish and keep warm.
3. In large pot, sauté garlic, onions, jalapeños, and rosemary with butter for one minute. Add wine and fresh blue mussels. Turn heat to high and steam for 3 - 5 minutes until shells open. Remove fresh blue mussels with slotted spoon and arrange over pasta. Keep warm.
4. Put the cheese in a plastic bag and toss with flour to coat.
5. To the broth in the pot, add cheese and cream, then simmer until sauce starts to thicken, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and pour over mussels and pasta. Garnish, then serve with crusty French bread and salad.

Recipe came to me from lobsterman Scotty Jordan, who said "I found this mussel recipe years ago from Great Eastern Mussel Farms. It was the winner in a 1993 National Recipe Contest by contributors Cathy Silvey and Richard Wood. It's called, Best Damn Mussels You'll Ever Eat. Variations of the recipe can be found on Google. Most of the variations call for 2 cups of cheese. The original recipe only calls for one cup of jack or Swiss cheese."