Recipes from the Twit Army Mess Hall - Mussels, Clams and Shrimp with Saffron Risotto and Green Olive Relish

Don't skip on the olive relish you really need the taste from the lemon peel, parsley & olives to complete this dish.

Finished Risotto

Ingredients:
Olive Relish

• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pitted brine-cured green olives
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1 1/2teaspoons grated lemon peel

Risotto

• 2 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
• 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped shallots
• 1 cup arborio (sometimes labeled risotto) rice or medium-grain white rice
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup bottled clam juice
• 20 mussels, scrubbed, debearded
• 12 little neck clams, scrubbed
• 12 uncooked large shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails left intact, if you peel them your self save the shells
  
• 3/4 cup chopped tomatoes, I use roma but you can use any type you like as long as they aren't the 'sweet' type
  
• 1/4 cup sliced green onions

Preparation:

Olive Relish
Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside for at least 2 hours for the flavors to blend.

Risotto:

Bring stock and saffron to simmer in medium saucepan, if you kept the shrimp shells add them to the stock & simmer until the shells turn pink (This step adds some extra oomph to the stock). Remove from heat, remove the shells, if used, and cover to keep warm.

Heat olive oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add shallots; saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Add rice and garlic; stir 1 minute. Add white wine and stir until absorbed, about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup saffron stock and simmer until absorbed, stirring frequently. Add remaining stock 1/2 cup at a time, allowing stock to be absorbed before adding more and stirring frequently until rice is cooked halfway, about 10 minutes. Do not try and short on this step, if you add all the stock at once it won't absorb properly and you'll have a soupy mess instead of risotto. Add clam juice, mussels, little neck clams, shrimp and chopped tomatoes. Cover and simmer until rice is tender, mussels and clams open, shrimp are cooked through and liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes (discard any mussels and clams that do not open). Divide seafood and saffron risotto equally among 4 bowls. Sprinkle with sliced green onions. Garnish with lemon wedges. Serve, passing Green Olive Relish separately.

Steve Jobs ? Surgery ? Liver Transplantation

Just got the news about Mr. Jobs, I wouldn't presume to call people at Stanford to get a medical update so I still have no personal knowledge, but they do perform liver transplantation which is one of the surgeries being bandied about. That being said, with my previous disclaimer still in effect here is what I believe is going on.

Mr. Jobs had checked into Stanford hospital over the weekend and is reported to be undergoing an unspecified surgery, liver transplantation being the one most bandied about.
Here's the catch though, liver transplantation is a semi-emergent procedure and, unless you're at death's door from liver failure, you don't check in ahead of time which Mr. Jobs is reported to have done. Patients normally carry cell phones, pagers, etc. and are ready to come into the hospital on a moment's notice once a liver becomes available. Usually this is less than 24 hours since the clock start running when the donor is declared 'brain dead' and a tissue type is obtained. The patient will get to the transplant hospital while the donor liver is being typed and harvested and essentially as soon as the liver arrives at the hospital everything starts moving. You only hang out at the hospital if you are too sick to remain at home since you can wait weeks for a liver to become available and you're actually safer from infection at home.
The one exception to this is if Mr. Jobs is getting a 'living related' donor liver. That is, a relative, friend, or, in rare cases a stranger, who happens to be a 'match' for the patient is willing to undergo surgery to donate a part of their liver to the patient. Not as bad as it sounds since, unlike other organs the liver will regenerate itself (the Greeks has this right with the Prometheus story) and a year after surgery ofter the donor's liver looks almost completely normal. This is the only case where you'd check in a day or so ahead of scheduled liver transplant surgery. Any other surgeries you normally check in either the morning of surgery or a day or so ahead of time.
Once more details, if any, are made public I'll update this post with further information.