Mussels take center stage in these one-pot dinners

Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Wrap the whole garlic bulb in foil and cook in preheated oven until soft, about 6-8 minutes. The bulb should be soft to the touch and you will be able to smell the roasted garlic.

Add the oil to a pot or heavy pan. Sweat the shallot and chopped garlic until translucent, about 45-60 seconds. Add mussels, tomatoes, white wine, capers and pepper, and cover the pot. When the mussels are almost open (about 90 seconds-2 minutes), add the heavy cream, and cover the pot. After about 60-90 seconds, stir in the basil. Cover the pot and cook until the mussels open up.

Grill or toast the baguette whole. Slice it on the bias. Cut the roasted garlic bulb in half and rub it on the toasted baguette.

Cooked mussels can be eaten directly from the pot or pan or transferred to a wide-rim soup bowl. Keep covered until just prior to eating as they cool quickly. Use baguette to soak up the mussel broth.

Add the mussels, wine, and chili sauce to a pot or heavy pan on medium heat and cover. When the mussels are almost open (about 90 seconds-2 minutes), add the pineapple and cover the pot. Once all of the mussels are open (about 2 more minutes), sprinkle cilantro over top and serve.

Cooked mussels can be eaten directly from the pot or pan or transferred to a wide-rim soup bowl. Keep covered until just prior to eating as they cool quickly.

Chili sauce

Add the butter to a pot over medium heat. Sweat the garlic and ginger, about 45-60 seconds. Add remaining ingredients. Reduce until thickened and desired consistency (coats the back of a spoon), about 5-7 minutes.

Grilled pineapple

Put pineapple slices in a bowl. Toss with chili sauce just to coat the pineapple.

Grill the pineapple slices until they are soft to the touch and have grill marks.

At least 30 minutes before you are ready to bake the tarte, put the pizza stone in the oven and preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Sprinkle the baker's peel generously with cornmeal.

Put one portion of the dough on the prepared peel. Flatten it as thin as you can, opening it out into a circular shape, using a rolling pin, but finishing the job with your fingers. Leave the rim somewhat higher than the rest.

Rub the raw pizza crust with olive oil. Sprinkle the chopped herbs over the entire pizza. Smear the pizza with a thin layer of bechamel using the back of a spoon. Spread the onions, bacon, and mushrooms evenly over the pizza. Top with Gruyere and Parmesan cheeses.

Slide the tarte, jerking the peel sharply away, onto the preheated baking stone. Bake in preheated oven on pizza stone until the crust browns and the tart is bubbling, about 20 minutes.

Bechamel sauce

Yields 1 cup (this should be thicker than the traditional preparation of this sauce)

In a small saucepot over medium-low to medium heat, combine butter and flour with a whisk. Once the mixture is about the consistency of peanut butter, add milk while whisking. Cook until thickened, about 4-5 minutes. Adjust with more milk if needed for consistency; the sauce should be spreadable. Season to taste with salt.

Sauteed mushrooms

Heat the oil in a pan over high heat. Add the mushrooms. Season with salt and white pepper and cook until soft and water has cooked out, about 2-3 minutes. Adjust seasoning as needed.

Pizza dough

Yields dough for 2 pizzas. Stir yeast into 1/4 cup lukewarm water in a large bowl to dissolve completely. When dissolved (10 minutes or less), add 1 cup flour and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon. As you continue to stir, gradually add 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, 1/4 cup lukewarm water, and 1 cup flour. Gradually stir in additional water and flour, but add only as much as is needed to make the dough manageable; it should be soft and not too sticky.

Remove the dough from the bowl and slap it down very hard against a flour table several times, until it is stretched out to a length of about 10 inches. Reach for the far end of the dough and fold it a short distance toward you. Push the dough away with the heel of your palm, flexing your wrist. Fold it and push it away again, gradually rolling it up and bringing it close to you. Rotate the dough one-quarter turn. Pick it up and slap it own hard and repeat the process of folding and pushing the dough away. Rotate the dough another one-quarter turn in the same direction and repeat the process (about 10 minutes).

Pat the kneaded dough into a round shape. Lightly coat the inside of a clean bowl with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Put the dough in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Put the bowl in a protected, warm spot. Let the dough rise until it has doubled in volume, about 3 hours (or it can sit longer).

Divide the risen dough in half; keep one half in the bowl, covered, while rolling out the other half unless your baker's peel and pizza stone can accommodate 2 pizzas at once.

If not using immediately, place each half on parchment paper sprinkled with semolina flour and wrap parchment around dough, and then wrap in plastic wrap. Dough is best used fresh but can be stored in the refrigerator up to 1 day.