Mad about Mushrooms . . .

February 2012's Recipe of the Month: Prize Winning Mushroom Beef Stew

Congraulations to Nancy Latulippe of Ontario, the Grand Prize Winner in Taste of Home's "Comfort Food Favorite" contest!

Her delicious beef stew carries the intense flavors of dried mixed mushrooms and whole baby portobello mushrooms in a rich beef base that includes chunks of chuck roast, chopped carrots and onions, minced garlic and rosemary.  Topped with crumbled blue cheese, we think that you'll agree that this beef stew is indeed worthy of the Grand Prize!

We used cauliflower and boletes that we had dried last fall. 

January 2012's Recipe of the Month: Porcini & Hazelnut Dressing

Late in 2011, the Oregon Coast Culinary Institute (OCCI) hosted the Taste of the Northwest, an extraordinary event which featured an exotic menu of wild game, local mushrooms, fresh seafood, and rustic breads along with fanciful desserts at the Coos Bay campus of Southern Oregon Community College. 

The main dishes included such items as cedar planked cured salmon, butternut squash and goat cheese ravioli, elk tacos, halibut en papillote, crab cakes, and smoked duck with sweet potato hash.  The dessert tray featured such items as chocolate hazelnut tartlets, persimmon buttermilk sherbet ice cream cones, brown butter apple upside-down cake with Apple Jack carmel, and pumpkin pie truffle. 

We have it on good authority that one of the highlights of the evening was the Porcini & Hazelnut Dressing, and we're pleased to present it as the first recipe of 2012.  Thanks for sharing your recipe for this tasty preparation, Shawn L. Hanlin, CED and Executive Director of OCCI! 

 

The Porcini & Hazelnut Dressing was a favorite at OCCI's dinner. 

December's Recipe of the Month: Morel Frittata

Thanks to our dear friend Paula, I was recently able to read an article entitled "Morel Fever" in the Early Spring 2011 edition of County Gardens.  The writing was well done.  And, the photography by Greg Scheidemann and Marty Baldwin quickly had my mouth watering for morels. 

We couldn't resist trying the Morel Frittata recipe that was featured in the article, and I think that it's already become a favorite recipe!  It's quick to prepare, lovely to look at, and simply delicious. 

We made some changes to the printed recipe (don't we always!) which we think enhance the original recipe and make it a richer presentation.  For example, we sauteed 1 cup of chopped onions instead of 1/2 cup, substituted heavy cream for the half-and-half, and served it with a dollop of sour cream.  We used 1 ounce of our dried morel mushrooms in place of the printed recipe's 4 ounces of fresh morels.

The cast iron skillet was a perfect cooking vessel. 

November's Recipe of the Month: Pork Chops with Bolete Powder & Hazelnuts

I have to confess that I absolutely love hazelnuts and cooking with roasted hazelnut oil.  So, when I recently found the recipe for "Hazelnut Crusted Pork Chops with Hazelnut Oil" on the web, it wasn't long until I had adapted it to include dehydrated bolete mushrooms that I had previously powdered in a coffee grinder.  Truthfully, I like to keep a container of this mushroom powder in my refrigerator at all times - in particular, the powder is a quick flavor enhancer for bland fish and vegetables.  As you might expect, the addition of the mushroom powder created another interesting dimension to this very flavorable dish of hazelnut encrusted chops.

Oh, I should also add that I like to brine pork before preparing it in a dish.  How do you brine?  Combine 1/8 cup salt in 2 cups cold water.  Immerse the pork in the solution for 30-60 minutes.  Then rinse off the brine solution and dry the pork.  True, the brining sometimes seems a little fussy but this extra step pretty much ensures a moister and more flavorful end product.

Brining the pork is essential to the success of this preparation. 

October's Recipe of the Month: Pork & Mushroom Stew

I love opening my g-mail account and finding another recipe from Cuisine at Home (www.cuisineerecipes.com).  They are unfailingly delicious, and this recent recipe was no exception. 

As usual, I made some modifications to the recipe.  I cut the pork into thin strips, substituted white chanterelles for the cremini mushrooms, thickened the sauce a bit more than the recipe called for and served it over egg noddles.  And, what was Steven's verdict on this modified Cuisine at Home recipe:  "It's definitely a keeper!"

Oh, and don't forget the Granny Smith apple garnish.  It adds a crispness, color and appeal that makes the dish even more special!

White chanterelles worked well in this dish. 

September's Recipe of the Month: Pork Scaloppine with Lobster Mushrooms in a Marsala Cream Sauce

We're experiencing a wonderful lobster mushroom season here in Curry County, and we think there's no better way to feature this colorful mushroom than in the following marsala and cream sauce. 

Don't be concerned if the lobsters that you find have dirt and debris in their surface cracks.  If they are young mushrooms, they tend to clean up very easily.  And, with all mushrooms, it is important to collect only the freshest and most perfect specimens.  Don't be tempted to settle for dried or wormy mushrooms - they will not enhance your culinary experience. 

  

 

Lobster mushrooms are typically the color of a cooked lobster. 

August's Recipe of the Month: New Orleans School of Cooking's Etouffee

What a great trip to New Orleans!  In spite of the persistent 95+ degree temperatures, it was an exciting and fun place to be for the last 10 days, days packed with

• visiting museums (The WWII Museum is an absolute must, insists Steven),
• dining at fine restaurants (we loved the duck dish at Mike’s on the Ave) as well as at traditional eateries such Johnny’s (you have to order the Po-Boy or Muffuletta at Johnny’s) and local haunts such as Dot’s Diner and the Waffle House,
• touring Louisiana and venturing into New Iberia, James Lee Burke’s territory,
• fishing off of Gulfport, MS with Dave Ball and friend,
• exploring bayous via a swamp tour (who would have thought that alligators were keen on marshmallows!),
• spending hours at the Audubon Insectarium (really cool butterfly exhibit and movie theatre with moving and shaking seats!) and Audubon Aquarium (where visitors can be surrounded by hundreds of parakeets of assorted colors),
• and, of course, taking a class at the New Orleans School of Cooking.

 

 

The Audubon Insectarium was amazing. 

July 2011's Recipe of the Month: Miso Soup - Celebrating our first chanterelle of the season

Simply put, miso is nothing more than a Japanese paste made from cooked, fermented soybeans.  Simply put, this month's recipe is nothing more than a cup of miso soup...but, we think you'll find it to be an elegant preparation for the first white chanterelle of the season.

Yes, there are chanterelles popping up from the forest floor on the southern Oregon coast!  We presented our first find floating in a refreshing bowl of miso soup and followed it with a light salad featuring miso salad dressing for a refreshing summer lunch.

 

June 2011's Recipe of the Month: Eggs & Morels Baked in Cream

I've been saving Martha Stewart's Eggs and Morels Baked in Cream recipe, waiting for spring to provide us with a collection of treasured morels.  When the morels came early in June, I made the recipe, and it's a real keeper:  rich and very tasty.  It was worth the wait!

 

 

Large blond morels greeted us at one of our favorite Mt. Hood locations.
We thought the other mushrooms might be helvellas, a particular favorite.
Instead, spore prints revealed them to be the poisonous brain mushrooms.
Always use extreme CAUTION when collecting wild mushrooms! 

May 2011's Recipe of the Month: Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole with Creamy Mustard Sauce

Cuisine at Home never disappoints, and their March 3, 2011 eRecipe, Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole with Creamy Mustard Sauce is no exception.  It's a spectacular presentation that is sure to impress family and guests alike. 

And, you guessed it, we just had to add wild mushrooms to the original recipe.  An amazing entree like this merits a touch of exotic!

 

The light dusting of March snow has long disappeared
but we're still waiting for the warmth of springtime!