Mad about Mushrooms . . .

Where is Justin today?

We had the pleasure of meeting Justin Rothboeck the other day, and thought you might also like to meet this young traveler.

It all started with Justin contacting us in early September.  He was bicycling his way down the west coast, had found our website, and wondered if we'd be willing to help with his video project.  Video project?  Yes. On his travels, he's interviewing mushroomers and listening to their mushroom stories while recording them on video... what an interesting project.

Safe travels, Justin! 

September 2011's Recipe of the Month: Pork Scaloppini 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. 

Chanterelles and Lobsters on the Oregon Coast ... and a Word of Caution

Seems like we made it back from New Orleans just in time to miss the choking smoke from a wildfire in a East New Orleans marsh combined with the rains of Tropical Storm Lee which brought 15 inches of rain in 4 days...let me tell you, we may have our share of rain here on the southern Oregon coast, but 15 inches in 4 days is just too much even for us!

Since returning home, I've been doing power walks through our refuge every day, trying to shed those 5 pounds picked up in New Orleans celebrating Creole and Cajun cuisine at every opportunity.  However, I have to admit that the culinary experience was worth the extra weight, especially for such treats as the New Orleans School of Cooking Etouffee Recipe included in our "Incredible Recipe of the Month" section.  Then, of course, there were the servings of Banana Fosters and the Bread Pudding at the Court of Two Sisters and ...  

 

 

It's always a pleasure to encounter brilliantly colored lobsters! 

August 2011'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.