Mad about Mushrooms . . .

September, 2014's Recipe of the Month: Heritage Barbeque Sauce with Bolete Mushroom Powder

Take a secret sauce recipe that's been handed down from one generation to the next and has traveled from New York City to the forestlands of the southern Oregon coast, add a generous tablespoon of bolete mushroom powder and the result = Even More Yummy! 

This is our family's Heritage Barbeque Sauce, and we're always cautious when tampering with tradition.  But, we simply couldn't resist embelishing tradition with mushroom powder.  We love playing around with mushroom powder, adding a sprinkle here and there.  We found the urge to experiment with mushroom powder in the BBQ sauce to be absolutely irresistable. 

As confident as we were that we'd found the perfect addition to our family's recipe, even we, die-hard mushroom connoisseurs that we are, were astonished at the richness and depth of flavor contributed by the bolete powder.  The boldness of the BBQ sauce was mellowed by the bolete powder, and the color deepened to a luscious mahogany.

The recipe makes a moderate amount sauce, about 1-1/2 cups, which can be used to baste the cooking meat or can be brushed on the meat just before serving.  We love it with chicken, on hamburgers and just about anything that benefits from the last taste of the summer BBQ.

The waterfall at Glencar, Ireland would be a perfect
place for a picnic with yesterday's BBQ chicken.

August, 2014's Recipe of the Month: Isabel Allende's Reconciliation Soup

Perhaps we've always believed that wild mushrooms have an aphrodisiac as well as a medicinal quality, but it was certainly reaffirming to discover Isabel Allende's Reconciliation Soup and to read her testiment to the miracle of mushrooms in Aphrodite,  in which she offered this thought:  

The creation of this soup was a matter not of chance, but of necessity. It is a practically infallible aphrodisiac that I always fix after some terrible fight, a flag of truce that allows me to make peace without humiliating myself too greatly.

That's quite a declaration!  Thankfully, we've not had to test the recipe for its reconciliation or aphrodisiac qualities ... not yet, thank goodness.  If, and when, we do, we'll be sure to update this post!

Please note that we've left Ms. Allende's personal comments in the recipe that we've copied and pasted below, believing that they are an integral part of the myth and mystery that comes with the presentation and will enhance our dear reader's understanding of the soup's mission.

The pond at New River is without doubt a most romantic spot.