Mad about Mushrooms . . .

Gluttony, and other deadly sins

The ancient Romans, for all their incredible achievements, had a few glaring weaknesses as well.  One of these was gluttony.  We have joked from time to time that the food we were eating was so good, when we were  so full we couldn't eat another bite, we would emulate the ancient Romans by sticking a finger down our throat to, uh, make some more room, as it were.

We've never actually done this, mind you, even though it was a not uncommon practice in ancient Rome.  But occasionally, the dish we were eating was so wonderful that it brought to mind this story.

But gluttony, however tempting it may be, can carry grave consequences.  The penalty for gluttony is occasionally severe sickness, and even death, and nowhere is this more true than in the world of mushrooms.

Some of our favorite mushies fruit in peaceful landscapes
carpeted with Oregon oxalis, such as this one.

The Fish Shack - Vancouver, BC, Canada

For many years, Steven and I have been quietly celebrating Chinese New Year's in our Port Orford home.  Most of the time, I prepare a couple of traditional dishes for us to feast on while we reminisce about our many Asian friends, including our "adopted" daughters living in China and Japan.  Frequently, we vocalize a desire to drive to San Francisco to participate in their world-famous New Year's activities but have always let go of this dream thinking that Chinatown would be simply too crowded during this holiday for us to enjoy.

 

However, we were determined to make 2017 our year to be a part of a Chinese New Year's celebration and, after much debate about the sanity of doing so, we headed up to Vancouver, BC, where 100,000 spectators typically line the New Year's parade route. 

 

Fearless as we are from time to time, we found ourselves waking up Sunday morning in this lovely coastal seaport and planning to head for the parade.  Unfortunately, due to sleeping late and being turned off by the drizzly weather, we missed much of it. 

 

Yet, the lion dancers that roamed the streets of Chinatown, the surprise appearance of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau on the street corner where we were standing along with the many performances at the Asian Mall by cute kids and graceful dancers and entertainers, all these things more than made up for the loss of viewing the entire parade. 

 

Later in the day we attended the Chinese Benevolent Society's dinner marking the start of the Year of the Rooster at the Floata Seafood Restaurant where we and 999 (yes, there were 1,000 people scheduled to be in attendance at the banquet) of our closest friends and acquaintances were quite overwhelmed by the abundance of dishes.  Delicious food started arriving at our table around 6:30 and when we left at 10:00 the waitstaff was still serving more entrees.  Although we really wanted to sample the desserts, we were simply done in by the bounty and extravagance of the evening and had to head back to the hotel!

Our dinner experience the night before at The Fish Shack was in stark contrast to this banquet.  For at The Fish Shack there was a focus on intimacy and preparation of singular dishes.

Pho 99 - Bellingham, Washington

What a find!

We have to tip our hats to serendipity, that magical force that is frequently the traveler's strongest ally!  In this case, it was serendipity that led us us Pho 99. 

We were on our way to Canada and suddenly realized that the gas gauge was dipping dangerously close to empty.  Needless to say, we quickly pulled off the freeway in order to fuel up. Little did we know that there would be a great pho restaurant within eye sight of the gas station!

Pho Lavang - Lake Oswego, Oregon

Pho Lavang:  a welcoming place with memorable Salt & Pepper Squid!

 

 

Finding ourselves in Lake Oswego on yet another dark and drizzly January evening, we were quickly attracted to Pho Lavang.  Its bright and cheery building perched alongside Boones Ferry Road immediately caught our eye. 

 

As we approached the front entrance, we noticed that the restaurant was about ready to close.  Hesitantly, we opened the door to inquire if it was too late for a quick dinner.  To our delight, we were warmly greeted by the owner.  "No problem," he graciously announced, "come on in and enjoy yourselves."  Now, that's a warm welcome any time, but we found it especially appealing on this dreary January night.  

Donny's Gateway Pub - Sandy, Oregon

It was a cold and drizzly night when we were driving thru Sandy recently, the kind of night when you're chilled to the bone even if you're sitting in a warm car.

As we came upon the Gateway Pub we noticed their sign which was advertising clam chowder.  Yes, this would be a perfect night to warm up with chowder!

 

 

Our 2017 Winner: Shauna Havey's Marsala Mushroom Phyllo Squares

Congratulations to our 2017
winner, Shauna Havey.

Our 2017 winner, Shauna Havey, created a scrumptious dish that quickly brought cries of "winner, winner" from our judges.  No one could resist the appealing flaky crust that greeted them.  Nor could they resist the fragrant mushroom filling that was enhanced by the incorporation of cremini and shiitake mushrooms.

Shawna wrote that her submission was "an enticing blend of Shiitake and Cremini mushrooms sautéed in butter, aromatics, and Marsala wine...sandwiched between delicate layers of phyllo dough and baked until crisp and golden. This irresistible appetizer is as pretty as it is flavorful and will be a crowd pleaser anytime you serve it."  We couldn't agree more. 

In fact, our judges not only commented on how lovely the squares are to look at with their golden multi-layer crust, but these judges are also believed that the squares would be an amazing addition to the dining table, suggesting that a mixed greens salad and fresh fruit might be the perfect complements to make the squares a luxurious lunchtime choice.

One last thought:  the recipe makes 12 rather large appetizer servings.  Seems like a lot to consume at one time ... or, maybe we just don't have enough friends!  Anyway, we were quite pleased with the result when we enclosed the leftover pieces in plastic wrap and refrigerated them.  Later in the week, as an experiment, we removed the plastic wrap and reheated the leftovers for about 5 minutes in a 350 degree oven - the squares were very well preserved, retaining all the things that made us love them in the first place: flavorful, yummy and flaky!

February 2017's Recipe of the Month: Sara Moulton's Spaghetti with Bacon, Eggs and Toasted Crumbs (and a handful of wild mushrooms for good measure)

Sara Moulton has become one of my "go to" cookbook authors for quick, innovative and delicious dinners, and the following recipe clearly illustrates her gift for recipe development. 

All I need to do is to add a handful of wild mushrooms to the list of ingredients, and, voilà, we have a dish fit for a mushroom king!

 

Colorful scenes of the forest last fall bring back sweet memories
in the wintry month of February.